Better future for children, the aim

By Shanika SRIYANANDA

For President Mahinda Rajapaksa, May 27 was a significant day. It was the day, 42 years ago, he stepped into politics. Coming from a well-known family of politicians, he came a long way in politics and it was not rosy for him.

But the dedicated and committed young politicians climbed in his political career slowly but steadily tolerating all obstacles that prevented him shining as a star.

Last week he completed his 42-years in politics. This veteran politician first entered Parliament in 1970, by creating a record as the youngest MP in the legislature.

He was elected as an MP for the Beliatta electorate at the May 27, 1970 General Election.

He succeeded his father D.A. Rajapaksa to Parliament and represented the same electorate his father did from his first election in 1947. He was the Labour and Vocational Training and Fisheries Minister in the Cabinet from 1994 to 2001. He also held the portfolio of Ports and Shipping in addition to Fisheries, for three months. He was the Opposition Leader from 2002 to 2004.

He became the 13th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka in April 2004. President Rajapaksa was also the Senior Vice President of the SLFP.

He became the country’s fifth Executive President in 2005. He was elected for a second term of office at the January 26, 2010 Presidential Election with Sri Lanka recognising him as the national leader who liberated the country from the LTTE and set the country on the path to peace and rapid economic development.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa was first elected as President in 2005 on a wide-ranging and largely people-oriented policy as laid out in the Mahinda Chintana.

President Rajapaksa who has a keen desire to create a better future for country’s children and known as a leader who made the 'impossible to possible’ has embarked on a mission to make the country the 'Wonder of Asia' and also bring reconciliation among all communities.

He now leads the country towards post-conflict reconstruction and reconciliation.

Thailand

On May 29 President Rajapaksa left the country on a four-day official visit to Thailand. He was warmly welcomed at the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok by the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Yongyoot Wichaidit.

The President met Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the Srapathum Palace.

During bilateral discussions with President Rajapaksa, the Thailand Prime Minister Yingluck Sinawatra recalling the historic relations between Sri Lanka and Thailand, assured its fullest cooperation to develop agriculture, fisheries and education sectors in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka and Thailand signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on political dialogue and also to put into effect the bilateral agreement on mutual legal cooperation on crime prevention between the two countries.

During bilateral discussions Primier Sinawatra pointed out the importance of working closely in Buddhist and cultural affairs between the two countries.

President Rajapaksa apprised the Thailand Prime Minister of the post-conflict developments in Sri Lanka and invited Thai business leaders to harness business opportunities available in the country.

President Rajapaksa thanked Thailand for the cooperation and support extended to Sri Lanka at the recent UNHRC sessions.

President Rajapaksa while expressing satisfaction over the progress made by Thailand in fisheries and agriculture, requested Thailand’s technical assistance for their development in Sri Lanka.

Prime Minister Sinawatra proposed to set up a committee to study this matter. The two leaders also expressed views on regional cooperation.

The President who met the Sri Lankans living in Thailand said Sri Lanka has become a country where all communities could live in harmony and has entered the development path after ending a 30-year-war.

The President urged them to capitalise on economic opportunities available in the country as Sri Lanka has relaxed rules and regulations that hampered investment opportunities.

Economic growth

President Rajapaksa also pointed out that the economic growth rate has risen to eight percent during the last two years and a 22 percent growth was recorded in the Northern region of the country as a result of the development projects currently under way in Sri Lanka.

“Though the truth is such, some websites engage in propagating false news on Sri Lanka thereby tarnishing the image of the country,” he said.

“Sri Lankans, wherever they are in the world, should work with a sound and proper understanding of the prevailing situation. All Sri Lankans despite their ethnicities should love the country. The government’s sole purpose is to create a country which the next generation could be proud of,” President Rajapaksa said.

Sambuddha Jayanthi

President Rajapaksa participated in the Sambuddha Jayanthi inauguration ceremony held on May 31 at the main auditorium of Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidayalaya University, a public Buddhist university in Thailand.

It was held under the auspices of Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand to mark the 2600th anniversary of Buddha's Enlightenment.

President Rajapaksa, who participated as a distinguished invitee, offered a memento to the Chancellor of Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidayalaya University, Venerable Professor Dhammakasojan Thera to mark the occasion.

The 2600th Sambuddha Jayanthi Ceremony which is also the 9th Vesak commemoration ceremony of the United Nations Organisations, will be held in Thailand till 2nd June.

More than 2500 Buddhists representing 58 countries are participating in this ceremony. Over 400 persons including Buddhist monks represent Sri Lanka in the ceremony.

President Rajapaksa delivered a special oration on 'The benefits to humanity from the Buddha Jayanthi' at the 2600th Sri Sambuddathva Jayanthi celebrations in Thailand yesterday.

Iran has invited President Rajapaksa to attend the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Tehran from 30 to 31 August.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's invitation to President Rajapaksa was handed over by the Iranian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abbas Araghchi, who was in Sri Lanka, when he met the Deputy Minister of External Affairs Neomal Perera on last Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Ahmed Saleem commended President Rajapaksa's leadership in SAARC as a past Chairman of the SAARC.

Saleem, who was in a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, had praised the President for bringing peace to Sri Lanka and fast development in the post conflict phase under his leadership.

During his stay in Sri Lanka, the Secretary General paid a courtesy call on President Rajapaksa and expressed his confidence that Sri Lanka would play a greater role in South Asian Region and in the work of the SAARC.

President Rajapaksa assuring Sri Lanka’s continued support to the SAARC, expressed the importance of implementing the decisions adopted by the Heads of States or Heads of Government during the Summits, for the common benefit of the peoples of the South Asian region.

Saleem thanked the President for the continued support extended by the Government in the on-going SAARC process by sending high powered delegations to related meetings which provide impetus achieving common goals and objectives.

The President paid a special visit to the Polonnaruwa district outlined measures to be taken to develop the Polonnaruwa District in line with the Deyata Kirula National Development exhibition to be held next year.

Participating in several events in the district, he instructed district officials to take necessary measures to solve people's problems prevailing in the district.

Polonnaruwa district

At the Polonnaruwa district special development meeting, he discussed issues in the irrigation, agriculture, dairy resources, urban development, and highways sectors and instructed officials to take immediate action to find solutions for the drinking water shortage in the district and to immediately start renovations of irrigation tanks, canals and reservoirs.

The President highlighted the need to accelerate road development projects in the district and provide infrastructure facilities for visitors to the Polonnaruwa sacred city with the help of officials of the Central Cultural Fund.

He also instructed officials to educate farmers on environmental damage caused by excessive use of agro chemicals.

Focusing on education in the district, the President ordered the educational authorities to implement a systematic plan to ease teacher shortage in government schools, develop Infrastructure facilities of schools located in remote areas and implement a transparent teacher transfer policy.

During the visit in the district, President Rajapaksa laid the foundation stone for "MihiMeth" holiday resort in Polonnaruwa to be constructed to provide accommodation facilities for local and foreign tourists who visit the Polonnaruwa sacred city.

The three-storied holiday resort with 500 rooms will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 50 million.

The President also opened a new three-storied building for the Bakamuna Mahasen Maha Vidyalaya built at a cost of Rs. 35 million under a project to develop 1,000 secondary schools island wide.

The multi-purpose educational building houses a home science lab, an agriculture lab, an auditorium, a computer lab and a library.

He also distributed school supplies to the students of the schools.

In Elahara, President Rajapaksa opened a new two-storied office building and an auditorium constructed at a cost of Rs. 35 million for the Elahara Pradeshiya Sabha.