Ranil protected Sri Lanka from becoming a Bangladesh – Lanza

Parliamentarian Nimal Lanza said that if President Ranil Wickremesinghe had not prevented Parliament from being set on fire and had not protected democracy, the country would have fallen to a lower level than where Bangladesh is today.

Lanza expressed these views while participating in a programme held in Divulapitiya yesterday.

Lanza, speaking further said; “Hundred and two members of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) have left the Rajapaksas and are supporting President Ranil Wickremesinghe. More than 35 parties and organizations have come to support the President. More than 112 Members of Parliament have come forward to support the President,” he said.

Parliamentarian Lanza said that they obtained a large number of votes for Gotabaya Rajapaksa and made him the President and made Mahinda Rajapaksa the Prime Minister at the 2019 Election. The entire family was given power by the people and Parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa became the Finance Minister, Namal Rajapaksa and Chamal Rajapaksa became Cabinet Ministers, and Shasheendra Rajapaksa as a State Minister.

Lanza added that two-fifths of the Cabinet was made up of Rajapaksas. “When Gotabaya Rajapaksa was brought to power, the entire family came into power. They did not listen to what we had to say,” he said.

A letter with the signature of over 156 MPs was sent to the then President not to stop importing chemical fertiliser. “They did not listen. The experts and businessmen Gotabaya Rajapaksa brought in are going after the JVP today,” he said.

Lanza said that Dr. Padeniya wanted to introduce organic fertilizer to the country instead of chemical fertiliser. Taxes were reduced after Parliamentarian Nalaka Godahewa asked them to do so. After two years, the country did not have foreign reserves to import oil and essential items. The people were suffering as there was no electricity, no fertiliser for cultivation and long queues were seen opposite filling stations and some people died in the queues,” he said.

The Parliamentarian said that the people took to the streets after the collapse of production and having had to face many problems, as they could not bear them.

“The people turned to violence after ‘Mynah Go Gama’ was attacked. After that, the whole country joined the other side and began to launch attacks targeting SLPP members,” Lanza said.

He added that the SLPP Parliamentarians were beaten and their houses were set on fire. “Attacking peaceful protestors is also not correct and setting fire on Parliamentarians’ houses and destroying their properties cannot be approved either,” he said.

“The Rajapaksas, subsequent to governing the country, made us unable to walk on the road. Within two years, President Ranil Wickremesinghe changed that situation and made it possible for us to walk on the road. The Rajapaksas also destroyed the political status that they had built by working with the people for 30 years,” he said.

He added that 75 percent of the expenses allocated through the Budget were for the Ministries held by the Rajapaksa family members.

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