The evil hand of terrorism, which threatens the very fabric of civilized society, has taken away yet another champion of peace,

The ceasefire agreement will be amended so as to ensure that acts of terrorism would not be permitted in any way. The ceasefire monitoring mechanism would also be reviewed and new steps taken,

All those who bring honor to our country at world class sports events such as the Olympic Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games will be richly rewarded.

I will have direct talks with the LTTE and take steps to correct the shortcomings in the ceasefire agreement,

The resettlement process, we may admit, has taken much longer than expected,

I will protect the unitary character of the country,