The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake

¶ 01 They are searching, right? All right, all right. That’s enough. You make a lot of such claims and then twist them. Hon. Member, this is what I have to say. You grab hold of some incident that happened sometime and build your narrative.

¶ 02 In our country now there is no media spectacle. Rebuilding the economy is not a media spectacle. Cracking down on the underworld is not a media spectacle. Our President—Comrade Anura—when invited to the UN General Assembly, what did he say? He said we will necessarily fight corruption; that we will fight against the corrupt. Which Sri Lankan President went to the UN General Assembly and said that we will fight the corrupt? Which Sri Lankan President said we will act in this manner for national reconciliation? Which Sri Lankan President spoke about making Parliament representative of women and persons with disabilities, including the visually impaired? We are doing what we said. Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, if we were lying, we could not go before the world and lie. The Opposition can use their media power and concoct lies. Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, we have written down our policy statement honestly not only for the people but for ourselves. We intend to implement it. The Opposition does not need to point it out to us anew, though even if they do, there is no issue. I wish to say that as a government we are both rebuilding the economy and establishing democracy.

¶ 03 Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees, you know Sri Lanka recently rose several places in the Democracy Index—in 2024. For nine months of 2024 there was “terrible governance,” they say—yet even then our country moved forward. Look at the 2025 dataset and see how much further up we go in the Democracy Index. In the Rule of Law Index too, we have already moved forward by two places and will go further. Since nine months of 2024 count for that, do not try to force bitter medicine down our throats. Many Hon. Members know what we are doing. The truth is we are working honestly. At a time when the economy is being rebuilt and democracy restored, the Opposition—who have no rope left to defend thieves—now advance a new slogan: “Constitutional Autocracy.” Where is this autocracy? In this Parliament Members from 12 parties are present. The National People’s Power is a coalition of many parties and organizations. We have conducted elections fairly and established local authorities fairly. Moreover, the President has announced that in the upcoming Budget, vehicles will be provided to all Pradeshiya Sabhas where we do not hold power, including in the North and East. Did the Opposition act like that when they held power? Do they practice a single letter of democracy?

¶ 04 What we have done is what is before the country, in large measure. There is still much to do. We have been given a five-year mandate. Therefore, there is no need to make this a Twenty20 match. We are fulfilling the people’s mandate. In implementing it truthfully, we respectfully ask the people to stand together with us.

¶ 05 Thank you for the opportunity, Hon. Deputy Chairperson of Committees.