President’s Address to the Nation on Independence Day:

Clarion call for united effort for stable peace, national unity

*Achievements of last three years, greatest since Independence

*Mahinda Chinthana dedicated to protect people’s rights

In a landmark Address to the Nation from Anuradhapura, where the 64th anniversary of Independence was celebrated yesterday, President Mahinda Rajapaksa stressed the need for a collective approach by all political parties to resolve the country’s problems and for strengthening the economy to face the challenges of global economic changes.

Outlining the vast changes that have taken place in the development and social landscapes during the three years since 2009, when terrorism ended, President Rajapaksa said, “the people who reached peace after war expected to march from inefficiency to efficiency, from unemployment to employment, from impurity to purity and from backwardness to modernity”.

“We would be able to exist as an independent, sovereign state only if we strengthen our economy. We have to get together and work just as we got together and worked with dedication to defeat terrorism,” the President asserted.

He said it was essential to “give the rural people, who comprise 80 percent of our population, the results of the giant development works we have initiated in the country - it is not only an expectation but also a challenge which we are ready to take up”.

Turning his attention to the National Question, the President pointed out that the best mechanism in this regard was the Parliamentary Select Committee. “It is the duty of all parties in the country to solve problems according to the people’s wishes by participating in this Parliamentary Select Committee rather than relying on imported solutions and utilising foreign influences.”

He said no one would be allowed to deprive the people of their rights as the Government was committed to parliamentary democracy as well as to the country’s law, independence of the judiciary and good governance.

The full text of the President Rajapaksa’s Independence Day speech:

“Today we have come to a city with a great history to commemorate the 64th anniversary of independence.

This city was established prior to 400 BC. Even the wind that blows from a city that exemplified prosperity, pride, religion and great traditions for thousands of years reminds the Sri Lankan nation of independence, freedom and prosperity. On this occasion, I pay the nation’s respect to the war heroes who dedicated their lives and all others who were committed to freedom.

Immense responsibility

You know freedom is an immense responsibility for us today. During the war previous governments could blame everything on the war and escape. However, the people who reached peace after war expected to march from inefficiency to efficiency, from unemployment to employment, from impurity to purity and from backwardness to modernity.

The people who then forgot everything else and demanded a bunker for the village and a rifle to defend lives, today expect not only electricity, water, housing, highways, higher education but also a law abiding, clean and modern Sri Lanka. What you requested of me when I visited Kebethigollawa some time ago, is different from what you request me today.

Therefore, during the three years after gaining freedom from terrorism, we have been able to use that freedom to give the Motherland an immense value much more than that given during the half century since Independence in 1948. Today we have built the country to that status when we could draw the map of the Motherland more proudly than then.

We have still a long way to go. We have to give the rural people who comprises 80 percent of our population the results of the giant development works we have initiated in the country. It is not only an expectation, but also a challenge which we are ready to take up.

We would be able to utilise the giant development projects built by us for national development only if we can bring up a citizen equipped with modern, scientific, technical and language skills and who could be on par with anybody else in the world.

When the late C.W.W. Kannnangara presented the Free Education Act, D.A. Rajapaksa was also among others such as S.A. Wickremasinghe, N.M. Perera, S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, J.R. Jayewardene, A. Ratnayake and W. Dahanayake who supported it. Just like those who were dedicated to free education and health then Mahinda Chinthana is dedicated to defend those rights of the people today. We will not allow anyone to deprive the people of those rights. The economic crises in the world also affect our country. But thanks to the Gama Neguma, Divi Neguma and the immense revival of agriculture we face this world food crisis very well. You know that we are becoming self-sufficient in food and are strong enough even to export food to the world outside. It is also important to understand the problems we face due to the rise in oil and gas prices. It is important to be aware of the reality. In the face of all these, we should be prepared to demonstrate our strength and courage to the world.

Sovereign State

We would be able to exist as an independent, sovereign State only if we strengthen our economy. We have to get together and work just as we got together and worked with dedication to defeat terrorism.

Conspiracies and propaganda of terrorists based overseas have still not abated. When such things happen abroad, some people here do various things to destabilise the Motherland. They expect to achieve in Sri Lanka certain results that happened in some countries of the world. Both these groups are one. Fuel and nutrition for this struggle in Sri Lanka are received from separatism active in foreign lands.

We are engaged in the task of creating a stable peace and national unity after liberating the country from terrorism.

This is not a task confined to one individual or a party. Remember, the country would not benefit by trying to please selfish groups who receive foreign funds. Similarly, solutions cannot be obtained by implementing the proposals of extremist groups of whatever persuasion. What is required today is the formulation of policies based on a vision that is commonly applicable to the whole country.

Ethnic communities have no separate regions. The entire country belongs to all ethnic communities.

The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission has stated that all are responsible for this problem. All those who act according to their conscience should take heed of this statement. Therefore, we have already started implementing what was in the Commission. The report was tabled in Parliament on December 17. Since then we have done a lot.

Public opinion

Acting against public opinion using executive power is not democratic. We are committed to Parliamentary democracy as well as to the country’s law, independence of the judiciary and good governance.

Sri Lanka is the Asian democratic State which has practised universal suffrage without gender discrimination uninterruptedly for the longest period. We are committed to defend the right to make and break governments through universal suffrage. We all know that Parliament representing people including all parties, ethnic communities, religions is the supreme democratic institution. Therefore, we believe that the mechanism for solving the National Question is the Parliamentary Select Committee. It is the duty of all parties in the country to solve problems according to the people’s wishes by participating in this Parliamentary Select Committee rather than relying on imported solutions and utilising foreign influences.

We are on a virtuous and steady path to the future on behalf of the people. In this path there is no repression, no threats, no influences. There is only governance and sound management. Today hundreds of thousands of youth in this country have pinned the national flag to their chests. Your hearts are full of national sentiments and patriotism. You must direct these patriotic sentiments to the supreme task of building a country in which all could live together. The words of the Buddha show the path we should take and how we should solve problems.

Akkodhena jine kodham – asadhum sadhuna jineJine kadariyam danena – saccena alikavadinam

(Let an angry man be conquered by love; an evil man by goodness. Let a miser be won over by liberality; and a liar by truthfulness)

Let this thought guide all in making the freedom of our motherland meaningful!

A happy future for you all!”