Votes for President reflect public frustration with corruption, not support for NPP ideology – Imthiaz

• Says votes for NPP do not reflect public belief that it has best plan or team to rebuild SL
• Claims votes for President were driven by opposition to corrupt dealings, widespread disillusionment, and economic pressures
• Urges public to make informed, intelligent choices for SL’s future rather than being swayed by attractive but empty rhetoric
• Says people did not look at manifestos last poll and urged them to carefully examine and compare SJB’s one to those of others

Former Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Imthiaz Bakeer Markar has said that the votes cast for President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the recent Presidential election were more a reflection of public dissent against the existing corrupt political system than an endorsement of the National People’s Power (NPP) party’s ideology and policies.

Addressing a press conference in Colombo yesterday, Imthiaz Bakeer Markar said that he does not believe voters supported NPP candidate President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the recent Presidential election because they thought it had the best plan or team to rebuild the country.

“I don’t think anyone genuinely believes that the world has progressed through the NPP’s ideologies, nor that following them is the solution to our recovery. Nor do people believe that the NPP has the most experienced and capable team. This vote was not cast based on such beliefs. It was driven by the opposition to the current political system, corrupt dealings, widespread disillusionment, and the economic pressures people are facing,” he said.

Bakeer Markar explained that the election result was, in many ways, an outlet for the public’s frustrations.

He also accused President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of making contradictory statements during and after the election campaign, particularly regarding the International Monetary Fund (IMF). “Once someone assumes power, they are often forced to be more practical,” he remarked. The former MP warned against misleading the public with popular slogans, inciting unrealistic hopes, and creating illusory visions that misguide them. He likened this approach to that of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose actions, he argued, ultimately led to the country’s downfall.

He urged the public to make informed, intelligent choices for the country’s future rather than being swayed by attractive but empty rhetoric. “We need to steer the country in the right direction,” he emphasised.

Bakeer Markar also encouraged the public to carefully examine and compare the SJB election manifesto with those of other parties. “It’s not filled with false promises. The people didn’t compare the manifestos, they voted to express their opposition,” he claimed.