Ranil wouldn't have opposed 100m buffer zone if he lived in coastal area - Dinesh

Deraniyagala Roving Corr.

OPPOSITION Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will not oppose the 100 metre buffer zone if he had lived in the coastal area during the tsunami tidal wave disaster, said Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

 "Without realising the future impact of such a repetition of the disaster, Ranil should not blindly oppose the decision and mislead the people," the Minister told a meeting after distributing nearly 400 shops to businessmen, built at Rs. 18.4 million. The Minister said the UPFA government was concerned about the safety of people affected by the disaster.

 "Neither the Government nor the President expect the victims to suffer again, in case there is another tidal wave. The UNP is not concerned about the safety or welfare of fisherfolk or those rendered homeless by the tidal wave," Gunawardena said. He said the Opposition Leader and his followers should not engage in cheap propaganda to gain publicity. "They should help the Government and people to restore normal lives," he said.

The President and the UPFA Government have won the confidence of all sections of people by their impartial service and no force can topple the Government, although certain politicians shaken by the steady progress of the government within a short period attempt to mislead the masses by false and mischievous propaganda, the Minister said. The Government will continue to look into the welfare of all communities, religion and other social status despite the Opposition crying foul of the Government. The President has no malice or ill-will against any community or religion. Her commitment is to build a united Sri Lanka void of conflicts, the Minister said.