Leader of the 43 Brigade and SJBP MP Patali Champika Ranawaka has called on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to retire from politics.Speaking at a meeting in Colombo, on Thursday, Ranawaka said: “I request Mahinda Rajapaksa not to enter politics again or at least say he will do so. Many people have already left the country. We have a social capital that has been created by years of hard work. That is one of the remaining assets we have. Now that social capital is being drained. Each time they see the Rajapaksas trying to make a comeback, people leave this country.

Ranawaka said that people abhor the Rajapaksas. “As long as the Rajapaksas stay out of politics it is good for the people and this country. Whenever a Rajapaksa makes a public appearance and states that they would come back in power, people leave the country. The social capital that we have was built spending years for free healthcare and education. People, especially the younger generation, would no longer put up with the idea of living under Rajapaksas again. They would surely leave the country.

“People in this country need a hope to consider staying here. They are in frustration. People no longer would be duped by eyewash solutions. We need solutions against poverty, hunger and unemployment. Their problems cannot be solved by distributing handouts taking their political affiliations into consideration,” Ranawaka said.

The government must think of a bold alternative to the IMF bailout package. “Sri Lanka’s future is secure to the extent that it would not depend on IMF assistance.  We are better off as much as we do not depend on IMF assistance to obtain further loans,” he said.Among those present were Prof Prasanna Perera of the Department of Economics of the Peradeniya University, 43 Birigade’s coordinator Dr Ajith Amarasinghe, former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and MP Dr Sudarshini Fernandopulle.