The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, as we speak today in this august Assembly about the people’s mandate and on creating a stable country, I want to ask all who speak of the mandate whether implementing, as-is, the existing IMF programme is the mandate you received. Is that the people’s mandate? Is that what was told to the people? The promise to undertake a new Debt Sustainability Analysis and a new IMF engagement has now been flattened to the ground. The people’s mandate given by the voters has been trampled underfoot and destroyed.

¶ 02 If you claim a people-centred, public-spirited programme, why has the increased fertilizer subsidy still not reached farmers? You said you would raise the subsidy from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000. But for more than half of eligible recipients, this increase has not been implemented, and the cultivation season is ending. When will you reduce an electricity bill of Rs. 9,000 to Rs. 6,000? When will you reduce Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 2,000? After domestic debt restructuring, when will you provide relief to workers whose EPF and ETF were effectively pickpocketed due to your reversal of sound economic policy? Under your Macro-linked Bond approach, international sovereign bondholders benefit when our growth rises, but domestic creditors — the lifeblood of our economy, working people — get no such relief. When will you correct that?

¶ 03 You speak of a stable, beautiful, prosperous country, yet you cannot solve the passport shortage. Consider the hopes given to MSMEs. We welcome extending the Parate law moratorium — that is good — but you must go further: restructure NPLs; help collapsed MSMEs stand up again; ensure access to affordable capital; implement an interest-subsidy programme. To date, there is no clear response.

¶ 04 Look at the highly successful “1990 Suwaseriya” service, which provided continuous, free emergency care during COVID and the default. What have you done? You dissolved the Board. The team that gave life to Suwaseriya — initiated by Hon. Harsha de Silva — led by Duminda Ratnayake with Asitha de Silva, Indika Hapugoda, Dr. Sunil de Alwis, Sohan de Silva, Vish Govindasamy and others — has been removed. There are 159 Government MPs. I request all of you to listen to the worker, the self-employed person, the three-wheeler driver, the farmer, the fisher. They are under immense pressure and frustration. Fishers, three-wheeler drivers, PickMe and Uber drivers and other self-employed await fuel relief and fuel price reductions. So whose stability is this? What is the human cost? Poverty, malnutrition, unemployment, and industrial closures have increased. Does such stability benefit the country? Stability that expands poverty and destroys lives brings harm, not benefit.

¶ 05 I also raise a new issue. In recent days, a group of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar arrived in Mullaitivu. We hear the Government is trying to immediately deport them. I urge the Government, do not proceed with such inhumane action. Forcible return would violate international humanitarian law. It is globally acknowledged that the Rohingya have suffered persecution and atrocities. Therefore, follow the principle of non-refoulement. The 1951 Refugee Convention exists, as do other international instruments. We operate within an international human rights framework. So halt any attempt to deport them, and consult the UNHCR and relevant agencies to ensure humanitarian consideration.

¶ 06 Further, to solve our national problems, we cannot depend only on state revenue and assets, nor can the Government side do it alone. We must bring together Government and Opposition, civil society, the business community, and international institutions and donors. We accept that in all engagements we must protect our sovereignty and territorial integrity. But do not shun those who can help. Roll out the red carpet and harness maximum support to take our motherland towards prosperity. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya, Samagi Jana Sandhanaya, and the Opposition are ready to support progressive, development-oriented initiatives of the Government.

¶ 07 So please consider these points. Remember, from the three-wheeler driver to the worker to the self-employed, all expect solutions to problems. We propose to work hand in hand to resolve the country’s issues.

¶ 08 Finally, though the Hon. Prime Minister is not present now, I must say: recently, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya issued a directive to stop discussions or meetings opposing IMF proposals and activities challenging Government stability. I tell the Government: do not go there. Protect freedom of speech. Do not suppress democratic processes peacefully conducted within universities. That destroys democracy. Therefore, immediately review that directive and ensure space for discussions, inside and outside universities, on any topic that does not harm the country within a democratic framework. Thank you.