The Hon. Dewananda Suraweera

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I am pleased to participate in the debate on Gazette No. 2452/40 of 2025.09.04 (Motor Vehicles – Intoxicants Regulations) and Gazette No. 2455/29 of 2025.09.25 (Motor Vehicles – Expressways Regulations), presented to Parliament.

¶ 02 The prime aim is to protect our people. More Sri Lankans die from road accidents than from violent crime. Families live with daily anxiety about whether their loved ones will return home safely. Hence, the present government has brought new regulations, building on earlier notices, to prevent grave offences in the transport sector. This is essential for our journey towards a civilized state, fostering a knowledgeable, skilled, humane society.

¶ 03 Yet some in the Opposition begin every speech with “these regulations are good, but…,” attempting to erase their own past failures. From 1948, were we the ones who governed? In 1948 we were second only to Japan in Asia; where was China then, or India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand? Today, where are they and where are we? Even Bangladesh and Nepal surpass us in some fields. Those who ruled and ruined now lecture us. The current government is correcting long-standing deficiencies and moving towards civility.

¶ 04 We inherited a near-bankrupt state; the transport system and road network were in disarray; education and more were damaged. Some cultivated a politics that converted any national disaster into personal gain and any public benefit into a crisis. They now sit in Opposition, expert only at criticism, saying, “Rs. 25,000 is good, but—,” “Rs. 50,000 is good, but—,” “Education reforms are good, but—.” Our government does not speak with “buts.” We are resolutely taking the country towards civility for the people.

¶ 05 An Opposition MP spoke about Lasantha Wickrematunge’s murder. From 2015 to 2019, who governed? Those who carried banners at his funeral—what did they do at minimum? They could not even preserve documents vital to investigations. Now they accuse the present administration of burying probes. The people gave us a mandate based on an explicit stance: those who ruined this country and persecuted journalists will be punished under the rule of law. We will do it. If we do not, no other party will. While conspirators group together and point fingers at us, we will proceed. Thank you.