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Saturday, 20 November 2010

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Vision for new Sri Lanka

President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his second term inauguration speech rightly asserted that he would be taking over this country with more courage, strength and confidence than in 2005. No doubt even he would have had certain misgivings at the time as to how he could steer the ship of State amid a debilitating war that was eating into its vitals and sapping its resources. He thus expended all his energy to overcome this challenge for he knew this country was doomed if the canker of terrorism was allowed to continue. He accomplished his goal with single-minded purpose brushing off all threats and intimidation from Western quarters.

He is now ready to take the nation on the course of development and progress in his second term as President and according to the vision for the new Sri Lanka he spelled out in his speech yesterday there is no knowing to what heights he would elevate the country at the end of it all.

The President also was firm that there should be no impediment this time around in his journey to make Sri Lanka Asia's Wonder. He made reference to the two most destructive uprisings in the country's post independence history vowing not to allow such diversions to mar the prospects he has laid out for the country.

He said "our task as a nation on the rise to be among the great nations of the world, is to prevent such bloodshed in another 20 or 30 years". He correctly identified one of the causes leading to such upheaval as the scourge of poverty. "I believe that the eradication of poverty is greater than the defeat of uprisings. It requires true bravery".

The President is also obviously aware that for the country to succeed in achieving its development goals there necessarily has to be a congenial climate which does not allow for rancour, bitterness and friction among different communities and segments. Hence he said his first task was to ensure lasting national unity and sustainable, permanent peace in our Motherland.

It is indeed gratifying to note the President's farsightedness in realizing the need for national unity for any national endeavour to succeed. No doubt he will go all out to forge a true national reconciliation that would obviate the grounds for any uprising or rebellion that could mar the prospects of the country.

The President also emphasized the need for hard work to achieve the development targets set for his second term. Unencumbered by Presidential term limits he would no doubt wish to see a majority of the development programs underway reach their target before the end of his second term so that he could draw up another master plan to take the country further afield into new vistas and horizons. Hence his aim to modernize all areas of employment to make them more productive is significant. "It is by increasing the quality of work that my country can be made the Wonder of Asia," he stressed.

This may also be a wake up call to the country's lethargic bureaucracy and the notoriously unproductive public sector. There can be no argument that if the country is to advance with the modern world there is a crying need to improve the quality of its workforce. The President no doubt has taken cognisance of this. Hence his pledge to raise the level of computer literacy to 75 percent in the near future "and make our future generation true heroes of technology in the modern world". This is also vital in the President's aspiration to make Sri Lanka the hub of development in the five fold areas of naval, aviation, commerce, trade, power and energy.

The President's keenness to ensure sustainable development whilst taking the country into the modern era also is a most welcome move considering the consequences of environmental degradation that is being felt across the world today. The President said "Nature as seen in trees, vegetation and animals in our habitat should also obtain the benefits of the development we achieve".

The President's express wish to engage with all friendly nations in the country's new development era and his commitment to the policy of Non-alignment once again reiterates Sri Lanka's stance in clear terms vis a vis its international relations. "We do not have enemy states or such groups or blocs. During the last era, we worked with many nations in agreement and friendship for national security. We now step into the development era. We extend our hand of friendship to those who assist us in this endeavour."

President Mahinda Rajapaksa commenced his second term yesterday laying down the road map for the country's forward march in the post war era. He has the enviable record of having to start his second term on a clean slate after wiping out all threats and conspiracies that haunted the country since the beginning of the ethnic conflict.

But for all that the road will not be a smooth one and it will need all the dedication and commitment of all Sri Lankans to work towards making the country realize its full potential. The President would thus need the support and co-operation of all to steer the ship from the stormy seas just left behind and sail into tranquil harbours in this his second term in office.
 

Let's build a great nation

You are well aware that you now stand on our Motherland that is much greater than what was handed over to me five years ago. There can be no greater satisfaction to a leader than the humble joy of being able to address one's people after building a much better country than before and successfully carrying out the responsibility handed over to me by the citizens of this country.

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President Mahinda Rajapaksa statesman, diplomat

President Mahinda Rajapaksa pursues a pragmatic foreign policy, committed to the principles of Non-Alignment and maintaining friendly relations with all nations. He is a strong supporter of the principles and objectives of the United Nations in its determination to promote peace and development. He is also a seeker of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism both in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.

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