The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), United National Party (UNP), Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members of Parliament, Provincial Council members and Local Government members of the Moneragala District have decided to support President Ranil Wickremesinghe in the upcoming Presidential Election.
The public representatives of those parties reached this decision during a discussion held at the Moneragala Silanrich Hotel under the patronage of the ruling party’s chief organiser, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga.
04 out of 05 Pohottu MPs representing the Moneragala district were present for the discussion.They are MPs Jagath Pushpakumara, Vijitha Berugoda, Gayashan Navananda and Kumarasiri Ratnayake.
Moneragala District Former Member of Parliament Former Moneragala District Leader of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Former Cabinet Minister Sumedha G. Jayasinghe also joined this occasion in support of Ranil Wickremesinghe’s victory.
The number of local government bodies in the Moneragala district is 10. All those local government bodies are in the Pradeshiya Sabha. 102 members of the Pohottuwa representing the Local Government bodies of Moneragala district participated in this discussion.
297 Members of Parliament, Provincial Council members and Local Government members and activists from the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, United National Party and Sri Lanka Freedom Party of the Moneragala District participated in this meeting. All the representatives of Parliament, Provincial Councils and Local Governments in the Moneragala District who had gathered raised their hands and pledged their support to. Ranil Wickremesinghe in the upcoming Presidential Election.
Speaking at this discussion, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga said that a new political culture is being created around President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The Minister who said that several parties, including many people who love the country, support Ranil Wickremesinghe and mentioned further that this election is not an election to fulfil anyone’s personal or political needs.
The Minister speaking further said: “This political platform has created a new political culture. Sri Lanka Freedom Party, United National Party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and other groups supporting Ranil Wickremesinghe have all come today. We will face this election together. This election is special because this is not an election to fulfil our personal or political needs. All people who love the country have come forward today for the victory of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. We had problems among us. I publicly said not to vote for the Sri Lanka Freedom Party in the last General Election. We are the group that worked against Ranil Wickremesinghe. No one scolded Ranil Wickremesinghe as much as I did. But today we have all come to one opinion to ensure the victory of Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The entire country is aware of the circumstances we faced political wise by 2022. If the post of President had not been handed over to Ranil Wickremesinghe then, today the country would have been in a far worse situation than Bangladesh. You can see what is happening in Bangladesh via the media. The law of the jungle reigns in Bangladesh today.
Democracy in a normal country is secured only if the executive, legislature and judiciary are protected. The executive of our country was destroyed and the legislature has been beaten. Fortunately, the parliament could not be raided. Although some lawyers in Courts clapped their hands and went crazy the judiciary was controlled. After two and a half years, the country returned to normalcy. It was the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna which talked about storming and raiding the country’s parliament, then. The compass (Malimawa) and JVP are not two, but one. Since they were unable come to power democratically, these people wanted a way to do so, by killing people, burning houses, and destroying government property. They engaged in Black July in 71, 83. We know how they behaved in 88/89. They are still doing the same thing. After the appointment of the current President Ranil Wickremesinghe, law and order was established and the political stability was maintained.
“We have all come to this political stability today through the opinion that Ranil Wickremesinghe will be brought back to power once again. My ideal leader is Mahinda Rajapaksa. I told Mahinda Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa and arrived at this stance,” he said.
“Today, many people ask what will happen to us without the Pohottuwa. We have sets up a programme for that. 90% of the Pohottuwa is with us. This journey should be engaged in, while respecting people’s opinions.Will it be given to a practical leader who can work for the country? You can see whether to go for a new experiment. A new experiment can cause great danger. If we go for a new experiment, something will happen, beyond what took place in Bangladesh. That is why the majority of Pohottuwa decided to support Ranil Wickremesinghe. By now we have set up a programme to form an alliance. A separate alternative programme is being implemented for the protection of those in the Pohottuwa as well.
(Daily News)
