President Rajapaksa made this observation addressing Members of Local Government bodies from Batticaloa, elected at the recent elections, at the Presidential Secretariat. He congratulated all elected Local Government members from Batticaloa on their becoming representatives of the people of Batticaloa. Members of the nine Local Bodies took oaths yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat marking an important milestone in the country's electoral history. "Democracy has triumphed in the East defeating terrorism enabling the common masses to elect their own representatives to rule their Local Bodies," the President added. "Very soon we will be ready to grant the same rights, freedom and the franchise enjoyed by the Eastern population to the Northern populace too," President Rajapaksa asserted.

With the bestowal of development and democratic rights enjoyed by the people living in other parts of the country to the Eastern people, the Government could fulfil the pledges made to the masses during his Presidential election campaign, the President added. The President observed he was tolerating all criticisms and allegations levelled against the Government at a time democracy triumphed against terrorism. "Without practising patience we cannot function within a democratic framework," the President told the newly elected Members. He told the newly elected member that the people's mandate bestowed on them was a crucial responsibility. Living under a democratic framework is quite different to an existence under the gun. Under democratic rule, it is incumbent to give ear to the people's problems while criticism should be borne with patience and equanimity. "You have to find solutions to their problems."

The President said the Government has now entrusted the grave responsibility of finding solutions to people's problems to the elected representatives from the East. Under terrorism it is the might of the gun that prevailed but under democracy it is justice that is the driving force.

"That responsibility of ensuring justice is now in your hands," the President said. The President also appealed to all representatives elected to the nine Local Bodies to rise above politics to proceed as one country and one nation.

President Rajapaksa handed over Rs. 2.5 million each towards the nine Local Bodies and a Rs.100,000 grant for each member to purchase motorbicycles. Agriculture and Agrarian Services Minister and SLFP General Secretary Maitripala Sirisena, Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister Karu Jayasuriya, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon, Disaster Relief Minister Ameer Ali and Mayoress of the Batticaloa Municipal Council Prabhakaran Shivageetha also spoke. Courtesy : Daily News