President Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday (26) reiterated that all citizens must be equal before the law, pledging that his government is firmly committed to creating a culture of accountability and justice.
Speaking at the National Bhikkhu Day commemoration ceremony held at Temple Trees under the theme “Kalo Ayan Te – This is Your Time,” and attended by over 5,000 monks from across the country, the President declared that those guilty of crime, corruption, abuse of power, or misuse of public funds will face justice regardless of rank or influence.
“This is not an act of revenge or political witch-hunting, but a necessary step to restore public trust,” he said. “Wealth, power or lineage should not matter — all are equal before the law.”
The President acknowledged that for decades, the rule of law had been undermined in Sri Lanka, with one standard for the powerful and another for the poor. He pointed to the misuse of authority as a tool for dynastic politics and the unchecked accumulation of wealth, stressing that his government is determined to reverse this legacy.
“No matter the criticism, we will not turn back. If my government and I fail to fulfill this duty, then no government will ever succeed,” he declared.
Highlighting reforms already underway, President Dissanayake said that many privileges once associated with political power have been relinquished. He emphasized that true leadership requires acting with conscience and transparency before the people.
“Decisive measures are being taken to end the destructive practice of using political authority to amass unlimited wealth and squander public resources,” he noted. “A leader who has squandered billions of the people’s wealth cannot then ask those same people to unite in rebuilding the nation. From this point forward, political power will never again be allowed to serve as an opportunity to plunder the resources of the people.”
