President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced that he will present his manifesto, outlining his plan and vision to build a new Sri Lanka, on Thursday, August 29, including initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for everyone and ensuring a safe environment for the youth of Sri Lanka.
He made this announcement while addressing the ‘Puluwan Sri Lanka’ election rally held near the Mawanella bus station earlier yesterday (27).
A large crowd from the Mawanella area attended the rally, warmly welcoming the President.
Notably, a group of activists, including Prasanna Indika, the organiser of the Mawanella Aluthnuwara Division of the National People’s Power, came forward to express their support for the President.
Additionally, members of the Mawanella branch of the Retired Army Group also showed their backing for President Wickremesinghe’s initiatives and praised his efforts to boost the country’s industries.
In his speech, President Wickremesinghe emphasised the importance of continuing the country’s progress, likening it to crossing a vine bridge and warned that cutting the bridge would result in the country falling into the raging river, highlighting the risks of abandoning the current path.
The President also criticised the manifesto of the National Peoples’ Power (NPP), noting that reducing tax revenues would lead to a decrease of over Rs. 200 billion in State revenue. He argued that, under such circumstances, it would be impossible to lower the prices of goods, as the JVP suggests.
He questioned how the JVP plans to manage the economy with reduced income while increasing expenses, implying that their economic strategy lacks feasibility, and noted that they are misleading the public because they don’t understand how to do the math.
Wickremesinghe further said:
“In the past, I addressed a political gathering in Mawanella specifically for the United National Party. Today, however, I am here to speak on behalf of all parties. My mentor, former President J.R. Jayewardene, taught us that when the country is in crisis, we must put aside party politics and prioritise the nation’s well-being.
In 1971, during the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna uprising, he, as the leader of the Opposition, declared his support for the government to protect our democratic system. Even when the secretary of our party’s youth wing and Jayewardene’s own son were taken into custody, he emphasised that those issues should be addressed later. The immediate priority was to save the country. Our political history is filled with such instances. Therefore, we must unite across party lines in times of national difficulty. Today, representatives from various parties have come together. I urge members of the United National Party to remember the examples set by J.R. Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa: think of the country before party politics. If anyone accuses me of joining hands with other parties, I declare that person is not a true member of the United National Party.
The Leader of the Opposition is supposed to be the alternative Prime Minister. Yet, when the country faced hardship, he refused to take responsibility. By doing so, he demonstrated that he is not a true member of the United National Party.
In the past, we faced long queues for gas and oil, and violence gripped the nation. Everyone suffered. I took over leadership to end that suffering, and I received support from many for this cause. As a result, I was able to start the recovery process.
Today, we are successfully progressing towards economic stability. We are actively working to alleviate the burdens on people’s lives and provide relief. Our goal is to stabilise the economy and transition to an export-driven economy. This is the only way we can win this battle and build a prosperous future for our children.
To achieve this, we must continue on our current path and cross the vine bridge; we cannot afford to abandon it. Some people suggest stopping tax collection, which would decrease the country’s revenue. They propose cutting the rope of the bridge, but if the vine bridge is cut, our country will fall into the river. Therefore, we must decide whether to continue on the vine bridge or sever it.
According to the NPP manifesto, reducing tax revenue would lead to a loss of over Rs. 200 billion for the country. How will these expenses be covered if they cut the vine bridge? They claim that while government revenue decreases, the prices of goods will also be reduced. However, without understanding the basic principle that you cannot reduce revenue while increasing expenses, they risk cutting the vine bridge from both sides, misleading the public in the process.
I have read the NPP manifesto, and I urge everyone to read it as well. It would take at least two to three months to go through it all, yet we need to vote on September 21.
Our goal is to continue without abandoning the journey across the vine bridge. We must establish economic stability and ensure its benefits reach the people. Beyond developing an export-driven economy, we will work towards reducing the prices of goods once economic stability is achieved. After that, taxes can gradually be reduced. Although this approach may seem disadvantageous to me, people need to know the truth.
We have already passed the necessary laws to establish this economy; now, they just need to be implemented. However, others do not have a clear plan. Today, even the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) lacks a coherent policy. On one hand, Harsha de Silva presents one policy, while on the other, Nalaka Godahewa proposes another. There is only internal conflict and disagreement within that party.
This Thursday, I will present our plan and vision for a new Sri Lanka to the Nation. Our programme aims to create a better quality of life for all citizens and develop a strong economy for the youth. Let’s move forward together.”
(dailynews.lk)
