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The United National Party’s 76th Anniversary was held today (06) at Sugathadasa Stadium in Colombo under the Patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

‘Lets Build Together’ was the theme of this year’s UNP Anniversary. This is the first time after 28 years that the UNP has celebrated its Anniversary with a state leadership.

It is also noteworthy that this is the fist UNP anniversary following Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe’s assumption of the presidency.

Signifying all alliances aimed at rebuilding the country, all party leaders representing parliament and others were invited to join the UNP anniversary celebrations and many of them, including Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena had attended the event.

EPDP leader Fisheries and Water Resources Minister Douglas Devananda, Minister of Public Security Tiran Alas, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna General Secretary Parliamentarian Sagara Kariyawasam, Muslim Congress leader SJB Parliamentarian Rauf Hakeem, All Ceylon Muslim Congress Leader and SJB Parliamentarian Rishad Bathiudeen, Ali Sabri Rahim of the National Muslim Alliance, Member of Parliament for Badulla District of SJB Member Arvinda Kumar, Leader of the People’s Congress A.L.M. Ataullah and several others representing other parties joined the celebrations at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

Minister of Lands and Tourism Harin Fernando, Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara, were also present at the anniversary ceremony.
The Sugathadasa Stadium was packed to capacity with people representing every corner of the country.

The anniversary ceremony commenced with all the pomp and pageantry and party Leader and President Ranil Wickremesinghe placing a garland on the statue of the party’s Founder D.S. Senanayake and other former leaders.

Floral tributes were placed at the statue of Dudly Senanayake by the Party Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardena.

Floral tributes were placed at statue of Sir John Kothalawala by the Deputy Leader of the Party, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, floral tributes were laid at the statue of J.R. Jayawardena by the United National Party General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara, floral tributes were placed at the statue of R. Premadasa by MP Vajira Abeywardena, and floral tributes were placed at the statue of D.B. Wijetunga by Senior Advisor to the President, Sagala Ratnayake.

It was also noteworthy that the entire stadium rose to their feet in a show if respect while floral tributes were placed at the monuments of the party’s former leaders.
Demonstrating the value of national unity, the national anthem was sung in both Sinhala and Tamil languages and a series of videos showcasing the pride of the party was shown. Musical performances showcasing local culture added colour to the anniversary celebrations.

UNP Deputy Leader and Senior Adviser to the President Ruwan Wijewardena, United National Party General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara, UNP Chairman and Member of Parliament Vajira Abeywardena, National Organizer and President’s Senior Adviser and Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayake, Deputy Leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam former Ministers John Amaratunga, Ravi Karunanayake, Navin Dissanayake, Daya Gamage, D.M. Swaminathan and Colombo Mayor Rosy Senananayake attended this event.

The wife and two children of Polonnaruwa District Parliamentarian Amarakeerthi Athukorala, who was killed during the unrest in the Nittambuwa area on May 09, met President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the Presidential Office yesterday (05).

President Wickremesinghe, who expressed his deep regret over the incident, looked into the family’s welfare including the education of the children and requested them to inform him if they needed any assistance.

The President assured the late Athukorala’s family that he is ready to provide any assistance to build the future of the children and the welfare of the family on behalf of the late MP, either personally or under the grants from the government.

Meanwhile, the president also made a financial donation from the police reward fund on behalf of police Sergeant Jayantha Gunawardena, the Personal Security Officer of Mr. Amarakeerthi Athukorala who died in the related incident.

President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan extended his best wishes to the newly appointed President of Sri Lanka Ranil Wickremesinghe.

In a congratulatory message to the President, the Armenian Head of State said he stands ready to further strengthen and deepen cooperation between Armenia and Sri Lanka for the benefit of the people of both countries.

President Khachaturyan also wished President Wickremesinghe good health and success and peace and wellbeing to the friendly people of Sri Lanka.

Former Governor of Southern and Central Provinces, Rajith Keerthi Thennakoon has been appointed as the Director General (Community Affairs) in the President’s Office.

Thennakoon is a professional who has worked in many fields including civil organizations, human rights, and elections. He has local and international experience in economic revitalization and community affairs.

Mr. Thennakoon is a Post Graduate in Mass Communication.

•  Overseas education opportunities encouraged through foreign scholarships

The attention of the government has been directed towards the expansion of the government officials’ foreign employment and referral program.

During the discussion with the President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, focus was placed on expediting the program on increasing foreign exchange through productively engaging state sector employees in foreign employment and resolving the issues faced by the connected institutions.

Discussions were also focused on Public Administration circular amendment no. 14/2022 and six other matters.

Through the amendment to the Public Administration circular, systematic approval would be granted to remit funds into a non-resident foreign currency account or rupee account, to enable the use of this account to receive widows and orphans’ contributions and to be able to settle loan installments through it.

While the amendment to the public administration circular would enable the depositing of remittances at least once in three months, it would also enable the relevant officer to open an account in his name to deposit money or open a joint account or even designate an account to receive funds that are deposited.

It has been decided to implement a program to identify potential foreign employment segments and inform target groups by quickly finding foreign employment opportunities for applied government employees and forwarding the applications to the relevant parties.

It has been planned to encourage public service development officers to pursue foreign education opportunities through foreign scholarships by making a wide coverage under the program to effectively send them abroad.

In this discussion, attention was also paid to opening the data obtained by the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau for the reference of the Pension Department to regularize the payment of pensions to government employees who go for foreign employment.

Discussions also focused on issuing instructions and a time frame to the head of the institution regarding the procedures to be followed in forwarding applications for obtaining leave, and to establish an online appeal system for applications that are delayed in approval of leave.

The President’s Secretary also instructed the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and the Director General of Pensions to prepare and implement a system before the 31st of this month to ensure that the bank loans and pension contributions of widows and orphans are received as scheduled before the leave is approved.

It is also expected to consider multi-development performance to develop the skills of civil servants to apply for foreign jobs, identify short-term needs in areas of demand and direct civil servants to those courses.

It was further discussed to follow up on the program of sending government officials for foreign jobs periodically.

The Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs M.M.P.K. Mayadunne, Secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Foreign Employment R.P.E. Wimalaweera, Director General of the National Planning Department W.A. Kumarasiri, Director General Department of Management Services Hiransa Kaluthantri,  Director of the Central Bank, Dr. B.H.P.K. Tilakaweera, Director General of Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau D.P. Senanayake, Director General of Pensions Jagath D. Diaz, Director General of the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs Provincial Councils and Local Government Chandana Kumarasinghe  were present at this meeting.

The Heads of Security called on President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the President’s Office today (18) .

It is customary for the President to meet the Security Chiefs upon assuming office. Accordingly, President Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the Commander-in-Chief, met the Secretary Defense General Kamal Gunaratne (Rtd), Chief of Defense Staff General Shavendra Silva and Commander of the Army Lt. Gen. Vikum Liyanage yesterday.

Following the meeting with the Secretary Defence, Chief of Defence Staff and Army Commander, the President also met with Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana and Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenna.
The President also met with the Director General Department of Civil Security Major General N.R. Lamahewage (Rtd) and the Director General Sri Lanka Coast Guard Rear Admiral Anura Ekanayake.

In keeping with traditional practices, souvenirs were presented to the President during the meetings.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that history has brought India and Sri Lanka together like two sides of the same coin and the two countries must forge ahead together.

The President made this comment during an event to hand over a Dornier 228 Reconnaissance aircraft to Sri Lanka by India.

The President called for both countries to commit to further strengthening their relationship as India and Sri Lanka share many commonalities and the two countries have to build on it.

Addressing the gathering, President Wickremesinghe emphasized on the importance of ties between the two countries. “I have always said that we are two sides of a single coin. It is not possible to split a coin for one face to fall one way and the other face to fall the other way. For whatever it is, history has put us together and we have to stay together. What is this relationship? I haven’t got a word for it, but the closest I could come is the symbiotic relationship between the two countries. We are both marking our 75th anniversaries. I say let us commit ourselves to further strengthening our relationships.”

The first ever Dornier Reconnaissance Aircraft from India to enhance the maritime surveillance capabilities of Sri Lanka was inducted to Sri Lanka Air Force Fleet today (15th August 2022) in a ceremonial procession.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe was welcomed at the Sri Lanka Air Force Base in Katunayake by Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudharshana Pathirana. The President was also accorded a special Guard of Honour by the Air Force troops.

Giving a word of advice to aspiring politicians in Sri Lanka, the President said, “My word of advice to rising politicians and those who aspire for higher office, is get to know your Indian colleagues, get to know them well and get to deal with them because if you do not do that, it will be difficult for you to look at issues and understand what each other says. We have common viewpoints in many areas. We are but a small country in the middle of the ocean, while India, while looking after its own interests must also look at its role as a global power. But it is essential that we speak to them. After all India is our closest neighbor and there are many issues that are common to us of which we are understanding, of which we have to resolve. Not only issues pertaining to Indo-Lanka relations but to the region and to the world. So in these areas it is possible for us, and it has been on many occasions for us to come to an agreement or have a similar viewpoint with India. It is with those that we consolidate.”

Congratulating India on its 75th Anniversary of independence, President Wickremesinghe noted, “India today is becoming a world power and it is still on the rise and by the mid-century when we are no longer there, you could see a powerful India playing a dominant role on the global stage.”

