Congratulations to new President

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party United Kingdom Branch

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party UK Branch congratulated new President Mahinda Rajapakse.

In the message, General Secretary Keerthi Sumanasiri and the President of the Branch Rani Bulathwela stated that with the help of the members and the expatriate community, victory rallies were held throughout the UK ensuring the people's confidence in President Rajapakse.

'We pledge our fullest support to bring about drastic changes in the lifestyle of the people of modern Sri Lanka through 'Mahinda Chinthana'.

It would mean the new President will have to face lot of challenges ahead, but his courage, work experience and the great leadership found in him can thwart all such obstacles.

His firm determination to work for the people and being a statesman of the people is undoubtedly a great inspiration for everybody", the message said.

Singaporean leaders

Leaders of Singapore have congratulated the new Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse on his election victory.

In his congratulatory message to Mr. Rajapakse, President S.R. Nathan said the victory demonstrates the trust that the people of Sri Lanka have in his leadership.

President Nathan said he looks forward to working closely with his new Sri Lankan counterpart to strengthen relationship between the two countries.

He believes bilateral relations will grow even stronger under Mr. Rajapakse's stewardship. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also extended Singapore's warm congratulations to Mr. Rajapakse.

Mr. Lee recalled their meeting in April this year at the sidelines of the Asia-Africa Summit in Jakarta where they had an engaging discussion on developments in the region and on relations between the two countries.

Mr. Lee said he looks forward to working with Mr. Rajapakse to deepen co-operation between Sri Lanka and Singapore.

And he's confident Sri Lanka will continue to progress under Mr. Rajapakse's leadership. (CNA/ir)

Ministers' Secretaries' Union

The Ministers' Secretaries' Union in a congratulatory message issued yesterday said the results of the Presidential election clearly showed that the identity built up by former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse as a progressive people's leader had enabled him to achieve a clear victory at the election.

The message signed by Ajith Jayasundara, Kumaradasa Giribawa and Ranjith Malluwawadu, Secretary, Election Convenor and National Organiser respectively of the Union further said the racketeers reactionary forces and the progressive people's movement were poised against each other at the recent elections.

Now that the progressive people's movement headed by Rajapakse had emerged victorious a situation has arisen where one could entertain positive thinking about the country's forward march.

The election of Mahinda Rajapakse as the fifth Executive President is a fruition of the hopes and aspirations of the farmers and workers and all others desiring an honourable peace in this country.

It is now the bounden duty of everyone to shelve petty differences and dishonest policies and offer support and blessings to President Rajapakse's efforts to surmount national challenges and transform this country into a developed nation.
 

Congratulations to new President : Ashraff Congress

"We are delighted and pleased to offer our warmest wishes and congratulations to His Excellency Mahinda Rajapakse on his appointment as the fifth Executive President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. His election as the President is a victory for the common man and the flourishing nature of democracy of this country, thereby he shines as a people's President reminding of the 1956 epoch making people's victory championed by the late S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike.

"We take this opportunity to applaud his Presidential address to the nation on the 19th instant, where he has made an excellent and thought provoking speech giving moral boost to the minorities and a vision and a guideline to the whole nation based on his "Mahinda Chintanaya" which is a national policy with a farsighted vision encompassing all the aspects of the human development.

"It is my privilege to state here that I as the leader of Ashraff Congress pioneered to come forward to congratulate His Excellency Mahinda Rajapakse on his appointment as Prime Minister of the country in April 2004, on behalf of the Muslim community.

"Mr. Rajapakse is a personality with broadmindedness, and moderate and liberal thinking who has the capacity and the ability to bring honourable peace to our motherland satisfying the aspirations of all the communities of Sri Lanka.

"The striking feature in the recent Presidential Election is, that this is the first election where the Muslim voters were able to break their traditional bondage from the U.N.P. and S.L.M.C. in quite reasonable numbers and cast their votes for a party, which has taken a liberal, and a socialistic policy towards the upliftment of all communities.

"We wish His Excellency Mahinda Rajapakse long and healthy life and necessary courage to face any challenges that may come across in fulfilling his vision to the nation irrespective of caste, creed or race," states S. Subairdeen, Leader Ashraff Congress and Co-Leader of Muslim National Alliance (MNA) in a press release.