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A group of former members from the Digambaram-led Ceylon Labor Front, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya Party, and trade union leaders from Ambagamuwa, Walapane, and Nuwara Eliya local councils unite to support the President
President Ranil Wickremesinghe emphasized that in this year’s presidential election, the people must choose between building a nation with a prosperous and stable economy or returning to an era of shortages and queues. He made these remarks while addressing the "Ranil Can" (Ranil ta Puluwan) victory rally in Badulla this afternoon (16).
The rally, organized to solidify President Wickremesinghe’s victory in the upcoming election, saw a large and enthusiastic turnout. During his speech, the President urged the public not to allow the country to fall back into an era of queues and hardship. He called for a mandate to continue the economic stabilization efforts initiated over the past two years.
It was also noteworthy that along with former councilors from Ambagamuwa, Walapane, and Nuwara Eliya, as well as trade union leaders from the P. Digambaran-led Ceylon Labour Front and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya Party joined the stage in support of the President.
In his address, President Wickremesinghe reiterated his commitment to ensuring the country’s economic recovery.
“We have achieved a significant victory, one that is enduring and transformative. As we approach this crucial election, we face a choice between continuing on the path of prosperity and stability or reverting to an era marked by scarcity and hardship. I urge you not to return to a time of shortages and queues.
Please vote for me to affirm the progress we have made over the past two years in stabilizing our economy. When others hesitated, I took decisive action to lead the government during a time of severe shortages in food, medicine, fuel, and gas. While others, including Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake, remained indifferent to the suffering of our people, I prioritized their needs and worked tirelessly to improve our situation.
Under my leadership, we have stabilized the economy in a remarkably short period of two years, despite having to make challenging decisions, such as increasing taxes. However, we are now focused on alleviating the burden on our citizens and will continue to do so in 2025.
Economic recovery typically takes about five years, but Sri Lanka has already demonstrated exceptional progress in just two years. By the third year of our rebuilding efforts, the positive changes will be evident to all.
We are at a critical juncture, and it is essential that we continue this journey towards stability in the upcoming presidential election. Unlike the two candidates who offer no clear plans or vision for the country, I am committed to advancing our development agenda. They promise tax reductions without IMF authorization, making their assurances unreliable.
On September 21, I ask for your support to ensure the continuation of our successful program and to build a better future for all.”
Sajith Premadasa claims that the Badulla district is being brought to the peak of development, but in reality, there is nothing left for him to address in Badulla. Anura Dissanayake has criticized Nimal Siripala for always holding a ministerial position. I was the one who helped former President Mahinda Rajapaksa win in Badulla.
I have addressed all the needs of Badulla through the various ministries I have served. In contrast, when Anura Kumara was a minister, he contributed nothing to the country or to Kurunegala, behaving as ineffective ministers. Therefore, we are working to ensure that President Ranil Wickremesinghe secures victory not only in Badulla district but across the entire country.
Observing this crowd, it is clear that President Ranil Wickremesinghe is poised to secure a decisive victory in the Badulla district this time. People from all Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities have rallied in support of the President. We are committed to delivering 100% of the votes from the estate workers, as we fulfil our duty to support President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who has been instrumental in rebuilding the country's economy.
Cowardly opposition groups are spreading false rumours that President Ranil Wickremesinghe will withdraw from the presidential race. When the President achieved a majority in Parliament, Chamara Sampath carried him on his shoulders. Similarly, I pledge to carry him to victory in this presidential election.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to win in Badulla, Nuwara Eliya, Ampara, Batticaloa, Vavuniya, and the Northern Province. I challenge Anura and Sajith to prove they can secure more votes in these districts.
Our country needs dollars, and President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in consultation with Minister Harin Fernando, devised strategies to attract tourists and boost dollar earnings. At that time, our foreign reserves were just USD 20 million. Today, they have grown to USD 6 billion. Over the past two years, many people have secured foreign jobs, sending their remittances back home, which has contributed to the increase in our foreign reserves and strengthened our economy.
Previously, when the country struggled to finance a fuel shipment, President Wickremesinghe’s foreign connections helped secure it, ending the era of gas and fuel shortages.
In contrast, Bangladesh is currently facing severe difficulties. During their crisis, they were granted a USD 200 million loan, but their economy collapsed. Following widespread protests, the Bangladeshi leader was expelled, and activists even set fire to their parliament. We faced similar threats here; remember when Lal Kanta and others called for burning down our Parliament? President Wickremesinghe responded by ordering the security forces to prevent anyone from approaching the Parliament.
In Bangladesh, the law of Lal Kanta now prevails, a situation we nearly replicated here. The people have not forgotten those moments. We are not prepared to hand over our country to those who incite violence and destroy property.
