The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, they say “AKD” is a brand with moisture, implementing system change. But does this brand know that suppressing Buddhism and the Sacred Sangha violates the supreme law—the Constitution? Read it if you do not know. Those promoting system change in Government, with this supposed “moisture,” are launching attacks on the Buddha Sasana and the venerable Maha Sangha, violating the Constitution. The Constitution clearly gives Buddhism a foremost place while protecting all religions and cultures to strengthen unity. Yet this “moist brand” is suppressing the Dhamma. Is that system change?

¶ 02 Shamelessly, in this House they claim to be doing good with this “moisture.” If so, provide a solution to the teacher shortage—resolve the issue of the approximately 17,000 development officers, specifically teacher development officers, who served the nation during COVID and strengthened Kannangara’s free education concept, with 5–10 years’ experience. As promised during the Presidential, General and Local Government elections, why aren’t these officers absorbed into the teaching service under a structured mechanism? Give them trainee appointments into Grade 2-1, make them permanent after three years upon passing theoretical and practical exams and obtaining a postgraduate qualification. During elections you used them to canvass votes; now you have thrown them to the street. Is that your “moisture,” your “AKD” brand, your system change?

¶ 03 Furthermore, yesterday the United States and India entered a trade arrangement reducing India’s reciprocal tariffs from 50% to 18%. We told the Government this would happen. The Government celebrated when the US imposed 25% and then another 25%—total 50%—on India. We knew geopolitics would bring that tariff down; yesterday it was reduced to 18%. Now what happens in the US market? Our exporters will face a 2% tariff disadvantage while India enjoys 18%. What steps will your “AKD” brand—this system-changing, moist brand—take? We want to know.

¶ 04 Moreover, are you aware that factories are planning closures? MAS, which contributed remarkably under President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s “200 Garment Factories” programme, is closing several units. Do you know this? Does our Industry Minister know? Many will lose jobs. You promised the opposite: to open new factories faster than before. You called the 200 Garments Programme a “76-year curse.” What has happened now—to your “AKD” brand and its “moisture”? We state clearly: a serious crisis is manifesting in this country.

¶ 05 The venerable Maha Sangha—the tri-nikaya guardians of the Buddha Sasana—are facing grave threats today. That cannot be allowed. Read the Constitution; read the supreme law if you do not know it. Do not conduct pious rituals before the media and then return to office to promote religious, ethnic and cultural divisions. The Government’s duty, led by the President, is not to sow division but to uphold Buddhism’s foremost place while protecting all other religions and cultures, safeguarding our 22 million people, and truly protecting the country’s unity, freedom, territorial integrity and political independence. Through reckless statements on religion, today confusion is being created across communities and cultures. We call upon the “AKD” brand and those who claim to do system change with “moist chests” to desist from this ignoble conduct.

¶ 06 Thank you.