I realised then that every word a
Head of State utters reflects public policy. Today I
have been given the opportunity of making the most important
statement on public policy. Hence I consider it my duty
to honour all the past leaders from who we have inherited
progressive politics.
Likewise I consider it my duty to
pay tribute to the millions of people of this country
who elected me President, defeating all vicious attempts
to project distorted imaged through the media and rouse
religious divisions for which purposes unlimited amounts
of money was spent.
I had no secret pact or agreement
with the people of this country. There were no conditions
between us. The only conditions were to build a new
Sri Lanka and to be honest.
On the other hand I do not consider
the votes that my good friend Opposition Leader Ranil
Wickremesinghe received as votes cast against me.
Everyone accepts that the recently
concluded Presidential Election was a very free and
peaceful election. It should be considered an important
milestone in our journey to create a healthy political
culture.
The Presidential Election now is
over. As I said in my swearing-in speech I am not working
for any one party, one group or religion.
I therefore I wish to state that
I am the leader, servant and friend of all of you, since
it my policy to build a new democratic State without
dragging the aforesaid differences and complexities
into the administration.
I do not consider my rival in the
Presidential Election, Opposition Leader Wickremesinghe
and his party as enemies of my new Government. I strongly
believe that we should forget whatever ill feelings
or pain of mind between our two parties during the Presidential
Election.
I expect the Opposition's cooperation
for our Government in implementing the plans outlined
in my policy statement. Likewise I wish to state that
our government will accept the Opposition's fair and
constructive criticism.
Our overall objective in the Presidential
election was to ensure the victory of our policy. Today
the majority of people in this country have endorsed
that policy.
It has emerged victorious by the power of universal
franchise, which is a part of people's sovereignty.
It is to protect the country without dividing this country.
It is to free this land from poverty, underdevelopment
and backwardness and build this country.
Our policy is to build an entirely
new Sri Lanka. I am preparing to make before the House
the official statement making this policy - which until
now was only an election manifesto - this country's
public policy.
1. Peace with dignity in
an undivided country
My government will give the highest
priority to launch a new peace process to usher in a
lasting peace through a political solution to the country's
national question. Our method is discussion instead
of war. We are aware that such discussions are not simple
and easy. Yet it is the only way to peace.
My Government is ready to have direct
talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The
political solution to a lasting peace should be based
on a consensus reached through discussions among all
parties linked to the problem and it should receive
the approval of majority of the people. Our policy for
reaching such a consensus is as follows:
In order to realise a lasting peace
by solving the national crisis, we propose to build
a new social democratic state cherishing political pluralism
that upholds the aspirations and rights of all sections
of our society. Based on that principle we will pursue
the following policy to reach a national consensus for
peace with dignity.
2. Starting an open and
transparent peace process
The current Ceasefire Agreement
will be revised to ensure the protection of human rights,
prevent recruitment of children for war, safeguard national
security, prevent terrorist acts, pave the way to rebuild
lives that were shattered by war and the tsunami in
the Northern and Eastern Provinces and introduce an
open and transparent ceasefire monitoring machinery.
The failure of the United Front Government's
peace efforts was the result of the peace talks being
confined only to the Government and the LTTE. Instead
of such an unsuccessful bipartisan approach there will
be a new peace process in which all parties involved
in the crisis can participate.
1. An open and sincere invitation
will be given to the country's main Opposition to participate
in such a process.
2. Special attention will be paid ensure Muslim people's
representation in peace talks.
3. The peace process will be continued openly and transparently
to reach a broad consensus within a definite time frame.
4. The facilitation and meditation extended by the United
Nations and other such organisations that support peace
in Sri Lanka, all friendly countries, the international
community, India and other regional States will be properly
organised and utilised to strengthen the peace process.
The creation of a Government infrastructure
that will safeguard Sri Lanka's sovereignty, territorial
integrity, unitary nature of the State and the people's
national identity with the participation of all sections
of our society as positive shareholders in a pluralistic
system for the maximum devolution of power within an
undivided sovereign democratic republic.
Instead of the concepts of traditional
homelands and self-determination that allow an ethnic
group to breakaway from the Republic of Sri Lanka, steps
will be taken to ensure for all communities, including
Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher and Malay the freedom
to exercise all the rights enshrined in the Constitution
- including the right to live in any part of Sri Lanka
on the grounds that the entire territory is the homeland
of all communities.
