Sri Lanka Buddhist Congress:

Rally around President

The Sri Lanka Buddhist congress in a statement issued yesterday has requested the people to forget all petty differences and support President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the forthcoming election to enable him to perform his second responsibility of steering the country towards prosperity.

The statement signed by its secretary Ven. Diviyagaha Yasassi Thera said the President had successfully fulfilled his first and major responsibility by defeating the terrorists and liberating the country.

The statement said the forthcoming election is an important and decisive election for many reasons.

The country had suffered from 30 years of terrorism and the President by fulfilling his first responsibility without acquiescing to the pressures of Foreign Minister forces enable everyone to move freely in any part of the country.

Today extremist Tamil Forces bent on creating a separate Tamil state have rallied against President Mahinda Rajapaksa raising the threat of subjecting future generation to a renewed war.

People should therefore consider these factors intelligently and ensure the President's victory at the forthcoming election to enable him to steer the country towards prosperity.