Dr.P.A.Samaraweera, Australia

President Rajapakse had become the first Sri Lankan if not the Asian leader to be featured in The Time magazine’s ‘Time 100 Top Ten’.
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Since ending the 30 year war, the President had become the most influential and popularƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ democratically elected leader in the Asian region.
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During the war, he stood like a brick wall against pressure from the US, Britain and France, who tried to rescue the World’s ruthless terrorists and it’s leader Prabhakaran. He won the confidence of China, Russia and India in the war against the LTTE and made Sri Lanka the first country to eradicate terrorism. He held his grounds against threats by EU to cut GSP+tax incentives.
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After the war he challenged the US , EU and the UN to proseceute him against alleged human rights and war crimes. Then he gave a shock to the western powers by defeating them at the UN by forming a coalition against super-powers. The UN is making a mockery of itself by pointing the finger at countries like Sri Lanka while shielding the US which is inolved in widespread human rights abuses.
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Recently, while the western countries were tumbling into a financial crisis giving fear to a world depression similar to the one in the 1930’s, the President generated an economic boom in Sri Lanka. The growth rateƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ now is 10 per cent and the per capita income had doubled leading the countryƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to a middle income status.
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After bringing peace and harmony to the country, he introduced mega development projects such as the Hambantota harbour, ports, super-highways and so on. At the recently held local government elections he had a land-slide victory.
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The President reached the Top Ten above powerful icons such as President Obama who won the Nobel Prize last year. At the time there were many who argued that it is President Rajapakse who deserve the Nobel Prize for ridding the country of terrorists and bringing an end to the war.
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The President ranked above Michelle Obama, potential RepublicanƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Burmas Aung San Suu Kyi, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, Israeli PMƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ BenjaminƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Netanyahyu and Egyptian Presidential candidate Elbaradai. Others whom he surpassed were Prince William andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Kate Middleton, Physicist Stephen Hawking, famous film stars and billionaires. Thus the President had been leading global political and social leaders and reaching the Top Ten.