'Revolutionary Change Will Be Achieved' - President

COLOMBO (News 1st);President Gotabaya Rajapaksa stressed that the revolutionary change mentioned in the “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” policy statement will definitely be made.

"The people demanded for a revolutionary change. In achieving this, difficulties and obstacles will have to be faced," he said, adding that ,however, he will act with commitment to overcome those challenges.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that there are two groups of people who criticize his conduct.

"One group has no understanding of what happened over the past two years. They assume the past two years went on as previous years. The other group is the one that wanted a revolutionary change from me," he told a gathering on Saturday (6) to officially open 1,500 newly developed roads in the country.

The President said due to COVID-19 the Tourism Sector that generated $5 Bn in revenue collapsed, and a country like Sri Lanka will be affected badly when it loses such revenue.

Further, the President said it is the present government that worked towards the betterment of Sri Lankan farmers, while previous governments failed to do that.

"Experts come in front of camera's and speak of food security. Food Security does not mean feeding the people with poison ingested food," he said while adding that he has no desire to force the farmer community to move towards organic fertilizer, but he he made the decision because he promised to do the right thing.

"If I go military style as envisaged by some, I have to use the military to force the farmers to use organic fertilizer. I did not do that, because this is a democracy. I promised to make a change, and I will," said the President.

He also said people like Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Sajith Premadasa, Ranil Wickremesinghe, Joseph Stalin and Mahinda Jayasinghe went and obtained advice from Ven. Muruththettuwe Anandha Thero and it is they themselves who criticize the appointment of the Thero, from whom they sought advice.

In addition, President Rajapaksa said he appointed Venerable Gnanasara Thero to the Task Force on One Country One Nation because the Thero was the only person who spoke of One Country & One Law.

"So I told him to make it. Then I will produce it to the Justice Minister and then Parliament," said the President in response to the criticism on the Theros appointment.

The President also invited the youth in the country to come forward to bring about revolutionary change in the country.