President Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighted that Sajith and Anura, who previously fled in fear of the economic crisis, now have the opportunity to run for the Presidential Election due to the economic stability established in the country under his leadership.
He emphasized that this stability is a result of his governance. Addressing United National Party (UNP)members, President Wickremesinghe expressed that Sajith cannot win this election and argued that a vote for Sajith would effectively be a vote for Anura, urging party members not to betray the UNP’s principles.
President Wickremesinghe made these remarks during the “Puluwan Sri Lanka” victory rally held at the Kekirawa Public Stadium yesterday (1). The rally, aimed at securing his victory in the upcoming Presidential Election, saw a large turnout of supporters. He further stated that if his administration were to face challenges, a new government should be built on a solid foundation, learning from past experiences.
The President called on the public for a mandate to construct this future foundation. He criticised Sajith and Anura’s call for drastic changes, equating it to burning down a house, and concluded that his success in the upcoming Presidential Election would be a triumph for the entire country.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe further commented, “I would like to explain why there are representatives from different parties on this stage today. Two years ago, this country was in chaos. We faced severe shortages of food, fuel, and gas, and long queues were everywhere. As the crisis worsened, former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on May 9, 2022. Traditionally, when a Prime Minister steps down, the Leader of the Opposition should take over. I waited the entire day, but received no word from him.
By nightfall, we heard that the Leader of the Opposition had declined to accept the responsibility. There were also reports that Sarath Fonseka had gone to meet the President, but he too had refused to take on the role. After that, the former President sent me a message asking me to step in. I took on the responsibility alone.
Following my decision, all these individuals came together to support me. It must be acknowledged that we all united to stabilise the country’s economy. Without our collective effort, children would have gone hungry, and parents would have continued standing in long lines for basic necessities like milk.
At that time, there was violence across the country, but I managed to bring the situation under control. If I had not taken action, Sri Lanka might be facing a situation similar to Bangladesh today, where there is lawlessness, with people being killed and even the Chief Justice ousted from office. That is the state of affairs they are dealing with now.
However, I managed to form a government by bringing everyone together. I invited both Anura and Sajith to join the effort, but they refused. Now they say that if they had known the Rajapaksas would leave, they would have stayed.
Under our leadership, we brought inflation down from 70% to 2%. Prices for essential goods have also dropped significantly: red lentils are down by 40%, wheat flour by 29%, chicken by 11%, diesel by 28%, and gas by 31%. The gross domestic product reached $84 billion in 2023, and we need to continue building on this progress.
We provided a stipend of Rs. 10,000 to government employees. According to the Udaya Seneviratne report, wages will increase in the future. We also implemented the ‘Aswasuma’ programme, distributing funds three times greater than those provided by the Samurdhi programme. Despite being a bankrupt country, we accomplished these initiatives.
Fertiliser was provided to farmers, and for the first time in history, hundreds of thousands of people in this area have been granted land rights. The stability we’ve established has made it possible to hold a Presidential Election today. Unlike in Bangladesh, where Parliament has been dissolved and elections cannot be held, our decisive actions have created an environment where Sajith Premadasa and Anura Dissanayake can run for President. They fled before, but now they seek votes. I want to remind them that this stability is due to my leadership.
We have rebuilt this country as a team, and we must increase our foreign exchange reserves by ensuring continued economic stability. To achieve this, we need to shift towards an export-driven economy. I am asking the people for a mandate in this Presidential Election to continue this work.
If a house collapses, you build a new one on a strong foundation. We examine the foundation and identify the necessary steps to rebuild. I am requesting the public’s mandate to construct this new house. Meanwhile, Sajith and Anura want to burn down the existing house.
We have presented a five-year plan to the people to move the country forward. Our goal is to ease the burdens of everyday life by strengthening the rupee, which in turn is achieved by increasing the country’s gross domestic product.
However, Sajith and Anura suggest that taxes should be reduced, which would lead to a decrease in national revenue and cause the economy to collapse again. For example, when Gotabaya Rajapaksa reduced taxes in November 2019, it led to economic instability, forcing the people to endure high-interest rates by 2022.
Implementing such misguided economic policies would jeopardise our support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and 17 other countries. I regret to say that if we change our economic course now, we could revert to the crisis conditions of 2022. It’s crucial that we maintain the economic stability we have worked hard to create. We cannot afford to end up in a situation like Bangladesh.
I also want to address members of the United National Party (UNP) present here. The UNP is currently divided, with some contemplating joining the Samagi Jana Balawegaya. However, I want to make it clear that I represent the UNP that upholds the principles of former leaders like J. R. Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa.
Sajith cannot win this election, and I must emphasize that a vote for Sajith is effectively a vote for Anura. We should not compromise our principles or assist Anura by misleading the public. Let us unite to move the country forward. I firmly believe that the country’s success is tied to my electoral victory.
