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| Sunday, 1 January 2006 |
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President's New Year message : Make Year 2006 a triumphant year President Mahinda Rajapakse in a New Year message says that 2006 can be a 'New Year' in the fullest sense of the word only if there is unity and we move forward as one people determined to create a new Sri Lanka enlivened with a renewed feeling of commitment. The full text of his message: At this moment when we are just on the threshold of the Year 2006, I fervently wish all Sri Lankans, as well as, the people all over the world will succeed in making it a triumphant year of significant achievement and fulfilment. To us Sri Lankans, the New Year dawns laying also before us the formidable challenge of finding solutions to a host of problems which have defied solution for a number of decades. On the 17th of November last year, the people of Sri Lanka elected me as their President, I am sure, feeling confident that I would be able to face up to this challenge successfully and lead them and the country to a future of peace and prosperity. May I humbly state that I have fully realized that the foremost responsibility the new year 2006 has cast upon me is to lead the nation successfully to face and meet this challenge before us, not leaving the slightest room to mar the public confidence reposed in me. It is my determination to lay the sure and firm foundation to create a new Sri Lanka during the year 2006. Throughout our long history, the important truth that has become clear to us beyond any doubt is that every time we acted as a united people and a nation we became victorious. Similarly, it has become clear to us that every time victory eluded us and our enemies became victorious was when we failed to do so. Therefore, my greatest hope is to see the year 2006 to turn out to be the year that mobilizes the unity and strength of our nation to the maximum extent possible. I, therefore, fervently hope and believe that all my fellow citizens will public spiritedly and patriotically come forward, join hands with me and act with commitment together with me to achieve that objective. Any people should have a long-term objective of value to be achieved through its collective effort. They should also have a clear vision of their own to realize that objective. Also they should be armed with a program of action to implement that vision through the power and dynamism generated by that programme. There should, of necessity, be a State Service and a civil society which act with commitment for the implementation of that programme. I firmly believe that we cannot conceive of an enemy powerful enough to subdue a people who forge ahead in unity and armed with and strengthened by these 4 requirements of success. In the New Year that dawns we Sri Lankans should engage in a sincere self-criticism and identify the weaknesses that stand in the way of success and act with determination to eradicate them. This is a task that has to be performed in the interests of the future generations by all of us. The responsibility for action in this regard rests on me as Head of State an all others down to the humblest of citizens at the bottom of the social ladder. Without being rid of the weaknesses we are afflicted with as a nation, it is impossible to overcome the challenges we are faced with today. I consider these weaknesses as our enemies that operate from within us. I, therefore, have decided to treat the year 2006 as the year that we devote to eradicate these weaknesses from within us and courageously forge ahead for national development with a clear vision and a programme. I have also decided to name 2006 as the year we take the nation forward along the path of a fruitful programme. I believe that we can make 2006 a 'New Year' in the fullest sense of the word, only if we all become united as one and go forward as one people determined to create a new Sri Lanka, enlivened with a renewed feeling of commitment. This is an essential prerequisite for the achievement of our objective. May I again express the wish and hope that 2006 will be the year that impels us to think and act as one people. I fervently wish all in Sri Lanka will rally round me in my effort to realize this national objective. May the blessings of the Triple Gem be with you all! |
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