Vision The Office of the Head of State and Government to be a centre of professional excellence, giving leadership and direction for translating into action, the President's vision for Sri Lanka. Mission Give leadership and direction to all sections of Sri Lankan Society to build a new Sri Lanka in accordance with Mahinda Chinthana. History of the Building The President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the Head of the State, the Head of the Executive and of the Government, and the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The office of the President “Presidential Secretariat” provides the administrative and institutional framework for the exercise of the duties, responsibilities and powers vested in the President by the Constitution of Sri Lanka. parliment_office1 The present Presidential Secretariat is housed at the Old Parliament building at Galle Face. This magnificent edifice which represents a most important institutional landmark in our country’s political progress was built 82 years ago in “Ionic Style”, one of the five architectural orders Parliament building in appearance, resembles the Parthenon, the chief temple of the Greek Goddess, Athene, on the hill of the Acropolis at Athens. The building was declared open on 29 January 1930 by the Governor, Sir Herbert Stanley as the Legislative Council. On this occasion, Sir Herbert Stanley said: “It is the hope and prayer of us all that the deliberations which will be conducted within these walls may serve to weld the several communities and classes of the population together into an organic unity of national life and national progress, not by the suppression of varying traditions but by their co-ordination on a basis of mutual respect”. (Legislative Council Debates (1930), vol.1) With the advent of constitutional reforms and consequent changes in the name of the Legislature, the building was accepted as the State Council (1931-1947); the House of Representatives (1947-1972); the National State Assembly (1972-1978) and the Parliament of Sri Lanka (1978-1982). After shifting the Parliament to the Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, this historic building was re-named as Presidential Secretariat on 8 September 1983. The project for construction of this building was originated by His Excellency Sir Henry McCallum, Governor of Ceylon, in 1912. The site selected was the reclaimed land at the northern end of Galle Face, between the military barracks and the ‘ Beira” Lake. Special precautions were taken with regard to foundations owing to the nature of the soil and the entire structure is carried on heavy reinforced concrete pills. The Council building is placed in a commanding position on the Galle Face road facing west. The building has been arranged so as to have an open outlook and to have the benefit of cross breezes; the council chamber itself has been located on the east side of the building away from the noise of the Sea and sheltered from the aftern