President Mahinda Rajapaksa says it was the people and the Bandaranaike’s who brought Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to politics while he only introduced Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa in order to end the war.

Speaking at a meeting with the fiscal officer’s union today, the President recalled that Minister Basil Rajapaksa first received nominations in 1977.

He said that the Minister was eventually included in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) working committee by former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

The President said that even Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa was first given nominations to contest for a seat in Parliament by Sirimavo Bandaranaike.

“These are not people who I brought. These are people Mrs. Bandaranaike brought to the party. I brought Gotabaya Rajapaksa during the war. There was a reason for that. To conduct a war I needed to give the post of Defence Secretary to someone I can trust. He has shown the country that he carried out his duties well,” the President said.

He also recalled that under the Defence Ministry, Colombo has been transformed and made into a cleaner and more beautiful city with better housing for those who were living in slums.

“We cannot allow this country to go backwards. We are not prepared to dance to the tune of outsiders. People jumping here and there is part of this attempt but we will not be shaken. We have faith in the public. We believe they are more intelligent about their leaders,” he said.

The President also said there were instances in the past where SLFP General Secretaries had left and come back. He alleged that the recent crossover was part of a plan of former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.