Maithri announces in Matara ‘I WILL NOT BETRAY 8 JANUARY SILENT REVOLUTION’

By Udeni Saman Kumara in Matara- 2015-07-05

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday pledged at Matara that he would uphold the people's victory, transformation and change achieved by him as the common candidate of the people on 8 January.

The President also declared that as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) the decisions and judgments he makes are being executed in a manner that protect the transformation which took place within the country on 8 January. He pledged not to betray the trust reposed on him by the people on that day.

The President made these observations at an event to launch the construction of the section of the Matara-Hambantota Expressway from Godagama, held at Godagama in Matara yesterday. Minister of Highways and Investment Promotion Kabir Hasheem, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera and Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake also participated on this occasion.

President Maithripala Sirisena also said that, "When talking about Expressways, there is a very lengthy history. Once, the commemorative plaque that was put up when this launch was carried out, was removed by another group and another plaque was fixed. As much as these expressways, I recall the construction of the Nelum Pokuna Theatre in Colombo when we placed a commemorative plaque under former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and launched construction. Later, it was removed and thrown out, and a new one was put up.

"How much should we, as politicians, act in agreement with our hearts when fulfilling people's requirements? Building a personality does not mean building an opinion that everything was done by yourself. What should happen within good governance with freedom and democracy is basically collectiveness and common things. I ensured the change and the transformation that the country needs which was obtained through the victory of the people when I contested as the common candidate on 8 January. The people of this country engaged in a revolution on 8 January. It was a silent revolution. I state very clearly that I will not allow anyone to turn back in anyway the purposes and objectives the people hoped for during that revolution.

"I am a person who has 49 years of experience in politics. I am not someone who entered politics all of a sudden. There is a Prime Minister and a Cabinet who work together with me and my experience today. As the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, certain decisions I make are mostly based on protecting the transformation that took place in the country on the 8th, and I say very clearly that it is the same when implementing those decisions.
"Therefore, I say clearly that, our priorities in development are being prepared according to the fundamental requirements of the people.
There are schools that do not have toilets and sanitary facilities yet. They do not have water. They do not have drinking water either.

"Today, the entire international community is providing us with assistance. We are a country which has had friendly relations with China for thousands of years. China is providing us with great support for this project of Expressways. When I work as the President I do not have any politics. I fulfil certain social requirements based on good governance."