By Walter Jayawardhana

Whether Sri Lanka receive the GSP+ concession or not, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said he would see the local industries are protected.

The President further said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I cannot betray a whole country for the sake of US $ 150 million.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

The PresidentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s statement is an obvious reference to a boast by the opposition United National Party spokesmen that hundreds of apparel factories will be closed down and thousands will be unemployed when the tariff concession by the EU will be stopped over conditions to be attached.

A day before, the United National Party leader Ranil Wickramasinghe said in the parliament that he could not see anything improper in attaching such conditions. He was accused by Dinesh Gunawardena , the Chief Government Whip in the parliament that the Opposition Leader or his representatives had made false statements against Sri Lanka leading to the imposition of conditions that would deprive the country of the concessions.

The President addressing the Teachers, Grama Niladharis, Samurdhi Development Officers, Indigenous Physicians and Justices of Peace of the Matara and Hambantota Districts at Medamoolan further said the resettlement of the Nothern IDPƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s will be carried out overcoming all obstacles as people whether they are from the North or South are the same to him.

He said the people of the Jaffna Peninsula were fed by the government at a time when there was a war and at a time when all land transportation had been broken down overcoming all obstacles.

He reiterated that he will not permit any force to betray the country. Leaders who are attempting to engage in such activities should clearly be aware of it.

In an obvious reference to the opposition UNP the President said, those who are shedding crocodile tears about the displaced civilians had completely forgotten that they were hostages of the LTTE outfit and were used as human shield. He further said it is the onus of the Government to resettle the civilians as the civilians were liberated from terrorism.

Parliamentarians Maithripala Sirisena, Chamal Rajapaksa, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa, Pavithra Wanniaarachchi, Prof. G.L. Pieris, Gamini Lokuge, Athauda Seneviratne, Bandula Gunawardena, Sumedha Jayasena, Prof. Vishva Warnapala, Dilan Perera, Rohitha Abeyguwardena, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Geethanjana Gunawardena and Nirupama Rajapaksa were present.