Leader of the JVP Anura Dissanayake emphasizes that this major political culture should be defeated by defeating Ranil and Rajapaksa together and giving the people an opportunity to elect a new parliament. He was speaking at a media briefing held at the JVP head office today (13th).
He said, “Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his government plunged our country into the most complex economic collapse in its history, creating a situation in which even essential commodities including oil and gas could not be obtained. Wrong economic decisions deprived farmers of fertilizer and shattered the economy. People from place to place stood up and protested against this. As the Rajapaksa family and this government did not listen to them, there were agitations at Galle Face and in other cities and villages. The people of this country unanimously demanded that the plundered public property be taken back and the law be enforced against the swindlers.
The Mahanayake Theros, the Bar Association and various mass organizations made various proposals related to democracy. It was emphasized that the government executive presidency should be abolished, an interim government should be formed and people are given a chance to build their own administration. Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe have implemented a decision that did not take into account the opposition of the people. This is a fraudulent act of Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe who have humiliated the voice of the people. What is the validity of this in terms of democracy? A person who contested the general election and could not win a single seat, a person who got hundreds of thousands of preferential votes from the Colombo district in the previous elections but could not even get elected to Parliament and people sent him home against the disastrous policy of 2015-2019. To what democracy does, Ranil Wickremesinghe, whom so many people rejected, and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who lost all the power he got at the election in two and a half years, agree to form a government together? These two are just two hollow trunks rejected by the people. Gotabhaya trusts Ranil, Ranil trusts Gotabhaya. Apart from that, the general public does not trust these two. How is it different from the coup d’tat of October 2018? Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena’s rival, was appointed as the Prime Minister in defiance of the mandate.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa has taken a similar action today. They are playing with the lives of the people of this country and the aspirations of the people. What is in Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s 6.9 million mandate? To defeat the mastermind of the Central Bank robbery. Gotabaya came to power saying that Ranil Wickremesinghe would be punished for not fulfilling the responsibility of the Prime Minister by allowing the Easter attack to take place. Gotabaya Rajapaksa also received a mandate against the sale of national property, including the sale of the Hambantota port, and against the political culture that Ranil Wickremesinghe continued to follow. Gotabaya Rajapaksa today appointed Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister against that mandate. All Rajapaksas, including Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa, has recently said that the strong economy that existed in 2015 was shattered under Ranil Wickremesinghe until 2019. It was said that the Central Bank bond fraud had caused the towers of our economy to collapse. The whole government including Gotabaya and Mahinda said that Ranil Wickremesinghe should bear the biggest share of the economic collapse.
Today they say they would work together to build the economy. The citizens of this country do not approve of this greedy, voracious political culture. Criticizing Ranil, he took the mandate to defeat him and then formed a government with him. Therefore, it is not only Gotabaya Rajapaksa who should be defeated today. Their ugly, dirty, voracious political culture itself must be completely defeated. They did not take this action thinking of the economy or the people of the country. Ranil Wickremesinghe has always been Rajapaksas’ saviour. Ranil Wickremesinghe has always been a Rajapaksa mercenary. In 2015, the entire mandate was to punish those responsible for crimes, including the murders committed by the Rajapaksa family. Ranil also said that Gotabaya, the founder of the white van culture, would be punished together with other criminals. But Ranil Wickremesinghe betrayed the entire mandate in 2015. Officers were pressured and investigations were suppressed. The former Police Minister had to hide Gamini Senarath in his house. These two families have always protected each other. Today the Rajapaksa family and the Rajapaksa politics are pushed against the wall. However, Ranil Wickremesinghe has even stripped himself to act as a Rajapaksa mercenary.
During the last two or three weeks, the entire politics of the Rajapaksas was annulled. Their frauds and corruption came to the fore. Therefore, although we did not approve of taking the law into our own hands, young people surrounded the airports. Citizens have come to the conclusion that they should not be allowed to flee. Thousands of guards were stationed near airports in Katunayake, Ratmalana and Mattala. Mahinda Rajapaksa had to leave Temple Trees and flee at night. Today he has to stay in a bunker for the crime of stealing public property, destroying the public economy and not listening to the referendum. Ranil Wickremesinghe has come to the fore as the saviour of those Rajapaksas. We need to stop this destructive political culture. People vote for Gotabhaya against Ranil. Eventually, the two come to rule the country through a palace conspiracy. This ugly political culture must be defeated.
Our country needs a strong political movement to force Gotabaya to go home and to take action against the government and the thieves who are using Ranil Wickremesinghe to steal people’s property. The JVP and the NPP are committed to changing this political culture. Gotabaya and Ranil should be wrapped up together and this ugly political culture should be defeated. People should come forward for that. What mandate does Ranil Wickremesinghe have to hold the post of Prime Minister? This Parliament is not a place that represents the real needs of the people. Therefore, this Parliament no longer has the mandate to rule the country. This is evident from the proposals made by the Bar Association, the proposals of the Mahanayake Theras, and the proposals of Ven. Sobhitha Thera and other political movements that a new mandate is needed in a short period of time. This distorted Parliament which does not represent the mandate has no right to make decisions regarding our country and people. Therefore, the people should be given the opportunity to elect a new Parliament as soon as possible.
It is being delayed by Ranil Wickremesinghe. He does not tell an interim-administration story anywhere. He does not come out with a time limit to end this ridiculous regime. He thinks of protecting the fallen crown with the support of the Rajapaksas. This ugly, voracious, deal politics should be detested. I invite all to join hands in strengthening the movement that has been built against fraudsters, the economic policy of Gotabhaya and his government.”
