'Bright future' after 'Thank you' vote

Prasad GUNEWARDENE

Elaborate arrangements are set in motion for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to assume a second term in office today . A glance to January 2010 recalls to memory the manner Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Presidential candidate led from day one of the campaign. He strode gallantly in every length and breath of the country to emerge victorious in a grand manner over his rival. He was in insatiable form during the entire campaign gaining confidence, seemingly on a daily basis, having no gap to bridge with a popularity that gathered momentum everywhere he was present.

That momentum swung one-way unlike in pendulum style, to land home as the winner. He finally emerged as the champion of the nation and the people, he liberated from the clutches of terrorism, to establish a 'new freedom' - true to the sense of that meaning. On the evening of January 27, when the final result was declared, patriotic people in this country had cast him a 'Thank You' vote in majority for ushering a true freedom, with the assurance of a 'Bright Future'. Gaining the confidence of the people, President Mahinda Rajapaksa dispelled all doubts that, to him, nothing was impossible to be turned into possible in his Motherland-Sri Lanka.

True Sri Lankan

Having achieved victory in January this year, President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as provided by the Constitution, stands before the nation today to take oath of office as the only leader, perhaps in the world, ably liberated his country from the devilry menace of terrorism. Executing that great task, the President established the legitimate right to all citizens to formulate their own definition, in what really meant to be identified as a true Sri Lankan. He has firmly asserted that Sri Lanka belonged to all who live in it and was one home of one people.

Five years ago on November 19, Mahinda Rajapaksa the then Prime Minister assumed the highest office in this land as President. Upon assuming office, he induced courage in the minds of the people who were torn by the menace of terrorism that, gaining lost freedom was not an impossible task. He declared that the bullet will not be allowed to halt the forward march of democracy and Sri Lanka will soon achieve peace under his leadership. Taking over the noble responsibility of that national obligation to defend the unity and integrity of this country as vowed to the nation in his oath of allegiance five years ago, President Rajapaksa accomplished it within three years, despite his life being opened to threat every minute during the execution of that noble task. In the execution to crush terrorism, only the 'blind' criticized him. On achieving victory, the 'blind' miraculously gained 'vision' to appreciate him as a great leader.

New freedom

Since then, the Head of State has encouraged vibrancy to democracy where race, ethnicity, gender, religion nor creed is allowed to perform any discriminatory role in the society. The President, on establishing a new freedom for his citizens, introduced a system that sought to immerse itself towards a process of contributing with determined content for a better tomorrow and a bright future, as pledged by him in the run up the January Presidential contest. The system also sought to establish a country with one people, free to live in any part of the land, enjoying legitimate and equal rights.

In that backdrop, the people inspired by a wonderful wisdom have fully attracted the concept of reconciliation, nation building and national unity. That is amply demonstrated by the increasing journeys of the people living in the North and South to both regions in the country. They have also, after having experienced three decades of uninterrupted violence, mayhem and bloodshed, understood that only a determined, concerted and sustained effort could achieve those objectives. They have seen the destruction of the monuments of the brilliant magnificence being destroyed in the past and look forward to achieve practical benefits of the newly established freedom in the country.

Bright future

President Rajapaksa has time and again stressed that patriotism meant to reconcile with one another and act together in pursuit of common goals to celebrate the prospect of a shared destiny as one people, one nation for a bright future.

He has managed the challenge of the dialectical relationship between reconciliation and understanding among all his citizens in the vision that one is accompanied by the other. The people have responded in the affirmative. A number of political parties too have followed suit in the national interest. Only a handful of power hungry fragmented political entities continue to bark in their traditional fashion, with nothing to offer to the nation and the people.

The President is a strategist and a visionary with emphasis on national consensus and specified priorities for the nation. His mission is not driven by political power or to bolster political fortunes for him. He is on a journey to treat all above party and political levels, recognizing all challenges within a national framework.

His speeches reflect his commitment to the Constitution that rules this country. In upholding his allegiance to the Constitution, which recognizes that Sri Lanka is the dear heritage of all people, President Rajapaksa has uprooted all evil haunting a free society, to consolidate the 'new freedom' he has established.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is not an isolationist.

He takes up a new challenge in his second term to lead Sri Lanka towards a bright future winning the 'economic war' now before the nation, by extracting the potential of all people in a realistic manner. Liberation Sri Lanka 2009 is now history.

The vision of Sri Lankan Renaissance will commence today with vigour and speed as President Rajapaksa assumes office for a second term. [email protected]