KANDY: A decision on the abolition of the Executive Presidential system of governance will be taken only when the incumbent President nears the end of his second term in office, National Freedom Front leader Wimal Weerawansa said on on Wednesday.

Weerawansa, addressing the NFF’s Kandy Division convention at the Postal complex Auditorium, said that there was no doubting that the incumbent President, Mahinda Rajapaksa would be re-elected to office as there was none to match him in a presidential contest.

Only at the latter part of President Rajapaksa’s second term would a decision on the abolition of the Executive Presidency, he said. could be considered, he said.

The people of the country were confident that President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had the courage and determination to give leadership to destroy the LTTE terrorists, including their leader Prabhakaran, will also give leadership in the economic and social development of the country, Weerawansa said.

Terrorism was wiped out because of the wise decision taken by the people in electinging Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Executive President in 2005.

He said the National Freedom Front had gained popularity among the people because they were confident that the it could give strong a support to the development of the country, which was the second phase of the country’s liberation struggle.

"If not for the correct decision taken by the people to elect Mahinda Rajapaksa as President in 2005, we would be still living in a divided country. "Our armed forces were competent enough to face and achieve victory against the hostile force even earlier. But they were not given the correct leadership. It was only Mahinda Rajapaksa who had the courage to give correct and bold leadership to the forces. During the ceasefire period, the LTTE terrorists took every step to strengthen their forces. The same groups that supported LTTE terrorism are still indirectly supporting other evil elements," he said.

Several international powers are making use of their Sri Lankan agents to wreck the national unity of the country. Those powers are conspiring to topple the Rajapaksa administration. The NFF leader said that it was why the conspirators are attempting to pit a common candidate to defeat President Mahinda Rajapaksa. But that attempt could end in failure as UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and the JVP as well were laying down conditions for the common candidate, he said.