This is the firm stance of both president Maithripala Sirisena and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Samaraweera told the inaugural session of the mayors’ conference in Colombo today (14).

He went onto say that certain media and groups were painting a wrong picture when the government was acting with transparency.

The path of the country was changed on 08 January 2015, and the dignity and the reputation of the country, military and the people were safeguarded, he noted.

Divisions along racial, religious and other lines in post-independence Sri Lanka left us with only bloodbaths of a 30-year war and a youth uprising.

As a nation, we should halt all such enmities at least now, said Samaraweera.

He said the government works according to the themes of democracy, reconciliation and development.

Also speaking here, minister Vajira Abeywardena said that the non-implementation of the decisions taken at the mayors’ conference should be discussed openly.

Or else, the government will be in inconvenience, he said.