My aspirations for Sri Lanka in a new era are that it will be a country free of poverty, a people bound by a single Sri Lankan identity – but who remain proud of their diverse culture and heritage – and a nation steeped in liberal and democratic values.

If we are to succeed in this endeavour, our education system must focus on human values as much as it does on the sciences, we must learn to celebrate rather than fear our diversity, and let people live the life they wish to and not force them to conform to the ideas of those who lead.

As for prosperity, let’s create sustainable jobs that feed overseas markets as much as they do the local sector.

Let’s bind all this together with a constitutional and legal framework that keeps our political leadership on the straight and narrow whilst treating all citizens equally.