Exemplary leadership

President Mahinda Rajapaksa completes two years in office today - two years which have seen remarkable achievements as well as formidable challenges.

Well before ascending to the Presidency, President Rajapaksa infused a breath of fresh air to the local political scene by placing before the people a programme of action that would form the basis of his rule for years to come. In other words, the Mahinda Chinthana - his programme of action - would be no mere manifesto consigned to the dustbin of history as soon as the election is won, but rather a long-term vision aimed at bringing peace and prosperity to the country.

It also stresses the importance of cherishing our moral values, as evidenced from programmes such as the highly successful Mathata Thitha (Full stop to drugs and liquor). The emphasis on a negotiated political settlement, to which the President constantly reiterates his commitment, is another hallmark of Mahinda Chinthana.

Two years down the road, Mahinda Chinthana is still the decisive factor which is taken into account when planning and implementing every major project of the Government, a feature unparalleled in post-independence history.

It is now renowned as a plan that charters a course for Lanka to steer into 2016 as a front-ranking nation in Asia. Donor countries and agencies which met in Galle for the Sri Lanka Development Forum were highly impressed with this visionary statement.

One of the most formidable challenges faced by the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration is LTTE terrorism. The LTTE, which in any case did not respect the Ceasefire Agreement signed in February 2002, intensified its campaign of terror soon after the President was sworn in. Yet the President, who his critics described as a 'hawk' aiming to unilaterally start the war as soon as he is sworn in, did not order his troops to retaliate even though he had the power to do so as the Commander-in-Chief. It was only after the LTTE sent a suicide bomber to assassinate his Army Commander in April 2006 that the President ordered limited strikes against LTTE targets.

The President ordered a humanitarian mission to free the people in the East from the grip of LTTE terrorism after the group closed the Mavilaru anicut, depriving irrigation water to thousands of farmers. This set off a chain of humanitarian missions that culminated in the total liberation of the East, with the regaining of Thoppigala, just over five months ago. Perceiving that the liberation of the area alone would not suffice, the President announced a full-scale development programme for the East titled Eastern Resurgence, which will catapult the region to the level of some of the more developed provinces in the country, if not the Western Province itself.

Development is one of the cornerstones of Mahinda Chinthana. The recently-opened Manampitiya Bridge is a fine example for a development project that will not only physically link two provinces, but also spur ethnic harmony through increased people-to-people contact. Another noteworthy achievement of the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration has been its fearless decision-making process vis-à-vis development.

Several previous governments had dilly dallied on projects such as Norochcholai owing to pressure from various groups. This set the country back by several years, if not decades, as the demand for power and other infrastructure from an increased population was not being met. Thankfully, these projects are underway now.

Work on all major expressways is on. Factories are being started in the outstations, as against Colombo and Gampaha.

The Gama Neguma (Village Development) and Maga Neguma (Road Development), along with the Jathika Saviya (Nation's Strength) are stimulating progress in the hinterland.

That brings us to the whole issue of rural development, one of the major planks of the Mahinda Chinthana. The desire and the drive to develop the rural economy is one of the most striking features of Mahinda Chinthana.

Budget 2008, recently presented in Parliament by President Rajapaksa, focuses mainly on developing the local economy through local initiatives. The recently-launched Api Wawamu-Rata Nagamu (Let us grow more food to build the Nation) is an example. It is based on the premise that we can grow most of the foods now imported to the country, thus saving a considerable quantum of foreign exchange. The Government has also stopped the earlier practice of selling national assets to tide over financial constraints. Instead, the focus is on revamping such institutions to make them more efficient and profitable.

Among the other major challenges facing the administration is the rising cost of living. The rising prices of crude oil, milk powder and wheat flour in the world market has had an adverse effect on Sri Lanka. To the Government's credit, it has slashed taxes on many items to grant relief to the people and continued to maintain many subsidies. Again, the answer lies in developing our local manufacturing base and reducing our dependency on imports. The projected discovery and exploration of crude oil in the Mannar basis will be an impetus in this direction.

Thus it is imperative that all political parties and individual MPs who cherish these values and aims extend their support to Budget 2008, a crucial vote on which is being taken today. The Budget has set the agenda for the next year and beyond for a truly indigenous solution to the issues facing the Nation and it should gain the support of all.