Part III — Essays and aphorisms

38.¹

Premadasa is at once a heart of sincerity and a life of admiration for his predecessor, President J. R. Jayewardene. Premadasa said of him: "Our President created a new era. He developed the country. His greatest achievement is the creation of a united team that can lead the country on its onward march."

Humility is a rare virtue in most human beings, but President Premadasa is the very embodiment of humility. He says of J. R. Jayewardene, "His crowning success is that he was able to transfer the mantle of leadership to a person from the ranks of the ordinary people and not to his kith and kin. He has acted true to his word."

Ingratitude is the order of the day. But to our extreme joy, Premadasa's life is founded upon gratitude-granite. He says of his predecessor, "How can we express our gratitude to our President? We can do so by building up a united, peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka."