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President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated that all political parties, except his own, are responsible for the current state of the country. He alleged the JVP of deceiving the public by pretending to distance themselves from past armed rebellions, asserting that this is a misleading tactic.
The President criticized the JVP for repeating the mistake of making unrealistic promises and questioned whether it is wise to entrust the country's future to a group unwilling to acknowledge their past errors.
These remarks were made by President Wickremesinghe during the "Puluwan Peraliya” program held today (12) at Stables @ Park Street. The event saw a large turnout from the Colombo area and was organized to rally support for the President in the upcoming presidential election.
During the meeting, President Wickremesinghe addressed questions from the youth, providing positive responses.
In answer to a question from a young lady, he warned that if the country were to face further struggles, it would be nearly impossible to recover from the economic crisis. He emphasized that the 2024 presidential election represents the last chance to rebuild the nation.
At the very beginning, I considered quoting a line from a popular song: "Where do I begin? Where should I start?" This election is about your future, not mine. Our system has broken down; it’s cracked. Our political system had already fractured to the point where no one was willing to take over the government and ensure the economy kept unctioning. We were at risk of losing law and order. If things had deteriorated just a little more, we could have ended up like Bangladesh. That’s how close we were.
What does that mean? It means that the leaders at the time were unwilling to take responsibility for your future. When faced with tough decisions, they ran away. We all knew the government of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa couldn't continue, and someone needed to take over. But no one was there. They abandoned you, and now they want your vote to become president again. That’s the reality of the situation.
Taking responsibility means making hard decisions. For me, it was very difficult to raise VAT, but the alternatives were even worse. And the decision paid off because it helped stabilize the rupee and brought some relief. But there’s still much more to be done. Many people are badly affected. What we’ve done so far is stabilize the situation, but we haven’t entrenched it. What’s stable today could easily change tomorrow if we don’t stick to the agreements necessary for recovery. It will take 5 to 10 years to build a strong economy.
Who will be most affected by the next 10 years? It’s you, those who are just starting out in life. That’s why we need to build a strong, modern, and competitive economy. That’s what I want to give you, and that’s the vision I have for the country.
What are the alternatives? What is the SJB offering you? Do they even know? They have two different manifestos. Sajith Premadasa keeps changing his promises every day. The only thing he hasn’t offered yet is a "free headache," and that may come soon. What about the NPP’s manifesto? They don’t have clear answers. Are they for an export-oriented economy or an import substitution economy? They can’t answer that question. I’ve asked them to clarify so we can have a meaningful debate, but they avoid it.
How can you support change when they don’t even know what kind of economy they want to build? They’re dodging responsibility, claiming that all political parties except theirs are responsible for the state of the country. They pretend they had nothing to do with the uprising in 1987. Perhaps they should sue for damages for the misuse of their name! But when we make mistakes, we must admit them. As politicians, we’ve made mistakes—promising the people everything when we didn’t have the resources to deliver. We didn’t always tell the truth, but at least we are admitting our errors now.
If you can’t admit your past mistakes, how can you be trusted with the future? Their budget has a Rs. 4,000 billion deficit, while the IMF will only allow a deficit of Rs. 1,000 billion. If they violate IMF conditions, the dollar could reach Rs. 400, and if the IMF pulls its support, it could go as high as Rs. 500. Aren’t they misleading you? Aren’t they spreading hatred to push for change? But what change are they offering? If they don’t know what kind of change they want, how can you vote for it?
How many of you have read their manifesto? It’s 232 pages long. I read most of it, but fell asleep five times in the process! What’s in it? Nothing but general statements. Ask them what they’re planning for the 2025 budget. They claim they’ll recover stolen money, citing the Anti-Corruption Act. But that act doesn’t allow for the recovery of money. They don’t even know we’ve introduced a second piece of legislation, the Proceeds of Crime Bill. And even if they manage to catch someone next year, it would take five years before a case is resolved. So, for 2025, their plans are pure nonsense.
If you’re satisfied with their ideas, by all means, vote for them. They talk about “Venasa”—change—but what change do they really want? They don’t even know. Their approach is simple: swap my face for the former Agriculture Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s face. But beyond that, what are they offering?
I, on the other hand, am working to transform our import substitution economy into an export-driven, digital, green, and knowledge-based economy. This includes agricultural modernization, poverty reduction in rural areas, tourism expansion, and creating more jobs through investment zones. Imagine the transformation this will bring to our economy and your future. I’m also committed to ensuring social benefits for low-income groups and giving 2 million people land ownership. We will replace plantation line rooms with proper villages, bringing far-reaching social change, women’s empowerment, and social justice.
