The Hon. (Mrs.) Thushari Jayasingha, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 At the Adjournment, I move the following:

¶ 02 “The aspiration for a country free from corruption has been the dream in the hearts of the people of this country for decades. Though much was said on political platforms, they remained mere words. Yet, in building a nation free of bribery and corruption, the commitment and example of political leadership are crucial. Sri Lanka has long been at a very low level in terms of maintaining strong mechanisms to combat bribery and corruption, placing us at the lower tiers of international anti-corruption indices. Therefore, under Policy 4.3 of the manifesto ‘A Prosperous Country - A Beautiful Life’, a people-accountable programme against bribery and corruption was presented and promptly set in motion.

¶ 03 According to the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, Sri Lanka’s rise by 14 places in 2026 compared to the previous year is not only a commendable outcome but also a result of a year of a new era of governance. ‘Full stop to corruption’ is not a mere slogan; it is a fundamental of development. The progress achieved today must be advanced further tomorrow; that is our collective responsibility. Sri Lanka is demonstrating to the world that this is not just rhetoric but a functioning system. The channeling of development projects and national wealth into the hands of corruption must be ended. Through an anti-corruption state process, the responsibility of civil society in building a rules-based State must be embedded decisively. Many states ranked low in international indices are at underdeveloped levels; thus, combating corruption and fraud is essential to step onto the path of development.

¶ 04 Accordingly, in establishing such a system, I propose that the cooperation of political leadership, public officials and the general public be mobilized to drive this programme forward more strongly.”

¶ 05 Mr. Presiding Member, the programme we present and the measures we pursue to curb corruption are what countless people of this country have long hoped for. Placing that hope in us, they entrusted the National People’s Power with the Presidency and a government with 159 Members. We are committed to fulfilling the people’s expectations, and we can now reassure the people about the integrity of our programme.

¶ 06 We know well the dark eras we have come through. We cannot forget the assassination of Judge Sarath Ambepitiya, linked to a case before him, an honest officer who paid with his life. Nor can we forget Assistant Customs Superintendent Sujith Prasanna Perera of the Customs Intelligence and Investigations unit, who was killed on 24 March 2001 in relation to an investigation he pursued. Those were times when democracy was suppressed and public officials could not perform their duties. In Kandy in 2002, Additional Auditor-General Lalith Ambanwela suffered an acid attack while auditing the Kandy Education Department—again, for merely doing his duty. We have now moved beyond such an era, Mr. Presiding Member. We have the opportunity to end that era. Going forward, there will be no support from the Government side for any wrongdoing or for obstructing investigations. We have assured the people of this, and they, in turn, have given us their mandate. We will safeguard that trust.”