Published on - 11/23/2005
A glittering and colourful tri-service Guard of Honour greeted Sri Lanka's newly elected fifth executive President Mahinda Rajapakse on Saturday (19) minutes after he was sworn in before the Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo
His Excellency, the President Mahinda Rajapakse remains the Commander-in –Chief of all three Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force).
Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Daya Sandagiri, Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Shantha Kottegoda, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal Donald Perera and Inspector General of Police Chandra Fernando stood at attention as Mr Mahinda Rajapakse took his oaths as the President of Sri Lanka.
Culmination of the dignified and charming occasion, graced by the first lady, Mrs Shiranthi Rajapakse, three sons and a distinguished gathering of clergy, parliamentarians and other well wishers saw the new President being accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff to the red-carpeted dais at the staircase to the Presidential Secretariat's main entrance.
President Mahinda Rajapakse before the salute of the Armed Forces was accorded inspected the Guard of Honour in the company of the Chief of Defence Staff and all three Service Chiefs in conformity with military traditions. A twenty-one gun salute in his honour was then accorded by the Army before the President Rajapakse moved to symbolically release a couple of pigeons to mark the advent of the new era of peace and prosperity.