All citizens will be equal before
the law and no citizens will be discriminated on account
of ethnicity, caste, religion, sex, political beliefs
or place of birth.
Steps will be taken to ensure freedom
of conscience and religious freedom including the right
of all citizens to embrace any religion or faith.
A Commission will be appointed to
re-demarcate Secretarial Divisions, District and Provincial
boundaries to suit new socio-economic, environmental
and political requirements for the establishment of
grass-roots level democratic people's representative
organizations that will help all citizens to share the
benefits of the country's mineral, water, land, oceanic
and other natural resources, harbours, the beaches and
human resources, to protect ethnic rights, accelerate
rural development, secure the participation of all communities
in the development process and launch large-scale development
projects.
Public participation in the peace
process will be encouraged to reach a broad national
consensus through a series of open discussions based
on the above points while political parties, pressure
groups, voluntary organisations, religious organisations
and the media will be invited to contribute to a culture
of peace.
Constitutional reforms will be proposed
and approved according to proper legal procedures in
order to include the objectives reached through a broad
consensus in the State infrastructure.
Rebuilding of lives affected by war
and tsunami in the North and East will be parallel to
the peace process and will be utilised to build up the
confidence of all communities that support peace.
A new Tsunami Reconstruction administrative
infrastructure that will coordinate with the Central
Government, provincial councils, pradeshiya sabhas,
political parties and voluntary organisations will be
introduced in place of the controversial P-TOMS which
is now before the courts.
This new setup will be linked to
'Jaya Lanka' the Government's overall tsunami reconstruction
and rehabilitation programme.
New projects will be introduced in
the North and East to accelerate rehabilitation and
reconstruction in the two provinces.
A new Authority, named Jathika Saviya
will be set up to resettle with no discrimination all
people displaced by the war in their hometowns and ensure
for them a livelihood. Each resettled family will be
initially paid Rs. 150,000 and Rs. 250,000 for a permanent
house.
Likewise we hope to provide tax money
to all those lost houses and property due to the establishment
of High Security Zones.
Security Forces will be ordered to
do security checks without causing harassment or embarrassment
to anyone. Special units will be set up in all police
stations to enable to people to make complaints in their
own language without fear or suspicion.
A three-year crash programme will
be launched to expedite the full implementation of the
official language policy in police stations, Government
offices and other public places and minimise obstacles
that Tamil speaking people face when dealing with State
organizations.
Realistic reforms will be done to
make it clear at all State functions that Sri Lanka
belongs to all of its citizens.
Steps will be taken to build the
intellectual, moral and spiritual environment required
for building peace and consider it as a collective effort
rather than a miracle or the work of one man or political
party.
Constitutional Reforms
A Constitutional assembly will be
set up if Constitutional reforms are needed for a political
solution to secure peace.
This Government has recognised many
areas where Constitutional reforms are needed. Changing
the constitution to secure the required balance between
a stability and representing public opinion is among
the most important. Our manifesto has also proposed
abolishing the Executive Presidency.
For this purpose Constitutional reform
based on a broad consensus is required. Until then our
Government hopes to introduce Constitutional reforms
by which the President will be officially answerable
to Parliament.
The powers of Ministerial and Working
Committees will be increased with Parliamentary approval
to ensure the efficient participation of government
and opposition MPs in State administration. Steps will
be taken to include the Charter of Human Rights in the
Constitution to ensure to protection of social, cultural,
political, economic and civil rights of all Sri Lankans
on a equal basis without discrimination in accordance
with the UN charter and international conventions.
3. Rule of Law, good administration
and government service
My Government is working towards
a building disciplined society by strengthening the
Rule of Law. We will not leave room for anyone to break
the law by using political or financial power or privileges.
We will give priority to stamp out bribery and corruption
and empower new agencies for this purposes.
We will introduce reforms to eliminate
bureaucratic attitudes and make the State administrative
service an exemplary public service. Steps will be taken
to run all Ministries, departments, corporations and
boards without unnecessary expenditure. The salaries
and allowances of public servants will be raised in
accordance with the pledges made in the Presidential
Election Manifesto.
New technology, improvement of human
resources and means to increase productivity will be
introduced to extensively reform the public service
to meet today's requirements.
Law enforcement agencies like the
police, the judiciary and the prisons will be strengthened
with better facilities and a process of broad legal
reforms will be introduced to ensure efficiency and
transparency in the criminal justice system. All these
will be aimed at making my Government follow a strong
policy of righteous rule.
Legislature
My government's policy is to fully
safeguard the dignity of the Parliament, which is the
supreme institution that drafts the laws of the country.
We are aware that in the recent past there were unfortunate
incidents that affected the dignity and honour of Parliament.
If more laws are required to uphold
the dignity of this House and safeguard the powers and
privileges of its Members my Government will not hesitate
to introduce them. But laws and regulations alone will
not protect the dignity of this institution. I hope
that the Speaker and all of you will work in unity and
harmony to make the Parliament reflect the features
of a developed democracy.
A responsible society
Our Government will give full protection
to religious freedom. The Government will meet all its
responsibilities towards all religions will safeguarding
the special place accorded to Buddhism under the Constitution.
Our Government requests religious
dignitaries to give the Government the necessary assistance
to make law-abiding civilised citizens of high morals
via the teachings of the noble founders of different
religions.
My Government will stand for building
a network where the State, the citizenry and the market
will be answerable to each other.
Overall economic policy
My Government will work towards
building a new economy that ensures social justice,
opens up opportunities for individual progress and pave
the way for an economically strong State in the community
of nations.
Our Government's aim is to boost
new local and foreign investment to achieve speedy progress
and build a strong economy.
All the salient features of the
free market system will be absorbed into the system
for this purpose. Government expenditure will be directed
towards areas of economic importance to ensure maximum
benefits for the national economy.
We will take steps to reduce the
budget gap to a bearable level through an efficient
expenditure management system. The taxation system too
will be simplified.
Agriculture
The farmer faces untold suffering
due to water scarcity, land shortage, crop devastation
and inability to sell his produce. We have identified
that improving agriculture is vital for the country's
development.
We will initiate giant development
schemes whereby major rivers and reservoirs and waterways
will be linked by a national irrigation system and dry
land from North to South will be turned to wet zones.
Under this scheme the 10,000 reservoir
(tank) project will be completed and steps will be taken
to launch multiple development projects associated with
the Uuma Oya, North Central Mahan Ella, Demure Oya,
Manic River, Kumbukkan Oya, Yan Oya, Heda Oya, Kirama
Oya and Oorawa.
My Government hopes to deal with
the shortage of cultivable land through a national policy.
Initially we will distribute 100,000 blocks of land
among farmer families without land to cultivate. Farmers
who have already been provided with State land will
be given the legal right to own them.
We will also provide land to descendants
of farmers in the Mahaweli scheme and the agricultural
colonies. We hope to achieve major progress in the cultivation
of paddy and other food crops. Essential chemical fertiliser
will be sold at Rs. 350 per bag of 50 kilos.
This will be an investment to improve
agriculture. We will ensure a guaranteed price for paddy,
establish paddy-purchasing centres, repair dilapidated
small and medium scale rice mills and launch a rice
processing village project to boost agriculture to bring
new prosperity to farmers.
We will take steps to revise the
Agrarian Reform Act while providing facilities to develop
the cultivation of fruits and minor export crops and
other agricultural products to provide them with an
overseas market.
We will introduce a national plan
to revive the plantation economy involving tea, rubber
and coconut.
Steps will be taken to change the
unfortunate situation facing major plantations and the
relevant ministries will work to inject lifeblood to
this industry including tea smallholdings.
A special programme will be activated
to increase milk production and parallel to this the
marketing and consumption of fresh milk will be encouraged.
Fisheries
Although the ocean surrounds the
country, the fishery industry is still stagnating. My
Government and I are keenly interested in this area.
When I was Fisheries Minister I established the Sagara
University in the hope of making Sri Lanka reach the
world's highest position in fisheries products.
We will strengthen the Coast Guard
to protect aquatic resources and provide within a short
time at the assistance necessary to rebuild the lives
of fishing families affected by the tsunami.
Within three years we will provide
500 fishing crafts under an easy payment scheme. Fishing
nets and other implements will also be provided under
a similar scheme.
Fishery harbours and anchorages will
be developed and a fuel subsidy will be given to fishermen.
Steps will also be taken to open 150 new farms to breed
saltwater and fresh water prawns while canning factories
will be established in the vicinity of the main fishery
harbours.
Industrial development
My Government will take immediate
steps to accelerate industrial progress. For this purpose
12 new investment promotion zones covering the entire
island will be established. Three hundred new factories
will be built and each Secretarial Division will get
one factory.
Our Government hopes to make medium
and small-scale industries, the backbone of our economy.
For this purpose the relevant ministries will introduce
special plans. The relevant bank services will be developed.
To encourage investors we have proposed the launching
of the Lanka Banking service.
Our Government hopes to make use
of our good international relations to solve the problems
that the apparel industry is currently facing.
To increase the value of apparel
exports we hope to establish three textile zones and
will pay constant attention to the health and other
welfare requirements of those employed in the apparel
industry.
Construction
Our Government hopes to make a massive
transformation in the area of construction. We plan
to launch a major housing development and urban development
scheme.
We will make the Construction Training
and Development Institute an Authority while introducing
special banking and monetary services to overcome the
lack of capital for these projects.
Tourism
My Government's aim is to bring
new life to the Tourism industry which is a major foreign
exchange earner.
Our target is to attract 1.5 million
foreign tourists to this country by 2010 and we are
planning to organise the industry accordingly. Special
attractive Tourist zones will be set up in Hambantota,
Kalpitiya and Arugambay.
Power
During my six-year term I will direct
my Government to overcome the energy crisis. We will
build new power stations according to Electricity Board
plans and launch the 'Power for All' programme, to provide
power to villages that have so far had no electricity.
We will ensure the people's ownership
of the CEB and the Petroleum Corporation and see that
the public will benefit from the exploration of oil
deposits off Sri Lanka's coast, through the ministry
specially set up for the purpose.
Transport
Transport too has become a national
crisis in our country. We will develop our railway network
and build a number of new rail tracks.
A new ministry has already been set
up for this purpose. We will strengthen the Ceylon Transport
Board and make it Sri Lanka's proud national transport
service by developing bus depots and providing them
with more buses.
We will also give priority to the
numerous problems facing the private bus service. Steps
will be taken to reorganise the National Transport Commission
and streamline timetables, passenger safety, rural and
school bus services and night services. Plans have also
been drawn up to build new expressways parallel to the
improvement of railways.
Information Technology
Sri Lanka, with its ancient heritage
of having being a centre of knowledge in Asia and considering
its high literacy rate and its talented human resources,
should undergo speedy development in the area of IT.
We shall formulate policies and legal and institutional
backgrounds required to achieve this objective in the
area of mass communication.
We hope to expand computer knowledge
and technology countrywide by taking computer technology
to the village under the Nenasala programme. Through
this project we expect to develop Sri Lanka as a regional
centre in the Asian information network.
Health services
It is our responsibility to protect
the free health service and the Government will guarantee
the right of every citizen to receive a good health
service. The hospital system will be developed and steps
will be taken to improve disease control methods and
health education.
More doctors and nurses will be recruited
and their services will be given to the rural sector.
We will also implement the Senaka Bibile drugs policy.
Education
A theme in our Presidential Election
campaign was to build a country suitable for children.
We will plan education, higher education and vocational
training on a national scale to help our children and
youth to improve their talents and knowledge and do
everything possible to brighten the lives of our future
generation.
I recall here what the great Chinese
philosopher Confucius said thousands of years ago.
"If you are planning for a year
grow paddy
If you are planning for ten years
plant trees
If you are planning for a century
educate people".
If we are building our country we
should look at this century in which we live and make
our national plans accordingly. It is with such a broad
vision that we should formulate education policies.
I appeal to this August assembly
not to consider our interventions for the sake of education
as relief assistance but as investments for the sake
of the country.
During the recent election campaign
I was able to read the UNP's election manifesto. I wish
to state sincerely that in their manifesto there were
several valuable points that should be appreciated.
Among them the concept English For All on page 35 drew
my attention.
I wish to inform you that I hope
to implement the concept with some revisions while giving
Members of the main Opposition the credit for it. I
wish to remind that according to Mahinda Chintana political
colours cannot measure good things.
We will fully safeguard the right
to free education. We will take steps to teach the mother
tongue - Sinhala and Tamil - and English to every child.
Every child will be provided with a free mid day meal.
We shall improve laboratory, language
teaching, computer, library, sports and other facilities
in all Maha Vidyalayas and other Government schools.
We will raise 325 schools to the
highest level selecting one school from each Secretariat
Division. The education service will be depoliticised
and a number of steps will be taken for the welfare
of teachers and employees in the educational administrative
service.
One challenge is providing higher
education to all those passing the Advanced Level. The
Government will accept the challenge.
We will increase the number of university
admissions and improve facilities in universities. We
will also raise the Mahapola and student allowance by
Rs. 500. We also take steps to introduce changes in
the vocational training under a life skills programme.
We shall increase training opportunities
in the State sector from 60,000 to 100,000 to accommodate
school leavers. A 100 more vocational training centres
will be set up and 500 community schools will be established
under the Vocational Training authority to increase
livelihood opportunities.
Rising again after the tsunami
My Government will launch a giant
development and reconstruction scheme in 2006 to rebuild
the lives of those affected by the tsunami. I took the
decision at my first Cabinet meeting to implement this
programme through the reconstruction and Development
Authority which functions under the President's direct
supervision.
Provincial development
We will also launch a number of
special programmes targeting the development of different
provinces, districts and other areas in addition to
the common national programme.
These comprise the Northern Rehabilitation
and Reconstruction Programme, Negenahira Nawodaya, Senkadagala
Nawodaya, Ruhunu Arunalokaya, Rajarata Nawodaya, Wayamba
Punarjeewanaya, Pubudamu Wellassa and New Life for Plantations.
Social Development
We are happy about the successes
that our Samurdhi Movement achieved so far in overcoming
poverty. We are confident that the Samurdhi programme
can meet future challenges and therefore will give it
a further boost to achieve its objectives.
We will increase Samurdhi allowances
by 50 percent. Parallel to it we will launch projects
that will help increase the monthly income of Samurdhi
recipients up to Rs. 5,000.
I have decided to increase the allowance
of Rs. 5,000 given to a low-income family in the case
of death up to Rs. 10,000 with effect from the first
week of December. Similarly the allowances paid in the
case of child birth and the scholarship scheme meant
for children of such families will become effective
immediately.
Likewise we shall provide relief
assistance in the form of milk powder to reduce cost
of living burdens of such families, special allowance
for Government employees and relief in the payment of
water, electricity and fuel bills, nutrients for pregnant
mothers, an allowance of Rs. 200 per month for poor
families to purchase milk for children up to year five.
Houses
My Government's aim is to provide
a house to every person who does not own a house. We
shall provide 100,000 blocks of land for those who want
to build houses but cannot do so because they do not
own any land.
For State employees in urban areas
we will launch four projects to build flats. For shanty
dwellers in urban areas we will build 65,000 new houses.
There will also be a commercial
housing scheme coming under easy payment schemes. At
the rural level we will build 25 houses every year in
every village.
A weakness in State policy for a
number of years was to ignore the village. Our Government's
policy will be to first build the village in order to
develop the country.
Accordingly, we are introducing the
Gama Neguma program with the board objective of developing
every village with all facilities. Our plan will be
as follows:
Electricity for every village that
has no power;
A public telephone service for every
village;
Sufficient supply of drinking water;
Irrigated water for cultivation
Rural approach roads via Maga Neguma
Infrastructure development
Rural schools with human and material
resources
Health centres
Cooperative store to provide consumer
items at low cost
Paddy store, fertilizer store and
rice mill
Factory to provide employment
Pre-school with playground
Community hall and
Sports ground
People's Committee
People's Committee Secretariat
Nenasala Computer Centre
Forest area
Public cemetery
My government's aim is to usher in
a new era in rural development in the decade starting
in 2006 by building model villages with all or many
of the above features.
We shall also launch programmes with
the assistance of law enforcement agencies, schools,
religious centres and community organisations to eradicate
drunkenness, gambling, and drug addiction from our villages.
I will take every possible step to eradicate the drugs
menace by the end of my first year.
