The people's President

Friday will be a red letter day in the annals of Sri Lanka when President Mahinda Rajapaksa takes oaths for his second term in office.

President Rajapaksa was re-elected with a larger mandate than any of his predecessors and scored a landslide victory at the last Presidential Election on January 26, 2010.

It is by no means an easy task for a Head of State of a democratic country to increase his or her popularity while holding the mantle of office. This is largely due to the fact that fulfilling the aspirations of the masses is certainly an envious task. This situation becomes even more complex for a Head of State of a developing country.

All past Presidents and even all Prime Ministers in the past, who were Heads of State prior to the introduction of the 1978 Constitution, could not maintain the same degree of popularity that they enjoyed when they were first elected to office.

Nevertheless, President Rajapaksa rewrote Sri Lanka's history when he was re-elected for another term with a thumping majority, increasing his vote base by almost eight percent. When he was first elected the First Citizen on November 17, 2005, he obtained over 50 percent of the votes cast. However, in his second race for presidency, President Rajapaksa had a clear cut majority of over 1.8 million votes, thus increasing his vote base to almost 58 percent.

This alone speaks volumes of the trust and confidence the masses have reposed in this great leader who could well read the pulse of the people. People from all walks of life across the length and breadth of the country have great respect and confidence in this people's President who has always put the country before self.

Despite the malignant campaigns by opportunistic Opposition politicians, a section of the international community and Tiger proxies the world over, President Rajapaksa did not abandon Sri Lanka's relentless battle against terror. At a time when barely any one believed that terrorism could be defeated, he ordered the valiant Security Forces to embark on a humanitarian operation, which eventually turned out to be a good eye-opener for the entire world.

The undue pressure exerted by several countries and international organisations could not convince this great loyal and patriotic leader to abandon his ultimate objective. His fervent wish was to liberate the country from the clutches of LTTE terrorism and create a peaceful environment for all communities to live in harmony.

President Rajapaksa strongly believes that development could only be achieved through peace. It goes without saying that the LTTE's ruthless terrorism was the bugbear to Sri Lanka's forward march for three decades. The President had to take a firm decision to liberate over half a million people who had been subjected to untold misery due to terrorism in the North and the East. This was precisely why he ordered the Security Forces to put an end to the LTTE's barbaric acts.

President Rajapaksa, having given the right leadership to the Security Forces in its victorious battle against terror, is now determined to win the 'economic war' too and take the country towards new economic horizons.

Thanks to his visionary zeal and the immense sacrifices by the Security Forces, people in Sri Lanka, irrespective of their ethnic backgrounds, are now reaping the benefits of peace.

Barely one-and-a-half years after the crushing defeat of the LTTE, Sri Lanka has shown significant development in all spheres. That was mainly due to the fact that the mega development projects and the battle against terrorism continued unabated.

President Rajapaksa did not curtail development activities, although the Government had to allocate a colossal sum of money to fund the battle against terror. Using his high-profile international relations and the right management of the economy, the President channelled the huge finances that were needed for development projects.

Never before in Sri Lanka's history were so many mega development projects implemented. During President Rajapaksa's first term in office, the country was not only freed from terrorism but also poised towards development.

Projects such as the Magampura International Harbour, Mattala International Airport, Colombo-Kandy expressway, Southern Highway, Upper Kotmale hydropower project, Norochcholai coal power plant, Kerawalapitiya power station and irrigation projects such as Moragahakanda, Kalu Ganga, Uma Oya, Rambakan Oya and Kumbukkan Oya are also now being successfully implemented.

The President is supremely aware of the need to develop sports facilities to make a healthy nation. While lending a helping hand to the country's budding sportsmen and women, the President was instrumental in constructing stadia of international standards to make Sri Lanka a popular 'sports destination'. The Mahinda Rajapaksa International Sports Complex at Diyagama, Homagama and the Suriyawewa International Cricket Stadium are testimony of his greatest contributions to the next generation.

Sri Lanka has shown steady economic development with an average of over eight percent this year. The country's per capita income was doubled during the President's first five years in office. The government's aim is to double it to reach the US$ 4,000 mark by 2015.

More importantly, people in the North and the East who had experienced agony and suffering have received a new lease of life and are now making a tangible contribution to the country's coffers. Farmers and fishermen in these areas are increasing their purchasing power and money has started flowing into the two provinces. The booming tourist industry will open a new chapter in the Eastern Province.

On the other hand, the rehabilitation of ex-LTTE cadre has been successfully completed. The reconciliation process is taking place with a greater understanding among all communities.

With these transformations now in place, it is abundantly clear that President Rajapaksa's immense popularity would increase even further when he completes his next six-year term in office as a true people's President. Let's rally round him to usher in that golden era in Sri Lanka.