My dear people and citizens of our beloved Republic:
On the occasion of my formal assumption of office for a second Presidential term, and as I take today my solemn Oaths of Allegiance to our Constitution, my first and bounden duty is to record to you, my brothers and sisters of our Republic, my heartfelt gratitude for your support and the confidence you have placed in me. Such support and confidence will serve as my principle strength and inspiration during my second term of office.
It is also my pleasant duty to extend a sincere welcome to those of our guests who have so kindly assembled here today. The presence of so many distinguished foreign representatives is continuing and tangible evidence of the close and cordial relations which our Republic is so fortunate to enjoy with its friends both near and far.
The solemn and binding Oaths of Allegiance which I have just taken are identical in nature and purpose to those I took five years ago. Today, however, the situation in our country has basically changed from that which existed then, when a national atmosphere of fear and uncertainty prevailed.
Now, as is self evident, we are in a vastly improved situation and one in which all our people enjoy a sense of mutual confidence, peace, freedom and, above all, breathe the blessed air of unity. From this new circumstance has come a national awakening of constructive development and a realisation of what it is possible to achieve for our country by working together for the common good.
This achievement of national will during the past five years is a direct result of the efforts of the people of this country, who are politically stable, law abiding and above all have shown their fast belief in the principles of democratic government.
As I assume for a second term the solemn and heavy duties of President, I am conscious of the fact that I address myself to the nation as a whole. The nation as it exists in Male’, as it exists in the islands, our fishermen on the high seas, our farmers cultivating the green fields, and our women tending future generations at home and working alongside their countrymen in various duties, from collecting shells on our reefs to administrative tasks in our nation’s service. I think today, particularly, of the youth of the country, assuming their various roles in the development of the community and I think, also, of our school children preparing themselves for future service. To you all, wherever you may be and in whatever walk of life, I address myself on this very special occasion.
Beloved Citizens:
Standing on land which is symbolic of the work which has been carried out for our national development, I pledge to you once again that as long as I hold the high trust and office you have given me, I will, with the help of Almighty God, hold dear the duties and principles contained in the Oaths of Allegiance I have solemnly taken before you.
I will uphold the religion of Islam, the Constitution of our Republic and protect the fundamental rights of the people guaranteed by it. I will at all times place myself at the service of our country to the very best of my abilities. And may Allah give me continuing strength and inspiration to uphold this sacred duty.
As I begin a new term of office, I am particularly mindful of the duties inherent in the Oaths which I have just taken. Namely, to uphold Islam, the Constitution and the fundamental rights of the people provided by it. The combination of these three principles and duties is essential for the security, peace, stability and the continuing progress of our country.
The very first duty of the President is to protect and enhance the tenets and doctrines of Islam and not to permit an encroachment on those fundamental aspects of its foundation. Today, I pledge myself anew to this sacred duty and will, without fear or favour, continue to seek to protect our Republic and its people from those social ills and influences which are not only contrary to the values and principles of Islam, but have, so sadly, brought about such spiritual corruption and human distress in other lands.
Then comes the duty of protecting and upholding the Constitution. The upholding of an accepted Constitution is a high duty for it is from the principles of any given Constitution that a peoples’ rights and laws come. An important aspect of such a solemn duty is to ensure that no single individual is above the requirements of the Constitution, be they private citizen, or President. As long as I remain in the high post of President of the Republic, in which you, the people, have placed me, I will with the grace of God, safeguard the Constitution and take all appropriate measures against those who seek to violate it.
It is also my bounden duty to protect and uphold the rights of the people. Here I define the rights of the people in two distinct categories. One is the collective rights of the nation as exercised by the maintenance of national sovereignty, political stability and social and economic progress. It is the duty of the President to protect the country from external domination and in so doing maintain and enhance its national integrity. During the past five years these have been my endeavours and again I pledge myself anew to the task.
The remaining aspect is that of the individual rights of the people. It is also the duty of the President to protect those rights which have been established by the due processes of the law and the Islamic Shariath. As I commence anew my Presidential term I remain, as I have been in the past, committed to safeguarding those laws and processes which guarantee the individual rights of the people.
Dear Compatriots:
The convincing mandate that you have given me in the public referendum is a strong endorsement of the policies which my Government has pursued both in internal and external affairs during the past five years. I therefore pledge that those same policies will be continued in my new tenure of office. Internally, we will continue to pursue the present social and economic development programmes with renewed conviction and vigour.
Externally, my Government will remain committed to the pursuit of international peace and justice and the objectives of non-alignment. We will continue to work for peaceful relations and further progress in regional affairs. Particular satisfaction is taken in the momentum achieved towards the ideal of greater co-operation among South Asian countries.
We will constantly endeavour to strengthen our friendly relations with those states who respect our sovereignty, independence and national integrity and particularly with those fraternal nations of the Islamic World.
My Government will remain actively engaged in seeking a wider recognition of the reality of inter-dependence of nations, and will work energetically for greater justice in international trade and the workings of international finance, which have such a vital role to play in closing the tragic and unjust division between the wealth of the industrialised North and the poverty of the primary producing South. We will continue to support the call for a re-alignment of the policies of international financial institutions in favour of the least developed countries who stand in need of special assistance and consideration.
The Government of the Republic will seek to work closely with the United Nations and friendly States towards the all important matter of arms limitation, thereby attempting to protect the human race from the dangers constituted by an ever increasing military and nuclear arsenal.
It will remain a canon of our foreign policy to give support to those who seek to gain their independence and territorial integrity, and especially to the people of Palestine in their heroic struggle to regain their inalienable rights. We will also continue to give support to the oppressed peoples of Southern Africa. We remain committed also to the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations. As small states such as ours are all the more vulnerable, we feel that for our own security and for the security of the world the need to make the Indian Ocean a Zone of Peace has now become a matter of greater urgency than ever before.
My Fellow Countrymen:
Today, we commence a new chapter in our national life, a new dawn, and a new era. For we have in recent years achieved a new level of political, social and economic development and externally, are now well established and widely recognised in the international arena. It is, therefore, the duty of all of us to protect and advance this internal and external progress. Such a duty is not confined to the Government, or indeed to a certain section of the community. Progress and national prosperity cannot be achieved unless the nation as a whole makes a collective effort, exercises a national will and makes a sustained sacrifice, shared amongst all its people.
Let us unite, work together and achieve for our beloved country a greater prosperity, and protect at all times the culture and philosophy which is our birthright, so that the flag of Islam will continue to fly above all others in our Republic.
Let us unite so that, together, we ensure the maintenance and enhancement of our independence, sovereignty and national integrity.
Let us unite to uphold the Constitution and the principles of democracy which are its foundation.
Let us take a living pride in our Maldivian identity.
May Allah lead us to yet further prosperity and national achievement.