Source: AFP
“People’s Voting Rights and Right to Live Are Respected”
– Says the President at the New People’s Front National Conference
President Ranil Wickremesinghe acknowledged that postponing the Local Government elections is a violation of citizens’ basic rights. However, he stated that he does not regret this decision, as the time was dedicated to ensuring the people’s right to live and maintaining their safety. He emphasized his respect for both the right to vote and the right to live.
The President also noted that every hour was crucial in the effort to stabilize the country’s economy. He explained that had he devoted that time to conducting the Local Government elections, achieving economic stability would not have been possible.The President made these remarks while addressing the National Conference of the New
People’s Front (NPF) at the Youth Service Council Auditorium, Maharagama this yesterday afternoon (22).
President Wickremesinghe highlighted that people cannot maintain their day to day lives without essentials such as gas, medicine, food, and fuel. The President affirmed that over the past two years, he has been dedicated to safeguarding the basic rights of the people and stated that he will continue to make necessary decisions to protect these rights in the future.President Ranil Wickremesinghe further stated that the decision has been made to hold the General Election after the Presidential Election. The necessary funds for this have already been secured. Following the General Election, Provincial Council Elections will be held,followed by Local Government elections.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe also added:
Politically, we have entered a new era, one that was brought about by our team. When the country’s economy collapsed and traditional leaders failed to address the crisis, our group stepped up and took on the responsibility.
At that time, the economy has collapsed, and the value of the rupee had decreased.However, we restructured the economy, stabilized the rupee, and restored economic stability. The economy has been robust over the past two years, and we aim to maintain this strength moving forward. Our focus must remain on advancing economic growth as we continue into the coming year.Breaking the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will result in losing the financial support. Revising the conditions means abandoning the current agreement.
We requested more simple and easy conditions but we were not granted them. Despite this, the existing concessions allow us to advance the economy. Attempting to alter these terms could result in losing the available funds, which would force us back into an era of shortages and queues.We advanced the country’s economy with great difficulty and with significant effort. When I assumed office, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had declined from USD 89 billion to USD 76 billion. We have since increased it to USD 84 billion, achieving this in just two years, whereas it typically takes other countries 5-10 years. This success was possible due to the implementation of a sound economic program. I question what would have happened if we had not focused on this task and instead prioritized holding Local Government and Municipal Council Elections. Holding these elections would take at least two and a half months. If we had lost that time, would we still have achieved a GDP of USD 84 billion today?
We engaged in discussions with the IMF and met with leaders from various countries. If we had used this time for Local Government elections instead, it’s worth asking whether our economy would have been able to recover. Every month, week, day, and hour was crucial in bringing the country to its current state. No other country has achieved such success in just two years. The international community acknowledges our achievements. Without taking these steps, the country risks collapsing.
Instead of pursuing legal action, why didn’t the opposition take their case to the Supreme Court in 2022 to address the economic issues and work towards a return to normalcy? Ihave no regrets about postponing the election. In this country, presidential and general elections are fundamental rights of the people, and I respect that right to vote. Equally important is the right to basic necessities such as gas, medicine, and fuel. I prioritized these essential needs and will continue to do so if required.The Supreme Court has advised that the Election Commission should determine the timing of the elections. We have collectively decided to hold the general election after the presidential election, and the necessary funds for this have been secured.
The Provincial Council elections are planned to follow. We acknowledge the importance of these elections and are currently securing the funds needed. Local Government and Municipal Council elections will be scheduled subsequently, with new laws to be introduced, including measures for youth representation. I am pleased with the progress we’ve made in stabilizing the economy within just two years. Ultimately, it is up to the people to judge whether our decisions are correct.
New People’s Front Leader, Sugeeshwara Bandara;
On May 9, 2022, the country was engulfed in violence, and MP Amarakirthi Athukorala was killed as chaos unfolded following the resignation of then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at 7:11 PM. In an effort to protect parliamentary democracy, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa called the opposition leader to discuss the transition of power.However, I must state that neither the opposition leader nor anyone from their party arrivedfor the discussion until 6:32 PM the next day. At that time, MPs Eran Wickramaratne,Kabir Hashim, and Harsha de Silva finally attended the meeting.
Yesterday, I saw that Nalaka Godahewa claimed that former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa did not agree to their demands. That was not a moment for negotiations or demands; the country was in crisis and needed decisive action. If there had been a genuine commitment to addressing the crisis, the opposition leader should have stepped up when Gotabaya Rajapaksa offered support for Sajith Premadasa. Instead, the responsibility was not accepted, and the opposition lacked a plan or resolve to take charge.
A last-minute letter was sent, which Nalaka Godahewa advised to write. He had learned that Gotabaya Rajapaksa was appointing President Ranil Wickremesinghe as President and suggested Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa to write a letter and mislead the public. Nalaka Godahewa is now serving as the Senior Advisor to the Opposition Leader.I also noted that Mr. Anura Kumara claimed he sent a letter on July 12 expressing his willingness to take over the country. This is entirely false. I challenged Mr. Anura Kumara 48 hours ago, asking him to provide details on how the letter was sent or to show me the letter itself. To date, I have received no response. This is simply another of his fabrications.
Therefore, I firmly state that Anura Kumara Dissanayake, if you did send such a letter,please provide details on how it was sent or present the letter. I am ready to engage in any debate regarding this matter.The event was attended by Maha Sanga led by Advisor to the New People’s Front, Chief Incumbent of Sunethra Devi Purana Rajamaha Viharaya, Pepiliyana Wellampitiya Sumanadhamma Thero, other religious leaders, Minister of Education Susil remajayantha,
State Ministers Lasantha Alagiyawanna, Anupa Pasqual, MPs Duminda Dissanayake,Premnath C. Dolawatte, Udayana Kirindigoda, Pradeep Undugoda, former PC Member
Nishantha Warnasinghe, New People’s Front Deputy Leader Upathissa Kumarathunga,Secretary (Women’s Affairs) Thilini de Silva, National Propaganda Secretary Vimukthi Jayasooriya and large number of party members.
Media Division Ranil 2024 – “Puluwan Sri Lanka”
