“Although every citizen should enjoy their rights, there is a huge disparity between the haves and the have nots. The facilities in the cities are not available in villages and educational opportunities are not equal to all. Health services is also the same. Hence, the only solution is to resolve economic issues,” the President said.

He said there cannot be true freedom in the country if the people are affected by terrorists, extremists, thieves, enemies, thugs, extortionists and women and child abusers. “Parents cannot have peace until the drug scourge is eradicated from this country.The public cannot enjoy freedom until corruption within state institutions has been eliminated,” President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said vowing to strictly enforce the law against all such social evils. With this aim, the security forces have been strengthened, he said. Adding that the government was open to criticism, the President noted that his government would uphold media freedom.

President Rajapaksa also said that due to haphazard laws and regulations being implemented without proper evaluation, it has become a huge hindrance to the people and paves the way for corruption and irregularities.

Therefore, he said that all outdated laws, regulations and taxes would be revised soon in order to enable people to engage in their traditional industries and self employment without any hindrance.

War Hero President

Observers of the Freedom Day parade yesterday noted the military service medals pinned on the simple white short-sleeved shirt of the President. Being only the second ex-military officer in high State office after Sir John Kotelawela, on-lookers remarked on the fact that the current President, while being the first ex-military elected executive head of State, was also a genuine war hero having led his unit in combat in the 30-year war against separatis