The 70th Independence Day celebrations will be held at Galle Face Green, Colombo today under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and other local and foreign dignitaries. ‘One Nation’ will be the theme at this year’s celebrations.
The Earl of Wessex, Prince Edward and Countess Sophie Rhys-Jones will represent Her Majesty, the Queen Elizabeth II at the celebrations. Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Wang Qinmin as well as a Member of Japanese House of Representatives and Japan-Sri Lanka Friendship Association, Wataru Takeshita will also grace the occasion.
President Maithripala Sirisena is due to address the nation at 9.13 a.m. The dignitaries will arrive at the venue from 8.30 a.m. The President will arrive at 8.45 a.m. and the Prime Minister at 8.40 a.m. The National Anthem will be sung at 8.50 a.m. One hundred and ten students representing ten schools will recite the National Anthem, a Home Affairs Ministry spokesman told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
Over 3,600 Army personnel, 1,249 Navy personnel and 830 Air Force personnel will take part in the Independence Day parade. Eight-hundred Policemen, 505 Civil Defence Force personnel and 100 National Cadet Corps members will also participate.
A cultural pageant with about 550 dancers and musicians will add colour to the parade.
According to the Police, over 3,500 policemen will be deployed for traffic management as well as for overall security.