The Hon. U.P. Abeywickrama, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, today this Adjourned Debate is to seek parliamentary approval for regulations, rules, and orders promulgated by the previous Government through six Gazettes. As a country that long claimed parliamentary democracy in Asia, this Parliament has debated such subordinate legislation for years.

¶ 02 But we must ask whether, through decades of such debates and regulations, successive governing groups have been able to raise the living standards of nearly 22 million people. In 1948, at Independence, the population was about 7 million. The colonial rulers had divided people by race, religion, region, and caste. Those who governed since Independence failed to unite and build a developed Sri Lankan nation; instead, people paid the price for decades.

¶ 03 For nearly three decades we faced a separatist civil war. Tens of thousands of youth lives were lost. Under the economic policies implemented, by 2022 the country went bankrupt; people queued for days and weeks and died in lines. Progressive people from across parties and places concluded that the nation needed rescue, giving birth to the largest people’s movement in our history—the National People’s Power (NPP). As its representative, on 21 September 2024, for the first time in our history, the people elected a true child of the people—the Head of State, the President.

¶ 04 Hon. Presiding Member, by then politics had split between progressive people who love and want to rebuild the country and those nourished by the corrupt political machinery. Despite pundits predicting we could not win, the NPP achieved a historic victory. On 14 November 2024, at the Parliamentary Election, traditional parties vanished; SLFP, UNP, SLPP are no longer seen in society. The NPP formed the largest-ever majority with 159 MPs. The people now stand with hope and trust, expecting this movement to deliver the opportunity history denied.

¶ 05 Some observe us neutrally; others—those dependent on the old order—seek to create turmoil with various stories. Even today, some in the Opposition speak to create doubt about our short-, medium-, and long-term policies under “A Prosperous Country, a Beautiful Life.” We aim to transform state culture, end corruption and indiscipline, and build a country working with order, new thinking, and new discipline. For that we have planned the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme. We have not yet implemented it, but we intend to line up all state institutions and leaders to a nationwide awareness effort. We will consolidate scattered efforts and implement “Clean Sri Lanka” with massive public participation and blessing.

¶ 06 We are a movement that walks with the people; not isolated from them. We will not act against the people’s interests. In the coming year, through Clean Sri Lanka, digitalization, and eradicating rural poverty, we will drive major transformation. “Clean Sri Lanka” is not a personality cult; it is a progressive cultural revolution preparing people for new political, economic, and social transformation. We invite people to join, ignore provocations, and, with prudence and confidence, move forward to build a modern, cultured Sri Lankan state in a few years. Thank you.