The Manifesto of President Rajapaksa who is seeking election for a second term as the candidate of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) was announced at the BMICH, Colombo, today.

Titled “A Brighter Future” the Forward Vision of the Mahinda Chinthana, the “Thinking of Mahinda” the original manifesto issued by him for the first presidential election in November 2005, highlights a 14-point programme, aimed at taking Sri Lanka to a prominent position in Asia and the world, with focus of new areas of development, after the successful defeat of terrorism, and the new dawn of peace in the country, and the opportunities for investment and economic progress.

Speaking at the launch of the manifesto, President Rajapaksa admitted that having to spend most of the four years of his first in term in fighting terrorism, and also the many international forces that sought to obstruct the efforts to defeat the most ruthless organization in the world, he had barely six months left to address other important issues.

However, he assured that his next term would be wholly devoted to addressing these issues that would take the country to development and progress, giving priority to the battle against corruption, having the same determination with which he had fought the underworld and terrorism.

These are the highlights of the next manifesto:

• Sri Lanka: the emerging “Wonder of Asia”
• A prosperous country; a land of plenty
• Comforts, convenience and satisfactory life styles
• Developed road network and transport system
• Disciplined and law abiding society
• A unitary state, not to be divided
• Shared values, rapid development and lasting peace
• Respect for fauna and flora
• Priority for Youth
• Focus on modern education and knowledge systems
• A Healthy society
• Entrepreneurs with strength to conquer the world
• Reawakening the performing arts
• “Brain gain” replacing “brain drain”

We defeated terrorism and separatism, which outcome at one time was thought to be impossible. We are now ready to lead our children and our nation to a brighter future as stakeholders of a truly free motherland, the manifesto said.

Following is the full text of the speech :

What I see before me is the people who are free and fearless and with great pride and dignity. The people who live in the 65660 sq outside this hall live in freedom and dignity.

Therefore, we saw to it is that declaration of policy has all that is required to safeguard the freedom we have won and to make meaningful the sacrifice of life made to achieve this end. Therefore, it is with great pride that I state that this policy declaration does not have a single word or letter that will betray the freedom and sovereignty of our people and country.

I remember that in November 2005 this country was a blaze on every side. On one side there was a most ruthless terrorist group in the world together with those who signed the fraudulent agreement that sowed terrorism known as the Ceasefire Agreement. On another was a Parliament where we could not even elect a Speaker. There was also a side where our troops were weakened and their morale destroyed and pushed to a side and unable o fight a war. We also had villages where there were so much hardships with the farmers committing suicide because we could not sell their paddy. It was a time when the morale the entire country was damaged and society have begun to hate the country.

In this situation where every side ablaze I came to the stage in 2005 with the world’s biggest relief package. In fact it is better to describe as a tight rope than a stage. I had to place my feet on the trust of the people and holding my hands my own self confidence and experience. what I accepted was a responsibility that the whole world had abandoned as impossible to carry out.

However, today we have overcome all those challenges. While bringing an honorable peace to the motherland we have also bought an honorable life to the people. Today the farmer obtains fertilizer at the lowest price at the world and sell at very good price. One in everyone person of our population is a public servant.

If you draw a map of Sri Lanka today it will be a new and different one. At that time there was only one major harbor. Today there are five harbors around the country. Villages that were marked as border villages in the world maps do not exist in today’s map of Sri Lanka. The village roads are laid with concrete. There are also expressways and massive power stations are under construction. Today we are taking steps to prevent even a single drop of water from Walawe, Moragakanda, Yan Oya, Kumbukkan Oya and Deduru Oya from flowing to the sea without first filling reservoirs for the use of the people. We have protected reservoirs for the farmers. Harbors for the fishermen and factories for the workers.

For another century this country will not need new harbors, airports and expressways. Therefore, the decade that lies ahead we’ll see development in our country that would serve for many centuries.

As you see we have brought about tremendous change for the country. What has to be done further is not any betrayers to suit the revengeful aims of anyone.

