President Mahinda Rajapaksa was addressing the Ayurveda doctors at the Temple Trees.

The President said that a person from Sri Lanka Freedom Party is contesting with him for the Presidency. It is similar to Tissa Attanayake contesting for the presidency from SLFP. In 2010 Sarath Fonseka was trapped and this time Maithripala has fallen into the trap.

He said that The country was united after his assumption of office in 2005 and the Government initiated a programme to build the country with a local economic system which suits the country and the culture. There were many attempts to create an economy and culture that is unsuitable for this country and they were defeated with the cooperation of the people who gathered around the present government.

President Rajapaksa said that he appointed a Committee to abolish the Executive Presidency two years ago but no contribution was received from the opposition parties. Of not by now it could have been abolished. He said that it could be done by the Government by obtaining a 2/3 majority followed by a referendum.

He said that it is his belief that the indigenous doctors would not allow political opportunists to reverse the path taken towards sustained progress in these sectors.(KH)