"President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who received the people’s mandate to eradicate terrorism from our soil and achieved that goal even prior to the completion of three and a half years of his tenure as president, is now facing a Presidential Polls for the second time with a view to ushering in economic prosperity to the country through a giant development drive," Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief SLFP Organizer for Kotte, Rohitha Bogollagama said.

The Minister expressed his views at a seminar held at the premises of the fire brigade in Nawala, Nugegoda under the theme "why the current President should be re-elected to office".

Minister Bogollagama pointed out that the merging of the UNP and the JVP, whose politics were poles apart in the past, appear to be the propagandists of General Fonseka under the influence of an invisible power. This revealed the plots hatched to bring about a regime friendly to some of the western countries.

The minister said the UNP canvassed for a common candidate at the Presidential polls instead of fielding its own party candidate. It clearly manifested the lack of able leadership of the main opposition.

Pointing out the Opposition supporters’ demand to field a leader of their own who could act in compliance with policies of the party to win the confidence of the people, the minister said, he was of the view that both the UNP and the JVP were not in a position to talk on a common policy. Could they agree on a common foreign or national programme.

He called for the unity of all parties to flock round the UPFA and act with a determined commitment to secure more than eighty percent of total votes for Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The first priority set by the people was to wipe out terrorism from this land.

"When we achieved that goal we were able to live in a liberal society that allowed free movement without fear." The Minister recalled that some people had forgotten the terror they experienced in this country for three decades in the past.

Minister Bogollagama stated that action had already been taken to establish twenty operational centres at Grama Niladari level covering forty five polling booths in the Kotte electorate to organise the forthcoming Presidential Elections.

Minister of Education Susil Premajayantha said that the name of the President would be written in history as a ruler who eradicated terrorism in the country within four years of getting the people’s mandate.

He pointed out that under the ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’ development programmes were initiated countrywide even when the war against terrorism was on.

He said every member in the UPFA could talk about the massive development projects going on in the country. A provincial councilor, an urban councillor or a Parliament Member could talk anywhere about the work carried out by this government under the ‘Mahinda Chinthanaya’.

He recalled that providing employment for youth, uplifting the status of farmers and fishermen, in the sphere of education and infrastructure facilities, and power plants and irrigation projects such as Moragahakanda could be seen by all.

Minister Premajayantha said that five ports are being built simultaneously and economic development of the country would be accelerated after completing these projects.

Former Member of Parliament Jinadasa Niyathapala, Mayor Swarna de Silva and Provincial Council Member Mahinda Kuruwitage also addressed the meeting.