The full speech made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the handing over ceremony of the Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, gifted by India

First and foremost I must thank the Indian Government and also the Indian Navy who’ve been helping us from time immemorial. I remember as a small kid of around 6 or 7 years the first war ship that I got on to was one belonging to the Indian Navy at that time given by the British Royal Navy.

But since the Commander of the Air Force and the High Commissioner has dealt at length about the aircraft I thought I should say a few words about the special occasion today the 75th Anniversary of Indian Independence.

Yesterday, I was listening, thanks to You Tube, to the speech made by Pandit Nehru on the day of Independence, ‘The Twist with Destiny’. There was one passage which I thought I should quote to you. “The achievement we celebrate today is but a step. An opening of opportunities to the greater trials and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?”

India grasped it. The way forward was shown by none other than Pandit Nehru. What you grasp you’re reaping today. India today is becoming a world power and it is still on the rise and by the mid-century when we are no longer there, you could see a powerful India playing a dominant role on the global stage. That itself is a tribute to Pandit Nehru.

Diverging from my speech, it just reminds me of a tribute paid to him by one of India’s politicians and one of is leading opponents, Prime Minister Vajpayee. Speaking one day in parliament in the Lok Sabah he said how he made a speech about Pandit Nehru and he called him half Churchill half Chamberlin. That evening he met Pandit Nehru at a dinner and Pandit Nehru came up to him and said ‘you made a very robust speech’ and patted him on the back and went off. That, he said was a sign of greatness of Pandit Nehru.

There is something more that we in Sri Lanka must mention, which a lot of people don’t know. Pandit Ji gave us full cooperation for Sri Lanka to enter the United Nations and to become a member. I remember and I was told how his representative to the UN Minister V.K. Krishna Menon gave all the support to my father to go around in New York arranging for Sri Lanka’s entry into the United Nations. My father knew him well. I only saw him at a distance as a student watching his car pass by on the way to India House. But, I had the fortune and the privilege to have met many other Indian politicians, especially Prime Minister Morarji Desai and Prime Minister Charan Singh, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ad Prime Minister Narasimha Rao who I knew very well cause we were both ministers of education and Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral and Prime Minister Vajpayee. They were all well-known and of course Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was opening up the economy when I was the Minister of Industries and Madam Sonia Gandhi and President Pranab Mukherjee as well as the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to whom we must be grateful for this aircraft.

There are many others I have known and my advice to rising politicians in Sri Lanka, those who aspire for higher office, is get to know your Indian colleagues, get to know them well and get to deal with them because if you do not do that, it will be difficult for you to look at issues and understand what each other says. We have common viewpoints in many areas. We are but a small country in the middle of the ocean, while India, while looking after its own interests must also look at its role as a global power.

But it is essential that we speak to them. After all India is our closest neighbor and there are many issues that are common to us of which we are understanding, of which we have to resolve. Not only issues pertaining to Indo-Lanka relations but to the region and to the world. So in these areas it is possible for us, and it has been on many occasions for us to come to an agreement or have a similar viewpoint with India. It is with those that we consolidate. But being two states, two governments there are also times when there are differences which should not become disputes because what is our relationship? Our relationship is not merely one of between two countries.

We’ve gone beyond that. We have a common heritage on the banks of the Indus was preached by the Vedas, and on the plains of Ganjees Lord Buddha traversed teaching his own doctrines. Those are what is common to us and it came to us and also what is common to the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. This is what we have built up but within this common past we also have different aspects. In your country it is Hinduism, that is the prevalent religion. In our country it is Buddhism. In Ramayanaya Rama is the hero for the Indians for us Rama and Ravana both are heroes for Sri Lanka. Your language has more dependence on Sanskrit and we have more dependence on Nagadi and Pali. So we can go on and on like this as there are so many things that are common to us. Mahatma Gandhi’s Sathyagraha and the independence non-violence movement was a great inspiration to us because you had no other way of recourse. But for us after 1931, we had a legislature elected by universal franchise. So we took on a different course.

I think if that was available to India, the history of India would have been different. So we have all these commonalities and we have to build on it. I have always said that we are two sides of a single coin. It is not possible to split a coin for one face to fall one way and the other face to fall the other way. For whatever it is, history has put us together and we have to stay together. What is this relationship? I haven’t got a word for it, but the closest I could come is the symbiotic relationship between the two countries. We are both marking our 75th anniversaries. I say let us commit ourselves to further strengthening our relationships.

Thank you for inviting me.