Lal Kanta has lived in parliamentary quarters for seventeen years, yet now he and others who promote the eradication of corruption are the same individuals who once caused chaos. We have a strong leader in President Wickremesinghe, and we have joined him because he is on a positive path. I urge everyone to unite in supporting President Ranil Wickremesinghe and secure his victory.
Wherever President Ranil Wickremesinghe goes, his name is recognized as the winning candidate. Minister Nimal Siripala has provided exceptional service to this district, and both Minister Harin Fernando and Governor Vidanagamage, along with the parliamentarians from our group, have greatly contributed to this province.
In contrast, the opposition has only made empty promises without delivering any tangible results. Minister Nimal Siripala has created numerous job opportunities in this district, and no one has contributed to this area as much as Minister Chamara. The leaders who have worked diligently in this district ensure that President Ranil Wickremesinghe will secure the highest number of votes across all districts, including this ours.
Today, people have the freedom to think independently and make informed decisions. They can confidently support President Ranil Wickremesinghe after reflecting on the progress the country has made under his leadership. The estate workers, in particular, remember a time when they struggled to buy basic goods like lentils and rice. However, President Wickremesinghe took charge during those difficult times and created an environment where people now have access to all essential consumer goods.
At that time, the opposition criticized him harshly, branding him as Ranil Rajapakse and predicting that the IMF would never provide loans to him. They claimed that the government would collapse within six months and that he would not hold the presidential election. Today, all those predictions have been proven wrong. President Ranil Wickremesinghe has demonstrated that what was deemed 'impossible' is indeed achievable. The public has seen through the claims of 'Ranil Rajapaksa' or 'Sajith Rajapaksa.' The era of deal-based politics should end here.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has never engaged in deal-based politics. He did not seek the presidency from the Rajapaksas; rather, it was the Rajapaksas who approached him and offered him the presidency. History shows that President Wickremesinghe has consistently stepped up to serve the people in times of crisis.
If, in this presidential election, President Ranil Wickremesinghe is removed and the country falls into another economic crisis, he will not come forward to take charge again. Therefore, I urge everyone to make the right decision during this critical time.
In just five days, President Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to secure more than 06 million votes and win the upcoming Presidential Election. Back during the economic crisis, Sajith Premadasa didn't take on the responsibility of leading the country because he couldn't meet the people's needs. If he had accepted that challenge, he wouldn’t be contesting this election today. What Sajith did at that time was watch the people's suffering while focusing on his own political future.
On the other hand, President Wickremesinghe stepped forward to help the people, even sacrificing his own house, which was set on fire. However, he was more concerned about extinguishing the people's suffering than about his personal loss.
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) group consists of deceitful individuals. Due to Sajith Premadasa’s failure, this Presidential Election has turned into a three-way race. Historically, Presidential Elections have always been contested between two main sides. If people place their trust in the JVP and give them power, all they will face is endless suffering. The JVP has no understanding of how to run a country. If they did, they would still be in control of the Tissamaharama Pradeshiya Sabha.
That’s why I ask you to learn from history and vote wisely.
The large crowd gathered here in Badulla today is to send a decisive message about the future direction of our country. In 2022, we were in a state of chaos as a nation. At that time, the opposition leaders, who are now loudly protesting from the stage, were hiding. Usually, when a country is in disarray and the people are suffering, it is the true national leader who steps forward. When the people were struggling in queues for gas, fuel and milk powder, real leaders didn’t hide. But today, the very leaders who hid during the crisis are now contesting in the Presidential Election.
During the economic crisis, Sajith Premadasa, Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickramaratne, and Kabir Hashim held a three-hour discussion with the Central Bank Governor and the Secretary to the Treasury. Afterward, these so-called economic experts said, "The country is doomed. We can’t save it. Not even a great leader could fix this. We wish the person who tries to rebuild it good luck." They weren’t willing to take on the challenge of rebuilding the nation back then.
Harinie Amarasuriya of the JVP also said, "Even if we take power, there are no quick solutions to this crisis." She admitted that it would take a long time to rebuild the country and that the people would have to make great sacrifices during that period. Harinie also said that people should be prepared to suffer even more. Yet now, she’s asking women to vote for Anura to lead the country. Meanwhile, Nalin Hewage, another JVP member, said, "We can’t take on this mess. Everything is ruined; there's nothing left."
The same leaders who hid during the crisis are now asking for the Presidency. But it was Ranil Wickremesinghe who took on the challenge and ended the era of long queues. He stabilized the economy. Inflation, which was 70% at the time, is now down to 1.7%. This is why we must re-elect him as President on September 21.
Many religious leaders, including the Maha Sangha, former provincial council members, and the political representatives from the area were present at this event.
