The Hon. Rohitha Abeygunawardhana

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, thank you for the time to comment on the Opposition’s Adjournment Motion.

¶ 02 A year ago there was a change of government. The main theme of the current government was “A Prosperous Country - A Beautiful Life.” Everyone of every ethnicity and religion in our country wants to live a beautiful life in a prosperous country. The previous government failed to deliver that, so the people elected a new President a year ago; 159 MPs were also elected; then the Government gained majorities in local bodies too. Why did the people give such power? To live beautifully in a prosperous country. Now, is that being achieved? That is the question.

¶ 03 We represent the Opposition; people tell us their problems. You, the government side, state what you did. I have been both in government and in opposition. When in government, we spend most of the time on ministry work; we go less to the villages. Now in Opposition, we are in the villages—at weddings, funerals, rituals, sermons—and we hear the ground reality. Based on that, we ask: have you built a prosperous country and a beautiful life? Ministers may say yes; let’s see.

¶ 04 Yesterday’s paper reported that one in four families in Sri Lanka is poor—this is from the World Bank, not from some villager. In a prosperous country, 25 per cent cannot be poor. There is a problem. Public debt was about Rs. 29 trillion by 2020; now it’s around Rs. 30 trillion. Within this year about Rs. 1 trillion has been borrowed. We asked then whether borrowing was necessary—if there are capable leaders, why borrow? People believed you wouldn’t borrow; yet Rs. 1 trillion—Rs. 1,000 billion—has been borrowed. So has a prosperous country been built? No. The ground reality says no.

¶ 05 What did people expect from you? Reduce fuel prices—the famous Rs. 150 per litre that was supposedly being “skimmed off.” People are still waiting for that Rs. 150 reduction; it has not happened. Electricity tariffs—after much talk of reductions, hints now point to increases. These were reasons people voted.

¶ 06 Next, VAT. Education, health and essential goods are where VAT bites. Has VAT on these been reduced? No. During the campaign you made people clap; they voted hoping you would deliver. You have not.

¶ 07 People also expected fair prices for farmers’ produce—paddy, vegetables and more. Fisherfolk too expected many things. What have they received? Another expectation was an affordable small car—people dreamt of a 1.2 million-rupee used Vitz; today even a three-wheeler is around Rs. 2.4 million. These were your promises; we are reminding you.

¶ 08 Another pledge was collateral-free loans for youth via state banks—so that young people could start enterprises without deeds or sureties. Many first-time voters went and cast their ballots hoping for such loans. Have they received them? I am not aware of anyone. If someone has, we’d like to know how. People in our villages are still waiting. Loans must be given accordingly.

¶ 09 How do we measure all this? In Sri Lankan political history, the way to test whether the government is connected with the people, and vice versa, is to ask the people—their opinion. We can shout at each other, but finally we must ask the people. There is an opportunity now. The Hon. Prime Minister said today that Provincial Council elections will be held in 2026. That is good—these polls have been hidden away. If this government came to uncover what was hidden, then the best is to hold Provincial Council elections as soon as possible. Then the people will decide whether you have performed well or badly. If you have, you will win handsomely; if not, that result will mark the start of your fall.

¶ 10 While working, there will be issues. It is one year and 18 days now—51 weeks. Instead of working, each week you launch a new theme. First was “bar week”—naming those who got bar licences under the previous government. Either cancel them or identify who gave them; neither happened. Then came “Batalanda week”—to arrest former President Ranil Wickremesinghe over alleged torture chambers because he transited via the UK; that week also passed. Then “ice week”—drugs. Then “Kajjage week”—dragging Hon. Namal Rajapaksa’s name; but the next week the “main actor” did not appear. Today’s new theme: “Easter attack mastermind identified; Secretary of Defence tells Parliamentary Committee”—as reported by Hiru. So this week will be the “mastermind week.” Each week, a new drama. I say to the Government: instead of weekly dramas, fulfill the promises you gave the people. If you do, you will succeed; if you cannot, it will be a problem.

¶ 11 Thank you, Hon. Deputy Speaker.