President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that, while he took on the responsibility of leading a country that no one else wanted and dedicated himself to protecting the people’s right to live, that seeking court intervention for elections are driven not by a desire to liberate the people from oppression but by a quest to consolidate their own power.
The President also noted that if he had allocated funds for elections at that time, stabilizing the country’s economy would have been compromised. He emphasized that, if protecting the right to life is perceived as a violation of fundamental rights, he is prepared to confront this challenge.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe made these remarks during the ‘Puluwan Sri Lanka’ victory rally held at the Dambulla Bus Stand this afternoon (24).
A large crowd from the Dambulla attended the rally, where they warmly welcomed the President.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe further explained that he took on the responsibility of leading the country in July 2022 to benefit the people. The President highlighted his success in addressing the critical issues at that time and establishing economic stability.
The President emphasized that the country’s destruction is inevitable if it is handed over to those without vision and plans for power. He urged the people to use their votes in this presidential election to protect the hard-earned progress of the past two years.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe further stressed that;
I am presenting myself as an independent candidate, running for the country without any party affiliation. I took on this role for the benefit of the people. My efforts have been focused on ending the crises of the past and restoring stability to the nation. I aimed to stop the violence of that time.
Had we failed to stop that violence, we might have faced a situation similar to what Bangladesh is experiencing today, with the loss of parliamentary control. Lawlessness prevailed then, with one group attacking its opponents while another struggled to maintain control of the country.
But I did not become the president of just one group—I stepped forward for the entire country. The young people who supported the “Aragalaya” demanded change, and I listened to them. Today, I have begun that change in our country. I ask for your support in continuing this progress.
The leader of the opposition is the country’s alternative prime minister, and with that role comes the responsibility to protect the people. However, he failed to do so—he ran away. We faced an incredibly difficult time, and we had to make tough decisions. We had to stop printing money, reduce government spending, and reluctantly increase VAT to generate revenue. Some of these decisions were burdensome to you. They were not choices we made lightly. I want to thank everyone who shouldered that burden with us. However, if we had not taken those steps, we wouldn’t have a country today.
The leader of the opposition is the country’s alternative prime minister, and with that role comes the responsibility to protect the people. However, he failed to do so—he ran away. We faced an incredibly difficult time, and we had to make tough decisions. We had to stop printing money, reduce government spending, and reluctantly increase VAT to generate revenue. Some of these decisions were burdensome to you. They were not choices we made lightly. I want to thank everyone who shouldered that burden with us. However, if we had not taken those steps, we wouldn’t have a country today.
Today, our country’s economy has improved, and at the same time, we have implemented measures to provide relief to the people. We spent Rs.60 billion on “Samurdhi” and today, we are allocating Rs.183 billion for the “Aswesuma” program. While previously 1.6 million people benefited, we have now extended those benefits to 2.4 million individuals.
Additionally, allowances for kidney patients, the elderly, and disabled individuals have been increased. Government employees received an allowance of Rs.10, 000, and we have decided to provide Rs.25, 000 as an allowance of cost-of-living, using 2025 as the base year. We have also set a starting salary of Rs.55, 000, inclusive of the cost-of-living allowance, and granted an interim allowance of Rs.3, 000 to pensioners. These are just a few of the significant actions we’ve taken. We accomplished what even a non-bankrupt government couldn’t, despite the country being declared bankrupt.
Today, tourists are returning to our country, and we are establishing investment zones across the country. We’ve also launched the agriculture modernization program, aiming to produce 8 metric tons of paddy harvest per hectare. In the meantime, we have worked diligently to reduce the cost of living for our people over the past two years.
We must not hand over our country to those lacking vision, as it would lead to its destruction. Instead, let’s safeguard our progress. In a few more years, we will be able to move forward by fully addressing these issues.
No one from the opposition supported the initiatives we implemented for the people. Ranjith Madduma Bandara and Harini Amarasuriya went to court to push for the Local Government elections in 2023. However, because the people needed to live, I had to allocate funds to secure their right to life. Meanwhile, their actions sought to disrupt the country. Holding elections over the next three to four months would have prevented us from providing these vital concessions to the people.
They obtained a court decision claiming I violated fundamental rights. However, if the decision is to protect the fundamental rights of the people, I am prepared to face it.
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