Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in a statement read out at yesterday’s rally in Ratnapura, called upon the people to stand united against enemies of the nation as the separatists were still active.
Rajapaksa said sinister forces had emerged stronger since Jan. 08. “The time has come for us to tell them in no uncertain terms that though they have engineered electoral losses we are strong in politics. We must make it very clear to them that they cannot rob us of our courage to fight back.
“Projects we launched to help the country to be on par with the developed world have been suspended.
“I know that the majority of those who have gathered here today are from the UPFA and the SLFP. I recollect how we revived the SLFP when it was reduced almost to nothing during the JR-Premadasa period. We launched a Pada Yathra from Colombo to Kataragama. Vasudeva Nanayakkara witnessed our agony. We had blisters on our feet and slept on the roadside. The parents of the students killed in Embilipitiya marched with us carrying the blood stained shirts of their children.”
The former President profusely thanked those who had braved heavy rains to gather in Ratnapura to strengthen the SLFP and the UPFA. “I know that it was you from areas like Kolonna, Rakwana, Pelmadulla, Nivitigala, Balangoda, Kalawana, Eheliyagoda and Ratnapura who ensured victory of betel leaf in your electorates.”
Mahinda lost the last election due to his racist policies to stay in power with his family members. He is trying to use the same racists policies to come back to power.
Mahinda is accused of War Crime for killing more than 40,000 Tamil civilians in May 2009. The Army was given a free hand to kill and rape Tamil girls. The Sri Lankan Army killed more than 1000 LTTE Leaders and their family members who had surrendered with white flag after UN negotiated the surrender.