President Mahinda Rajapaksa today cracked that he saw no challenge in the so called common candidates in the calibre of a retired military man or Ranil Wickremesinghe in his contest at  the upcoming presidential election.

Addressing members of the media in both print and electronic entities of the country at Temple Trees, at a breakfast meeting, the Head of State said retired military  personnel will not be candidates in uniforms and pointing his finger at the Defence Secretary seated alongside media personnel, the President in lighter vein said, "See  the Defence Secretary is retired and now dressed in civilian clothes".

President Rajapaksa said the need of the hour was to engage in a positive campaign devoid of insult and mud slinging among contestants."I respect the right of the people to call for elections and that was why I sacrifice two years of my first term heeding to the voice of the people", stressed the President.

Elaborating further, President Rajapaksa said that in 2005,the opposition created a notion that he won sans the northern vote."I decided that the right of voters in both the North and East is a must to decide on the presidency and now they can choose their leader", he added.

He said that he fulfilled the pledge to unite the nation and never  took the credit for himself in performing that task."The Service Commanders, Troops and the Nation rallied round and they must be given the credit for  strenghtening my leadership to win the war", said the President.

Asked about the abolition of the executive presidency, President Rajapaksa agreed that the Parliamentary system must be strenghtened in the future.

President Rajapaksa asserted that the nation must now  move forward  in development to meet challenges ahead."Mahinda Chinthanaya is a continuing concept and my manifesto  is the same this time", he noted.

Transport Minister, Dulles Alahapperuma interjected to state that this was the first time in the history after 1948 that a leader continues with the same theme of a manifesto a second time.

Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga claimed that almost all of the provisions in the Mahinda Cinthanaya manifesto presented in 2005 have been fulfilled.

President Rajapaksa pointed that massive development schemes were now underway and noted that he was there to give leadership to all progressive measures of the nation.