The results of the recently concluded Local Government election is an encouragement for the United National Party (UNP) to move forward with courage, Rural Economic Affairs Minister P. Harrison said.
He was addressing a meeting of the National Post and Telecommunication Workers Union in Colombo yesterday.
The Minister added that the people have given a red light to the government through the LG election. With the election results, the UNP is duty bound to convert the red light to a green light. However, the election results cannot be considered a refusal but a warning, he said.
“This is only a warning. We should be modest to understand it and to work hard to change the red light to a green light,” he added.
According to him, people have forgotten the dark era, in which most of the rights of the people were deprived.
“There was no media freedom unlike today. If one wrote anything against the government, that person would be assaulted, abducted or killed.
But under this government, no media institutions are torched, no media persons are attacked or abducted or killed. Media institutions are not controlled by Temple Trees now as it was during the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime.”
Speaking on the postal service employees, the Minister said that the government will address their issues promptly.
International Trade State Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe addressing the gathering said that a significant volume of development activities had taken place throughout the country. But the people are not aware of those progressive activities taking place due to the failures of the communication mechanism. This situation may have affected the election results, he said.
The State Minister added that if there is a pure UNP government, the country would achieve a significant progress.
He also said that a majority of the people have forgotten that there was no law or democracy in the country during the last regime.
He added that 100 Japanese companies are commencing their businesses in the production zone, scheduled to be set up on a 400-acre land in Kalutara.
Postal Services and Muslim Religious Affairs Ministry R.M. D.B. Meegasmulla said that the postal service should be streamlined so as to suit the needs of society. The postal service cannot be limited to the delivery of letters. Then the services of the postal serve should be widened to meet the requirements of the ever advancing society. Post offices should also be subjected to a radical change to meet the public aspirations.
Post Master General Rohana Abeyratne said that the postal service marked a seven percent increase in the annual income.
“The postal service should develop as a global service. So far, we considered the challenges within the country. But we have to focus on competing with global trends,” he said.
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