Malwatte Prelate casts doubt on prospects of people-friendly reforms by Govt. 

• Says current Govt. is likely to follow similar pattern of past activities in a matter of days 
• Therefore cautions people against expecting any people-friendly changes 
• Claims promises made by politicians before him have always been broken once they assume power

The Most Venerable Thibbotuwave Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera, Mahanayake of the Malwatte Sect in the Siyam Nikaya yesterday expressed scepticism about anticipating people-friendly changes from the current Government.

The Thera said despite the Government commencing its work in the New Year with an oath of service it is likely to follow a similar pattern of activities as in the recent past within a few days. Therefore, he cautioned against expecting any people-friendly changes from the current regime. 

The Thera shared these remarks during a visit by the Former Speaker and Chairman of the National Movement for Social Justice Karu Jayasuriya to seek the Mahanayaka Thera’s blessings for the New Year.

The Thera reminisced about the conduct of past Presidents who, despite promising to abolish the Executive Presidency, did not fulfil those commitments. He emphasised having ample experiences regarding their behaviours in the past.

“The promises made by politicians before me were all broken once they assumed power,” the Mahanayaka Thera remarked. 

Meanwhile, Jayasuriya conveyed to the Thera that various communities in Sri Lanka persist in living with mistrust, particularly between the Sinhalese and Tamil communities, where individuals from both groups hold narrow views.

He also underscored the significance of garnering support from those in the Tamil Diaspora for nation-building efforts, noting that despite holding negative views in the past, they have now expressed willingness to support Sri Lanka. “It must be discussed and not discarded at once,” he said.