Support Defence Secretary to curb terrorism - Minister S.M. Chandrasena

Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: We have to give our fullest support to Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to curb terrorism and protect innocent people, Nation Building Minister S.M.Chandrasena said.

Addressing a press briefing at his office on Tuesday, Minister Chandrasena said human rights organisations and certain leaders campaigning locally and internationally but none of them was there when the LTTE killed hundreds of people at Kebithigollewa and closed down Mavilaru anicut.

Defence Secretary Rajapaksa launched a very successful programme to identify terrorists entering Colombo to carry out attacks but those organisations and leaders are putting the whole country and its people in a great danger, he added.

"As a people's representative who represents an area which is constantly under LTTE attacks I know who cares for the people and who doesn't. It is very sad to see how certain leaders and human rights organisations support the LTTE directly and indirectly.

They try to weaken the Defence Secretary but he is not the one who get affected but the innocent people of this country," Minister Chandrasena said.

He said that certain leaders and human rights organisations shout in Colombo wearing ties and coats and now we have to form our own organisations as innocent civilians in order to campaign for our rights.

"We have to campaign for our rights. We live under the threat of LTTE all the time and the human rights organisations should understand our pain and suffering."

The Government will present its proposals for a new electoral system to Parliament on June 5. If I think only about myself the present electoral system is very favourable for me but if I think about the people I support a new electoral system. The present electoral system wastes billions of rupees and allow millionaires to come to Parliament.

According to present system the money allocated for one MP is not enough for the development for his area. During election times there is an extreme wastage of money, papers, flour and walls all over the country. Some persons print posters in India.

No stable Governments can be formed under the present system. Every Government has to keep bigger Cabinets in order to satisfy all political parties. According to the previous system, people from all walks of life can come into Parliament. Therefore a new electoral system is essential.

Denying all allegations against him, Minister Chandrasena said that he did not misappropriate funds from the compensation paid for Mavilaru farmers.

He said the funds given to the persons living in LTTE held areas disappeared under the names of non-existing persons. The persons who 'paid' money to those imaginary names had thought the areas held by the LTTE will never be captured by armed forces and their `acts' will not be revealed but when the armed forces captured the area all acts of corruption and malpractices were revealed and one weekend newspaper tried to sling mud at me, he said.