BISHOP VIANNEY FERNANDO of Kandy hopes the election of Maithripala Sirisena as the new President of Sri Lanka opens up a new era of prosperity and peace in the country.
“There are high hopes and good wishes for Sri Lanka to begin a new era of prosperity and peace,” he said.
The outgoing president Mahinda Rajapaksa had become increasingly unpopular with Sri Lanka’s ethnic and religious minorities due to his dictatorial regime. In his bid for a third term in office, Rajapaksa was defeated by his rival and former Health Minister Sirisena.
Bishop Fernando he had met president-elect before the vote as apt of a delegation of bishops. He had shown his program of good governance, with the fight against corruption and commitment to development and reconciliation, the bishop said.
“He said he will work for a better division of powers, reducing even those regarding the President himself, appointing independent commissions for justice, for public services, for financial controls. Surely he will have a lot to do to form a government, having to give account to a heterogeneous coalition, but has the necessary political experience to do it,” he said.
“One of the most important issues on the agenda is the political solution to the problem of the ethnic composition of society and of the post-conflict era,” the bishop said.
Outgoing President should be credited for ending the bloody civil conflict demanding a separate Tamil state within the island nation. “Now we need a political solution. Peace based on justice is needed,” he said.
Referring to the visit of Pope Francis, Bishop Fernando said the “whole country is waiting with trepidation, not only Catholics”.
“The presence of Pope Francis will also have a positive impact on non-Christians. Buddhists await him as a messenger of peace. His presence at the Shrine of Madhu will have great significance of solidarity with the victims of the war, and it will be like a strong message of national reconciliation,” the bishop said. Agenzia Fides
