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President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced plans to rectify the oversight of keeping Trincomalee natural harbour, Asia's largest natural harbour, underutilized. With support from the Indian government, the harbour will undergo rapid development and be integrated into the national economy. He made this statement while addressing the "Puluwan Sri Lanka" victory rally held today (31) at Uwarmale Stadium in Trincomalee.
The rally, organized by MP Kapila Nuwan Athukorala and Trincomalee District UNP Organizer, former Member of Parliament Sandeep Samarasinghe, aimed to garner support for President Wickremesinghe in the upcoming presidential election. Among the notable attendees were Nalin Gunawardena, organizer of the Seruwawila Constituency for the Samagi Jana Balawegaya, and T. Bahardeen, a former municipal councilor from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress of the Trincomalee Kadawath Hathara Pradeshiya Sabha, who both expressed their support for the President.
In his address, President Wickremesinghe also outlined plans to establish tourism zones from Nilaveli to Trincomalee and from Verugalaru to Arugam Bay, aiming to attract a significant number of tourists to the region.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced plans to provide subsidies for the development of the fishing industry and assured that issues facing the Civil Security Department (CSD) would be resolved promptly. He also expressed his commitment to supporting the development of the Seruvila Temple and fulfilling the responsibility of enhancing the Koneswaran Temple, which is revered by Hindus worldwide as the Southern Kailash, under the new government.
In his remarks, President Wickremesinghe emphasized the importance of developing the country for the benefit of its youth, stating that such progress can only be achieved through an export-oriented economy. To this end, he highlighted the implementation of agricultural modernization programs and pledged support to achieve a yield of 8 metric tons per hectare from paddy cultivation.
Furthermore, he reiterated the provision of subsidies for the fishing industry's growth and outlined plans to increase the number of tourists visiting the country to 5 million. This will be facilitated by creating new tourist zones from Nilaveli to Trincomalee and from Verugalaru to Arugam Bay, attracting a significant influx of tourists to the province.
Currently, we are committing a national oversight by leaving the Trincomalee Natural harbour, the largest natural harbour in Asia, underutilized. No previous government has focused on its development. Therefore, we are launching the Trincomalee Development Program in collaboration with India. This initiative includes developing Trincomalee as an energy hub, implementing the Sampur solar energy project, and creating a large investment zone of over a thousand acres to attract new industries to the region. Additionally, we are working on the development of the Higurakgoda Airport.
We are also committed to supporting the development of the Seruvila Temple. The Koneswaran Temple, recognized by Hindus worldwide as the Southern Kailash, is an ancient and revered site. The construction of its Gokulan has not yet been completed, and this government is taking on the responsibility to build it.
During these efforts, I recall the late R. Sampanthan, who always advocated for the development of Trincomalee. I promised him that we would fulfill this vision, and I call on everyone to join us in realizing this promise.
Furthermore, we are addressing the issues faced by the CSD members. I encourage everyone to support this initiative on September 21 and help move our program forward.
Member of Parliament Kapila Nuwan Athukorala:
We must acknowledge that we have achieved a significant victory by uniting our efforts in Trincomalee, where we once operated from several different political camps. This unity and victory were made possible by President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Reflect on how the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) behaved during the past economic crisis. The people who were already suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic hardships faced even more difficulties because of the JVP's selfish political agenda. Our innocent citizens, especially those in public service, were further burdened by their strikes and protests. Hospitals and schools were disrupted, and all they did for the people of this country was cause them more and more suffering.
At the very least, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the JVP have no right to go before the people and ask for votes. The only person who has that right is President Ranil Wickremesinghe. If this country’s economy collapses again, there is no other leader who can revive it. Moving forward, irrespective of party affiliations, religions or ethnicities, we can only progress together with him.
Former Member of Parliament Sandith Samarasinghe:
Two years ago, there was a time when fishermen couldn’t go to sea because they couldn’t afford diesel or kerosene. Farmers couldn’t buy fertilizer, and children couldn’t attend school. The country was even facing power outages. President Ranil Wickremesinghe took over the country during such a difficult time. However, today, he has successfully tackled all these challenges, stabilized the economy and created an environment where you can live comfortably.
During that critical period, it’s important to ask where those so-called leaders who are now asking for your vote were. They chose to stay silent and did not offer any support to help the country recover. Despite being the sole Member of Parliament, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has achieved significant transformation in the country through his vision. Notably, he has worked to provide freehold land deeds to the people and reinstated the Suraksha insurance scheme for school children. He has carefully planned and implemented strategies to develop every sector, focusing on the future.
Thanks to his dedication to the country, we are all now working together, setting aside party affiliations and ethnic differences. Our ability to engage in politics depends on the protection of this nation, and the future of your children, whether they become doctors or engineers, relies on the security of this country.
Under President Wickremesinghe’s "Trincomalee Development Plan," this district will see progress in agriculture, self-employment, tourism and the fishing industry. Based on what he has accomplished in just two years, we can have faith in President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Therefore, I ask all of you to cast your vote to the ‘Gas Cylinder’ on September 21st to ensure that he remain the President of this country.
State Minister, S. Viyalanderan;
Why should we vote for President Ranil Wickremesinghe? Recently, our country faced an unprecedented economic crisis. Houses of MPs were set on fire, the nation was in turmoil, and a MP was killed in broad daylight. People took to the streets, demanding essential services like electricity, gas, fuel, and medicine. We experienced the worst economic recession in our history. During this critical time, Sajith Premadasa and Anura Dissanayake were busy exchanging letters with the former president instead of stepping up to take responsibility. Those who now make various promises to the people did not show any concern for the suffering of the citizens back then.
Some even claimed that the economic situation was beyond resolution and seemed to wait for our country to fall to the level of Zimbabwe or Ethiopia. However, it was our President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took charge and began the process of restoring our country under these dire circumstances. I urge you to support him and his sound economic program by voting to re-elect him as president in the next election.
Minister Ali Sabry;
Two years ago, when our country was on the brink of collapse, we were all left in a state of fear and despair. Out of concern for the nation, we urged the opposition leader to step up and take charge. He came with his economic experts, but once he saw the true extent of the crisis, he backed down and refused to take responsibility. Instead of helping, they allowed the situation to worsen, seemingly waiting for the country to fall apart completely so they could seize power in the aftermath.
It was President Ranil Wickremesinghe who, during this critical time, took on the immense responsibility of leading the nation’s recovery. We had never supported him before—in fact, we had opposed him. But working alongside him over the past two years, we’ve come to understand his deep knowledge of governance, international relations, and economic strategy. His ability to treat all Sri Lankans—Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims—without discrimination is a crucial quality for the leadership of our country.
A post on a Facebook page put it aptly: "If you vote for President Ranil Wickremesinghe this September, he will be the President. But if someone else wins, Ranil will be President again by December next year." This reflects the belief that no one else is capable of leading our country through these challenging times.
Former Eastern Provincial Minister, Ariyawathi Galappaththi;
If we don’t take the right steps, this country could face the same fate as Bangladesh. If President Ranil Wickremesinghe hadn't taken charge when he did, we might not even have a country today.
I come before you today with a heavy heart—it's been ten days since I lost my son. No mother should have to go through this. Yet, I am here today for the sake of our nation. For this journey to succeed, we need the right leader, and that leader is President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
