This is the first time in the history of Sri Lankan politics, that a President’s Policy Statement has received so much positive feedback across all political divide, said Minister Harin Fernando in Parliament on Wednesday.
He said that some claim to be visionary leaders but I see Ranil Wickremesinghe’s speech as that of a true visionary leader.
“The first challenge before Wickremesinghe was to identify the crisis affecting the country and to find a short-term solution to the problem together with a long-term programme. That is where former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa went wrong. He had no idea as to what sort of a crisis the country was facing, no short-term solution and no long-term plan.”
He said that the country’s ‘struggle’ actually started in 2019 and that is where the youth of this country drew murals on walls and hoped for change. However, when they did not get the changes they anticipated, that is when they came onto the streets again to correct the mistakes.
Fernando also said that in all the country’s crisis situations, be it the communal riots, war or even the current economic crisis, the country has always been divided into factions.
He noted that there are two main factions that could be categorised as those who endure all criticism and continue to work and others who relentlessly criticise others but don’t do an iota of work themselves. “That is why the people are fed-up with all politicians because even when the country is facing such a huge crisis, what is the point if these politicians cannot unite to resolve this crisis.”
However, he said that everyone in this country is responsible for this situation as those who voted for those elected as well as those seeking to be elected are all collectively responsible.
Minister Fernando also said that although huge protests were planned for Tuesday (09) it failed miserably because the people have gained some hope that the crisis in the country is finally being resolved. However, he said that in the event President Ranil Wickremesinghe fails to fulfil what is expected of him, then action would have to be taken against him too. He also urged the Opposition to come forward and take the responsibility instead of sidestepping their responsibility and only resorting to criticism. “There is no point in giving major talks when this set are part of a group who simply cannot take on responsibility.”
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