“Despite Sumantiran’s Proposal, Sajith Premadasa Fled from Prime Ministerial Responsibility”

President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that when former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from his position in May 2022, Minister M. A. Sumantiran requested that Sajith Premadasa be appointed as Prime Minister. However, Sajith Premadasa fled from this responsibility at that time.

The President also recalled that even when Gotabaya Rajapaksa stepped down from the presidency, Sajith Premadasa asked President Wickremesinghe not to assume the duties of the Presidency. The President emphasized that if he had not stepped in to take charge and work towards stabilizing the government, the country could have descended into a situation similar to Bangladesh, facing severe instability and crisis.

President Wickremesinghe made these statements while addressing the “Puluwan Sri Lanka” victory rally held at the Dompe bus stand today (01), which saw a massive turnout in support of his victory in the upcoming Presidential Election.

Addressing the Public Rally President Ranil Wickremesinghe further elaborated;

Dompe holds a special place in my heart. I recall how Suranimala Rajapaksa was actively involved in politics with us, and how Sarathchandra Rajakaruna joined the United National Party around 1975, taking the lead in the Dompe constituency while I was working in Biyagama. No one expected that both of us would eventually succeed. After Mr. Sarathchandra Rajakaruna’s passing, I supported Harshana Rajakaruna in becoming a member of the provincial council.

Two years ago, all of you were standing in long queues for fuel, gas, and medicines. I, too, experienced the frustration and exhaustion of waiting in those lines, as did many others, some of whom tragically lost their lives. The situation grew so dire that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was forced to resign. According to tradition, the Leader of the Opposition should have been the next in line to become Prime Minister. In fact, a week before the resignation, we had a discussion where MP M. A. Sumanthiran mentioned that if the Prime Minister stepped down, the opposition would support the Leader of the Opposition in assuming the role.

But how was I supposed to form a government? At that time, I had no one; I was completely alone. Some people were even afraid to speak to me. I reached out to those in the government, and by Tuesday, I believed that Sajith would accept the position of Prime Minister and step in to help. However, by that evening, it became clear that the Leader of the Opposition had fled, fearing to take on the role. The next day, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka was approached to take over as Prime Minister, but he too declined. Anura Kumara didn’t even engage in the conversation.

At that critical time, I received a call asking me to accept the post of Prime Minister. There was no one to support me or cheer me on. I went alone, took the oath, and returned alone. It was only after that moment that others began to join the government. On July 9th, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned. Although I was prepared to manage the duties of the presidency, Sajith insisted that I should not accept the role of acting president. I asked him if he would take it, and he refused. Then I asked Anura if he would step in, and he also declined. The Speaker was suggested as an alternative, but he too said he couldn’t take on the responsibility.

While they were all arguing, a group was attempting to storm the Parliament. At that moment, all the leaders inside fled. I told the army commander to stop the situation immediately. If I hadn’t acted to prevent the siege of Parliament, Sri Lanka would have faced a situation similar to Bangladesh. We wouldn’t have had a functioning Parliament today. We managed to stabilize the country by taking charge of the government in that way.

We are committed to continuing this work. It’s essential to solidify the economic stability we’ve achieved. Our goal is to ease the burden on people’s lives. Over the past two years, as the rupee strengthened, we saw a decline in commodity prices. My focus is on further strengthening the rupee and increasing our gross domestic product. These efforts are crucial to reducing the tax burden and making life more manageable for everyone.

Anura and Sajith claim they will reduce taxes. But when taxes are reduced, government revenue declines. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa did the same, and as a result, people ended up in long queues. Do we really want to see the rupee fall to 370 or 400 against the dollar again? I say to them: stop making false promises.

What we need now is to strengthen the rupee and create jobs. Over the last four years, no new jobs have been provided, but the government is committed to creating 100,000 jobs in the coming year. We are focusing on the private sector and self-employment, sending personnel to private companies while providing training wages. These initiatives are designed to incentivize companies to retain these employees.

Additionally, we are directing personnel towards jobs in smart agriculture. My goal is to strengthen this country’s economy by transforming it into an export-driven economy. We need to develop tourism, attract new investments, and boost export trade. There is a dedicated plan in place for this. Currently, we have the Biyagama A and B investment zones, and in the next phase, we will introduce Keragala as Zone C, covering approximately 120 acres. There are also 60-70 acres in the Ganekanda waththa, which will be allocated to companies for starting agricultural industries, creating numerous job opportunities. This will lead to the establishment of both a production zone and a product modernization zone.

We have a comprehensive plan to develop the Gampaha district, and in the coming days, I urge all of you to spread this message from house to house.

To the UNP members, I want to say that now we have a divide with SJB. But remember, a vote for Sajith is essentially a vote for Anura. Encourage the UNP supporters to vote for me. Cast your vote for the “Gas Cylinder”, because if we don’t, this country could explode just like a gas cylinder.

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