The Hon. (Ms.) Lakmali Hemachandra, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, first I must address a serious false allegation made this morning by Opposition MP Mr. Marikkar regarding forming the majority in the Colombo Municipal Council—that money was paid at “Malimawa” to secure members. They think we do what they do. We have not and will not pay any member to form control of the CMC. Some parties do such things; we are not one of them.

¶ 02 They talk endlessly about mudslinging. Who created the mud, fake pages, and comment farms? The Opposition knows very well. We came here to work, and we are doing that work. Yet, they come to Parliament and utter baseless lies, then accuse the NPP of lying. That has been their politics: lies and the lowest forms of conduct, amplified through concocted narratives.

¶ 03 Another is Hon. Harsha de Silva, shouting as if Sri Lanka’s economy is collapsing. Nothing like that has occurred. Our Finance Ministry—led by two highly capable State Ministers—is managing matters with care and responsibility. Some are now spinning tales about US tariffs and a supposed imminent collapse; in the morning they said we would kick out the IMF. We have repeatedly, clearly stated our position on the IMF—before and since the presidential election. Anyone may have critiques of the IMF; many countries do. But our stance has been consistent: we will engage to adjust the program in a people-friendly manner.

¶ 04 Indeed, with IMF concurrence, we have already removed or reduced some taxes. Many countries under IMF programs struggle to retain public servants or pay salaries; we did not cut the public service. We have recruited and increased salaries. No other country under an IMF program has operated quite like this. Yet, instead of acknowledging this, they clip voice cuts and flood social media with lies. Where have these loud Opposition parties actually won? In local polls, no one voted for Namal Rajapaksa, Dilith Jayaweera, or Sajith Premadasa personally; local polls are about wards. Which “constituencies” did they win?

¶ 05 In local elections, ward candidates earn votes based on personal links. Trying to claim the credit from hardworking grassroots candidates is theft—pure falsehood. The determinant is how many wards you win and how many local bodies you can control. In 2015–2019, when the public wanted to send a message, they granted a vast swath of local bodies to the Pohottuwa. Who has given such a mandate to these loud voices now? The former CMC mayoral candidate could not even win his own ward, yet boasts here of a grand victory.

¶ 06 Presidential/general and local elections are different; candidates and voter reactions differ. Yet they keep comparing apples to oranges to continue their tawdry politics. Since morning, several Opposition MPs spoke as if Namal Rajapaksa and Dilith Jayaweera had a huge win. In 2018 the Pohottuwa was given control of many local bodies; today they control none—indeed, they have not even won a ward. This is the falsehood they try to market using media power—claiming they never lied.

¶ 07 We respect the people’s intelligence and their vote. We will not insult them. Those who used their media to show snakes before elections and insult voters are now alleging we insulted the people. We understand the weight of the people’s mandate; we read this result as an expression of trust in us—nothing more, nothing less. We will get on with work accordingly.