An honourable peace my noble objective - President

THE speech made by President Mahinda Rajapakse after he was sworn in at the Presidential Secretariat on Saturday.

FIRST of all I would like to pay most respectfully my gratitude to hundreds of thousands of our people who voted me as the Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

I also take this opportunity to commend and thank activists of all constituent parties of the United People's Freedom Alliance and other parties who untiringly worked for the victory of the UPFA at the Presidential election.

Our main objective of the election was to ensure the victory of a policy. Today the majority of the people has endorsed that policy by exercising universal suffrage, a necessary feature of the sovereignty of the people.

It is a policy that protects the country without dividing it. It is a policy that takes the country forward by eradicating poverty, under-development and backwardness.

It is a policy that builds a new Sri Lanka. I would like to declare that from now on it is not a mere election manifesto but the public policy of the State.

Throughout the election campaign we stressed that we would be working to achieve an honourable peace in the country. During the Presidential election the overwhelming majority of the people said that the country should not be divided.

Today it is the common national aspiration of the people. It is this aspiration that would be the basis of my policy for achieving peace. I intend to begin a peace process based on this premise. War is not my method.

I reaffirm my commitment and determination to pursue the peace process to achieve an honourable peace that will respect the aspirations of all communities in our country.

As a long standing human rights activist at the grassroots level and the President of all communities of my country, the peace I envisage will ensure human rights of all and multi-party democracy in our country.

To achieve this noble goal my Government will be ready to engage the LTTE in discussing a political solution when the LTTE declares their readiness to resume negotiations, which they unilaterally abandoned.

To this end, I shall soon initiate consultations with all parties concerned as a matter of top priority with a view to building consensus. My priority work in this area will include consultations with friendly countries who have worked with us in the past in regard to the peace process.

While these consultations are underway, I reaffirm my Government's continued commitment to the Ceasefire and my Government's readiness to review the operations of the Ceasefire, as soon as the LTTE is ready to do so, in order to effectively enforce its provisions especially those relating to political killings, abductions, child soldiers and other human rights.

I will initiate a new round of talks with all those who have a stake in the solution of the National Question. I would like to say that I would take steps to accommodate due representation of the interests of both the North and the South in the talks.

We would replace the hitherto held bilateral approach to peace with a multi-party approach. An year ago a great natural calamity struck us. I would like to say that I will be setting up a special institution under my supervision to rebuild all areas devastated by the tsunami including those in the North and East of the country.

From today onwards I will steer a macro-economic policy that ensures social justice while opening ample opportunities for the development of the individual with the objective of building a new economy that could take Sri Lanka to a strong position in the world economy. It is my intention to increase new investments in the economy to achieve rapid economic development.

We would provide maximum opportunities for foreign investment. Our aim is to ensure benefits of economic development to our citizens.

I will initiate a program of rapid economic development that will use all positive features of the free market system while giving pride of place to local entrepreneurs to develop agriculture, industry and services.

My policy is never to postpone for tomorrow what could be done today. The Buddhist teaching on punctuality is equally applicable to statecraft and public policy. Therefore we will have to take firm and responsible decisions in building a disciplined society.

In this respect my policy will be to consolidate the rule of law to the maximum. The law of the country should be just.

Everybody including the President of the country should obey and respect that just law. I would like to state here that I will not allow anyone to subvert law and order using political power and privileges. I believe all state institutions should strictly follow policies of good governance.

My Prime Minister, members of my Cabinet, the Armed Forces and the Police, the entire public service from the highest officer to the lowest rank should follow these good governance norms.

Public service should be a responsible and ethical service where there is no room for fraud, bribery and corruption. We must go back to the good administrative principle that the public servant is not a lord encouraging bureaucracy but a servant of the people.

There should be a mutually responsible and properly interlinked system of the state, the market and the civil society. Our slogan of a disciplined society includes the protection of culture and morals. With this objective in mind I stated in my election campaign that we must open a path where the noble teachings of all religions could be made use of.

I am a Buddhist. I was labelled as an anti-religious fanatic. A hate campaign was unleashed portraying me as an anti-Christian. I have no enmity against these peoples. Only thing I say here is that we should get rid of this decadent political culture.

During my reign of office adherents of all religions could freely hold their religious beliefs and conduct their religious affairs freely in temples, churches, mosques and kovils. There will be no state interference in religion. The state has enough work.

I appeal to the clergy of all religions to inculcate the teachings of the founders of your religions in your devotees and thus develop our children and adults as good, virtuous, cultured citizens worthy of being members in a new democratic society.

We will build a country suitable for our children. I will not hesitate to do all I can to build a knowledgeable, skilled, strong and healthy citizenry. I am taking office for a short period - a period of six years.

Political power is not a privilege but only a temporary trust. I am not the master but the trustee of the country. I pledge to defend by all means the country you entrusted to me. I will act according to this pledge.

From now on Mahinda Rajapakse as President will not be a leader that belongs exclusively to any single party or group. I will not discriminate on party, colour, and racial or religious grounds. My political policy from now on will be the rule of law and protection of human rights.

I do not consider the UNP and its leader who contested with me at the Presidential elections as enemies. I appeal to all my voters not to harm by any means those that hold different opinions. Instead I appeal to the main Opposition party to unite with me in implementing our new program to build the country.

I appeal to the UNP to give maximum support to our efforts to achieve peace. I appeal to the media to be responsible and contribute to the welfare of the country by adhering to democracy and accepted ethics.

My journey to the Presidency was long and full of challenges. I know I have many more challenges before me in the future. I would like to state here that I would boldly accept all those challenges without hesitation for the welfare of my country and my beloved people.

We are Asians. Asia has made a great contribution to the world. I would work in close cooperation with our Asian friends, protecting Asian value systems to make our country strong. I will follow a progressive foreign policy that suits our country.

I am not a prince born with a golden spoon in the mouth. Like most of you I am a leader that grew from the ordinary people.

Therefore I do not need new advisors to understand the problems of the people. I can understand them well.

I will provide advisors and experts with positions that suit their knowledge and expertise. I will not build any barriers that make me inaccessible to the people. My Presidential house and office are open to the people.

I am ready to steer my country learning from history what should be learnt. I understand that it is my duty to steer the country forward rectifying our mistakes in the past and defending our achievements. But I am no slave of history. I want to steer the country along a new path. I am a new leader.

I will lead a new Government, a new Cabinet of Ministers, a new policy, a new Sri Lanka, a new citizenry. I have decided to bring before Parliament new Budget proposals based on the Mahinda Chintanaya we presented to the people.

I believe it is necessary to begin my term of office with the people's confidence in me intact. I assure all Sri Lankans that I will take forward my rule protecting parliamentary democracy at its best.

I believe my friends are those who offer just criticism and not those who sing hosannas in my praise. I will prepare the environment for it.

Finally, I would like to appeal to my dear compatriots thus: Mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters, children work for the welfare of the country. Perform your duty. Be resolute and industrious in your work. Let us develop our country through our work. As the country prospers you will also prosper. I wish you all success.

May the Triple Gem bless you. May all gods protect you.