The Hon. Sunil Rathnasiri

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, the previous speaker praised how India’s, Singapore’s, and Malaysia’s leaders managed the crisis from the Middle East war. But he forgot how our President Anura Kumara Dissanayake managed it here: a Rs. 100 billion relief package; raising Aswesuma from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 17,500 to Rs. 25,000; fertilizer subsidy from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 30,000; Rs. 50 per litre relief up to 25 litres a day for fishers; Rs. 150,000 support for multi-day vessels; Rs. 20,000 monthly fuel support; a total of Rs. 20 billion monthly from the Treasury. While he remembers foreign leaders, he forgets our own President’s management.

¶ 02 Some in the opposition looked like mighty trees, but today we see they are hollow—ripe too soon, rotten too soon. In my district, Hon. Kings Nelson said we ignored Seruwila priests after the cyclone—we attended to their needs day and night. He claimed kidney patient and elderly allowances were unpaid—they were paid. He said no fertilizer subsidy in Polonnaruwa—false. We paid Rs. 30,000, not Rs. 25,000, to 35,973 farmers for 29,788 hectares—over Rs. 532 million. He says not a cent was given—untrue. He also claims farmers did not ask for free fertilizer and it is unnecessary. When they were in power fertilizer support was Rs. 15,000; we increased it to Rs. 25,000, and added Rs. 5,000 more this Yala season. His family even said farmers who drank poison did it for “fun.” Now he says farmers did not ask for free fertilizer—shameful after securing farmers’ votes.

¶ 03 We have already distributed 5,078 metric tons of fertilizer; 51.5 MT remain in Polonnaruwa stores; 5,960 MT more are ordered for Yala.

¶ 04 Globally, power changes hands; outgoing parties do not destroy everything before handing over. But in 2024 we inherited a halted economy. On 12 April 2022 the CBSL Governor declared we cannot repay domestic or foreign debt—accepting bankruptcy. We rescued the country from bankruptcy. Rating agencies say we are developing fast. Verité Research says 65 per cent of people speak favourably of the government. Transparency International shows improvement in the Corruption Perceptions Index. Yet only this distorted opposition refuses to see it. They could not even hold a single May Day rally while we held 21 across 21 districts. We can go to the villages and work with the people. We will build the village and the country. Thank you.