President Ranil Wickremesinghe says he will not flee from his responsibilities under any circumstances.
He said so at a meeting with Focus Group members at his Paget Road official residence yesterday (18).
They met him to discuss a theme song to be released to the media following his victory at the upcoming presidential polls.
This same group produced the theme song “Mawbima Dinanawa” that was introduced at Wickremesinghe’s inaugural election rally in Anuradhapura.
Present on the occasion were group members Maheel Bandara Dehideniya, Randula Abeyweera, Nethmi Kanishka, Nipuni Abeydheera, Nirashan Vithanage, Udara Chaturanga, Dr. Priyankara Mahamulgama, Dr. Chaminda Malalasekara and Pasindu Wasala.
The president answered as follows to an issue raised by Dehideniya:
"A human life is full of trials and tribulations. There is joy and sorrow, praise and blame, fame and oblivion, profit and loss. The challenge is to remain unperturbed. The challenge is to stand your ground when everything falls apart. The challenge is to resist the temptation to add fuel to the fire and instead douse it.
The challenge is to resist the urge to hold grudges against those who have insulted you or even set fire to your house, as well as those who cheered from the sidelines. The challenge is to make the hard but correct decisions when at the crossroads of life, even when it is much easier to choose trouble-free options. The challenge is not to abandon a ship in troubled waters but to take the wheel and steer it to safety. The challenge is to be true to one's principles regardless of the consequences, which may even include serious political costs.
For a politician, the most formidable challenge is never to give up on the people, even when they have given up on you. I have been in active politics for almost half a century, and my record speaks for itself.
At this critical juncture, the people must decide whether I should complete the tasks I set for myself when no one else was willing to step forward and pull the country back from the edge of a political and economic abyss.
Sri Lanka was a ship in distress—without a pilot, without a map, floundering in a tempest. We have weathered a storm, but there is still a long way to go. A ship without a captain who has the experience, knowledge, and determination to steer it through rough seas will surely be wrecked on the treacherous rocks of reality. We are facing that danger. Generations will pay dearly if the people do not choose wisely.
One thing is certain: at the end of the day, I will not flee. I will not be swayed by praise or blame. I will, as I always have, remain standing."
