Former President and Leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MP Maithripala Sirisena speaking to the District SLFP Conference in Matara yesterday (09) stated that the country has faced a crisis unlike ever before in history under the current regime.
“The entire country is vulnerable, a mess. Even those who have no knowledge on the slightest go on saying that there are queues and no food like back in the Lady’s Rule. I was a supply officer at SATHOSA supplying items during the Lady’s time. There was no such crisis during that time. Nobody back then uttered cuss words at the government in their queues.
Do not think that a leader can rule a country single-handed. He should be having a good team. I ruled a government alone for five years. There was not even a MP to talk on behalf of me in Parliament, not in the government, nor in the Opposition. Without the Prime Minister, the Board of Ministers, a power in Parliament, I did not throw the country into a crisis. In our time the price of goods was lower than it was before 2015.”
When the price of fuel was soared by two Rupees with great difficulty, the leaders of the Pohottu Party rode bicycles from Fort to Parliament. In the meantime, you may remember how they mocked on public stage by showing coconuts and onions – ‘Den Sepada, Sandeepada..‘ they asked. Now the entire country is sick.
You may not know the value given by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna to the Sri Lanka Freedom Party before the Presidential Election. My God! How many did the Pohottu Leader meet me? The trio – One, Two and Three – met me separately at the Presidential Secretariat. Those who begged and said that they cannot win without the SLFP violated the Alliance Compact on the first week after the Presidential Election itself. None of the clauses of the Alliance Compact – to this day – was ever fulfilled by the Pohottu Leaders. The same as the Tale of Karapincha.
A presidential election will not be coming soon. The next national election will definitely be the parliamentary election. Some of you are talking about a referendum, like how J.R. Jayawardena did. Do not be prepared to prolong the government by holding a referendum, it will never be done. “
MIAP