Oba Ekkala Deshaya

Following his overwhelming victory at the Presidential elections in January Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa commenced his second term in office this morning by taking oaths at an auspices time amid the blessings from the religious leaders of all faiths.

Pre...sident Rajapaksa was sworn-in before Sri Lanka's Chief Justice Asoka De Silva at the Presidential Secretariat.

After the swearing-in the President flanked by the commanders of the three armed forces was honored by a military parade and a 21 gun salute. A simple colorful ceremony followed the military honors.

Following the proclamation in all three languages Sinhala, Tamil, and English by President's Secretary Lalith Weerathunge, the President addressed the nation.

During his second term the President promised a nation where any racial, religious, or political discrimination is entirely eliminated.

He assured to create a future generation that is trilingual and also technologically literate. "The growth in computer literacy should reach 75% within Sri Lanka," he said.

The President pledged to uplift the rural Sri Lanka and eliminated the darkness by providing electricity to every corner by 2012.

Special representatives from Bhutan, China, Maldives and Pakistan were among a large number of official foreign representatives who participated in the inauguration ceremony. Maldivian President Mohammed Nasheed and Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigme Thinle were among the foreign representatives who attended the ceremony

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