Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe flashes a smile on UNP victory
??SLFP will back a national Government
??TNA also to offer support for the National Government??????????????????????????????????????????????????????
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Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with his wife Maithree at the Media event
Ranil Wickremesinghe, the newly minted Prime Minister who romped home to victory at the recent Parliamentary elections wants to create a new Sri Lanka with a level playing field where every citizen will have equal opportunities irrespective of his race or religion.
Mr. Wickremesinghe took oaths as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for the fourth time.
He is a product of the prestigious educational institution Royal College which had seen many of it???s old boys holding positions of a President, Prime Minister and Cabinet Minister. He is also the son of the famous and much respected Press Baron Esmond Wickremesinghe who was styled as a ???king-maker??? during his days as?? the boss of Lake House.
Mr. Wickremesinghe???s statement has brought a soothing effect on the minorities in the country who have been torn asunder during the previous Rajapakse regimes when Sinhala nationalism and religious strife took the front stage. Even during the election campaigns this was evident when speaker after speaker from the UPFA spat out communalism in their speeches on the platforms.
Mr. Wickremesinghe also told a media briefing at Temple Trees that a national policy that addressed main issues that the country faced would be worked out with broad consensus of all parties.
He said that he would start discussions with the President and all other political parties on a national policy.
The SLFP Central Committee has approved the party???s participation of a national Government led by Wickremesinghe. The TNA is also expected to support the new national Government. The UNP led Government is therefore assured of a comfortable majority.??????????????????????????????????????????????????
Issuing a special statement from his official residence ???Temple-Trees???, the United National Party (UNP) Leader and the new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe urged the people not to divide themselves as winners and losers but to work together as one family for the betterment of Sri Lanka and to introduce a new political culture to the country.
Mr. Wickremesinghe said the people had given a mandate for good governance and consensus-based politics. He also commended all those who helped ensure the holding of a free and fair election.??
He stated that the majority of the people of this country have approved the continuance of good governance and consensual politics endorsed by the people through the silent revolution of 8th of January.
???There should not be a division amongst people as winners and losers. We should get together as the sons and daughters of our motherland to the task of building a new political culture in this country. We have to unitedly work towards lifting the nation to a new height by facing challenges of the new era.???, he stated in his statement..
Mr. Wickremesinghe stated that he wanted to build a civilized society, build a consensual government and create a new country with equal opportunities for everybody. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe topped the UNP Colombo district in the election list with a record number of 500,566votes.
The Governments of The United States of America and the United Kingdom have commended the people of Sri Lanka for their commitment to democracy and maintaining the rule of law at the General Election. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Tamil Nadu former Chief Minister Muthuvel Karunanithi have also offered their congratulations and best wishes to Ranil Wickremesinghe on his victory at the elections.
According to Indian sources, India is happy that Sri Lankans have voted democrat Ranil Wickremesinghe in and junked authoritarian Mahinda Rajapaksa out a second time in a matter of seven months and a half in Monday???s parliamentary election. India had always been perturbed with the Rajapakse regime over it???s too close a connection with China.
Meanwhile, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has confirmed that he will assume duties as an Opposition MP while stating that he accepts the results of the parliamentary elections with humility.
A political activist in Colombo told ???Monsoon Journal??? that with the united efforts of all communities and major parties one sees in the horizon Sri Lanka?? becoming?? a second Singapore in the future.