Our anti-corruption agenda will be bolstered by the introduction of Janasabha and greater representation for women and youth. We’ve also made 87 recommendations for election reforms, political party accountability, and the debt commission. When you put all of these together, we are offering a new country.
So, I’m offering you a real alternative. They are just offering "Venasa" without substance. The question is, what do you want for your future? They aren’t addressing what young people want—they’re simply saying that everyone else has failed, and now they deserve a chance. But they’ve already failed before. Can you trust your future to them? Can you trust it to Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the former agriculture minister? Think carefully about that.
These are traditional politics they’re playing, offering nothing new. It’s your future, and you need to take responsibility for it. Decide how you want to live, where you want to live, and then take charge. We’ll provide the opportunities, but you have to be willing to take the challenge.
Are you ready to take that challenge? Or are you waiting for someone else to deliver it for you? If you’re ready, I’ll show you the way. Thank you."
In Colombo, many residents live in severely cramped conditions, often within just 100 square feet, with multiple families sharing the same space. This situation highlights the critical importance of a strong economy for Sri Lanka’s development, particularly for our capital city. Despite the country's significant potential, we have not yet fully harnessed it. While there has been some progress over the past 76 years, the economy has not advanced as needed.
Now, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has a genuine opportunity to address this. His rise to leadership was not for personal gain, but to stabilize the country, starting with difficult reforms such as tax restructuring when there was minimal revenue. We have initiated a comprehensive reform program, partly with IMF support and partly through independent measures, aimed at strengthening the economy. The only way to reduce taxes and improve living standards is by fostering economic growth.
Tourism is one sector where we can achieve rapid growth, yet at present, Colombo lacks sufficient attractions to retain tourists for more than a day. Sri Lanka has immense potential to attract millions of visitors with its natural beauty, cultural heritage, and opportunities for adventure tourism, but we have not fully capitalized on these assets. Similarly, agriculture requires modernization, and we must boost the manufacturing sector to increase exports.
We are also pursuing free trade agreements, such as the one with Thailand, to make our products competitive in global markets. However, NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka opposes free trade agreements, claiming they’ll abolish them, but without them, how can we grow the economy, create jobs, or secure foreign exchange?
Economic development is the only sustainable path to lowering the cost of living and creating a better future for Sri Lanka. It is essential that everyone actively participates in this process. With the new laws and reforms in place, I am confident we are moving in the right direction. President Wickremesinghe’s growth strategy will benefit future generations, providing them with improved incomes and a more prosperous nation.
The questions raised and the responses given by President Ranil Wickremesinghe are outlined below.
Hi, sir. I have a very simple question to you. Can you win the election?
Yeah, that's why I contested.
Your Excellency, if the SJB or NPP were to win, what potential negative consequences might we face in the coming months? Additionally, could we see a resurgence of fuel and gas queues, and would the IMF provide assistance once more?
While the possibility of SJB or NPP winning is unlikely, it is crucial to adhere to the debt sustainability agreement we have established. Failure to do so could result in severe economic repercussions, including a devaluation of the rupee to approximately 500 per dollar.
For instance, I recently questioned former Minister of Agriculture Mr. Anura Kumara about their budgetary plans. Their proposed budget would lead to a deficit of Rs. 4,000 billion next year, which is unsustainable. We can only manage a deficit up to 5% of GDP, equating to Rs.1000 billion. This leaves an excess of Rs. 3,000 billion that would destabilize the economy further, potentially devaluing the rupee to 400 or even 500 per dollar once the IMF withdraws its approval.
The SJB's approach has been problematic, with conflicting statements from Harsha and Sajith leading to a disjointed budget plan. The problem of the SJB is that Harsha makes a proclamation on basis of certain expenditure and then in the evening, Sajith goes and adds some more free items to it. This inconsistency hampers the ability to formulate a viable budget.
A wave of public discontent once led to the country being handed over to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. After the country's economy collapsed and a ‘Aragalaya’ ensued, the country has now been entrusted to you. Now, another wave is forming. If this wave results in the country being led by Anura or Sajith and the country faces another economic crisis and struggle, would you be willing to take responsibility for the country again?
Certainly, that will not happen. Moreover, if someone else were to once again destroy the economy, it would be impossible to rebuild it. The 2024 Presidential Election is our final opportunity. It is up to the people to decide whether to seize this opportunity or not.
