I have accomplished far more difficult tasks – MR

The same people who challenged him to end the war a decade ago were now daring him to reveal how he could reduce the taxes by 20%, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa told yesterday.

“I took up their challenge and enabled our military, police and the civil defence force to neutralise terrorism. Some of my detractors belittled the war effort and the sacrifices made by the troops. I think everyone remembers how some people derisively asked us at the height of the war whether our troops had mistaken Pamankada for Alimankada (Elephant Pas) and Medawachchi for Kilinochchi. Most of these people didn’t even think of going to the north and the east when the LTTE was active and now they have all become tough guys.

“Some of them would wet their pants when Prabhakaran roared in the Wanni. They were hiding under beds fearing the Tigers. We defeated terrorism and, today, they are moving about freely like heroes while conspiring with foreign powers and LTTE fronts against the national military.

“They even demeaned the capture of Toppigala by calling it a barren rocky terrain”, Rajapaksa said.

Speaking to The Island a few weeks ago, Rajapaksa said that he would reduce the taxes by 20% under a future administration. In response, speaking at a function in Ranwala, Dompe, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe asked Rajapaksa how he would repay the country’s debt after reducing taxes.