Every citizen held equal under one law: Senanayake

• Senanayake pledged to remove legal immunity of President, PM, and Cabinet members 
• Calls for unsolicited tenders to be scrapped 
• Pledges to reduce Cabinet to 20 members 
• NPM claims that all foreign agreements including MCC will be reviewed 
• Tells followers final rally is beginning of journey towards change 
• Says 71 years of divisive politics has left country in disarray, pledges to build inclusive SL
• Doubles down on national security, claims he is most competent to deliver 

National People’s Movement (NPM) presidential candidate General (Rtd.) Mahesh Senanayake pledged to remove the legal immunity that prevents the President, Prime Minister, and Cabinet

Mahesh Senanayake

Ministers from being held accountable for any actions that could lead to corruption, if elected this weekend.

The former Army Commander made the comments yesterday at the NPM’s final rally, held at the New Town Hall in Colombo. Addressing followers, he stressed the need to hold every Sri Lankan accountable under one law. “Everyone from the President down to the average citizen will be held accountable under one law,” he said, pointing out that 16 November was not the end of their efforts but the beginning of a movement towards change. 

The acceptance of unsolicited tenders will be stopped, and if any Cabinet-appointed tender committee is proven to be complicit in corruption, legal action will be taken, NPM founder and former Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe told supporters. He argued that the current Government came to power claiming to do away with these controversial practices, but ended up using them in-spite of warnings to the contrary.  All foreign agreements, including the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) pact, will be reviewed.

Senanayake also pledged to reduce Government wastage and spending, starting with a cap on the number of Cabinet members, claiming that only 20 would be allowed if he is elected as President. He stated that if any member of his Government is found to be involved in malpractice or corruption, he will be subjected to legal action. He opined that those who were wanted in relation to the bond scam will be extradited to Sri Lanka to face trial and if found guilty, their assets will be nationalised. 

Stressing the need to maintain judicial independence, Senanayake claimed if elected he will seek to empower and equip the Judiciary and will not allow anyone to interfere. The country will be put on a track towards a secure and prosperous nation only if the law can only be applied equally to all citizens, he emphasised.

The presidential hopeful charged that for 71 years after Independence, consecutive political movements had used divisive politics which have left the people fragmented. He observed that Sri Lanka needed to build a Sri Lankan identity which united all Sri Lankans, and pledged to work towards an inclusive nation if elected. Further, he stated that he was the best-equipped and up-to date candidate to deliver on national security. The former army commander charged that some candidates used ‘national security’ as a tool for scaremongering and called it an abhorrent practice which must end. 

The candidate commended the civil society movement for their resolve to bring change, and pointed to other candidates fielding similar policies and concepts, such as the ones in the National People’s Power manifesto backing Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, as an example of the impact they were having, and called on followers to rally further for the movement before the vote on 16 November.