Youth can change destiny of our country - PM
 

by Rohan Mathes and Ramani Kangaraarachchi

The 'Youth' are committed for what they believe and adore. They are a society's key group which resists injustice and live for a cause. I believe that they are a lot who could change the destiny of our country. Therefore, the 'Youth Parliament' which I open today, will undoubtedly be a threshold for the future leaders of our land, the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse observed when he addressed the inaugural session of the first ever 'Youth Parliament' (YP) at the BMICH yesterday.

Speaking further, the Premier opined that the youth of this country are capable of viewing national crisis situations with insight and in a modern perspective when resolving them. Their quest for knowledge, their prowess in making quick decisions and the candid approach adopted in conflict resolution, was per se an asset. Therefore, they should be deployed in the process of our economic, social and cultural development. They should not be confined only to mere words, but action and implementation instead. The YP should become a vehicle for it.

The 230 selected to the YP, have come through a stringent selection process. They represent a cross section of our country from all districts, ethnicities and religions. Their proposals will be beneficial for the betterment of our nation.

The YP's vision was to build-up a coherent and united Sri Lanka. Their aim was to bring young leaders together under one umbrella and a consensus. Their 230 member network will be strong and viable. The close associations built-up among them will pave the way for peace and ethnic harmony, and consolidate further, to achieve permanent and sustainable peace among all ethnic communities in the country as a whole. That was his vision too, for the country, he noted.

He underscored the importance of our 'national anthem' and flag, of which we should be inspired and proud of, and urged them to respect and honour our flag and also sing the national anthem, whenever it is heard. "It will bind our nation together", he said.

Rajapakse paid tribute to the 'brainchild' of the YP, the late Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. He said that this project itself was ample testimony of his unstinted efforts to unite all nationalities and bring peace to our divided country.

He also valued the indulgence of our youth in sports and other extra-curricular activities, which he said was vital for physical development as well.

The Premier said that it was the late S. W. R .D. Bandaranaike who brought down the eligibility of voting age to 18 from 21 years, and added that he proposed to bring it down further to 16 years, as the youth of today were exposed to more technology and maturity, than in the past.