"The country has lost its sovereignty and freedom" : Gotabaya Rajapakse

COLOMBO (News 1st):- The party convention of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party was held in Colombo today (September 29). The motion to support the presidential candidate of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Gotabaya Rajapaksa was passed at the convention. The convention was held at the Sri Lanka Exhibition and Convention centre. The event was attended by Tissa Vitharana the General Secretary of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, and other representatives of parties who extended their support to Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. Tissa Vitharana also presented the party proposals to Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Addressing the people gathered, the SLPP Presidential candidate, Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that today the sovereignty and the freedom that the country enjoyed before has been lost since strategic economic locations have been sold off to foreign countries. He assures the people that under their government they would first ensure that the sovereignty is protected since the country's aligned policy has been destroyed due to the intervention of various powerful nations. He tells the people that the economic policy they hope to bring in is one close to the hearts of the people and centred around the people which did not only once defeat terrorism but will make sure that it does not raise its head once again. Gotabaya continued to say that after ending terrorism that they were able to rehabilitate and reintegrate 13,000 people who surrendered themselves to the forces, with about 5000 cadres who were also arrested. He further says that by the end of 2014 there were only 274 left for the purpose to whom they provided employment under the civil defence force. The SLPP candidate says that they released about 90% of the lands that were under the control of the LTTE cadres and the Sri Lanka Army had given all of it back to the people. He states that regardless of whatever the politicians tell him now that all this was during their time of the government and said that if these people are evading responsibilities and giving various excuses it only shows that they cannot work. He added that they have got plans to save this country from the current economic situation that they are in with a team to back the implementation. Also speaking at the event, SLPP Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa said that everyone knows about the service rendered by the UNP government during this four year period, which is that they simply only served themselves. He further said that it is not only Ranil Wickremesinghe but that everyone who was part of this government that should be held responsible for this Central Bank bond scam. Mahinda Rajapaksa says that at present the country is in a situation where the country's assets and lands have been planned to be sold off. Speaking on the recent statement by the Solicitor General, Mahinda said that according to the Solicitor General, that Ranil had worked towards filing cases even when nothing wrong had happened. He says that she had to resign or that she was interdicted and that many more details are yet to come out. Speaking about the recent deaths of the seven elephants reported from various reserves in the country, the SLPP leader said that today the country is in a situation which does not even allow these animals to stay in peace while adding that the "two-legged elephants" should somehow be chased into the forest.