“This election seems decisive as the people may not give any party an absolute majority. They are fed up of this system of polls. We must examine the danger that would arise if neither party gets an absolute majority, observed UNF Colombo District Candidate Milinda Moragoda at an exchange of views with the people at Galawilawatte, Homagama during his polls campaign.

Moragoda has launched a new concept to meet the people for an exchange of views instead of holding rallies and meetings by the roadside that would inconvenience the public.

The former Minister told the people that an unstable government cannot resolve the burning problems and added that the economy of the country was at a decisive juncture. “Therefore it is necessary to elect a strong leader with a sound mandate who could take decisions to benefit the people”, Moragoda stressed.

Continuing his views the former Minster expressed; “The UNF government worked towards a target during the past two years. According to Ranil Wickremesinhe’s vision we laid a strong foundation for that purpose. While we were engaged on that task, the president dissolved Parliament. That was only a political gimmick as she felt if Ranil took the country forward it could have been unfavourable to her. What we should ask is whether we endorse such a political culture which is detrimental to the people and the nation. When a government that enjoys a majority is dissolved for political gains what is the fate of our future generation?

If the country elects another unstable government, the president will use her executive powers to dissolve it. At the end who will take the responsibility for the damage caused to the society, economy and nation? We must eliminate the political culture that tends to feed power hungry politicians in this country. Answering a question by a person in the gathering on allegations of dividing the nation through peace talks, Moragoda said the country torn by war for twenty years on separatism was only taken towards federalism in a united country.

Moragoda recalled that the international community fully endorsed the steps taken to restore peace in the country and to develop the North and the South and pointed out that when America attacked Iraq it was Sri Lanka which proposed peace moves in place of war. “India, Japan, USA, Norway, Thailand and the European nation have fully endorsed the peace moves of our government,” he reiterated.

He further said his government was able to secure foreign assistance in military hardware, equipment for sea intelligence work and corner the LTTE to enter peace talks to prove that the impossible was made possible and added that the LTTE was now visiting other countries to study systems of power devolution. “They cannot smuggle in arms as there is an international net thrown around them. Their bank accounts are freezed overseas and it is a banned outfit,” he noted.

He said that we had many opportunities in the past to formulate a resolution to meet the needs but both parties, the government and opposition at that time did not agree as our past leaders failed to examine the issue with honesty. “The Provincial Council system was set to devolve power but leave alone the North-East even the South was not given powers by the respective governments,” Moragoda Stressed.

Concluding the former Minister said that foreign assistance of US dollars 4.5 billion was based on peace initiatives and he appealed to the people to give a strong mandate to the UNF to continue peace and development of the country.