The economic and political crisis caused by four decades of neoliberalism could only be overcome by bringing an alternative economic program to power, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL) Dr. G. Weerasinghe said issuing a statement yesterday.

Dr. Weerasinghe said that as soon as satisfactory solutions for the pressing needs of the people were found, parliamentary elections should be held so that the people’s will and sovereignty could be expressed.

“Long-term solutions to overcome the crisis facing the country can be expected from such a government,” he said.

Given below is the CPSL statement: “With the crisis, the struggle and the appointment of Ranil Wickremesinghe as President, Sri Lanka has reached a critical point.

“It is necessary to examine very briefly how the country reached this critical moment. A trade deficit has been created due to the neoliberal economic policies that have been operating in our country for many decades. The tax policy associated with that system reduced government revenue, and the public sector was removed from the economic process.

“Planning was excluded. The misguided economy that was built as a result was pushed into a severe crisis by the COVID – 19 epidemic and failed management in the last two years, causing a shortage of dollars and rupees. A great disaster has been created in the areas of food, medicine, electricity, fuel, gas, fertilizers, industries and agriculture.

“The economic crisis that arose in the country pushed to a political explosion. Beginning with the removal of ministers from the cabinet in March, Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as Prime Minister on May 09, the Rajapaksas were removed from ministerial positions, and Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed as Prime Minister on May 12.

“These developments took place in parallel with the Galle-Face protest movement that started in April. The violence was unleashed from the Temple-Trees on May 9 targeting protest movement, followed by killings and burning of houses across the country. The people’s uprising took place on July 09, with the participation of hundreds of thousands of people, in a situation where the Ranil Wickremesinghe government, which assumed the position of Prime Minister on May 12, did not provide the expected solutions to the acute problems of the economic crisis, which were served as the basis for the struggle. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country.

“Ranil Wickremesinghe became the President on July 20th in the constitutionally held presidential election as the post of President was vacant. The national and international factors as well as subjective and objective factors that led to Ranil Wickremesinghe’s victory can be understood. However, what is important is whether under the government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, the people will get the relief they need and whether they will overcome the crisis. The acute problems that the people expect immediate solutions from the government have arisen regarding food, fuel gas, medicines, and fertilizers, industrial and agricultural inputs.

“Therefore, these issues related to living need immediate solutions. As soon as satisfactory solutions are found for these issues, parliamentary elections should be held so that the people’s will and sovereignty can be expressed. Long-term solutions to overcome the crisis facing the country can be expected from such a government.

“It will not be possible to prevent the emergence of various conflicting events in this crisis situation. It is the expectation of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka that the government will respect the right of the people for agitation and protest peacefully. The Communist Party will not hesitate to defeat any attempt to violate those rights of the people.

We observe how certain forces led by the American imperialists are working to further aggravate this crisis that has arisen in our country, and to use the crisis for their own purposes and strategies. The Communist Party called on all leftist, democratic, progressive and nationalist and anti-imperialist forces to work together to ruthlessly expose and defeat those attempts.”