President Ranil Wickramasinghe says that although postponing the local government elections is a violation of the basic rights of the people, he is not sorry for not being able to hold the elections because that time was dedicated to securing the people’s right to live.
Addressing the National Conference of the New People’s Front Party, the President stated that he respects the people’s right to vote as well as their right to live.
Commenting on today’s Supreme Court decision, the President had given the following points.
President Wickremesinghe highlighted that people cannot maintain their day to day lives without essentials such as gas, medicine, food, and fuel. The President affirmed that over the past two years, he has been dedicated to safeguarding the basic rights of the people and stated that he will continue to make necessary decisions to protect these rights in the future.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe further stated that the decision has been made to hold the General Election after the Presidential Election. The necessary funds for this have already been secured. Following the General Election, Provincial Council Elections will be held, followed by Local Government elections.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe also added:
Politically, we have entered a new era, one that was brought about by our team. When the country’s economy collapsed and traditional leaders failed to address the crisis, our group stepped up and took on the responsibility.
At that time, the economy has collapsed, and the value of the rupee had decreased. However, we restructured the economy, stabilized the rupee, and restored economic stability. The economy has been robust over the past two years, and we aim to maintain this strength moving forward. Our focus must remain on advancing economic growth as we continue into the coming year.
Breaking the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will result in losing the financial support. Revising the conditions means abandoning the current agreement. We requested more simple and easy conditions but we were not granted them. Despite this, the existing concessions allow us to advance the economy.
Attempting to alter these terms could result in losing the available funds, which would force us back into an era of shortages and queues.
We advanced the country’s economy with great difficulty and with significant effort. When I assumed office, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had declined from USD 89 billion to USD 76 billion. We have since increased it to USD 84 billion, achieving this in just two years, whereas it typically takes other countries 5-10 years. This success was possible due to the implementation of a sound economic program. I question what would have happened if we had not focused on this task and instead prioritized holding Local Government and Municipal Council Elections. Holding these elections would take at least two and a half months. If we had lost that time, would we still have achieved a GDP of USD 84 billion today?
We engaged in discussions with the IMF and met with leaders from various countries. If we had used this time for Local Government elections instead, it’s worth asking
whether our economy would have been able to recover. Every month, week, day, and hour was crucial in bringing the country to its current state. No other country has achieved such success in just two years. The international community acknowledges our achievements. Without taking these steps, the country risks collapsing.
Instead of pursuing legal action, why didn’t the opposition take their case to the Supreme Court in 2022 to address the economic issues and work towards a return to normalcy? I have no regrets about postponing the election. In this country, presidential and general elections are fundamental rights of the people, and I respect that right to vote. Equally important is the right to basic necessities such as gas, medicine, and fuel. I prioritized these essential needs and will continue to do so if required.
The Supreme Court has advised that the Election Commission should determine the timing of the elections. We have collectively decided to hold the general election after the presidential election, and the necessary funds for this have been secured.
The Provincial Council elections are planned to follow. We acknowledge the importance of these elections and are currently securing the funds needed. Local Government and Municipal Council elections will be scheduled subsequently, with new laws to be introduced, including measures for youth representation. I am pleased with the progress
we’ve made in stabilizing the economy within just two years. Ultimately, it is up to the people to judge whether our decisions are correct.
