COLOMBO : Addressing the fifth annual convention of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna,Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said here on Tuesday,October 2 that people should work together with the state to force ahead.
“ It is necessary to take over the power of the government and do politics among the people just as state institutions do. There are many things that cannot be done by government ministries, state institutions. The recent teachers’ strike dragged on as we moved away from politics.
Today, farmers’ protests are being dragged out so seriously because they did not work among them. We need to understand the voice of those people. We need to hear that voice. As we move away from politics, the forces we have defeated are infiltrating into the masses to create narrow chaos to take advantage of narrow interests, the prime minister said.
“The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna must ensure that unity amongst its allies is protected, as they fought for the same cause. The SLPP always advocated peace, a quality that it inherited from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, adding that the size of a party does not matter, and what matters is the objective.
“These parties were with us when the times were tough and they moved with us. They are not the crutches of the SLPP. Therefore, all parties must unite, and making that happen is our responsibility,” Rajapaksa told the convention.
Further, Rajapaksa recalled the sacrifices made by those who contributed towards the SLPP’s historic success and honored them in his comments to the convention.
“Even when are charged, we never took steps to organize rallies to panic the public and we never wanted to keep the people in darkness,” he added in response to the present protests and trade union actions”.
The special event themed “Towards Prosperity with Pride”, graced by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, is took place at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre in Colombo.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa did not attend the ceremony as he is currently in Glasgow, Scotland for the COP26 – the UN Climate Change Conference. He, however, sent a congratulatory message to mark the party’s anniversary.
The ceremony is held in compliance with the health guidelines due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic situation.
