Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
Thursday, 7 November 2024 01:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
SJB National List candidate Ranjith Madduma Bandara
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) National List candidate Ranjith Madduma Bandara has strongly criticised the current Government led by the National People’s Power (NPP), citing unmet promises and growing discontent among the public.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Madduma Bandara highlighted the challenges facing the NPP administration, which took office nearly two months ago, following President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s election victory.
Bandara emphasised that Dissanayake’s Presidency, secured with a low percentage of votes, is facing increasing disapproval as public trust erodes. According to Bandara, support for the President has waned, with projections showing the NPP could secure fewer than 100 seats in the upcoming Parliamentary elections. “Many people are disappointed with the program of the NPP today,” he noted.
Bandara pointed out inconsistencies in the Government’s handling of the Easter Sunday attack investigations, including the nomination of a National List candidate in 2020 who was linked to the bombers and the assignment of persons implicated in past investigation reports to oversee new probes. “The truth of the Easter attack will never be revealed due to the double policy of the NPP,” he said.
Bandara also accused the NPP of undermining democratic freedoms. He claimed that in just one and a half months, the Government has made moves to restrict trade union rights and suppress media freedoms. He urged citizens to defend their democratic rights in the upcoming General Election, saying: “The people should rally to protect the country’s democratic rights and vote for the SJB.”
On economic issues, Bandara outlined how the NPP Government has failed to fulfil its pre-election promises to reduce taxes and the cost of living. Instead, he said, the price of essential goods like rice has increased by Rs. 30-40, with mill owners leveraging their financial contributions to the NPP during the election period for profit. “The rice stocked up in warehouses must be released to the market immediately, or the people will remain hungry until the next harvest,” he warned.
Bandara further criticised the leadership appointments at the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the involvement of private electricity suppliers, questioning how these moves would result in lower electricity bills.
He also highlighted discrepancies in oil pricing, claiming: “The Chairman of Ceypetco states that a litre of oil is unloaded at the port for Rs. 154, yet it is sold for Rs. 311. It is clear that the current Government is getting a profit from oil.”
Madduma Bandara warned that allowing the current Government to continue unchecked would push the country further into economic decline.
