SJB condemns President’s actions as “local Robin hood rule”

Saturday, 20 April 2024 00:17 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

SJB MP Chandima Weerakkody accuses President and Govt. of presenting facade of transparent governance to appease public
Accuses President of acting impulsively and arbitrarily in his decisions with no transparency
Claims Govt. has adopted governance program formulated by Opposition leader thus validating his vision for SL

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Chandima Weerakkody yesterday accused President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his Government of adhering to a “local Robin hood rule,” despite presenting a facade of transparent governance to appease the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other organisations.

He claimed that the Government is attempting to create an impression of economic progress in the country while maintaining questionable practices.

Speaking at a press conference, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Chandima Weerakkody criticised President Ranil Wickremesinghe for acting impulsively and arbitrarily in his decisions. “The Speaker has been reduced to a mere puppet,” Weerakkody remarked.

He pointed out how the President ensured that the No Confidence Motion against Minister Keheliya Rambukwella was defeated by influencing the outcome. He added that the same pattern was evident in the appointment of the Inspector General of Police.

He said that a circular had been issued requiring all development activities to be completed by July, even though the Budget allocation could be used until December. He explained, “The reason for this is that the President will lose power by July, and the Election Commission will gain the authority to hold elections, which would limit the President’s influence.”

The MP accused the President’s allies of distributing cash gifts at various events to draw people in. “This isn’t a transparent Government; it’s more like a Saradiel rule,” he remarked.

Weerakkody highlighted that many measures introduced by the Government ahead of elections, such as providing free sanitary napkins to school students, were initially proposed by SJB leader Sajith Premadasa. This, he said, demonstrates that Premadasa’s vision is most fitting for the country. “The Government has, in fact, adopted the program formulated by the Opposition leader,” he said.

While addressing the press conference, SJB Weligama Organiser Rehan Jayawickrama countered the President’s claims that he was the sole individual willing to govern the country following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s resignation. Jayawickrama accused President Wickremesinghe of spreading falsehoods.

He explained that if Sajith Premadasa had assumed the presidency, the Rajapaksa faction in parliament would have challenged him, leading to a vote. “With their Parliamentary majority, they would have defeated Premadasa, resulting in the shortest tenure for a President and damaging his political career along with that of the party. This was part of Ranil Wickremesinghe’s plan,” Jayawickrama said. “The plan was to always appoint Ranil Wickremesinghe,” he claimed.