Godahewa highlights President’s unsuccessful bid to divide opposition

Saturday, 25 November 2023 00:23 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Says President had expected crossovers from opposition following budget speech
Claims budget vote was a personal defeat for Ranil Wickremesinghe
Stresses vote proved Wickremesinghe’s attempt to gather certain opposition MPs around him will be a mere dream

Freedom People’s Congress (FPC) member MP Nalaka Godahewa yesterday maintained that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has once again been unsuccessful in his efforts to create division within the opposition. Speaking at a press conference in Colombo, the MP noted that there were expectations for the budget to address crucial questions, including how the government plans to revitalise the economy, foster growth and navigate the country out of the debt trap.

“But instead of a budget aimed at alleviating the country’s debt and stimulating our economy, the President has introduced a budget that will escalate the nation’s expenditures. Instead of diminishing the country’s debt, it will significantly augment the debt burden to cater to certain election groups chosen to appease the public. In essence, this was not presented as a budget but rather as a series of loans,” he remarked.

Elaborating on the party’s grounds for opposing the budget, the MP highlighted that the projected expenditure for the next year is Rs. 6,978 billion, whereas in 2021, before the crisis, the actual annual expenditure was Rs. 3,851 billion.

“Hence, the government plans to spend Rs. 3,000 billion more than the pre-crisis period, indicating a 75% increase in costs. However, the country’s economy has not shown significant development during this time. According to the government’s projections, the anticipated income for this year is only Rs. 4,000 billion. Consequently, an additional Rs. 3,000 billion will be added to our debt burden. In such circumstances, the justification for the government’s economic strategy is questionable. This is the primary reason we voted against the budget,” he added.

Commenting on the budget vote, the MP said that the President had anticipated crossovers from the opposition and hoped that many others in the opposition would abstain from voting but was left disappointed when it did not take place.

“This is a form of personal defeat for the President. He had anticipated that the SJB would splinter at this point. To secure a future without the Rajapakses and to go to the polls, it is crucial for him to unite a specific group of MPs from the opposition. However, this final vote has demonstrated that it remains nothing more than a dream,” he remarked.

“What we need now is a comprehensive economic development plan. Rebuilding this country cannot be achieved with disparate proposals. A country requires effective leadership, not reliant on a singular individual but a unity of skilled leaders dedicated to rebuilding. We need an honest, skilled and experienced group committed to the country’s restoration, a team with a profound understanding of economics, the ground reality, and the strengths and weaknesses of both the government and the private sector. It is the responsibility of the people to elect the necessary leadership and the essential parliamentary representation in the upcoming elections,” the MP emphasised.