“President has brought about major transformation of country in eight months”

Former Kalutara District Parliamentarian Lakshman Wijemanne said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has brought about a major transformation of the country during a period of eight months. Therefore, we can be confident about a secure future for the people.

He was speaking at a press conference held at the Sirikotha party headquarters yesterday (10).

Wijemanne said at the time of the first-year anniversary of the struggle, the pressure on the people in the last period has completely disappeared. During the Sinhala New Year, people prepared for the New Year with excitement. We were able to celebrate the Vesak festival on a grand scale. People in every village and city celebrated Vesak with great joy by holding Dansalas and performing religious rituals. It shows that the people’s lives have returned to normal.

A professor representing the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) had said that people would not even have food by April. Even dansals were organized very well during the Vesak festival. It shows that the miracles that Ranil Wickremesinghe brought by going on a journey on his own have borne fruitful results”.

“Ranil Wickremesinghe, asked the former President to go to the International Monetary Fund when he was a Member of Parliament. The leaders at that time did not take any notice at all. At that moment, Ranil Wickremesinghe showed the Government the journey they should embark on without hypocrisy. Due to the green light we received from the International Monetary Fund, the opportunity to deal with other international organizations and financial institutions has been opened up,” Wijemanne said.

“Along with the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank, Paris Club, Japan, and the World Bank are responding well to Sri Lanka again. When the Asian Development Bank Conference was held in Korea, Japan made a special statement and said that they would come forward to support Sri Lanka. We see Japan’s intervention as a form of gratitude for the help J.R.Jayewardene provided to Japan. Japan is also extending the same support to President Ranil Wickremesinghe. In 2001, Japan held a Sri Lanka aid conference with the participation of a large number of countries. They hope to hold such a support conference this year as well. In 2001, when we were supposed to receive billions of rupees, that opportunity was lost with the dissolution of the Government,” the former MP said.