Text and pic By Shamindra Ferdinando

UNP National Organiser Sagala Ratnayake said that in spite of winning the presidential election the NPP government was yet to start addressing the issues at hand in a holistic manner, to say the least.

Ratnayake, who is contesting from the Colombo district on the New Democratic Front (NDF) ticket under the ‘Gas cylinder’ symbol, alleged that the NPP played politics with the economy, while the economy deteriorated.

The one-time public security Minister during the Yahapalana administration, emphasized that the way President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his team responded to growing challenges proved that the government lacked even a basic strategy.

“A country cannot be developed by cutting down on ex-Presidents’ allocations and funds allocated for members of Parliament. That is the undeniable truth,” the former lawmaker said, urging the electorate to be wary of the NPP’s destructive strategies.

Ratnayake discussed a range of issues with The Island and Divaina at the UNP political office at No 15 Norris Lane, Bambalapitiya, with the focus on the general election scheduled to be held next Thursday (14).

Ratnayake said that in spite of big boasts and meaningless declarations over the past 40 days, the government hadn’t done anything at all. The NPP should disclose how it intended to overcome the daunting economic challenges over the next five years and create an environment for the country to start paying back its foreign debt.

In terms of the much discussed Sri Lanka-IMF agreement, the government will have to resume debt repayment in 2028.

Referring to the declaration made by the government that it wouldn’t adhere with the recommendations made by Udaya Seneviratne’s committee regarding salary hikes for the public sector, Ratnayake warned that the way the NPP handled revision of fuel prices, electricity rates, shortage of rice as well as dialogue with the IMF proved that the ruling party was simply struggling to cope with the developing situation.

At the time the presidential election was held, the country was on a correct path to recovery under President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership, Ratnayake said, recalling the extremely challenging circumstances the UNP leader accepted the premiership in May 2022.

Ratnayake declared that the NPP engaged in what he called ‘Opposition politics’ at the expense of the post-Aragalaya recovery plan. “The NPP should identify and prioritise real challenges and take appropriate measures to deal with them,” Ratnayake said, adding that the country was still in an extremely dicey situation.

“The bottom line is that we are not out of the woods yet. I really do not know whether this lot understands ground realities”, he said.

Reiterating his commitment to rebuild the UNP and create an environment conducive for the party to contest the next national election under its ‘Elephant’ symbol, Ratnayake declared that they couldn’t abandon the SLPP group that backed Wickremesinghe at the presidential election even at the risk of their own political future.

Ratnayake said that the UNP appreciated the opportunity to work with an experienced SLPP group at the forthcoming general election.

The ex-MP stressed the responsibility on the part of them to rebuild the party while pointing out that there were instances they reached consensus with partners to contest under different symbols. Ratnayake referred to the fielding of presidential candidates in 2010, 2015 and 2019 under the ‘Swan’ symbol of the NDF.

Now the ‘Swan’ has been replaced by the ‘Gas cylinder’ in the run-up to the general election. “Such a strategy has to be adopted to attract those who are not willing to vote for the ‘Elephant’ symbol,” Ratnayake said, while acknowledging that they didn’t receive the anticipated number of votes from SLPPers at the presidential election.

Ratnayake said that they couldn’t have gone their own separate ways so soon after the presidential election defeat. “We have a plan to bring back leaders and supporters who switched their allegiance to the SJB,” Ratnayake said.

Responding to another query, Ratnayake dismissed the assertion that Wickremesinghe and the UNP protected the Rajapaksas. The former Minister recalled how Mahinda Rajapaksa won the 2005 presidential election thanks to the LTTE ordering the northerners to boycott that election.

Citing what he called the Rajapaksa-LTTE alliance against Wickremesinghe, Ratnayake declared that they had no reason whatsoever to defend and protect the Rajapaksas.

Ratnayake explained the investigations undertaken during the Yahapalana administration into various corruption deals and other high profile investigations ,such as Lasantha Wickrematunga assassination, killing of ruggerrite Wasim Thajudeen and disappearance of Prageeth Ekneligoda, etc.

Ananda Wijeyapala, who had been directly involved in deciding on anti-corruption investigations, now served as Secretary to President Dissanayake.

Ratnayake said that on the part of the UNP, it didn’t try to protect the Rajapaksas in any way during Yahapalanaya.

However, Wickremesinghe on the invitation of the SLPP, accepted the premiership and then the presidency in 2022 not to catch thieves but to save the national economy.

Ratnayake insisted that Wickremesinghe, during his tenure as the President, restored public confidence in the government and secured the support of the international community.

Referring to the recent much publicised declaration made by Premier Dr. Harini Amarasuriya regarding judicial action against Wickremesinghe, Ratnayake said that the Premier shouldn’t make such politically motivated statements. Politicians couldn’t decide whom to be summoned by courts, the former Minister said.

Ratnayake explained the circumstances under which Wickremesinghe banned the entry of foreign research vessels into Sri Lankan waters during 2024. The former Minister said that one major issue was some local institutes, in some cases even the private sector, had finalized certain agreements without proper approval. Ratnayake said so responding to query on the ongoing confrontation between China and ‘Quad’ countries that has placed Sri Lanka in a hapless situation.

Ratnayake stressed the responsibility on the part of Sri Lanka to deal with all countries taking into consideration the various developments, both here and overseas.