Employment
A major aim of our overall economic
policy is to provide employment to our youth who are
either jobless or under employed. In this connection
we will be launching a special programme called Young
Diriya.
While filling all state sector vacancies
we will work out a plan to provide employment to 10,000
graduates every year.
We will direct every Ministry in
my Government to generate employment in the state sector,
the private sector, foreign service and the sphere of
self-employment.
Mass media, literature and
culture
The basis of our information, mass
media and cultural policy will be to uphold people's
right to receive accurate information and ensure the
broad participation of the mass media in achieving the
country's social, cultural and economic goals.
I wish that the Information and Media
Ministry of our Government will be making a special
contribution to the progress of media personnel, media
organisations and the media industry.
We shall develop our cultural policy
to strengthen the citizen's cultural life by developing
our langauge and literature and safeguarding our ancient
values.
Sports
I shall work towards ensuring the
physical and mental health of our youth and bring our
sportsmen and sportswomen to international levels by
introducing a new national sports policy.
A special programme will be worked
out to provide sports facilities including an indoor
stadium to every district and improve sports from the
village level.
Foreign policy
In the area of foreign policy, I
must begin by saying that I intend to ensure the continuity
of the foreign policy of the UPFA Government. I will
naturally emphasise areas where Sri Lanka's immediate
and compelling national interests are evident.
In its broadest sense, we will follow
a foreign policy of friendship with all and enmity towards
none. We will build on our solid and very close bilateral
relationship with our immediate neighbours in the sub-region,
as well as our friends in Asia.
We will further strengthen our relations
with the rest of the world. Sri Lanka will continue
to be a consensus builder in the interactional arena
in keeping with the long-standing tradition of Sri Lankan
diplomacy.
To this end we will be guided by
the principles espoused by the Non-Aligned Movement
and the developing countries where these principles
and our national interests converge.
My personal commitment as a human
rights campaigner at the grassroots level makes me accord
priority to the promotion and protection of humans rights
in our international endeavours. I hope to build upon
a very positive and pro-active role played by Sri Lanka
in promoting humans rights.
We will do this through international
cooperation not through confrontation. Greater efforts
will be made to widen and deepen the economic content
of our foreign policy efforts and foreign relations
activities, as already initiated by the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs under the Lakshman Kadirgamar.
In order to achieve the 8 per cent
economic growth rate envisioned by the Mahinda Chintana,
I intend to mobilise the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and our Missions aborad to attract sufficient levels
of foreign direct investments (FDIs) under this programme.
We can thus make the foreign relations
effort immediately relevant to the people of this country
through socio-economic development.
We will continue to play an active
role in the United Nations and other multilateral bodies
as well as sub regional and regional forums.
We will be constructive and creative
in contributing to efforts at regional and multilateral
levels, to support national activities for economic
development, humanitarian assistance, conflict resolution
whether these are intra state or inter-state.
I also propose to very strongly pursue
and promote broad bipartisan support for our foreign
policy activities, which have been the hallmark of our
foreign relations since independence.
Policy Feedback Council
We plan to introduce a new subject
to Sri Lanka's public policy. It is policy feed back.
We shall appoint an all-powerful commission called the
Policy Feedback Council operating under the President's
direct supervision.
The commission's task will be to
decide annual targets in implementing different State
policy programmes, reviewing their progress, studying
setbacks and recommending the necessary solutions.
My Government is not a talking Government
but a working Government. On the day I was sworn in
as President I appealed to my fellow citizens thus.
Mothers, Fathers, Brothers and Sisters,
Sons and Daughters, work for the welfare of the country.
Do your duty. Work with determination. Our country will
develop through work. When the country progresses you
too will progress.
It goes without saying that the office
of the Presidency, which I took over, and my Government
will face numerous challenges. In a way politics means
accepting challenges and facing them fearlessly. I along
with members of my Cabinet, other ministers and MPs
are ready to accept any challenges.
Our government is a regime that works
for the welfare of children. Our government is formulating
polices to build a bright future for our children. The
last 17th saw the dawn of a common people's era in our
country. The flowers that will blossom in that dawn
is our future generation.
Hence I hope that you as Members
of this Supreme Public Institution will extend your
maximum support to my Government. I wish you all will
have the thoughts, strength and courage to build a new
Sri Lanka.
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