Mar 12, Colombo: President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has instructed the relevant parties to take steps to remove Provincial Council Amendment Bill or its confusions and expedite the holding of the Provincial Council Elections.

The previous government defeated their own Provincial Council Amendment Bill that included division system, delimitation, fifty to fifty, and the composition of women and the Provincial Councils are now functioning without people’s representatives, the President pointed out.

The President emphasized the need to make the people aware of this situation and hold the provincial council elections expeditiously.

The President made this observation at a meeting with the Provincial Council Forum representing the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) at the Presidential Secretariat this afternoon (12).

President Rajapaksa said that decisions were taken during the past 15 months fulfilling the party’s policies and promises to the people, giving priority to nationalism, localism and security in the country.

Whenever a nationalist government came to power, local and foreign forces worked to overthrow it.

It is important to understand how far the country has gone backwards in the last five years due to the false propaganda carried out to oust President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Therefore, people are aware of the plight of the monks and war heroes as well as the entire country.

These forces are once again trying to sabotage the government’s current program. The President emphasized the importance of educating the public about the consequences of being caught in it again.

A great deal of work has been done to eradicate the underworld and drugs ensuring national security.

A solid foundation has been laid for a job-generating and agriculture-based economy.

The Opposition has put forward various views on the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Easter attacks. With the consent and confidence of the Cardinal, steps were taken to continue the work of the Commission.

The report of the Commission, which was handed over on February 1, was presented to the Cabinet and Parliament within 28 days. But the opposition is spreading false rumors that attempts are being made to hide the report, the President said. Everything except matters affecting national security has been made public.

The MCC agreement, which caused a great deal of controversy, has been withdrawn.

The co-sponsorship of the Geneva Human Rights Council Resolution on Reconciliation, Accountability and the Promotion of Human Rights in Sri Lanka, which dealt a heavy blow to the war heroes and the sovereignty of the country, was withdrawn.

No one talks about these measures taken on behalf of the country in a short period of time. However, the President said that he was committed to the betterment of the country while safeguarding the promises and policies placed before the people.

Basil Rajapaksa, Head of the Presidential Task Force on Economic Revival, Ministers Janaka Bandara Tennakoon Prasanna Ranatunga, State Minister Roshan Ranasinghe, MP Sagara Kariyawasam and Jayantha Ketagoda, Kanchana Jayaratne, President of the SLPP Provincial Councilors' Association and a number of former Provincial Councilors were also present at the occasion.