Friends,

At a time when the LTTE Tigers were the most ruthless terrorist in the world I did not giving to their conditions. We did not giving to the conditions laid down by the powerful countries in the world. The Tigers organization is now finished. However those with hatred to the country are trying to hurt that wound again. Through the agreement reaches together by them we can see the path been cut for another struggle for freedom.

Those who helped the Tigers when we were fighting them, and the foreign leaders of the Tigers are now in one camp. We are now uniting irrespective of race, religion, political party or colour to unite to defeat these forces. Over and over again I am ready to defeat these forces. Therefore, please remember that every vote cast for beetle leaf is to safeguard the freedom of the Motherland.

I am aware that our economic policies are equally valued by the people in the South, North, East and the else where too. My economic policy is building the Sri Lankan nation and not at lining the pockets of foreign businessmen and racketeers with dollars.

Friends,

We need a society without any discrimination. The motherland belongs to every citizen born in this country. Nobody has a right to say or even think that some of our people could live in other countries. Furthermore, we will hold elections for the northern provincial council shortly and complete reestablishment of democracy. We are in the process of discussions with all the groups that work within the democratic framework in order to establish a national consensus.

Friends,

You must be feeling that there has been a great cohesion between the communities today. We cannot waste this opportunity of goodwill among the communities.

I am aware that the people in the north also hail our economic policies just like the people in the south. My economic policies are to build the Sri Lankan nation, and not to fill the pockets of foreign entrepreneurs and business dealers with dollars.

Friends,

You are aware that Sri Lanka is situated in an important strategic place on the world map. My desire is to give a similar importance to those who live in Sri Lanka too. I draw the attention of my nation towards big things, and not small things. We have to be prepared to make Sri Lanka the centre of five main spheres - naval, air, commerce, energy and knowledge. Sri Lanka must be made the ‘Wonder of Asia.’ Then this will become a country where people want to happily migrate and not a place from which the people leave. I am confident that our youth are capable of achieving this goal.

Do not forget that it was our youths, born in our villages that defeated the most ruthless terrorist of the world. Similarly we will make Sri Lanka the economic miracle of Asia through the strength of the youths.

We will create a nation where the employment will seek the youth instead of youth seeking employment.

We will create a society where the patriotic people who commit themselves for the country will get a valued place. We will build a nation where the courageous will easily raise their heads. At the same time we will build a society that looks after the disabled, pensioners and the poor. We must raise a knowledgeable students and teachers who will win over the earth and the sky through cyberspace. We have to create resurgence in literature, art and performance art. The weeping society is over now.

We will end the society of need that was fooled by the offer of rice, cloth or housing. By the end of next six years we will close the era of promises of food, cloth and housing. That is why we are building six lakhs houses with electricity and water and road access. I do what I say. I say what I do. This practical way of dealing, I learned from the philosophy of Buddhism.

Friends,

As you are aware I have spent entire period, barring eight months of my four year rule to face the challenge of the world’s most ruthless terrorism. Every morning I got up keeping in my mind thousands of problems faced in my endeavour to unite my Motherland. Because of this preoccupation, I was denied the opportunity in fighting in some fronts. From the 27th of this month, I will devote my entire time towards one cause. We must remember that building an efficient nation that is free of corruption is a gigantic task. Corruption cannot be eliminated just because one corrupted person joins a group of corrupted and shout. Corruption cannot be ended by the pickpocket’s coat. That will be done as speedily as terrorism was eliminated and the underworld was crushed. We are now thinking of something that was never thought in the h political history of Sri Lanka. That is to make Sri Lanka the Wonder of Asia by making this country the centre for five main fields of activity. The fight against corruption is not aimed at revenge or to degrade others.

Friends, Now,

Let us enlighten the Motherland by compassion and not hate,
By consensus, and not suppression,
By acceptance, and not by revenge,
By construction, and not by destruction,
By truth, and not by lies,
And by knowledge, and not by ignorance.

Wish you a bright future.