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New Year wishes for 2022: Lankans urged to reflect on the past year’s challenges
View(s):While wishing the people of the country for the New Year, the President, Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and the Speaker in Parliament urged them to overcome challenges with determination this year.
They urged the people to reflect on the challenges faced during the past year and work towards reaching prosperity and splendour this year despite the setbacks faced last year.
Issuing his New Year message for the year 2022, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa told the people to look to the future with optimism and determination. The President also invited everyone to make this new year a transformational year dedicated to realising the “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour.”
Below are some excerpts from his address to the people:
“We need to reflect on the impact the past year has had on the country and our society, and I believe this should be done with a resolution for future prosperity.”
“I am confident that the new year will provide an opportunity to further the steps taken by the Government to pursue and overcome challenges and strengthen the people-centric economy.”
“The economy and livelihoods that have been adversely affected by the prevailing pandemic will be further safeguarded. We will be able to implement the plans for this purpose under the new normal. We must move towards prosperity with self-confidence, dedication and unity. In this regard, the challenges we have overcome and the experiences we have gained will inspire us in the new year.”
“The pandemic has adversely affected the progress of realising the expectations of the people. Nevertheless, national security and co-existence have been further consolidated at the present time. A number of new reforms are being formulated. Steps have been taken to resume dormant government development projects and programmes and vest them to the people.”
“I am pleased to say that the freedom you enjoy today, even in the midst of pandemic restrictions, is the result of immense sacrifices all people of this country have made.”
“The rejection by the great number of patriots of baseless political tussles that have led to harassment of the people is an affirmation of the people’s trust in government.”
“I see our ability to build new foreign relations whilst strongly maintaining historical diplomatic ties as a significant investment.”
Meanwhile Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa also wished the people for the new year and made it an opportunity to urge the people to navigate through difficult experiences to overcome future challenges.
He reflected on the challenges faced during the past year due to the COVID -19 pandemic. He also expressed gratitude to the people of the country for the sacrifices they made to overcome challenges that followed the global situation.
He called the people of the nation to work together to overcome obstacles and make 2022, a year in which everyone overcomes challenges.
The House Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena too wished the general public for the new year urging people to unite as one family and overcome obstacles.
In his message he said: “Despite the constant obstacles, tomorrow will dawn on the experiences of yesterday and today. We have overcome obstacles as a country from the past by coming together as a family. An era has come where the winner has a responsibility to help the weaker person to finish the game. As a person who has valued democracy for decades, I do not feel the value of an isolated victory over any other, but a collective victory of unity as Sri Lankans.”
He also said the restrictions imposed for the benefit of health care do not allow us to enjoy ourselves even during this festive season.
“As adults, we have a great responsibility to follow COVID-19 health guidelines and to guide our children and grandchildren to follow medical advice,” he said.
He said this year, they would only impose responsibility on those who govern and share the responsibility as those who have appointed those who govern.
Meanwhile Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa too extended his well wishes to the people of the country. He wished people the energy, strength and courage to achieve the noble aspirations of re-emerging as a nation.
“We wish all Sri Lankans a Happy New Year as the new year dawns after a year of many defeats, losses and sufferings as a country rather than victories.
“Apart from sending heartfelt congratulations in accordance with our conscience, we believe that it is an insult to the people of Sri Lanka to make empty wishes for a false fairytale world while many are still undergoing distress and suffering.
“We are facing the dawn of a new year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic disaster, with the loss of nearly 15,000 lives of citizens and we are witnessing the fact that the economy has gone bankrupt to the point where people will no longer be able to cook milk rice on the first day of the new year.”
His message pointed out that the situation cannot be tackled by holding the agenda of power in their own hands, but by building the country through a collective effort to bring it out of this dilapidated situation.
As the Opposition they called upon the Government to embark on a humble people’s programme instead of a narrow “powermania” during a national catastrophe.
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