The President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman in his congratulatory message said that Sri Lanka will be able to successfully face the current challenges.
Czech President Milos Zeman has extended his heartiest congratulations to President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He also said that he has confidence in the ability of President Ranil Wickremesinghe as an experienced leader, to lead Sri Lanka to successfully overcome the challenges.
The Czech Republic and Sri Lanka have enjoyed a close friendship based on mutual understanding and cooperation. The President of the Czech Republic further said that he hoped that the good relations that exist traditionally will continue to be deeply developed for the benefit of the people of both countries.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that the nation must pay tribute to the members of the military, who safeguarded democracy by protecting the Legislature from violent protestors who sought to suppress the Executive.
The President made these remarks addressing the military personnel during his first official visit to the Army Headquarters Complex Akuregoda in Pelawatta, Battaramulla, today (09).
The President further said that, if at that time violent groups entered the parliament and disrupted the Legislature, the country would have lost its government, thereby plunging the nation into complete disorder. President Wickremesinghe also appreciated the members of the security forces having taken measures to carry out the operation through peaceful means, and presented them with certificates of appreciation.
The President was received on arrival by the Army Commander, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage, and was accorded a guard of honour.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe further expressing his views stated:
“Today we organized this special ceremony to extend our gratitude to all of you for protecting the Parliament. Many people do not know the importance of this. So, I specifically needed to mention a few aspects in this regard. Your principal responsibility is to protect this country as well as its Constitution”.
“There are 03 main institutions to effectively implement the people’s sovereignty, namely, the Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary. If these institutions are not properly functioning, in this country, the rule of law will not prevail. A constitutional crisis takes place, there will be no democracy. It was in such a context that you safeguarded the Parliament”.
“If we examine the incidents, that took place on July 09, the former President’s official residence was taken over by the violent groups; later, the Office of the President, which embodies the executive power of the President, was taken over. Therefore the President had no official place to carry out his mandate. Subsequently, the Prime Minister’s official residence, “Temple Trees “, was also occupied, and thereby disrupting the work of that office. Since the former President was not in Colombo at that time and his whereabouts unknown, the violent demonstrators set fire to my house with the hope that I would resign. Only, the Prime Minister’s Office located on Sir Ernest de Silva Mawatha was not attacked that day”.

“They returned on the 13th and also took over the Prime Minister’s Office, disabling the execution of my powers. Later that day, the situation worsened by violent attempts to surround the Parliament. If the Parliament was seized, the legislative processes cannot entirely fulfilled, and therefore the Legislature cannot exercise its powers, resulting in the country having no government.” .

“Affecting the court process by surrounding the judiciary is not as crucial as the other two institutions. A meeting of the party leaders was held on that day when the Speaker was informed that these groups were approaching, he concluded the meeting. In order to protect the Parliament, the system of governance, at that time, I requested the Heads of the Security Council, specially General Shavendra Silva, and the Army Commander Lieutenant General Liyanage to safeguard the Parliament”.

“If we lost the control of the Parliament, since the system of governance will collapse, the Ministry of Defence cannot function. That is the reason to entrust you to fulfill that responsibility. Accordingly, there was no need to shoot the people who came to

take over the Parliament. I thank and praise all of you for such professionalism though; several of your men were injured. The situation in the country changed the next day because there was security”.

“This is not like the big battles experienced in the North and East, but a step taken by you to protect the democracy. The Constitutional duty of protecting the parliament building and facilitating the convening of its Sessions, has been fulfilled. Your task is now completed. Everyone in the parliament should work together to solve the issues”.

“We are trying to implement new constitutional amendments, and are taking steps to bring new parliamentary reform proposals and form an all-party government. It is now being discussed, and all 225 members of the parliament should fulfill their duty. I request the Prime Minister and Speaker to please remind the Parliament about their responsibility. It is imperative for all to work together for the benefit of the country”.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all, and extend my gratitude on behalf of the country, the Parliament, and the Government. We have taken steps, and been able to address the country’s economic problems. The cost of living has increased

and travel is limited, for which we are seeking solutions. If we want to create stability in the country by next year, it has to be

done through the Parliament. You have worked towards protecting the Parliament and allowed its functioning. Particularly, since all of you belong to the Air Mobile Brigade, because it is considered as a main unit in our country, I wish to say a few words in this regard”.

“In 1992/93, we discussed that this Brigade should be created. At the same time, I went to London in October, and met

General Sir Michael Rose.  He was introduced to me by General Denzil Kobbekaduwa and General Ranatunga and

General Attygalle were also there. He advised that Sri Lanka establishes such a Brigade.  The then Army Commander General  Waidyarathne was entrusted with that task and General Jerry Silva started the Brigade and continued this work successfully.  We are specially pleased to continue with this initiative.”

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, Secretary, Ministry of Defence, General Kamal Gunaratne, Presidential Senior Advisor Sagala Ratnayake, Chief of Defence Staff, General Shavendra Silva and senior security officers were present on this occasion.