* Sri Lanka President says powerful parliament is needed to develop the nation
Sat, Mar 20, 2010, 01:20 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.

Mar 20, Kandy: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa said the country needs a powerful parliament to develop the country and the general public should elect the candidates who love the country to the parliament.

Addressing a mammoth crowd gathered for the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance rally in Getambe stadium in Kandy yesterday, the President said he has a duty to create a society which is well disciplined and has high moral values as the people have given him a mandate for the second time to see that happens.

The president pointed out that when he was elected in 2005, the ruling party could not even have appointed their own speaker.

"We had a question mark before ourselves, when it came to our forward march. But we did not let the people down and delivered what they wished," he said.

The President asserted that he is committed to prepare a future generation with discipline who can overcome challenges.

"Now the country is yours. To drive it towards greater prosperity and accelerate the development process, appoint a strong Parliament," he told the people.

Ministers Maithripala Sirisena, Sarath Amunugama, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, leader of the NFF Wimal Weerawansa, and S.B. Dissanayake also addressed the first rally of the UPFA poll campaign.

During his visit to the hill country yesterday, the President also opened the "Mahinda Rajapaksa IT Center," the first IT center built under the Mahinda Chinthana program at a cost of 302 million rupees in Getambe.

Governor of Central Province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa and Chief Minister.Sarath Ekanayaka accompanied the President.