PRESIDENT MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA
APPEALES TO UNNAMED POLITICAL ELEMENTS NOT TO BETRAY MOTHERLAND TO FOREIGN
INTERESTS.
By Walter Jayawardhana
President Mahinda Rajapaksa appealed to unnamed political elements
in the country not to betray their own motherland to foreign interests
for the greed of power.
“ A virus has entered the body politic today that to resolve local
problems to invite foreign powers for the greed of power,” said
President Mahinda Rajapaksa declaring open Sri Lanka’s second Cancer
treating hospital unit at Karapitiya Teaching Hospital IN Galle.
President Rajapaksa addressing the opening ceremony of the 4 storied
unit erected at the cost of 500 million Rupees to ease the treatment
of patients coming from remote areas in the Southern Province and who
could not travel to the main Cancer Hospital at Maharagama near the
capital city said in sarcasm that specialist treatment is now necessary
for unpatriotic elements who are expecting foreign intervention in the
country .
The President said they are trying to paint the picture to the world
that the democratically elected government in a country where there
is rule of law which is doing its best in grappling with the problem
of trying to save part of its population from a Fascist dictatorship
is tyrannical and inviting foreign intervention.
The President said these people should understand that any problem
could be solved by discussing with the government without painting false
pictures to the world and demeaning the country in front of the world.
The President said recently there had been some directions from the
Supreme Court regarding school admissions and it was not a rigid policy
the government accepted. He said, certain amendments have been made
to those directions with the help of the Ministry of Education and now
the process to admit children to the schools has started. The work would
start by August 15 , the President said.
Minister of Health Nimal Siripala de Silva said the government is spending
the second largest expenditure of the country to maintain free health
services.
The health minister said the difference between President Rajapaksa
and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesingheis not only the difference of the
common man’s suit and the rich man’s suit they are clad in.
He said during Ranil’s time only 4 billion was spent for medicines
in the hospitals. Now 11 billion is spent for the same purpose to ease
the burden of the poor.
He said canards are being spread that the biggest expenditure now is
for the maintainence of the Ministers. He said actually only between
one or two percent of the income is being spent for that purpose
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