News
FSP accuses President of taking country on 1977 path to disaster
Budget 2023
By Rathindra Kuruwita
President Ranil Wickremesinghe is all ot to reverse people’s hard-won victories, Education Secretary of the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) Pubudu Jayagoda says.
“Wickremesinghe talks about moves to introduce revolutionary changes to the country. His budget is anything but that. He repeats the criticism that progressive forces have been making for decades, but the solutions he has suggested are anti-people,” he said.The President is all out to destroy the welfare state and following in the footsteps of his uncle, JR Jayewardene, Jayagoda said.
“He is trying to usher in the reforms that Margaret Thatcher introduced.”
The 2023 budget proposals would even give the IMF economists a pause, the FSP stalwart said.
“The IMF has similar ideas but at least they pay lip service to the importance of maintaining basic social welfare mechanisms. Wickremesinghe’s proposals will destroy all low- and middle-income families,” Jagoda said.
“Wickremesinghe in his budget says that he wants the majority of Sri Lankans to benefit from economic development. Echoing leftists, he has claimed that there should be income redistribution.
“We must look at what he is doing. He quotes the Buddha and says that loans must be used for investments and not consumption. Leftists have been saying for decades that loans should be used to boost productive capacity. However, what have governments done since 1977? They have borrowed heavily and used them on white elephants. We have also built a lot of infrastructure but unlike in China, the infrastructure we built is not linked with factories. This infrastructure does not promote productive forces. President Wickremesinghe has been in Parliament for decades. He was a minister and prime minister for decades. He is now the President. Has he used loans for proper investments? He doesn’t practice what he preaches,” the FSP Education Secretary said.
When the country has hit rock bottom Wickremesinghe and his lackeys claim that we have taken too much debt and wasted it on consumption, he said. “The same people who borrowed like there is no tomorrow have suddenly discovered that borrowing like gambling addiction is bad. However, Wickremesinghe doesn’t tell us what his plans for developing and expanding the manufacturing capacity is,” he said. Jayagoda said that the budget proposal has nothing to build confidence among investors and producers. The small and medium scale investors are in serious trouble and they have been begging for relief for months, Jayagoda said.
“Wickremesinghe wants to give tax concessions to multinationals, and he wants to undermine local manufacturing. Wickremesinghe talks about building infrastructure and facilitating investors. However, his budget has nothing for SMEs that employ millions,” he said. Jayagoda said that the government also plans to fast-track free trade agreements. This will be done while weakening the local industries, he said.
“The workers of Sri Lanka have won certain rights after making enormous sacrifices. Wickremesinghe wants to destroy all that. Soon all laws that protect workers’ rights will be abolished. Taxpayers will have to pay for workers that are fired by private companies. Even if the government takes away all the laws that protect workers, investors won’t come here. There are no labour laws in the poorest countries in the world, are investors running there? China is increasing wages and rights, but companies still go there, even after America’s ttempts to undermine China,” he said.
Jayagoda said that the government also wants to open agricultural land to the market. Right now, large swaths of farming lands can’t be sold. If farmers are allowed to sell land, at a time like this, a few companies will buy up a lot of land for a song and farming will collapse, he said.
“Wickremesinghe talks about selling state owned enterprises. He talks about selling SriLankan airlines, Insurance Corporation, Sri Lanka Telecom, Hilton and Waters Edge. Apart from SriLankan airlines, all the others make enourmous profits. SriLankan was destroyed by a henchman of Mahinda Rajapaksa. When Ranil was prime minister in the Yahapalana Government, they appointed a commission on SriLankan airlines. Now he can implement the commission recommendations,” he said.
The budget also takes steps to privatise education and health. There is a lot of inequality in Sri Lanka and people still have some upward mobility because of free education and healthcare, Jayagoda said.
“Ranil plans to take the country on the same path it had been travelling since 1977. We have had nothing but disaster since 1977. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results,” he said.
Latest News
Prime Minister intervenes to speed up Police investigations into the death of the child at Kotahena
A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya was held on Saturday [May 10] at the Prime Minister’s Office with the police team conducting investigations and the parents of the deceased child from Kotahena.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister instructed the police investigation team to carry out an impartial, accurate inquiry into the incidents that occurred both within the school and in the tuition class.
The Prime Minister further informed the group that the Ministry of Education is presently conducting an internal inquiry to assess the efficiency and adequacy of the procedures that were followed at the time the incident was reported.
In light of the observed lack of coordination among state institutions responsible for responding to cases of child abuse and the failure of these systems to adequately intervene in the recent case involving the abused child the Prime Minister has appointed a three-member committee, chaired by Consultant Paediatrician Dr. Asvini Fernando, to oversee and ensure that the relevant procedures arecarried out efficiently.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa, Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Saroja Savithri Paulraj, and Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs, Ananda Wijayapala.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The State Vesak Festival for the Buddhist Year 2569 commenced on Saturday (10) at the International Buddhist Centre Temple in Nuwara Eliya, under the patronage of the Most Venerable Maha Nayaka Theros of the Three Nikayas and with the participation of President Anura Kumara Disanayake.
This year’s State Vesak Festival is held under the theme “Bhajetha Miththe Kalyane–Bhajetha Purisuththame” (Associate with noble friends of virtue) and will be conducted from May 10 to 16, centered around the Nuwara Eliya District.
Organized in line with the guidance of the Most Venerable Mahanayaka Theros and the directives of the All Island Shasanarakshaka Mandalaya, the festival is coordinated by the Presidential Secretariat, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, the Department of Buddhist Affairs, the Central Provincial Council and the District Secretariat of Nuwara Eliya.
In conjunction with the declaration of the ‘Vesak Week’ from May 10 to 16, a series of Buddhist religious programmes have been organized in accordance with government policy to promote the spiritual development of the people. Additionally, on-going development work at several temples in the Nuwara Eliya District will be completed during this period with the support of the tri-forces.
Further, a number of special programmes are being implemented under the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative to foster spiritual growth and Buddhist awareness among the public in parallel with the State Vesak Festival.
Hosting this year’s State Vesak Festival in the multi-religious and multi-cultural Nuwara Eliya District is of special significance. It aims to foster Buddhist enlightenment across the country and further strengthen ties with Buddhist nations around the world.
To mark the occasion of 2569th State Vesak Festival, a commemorative stamp was issued, with the first stamp being officially presented to the President.
The event also included the presentation of ‘Sri Sannas Patra’ (official declarations) designating the historic Maliyadeva Purana Raja Maha Viharaya in Kotmale and the Sri Vishnu Devalaya in Kurunegala as sites of religious worship, both formally handed over by the President.
The event was graced by prominent members of the Maha Sangha, including Chief Registrar of the Malwathu Chapter of the Siam Maha Nikaya and Chief Incumbent of the Somawathi Raja Maha Viharaya Most Venerable Dr. Pahamune Sri Sumangala Nayaka Thero, Anunayake of the Asgiri Chapter of the Siam Maha Nikaya Most Venerable Anamaduwe Sri Dammadassi Nayaka Thero together with the Maha Sangha representing the three Nikayas, The Chairman of the All Island Shasanarakshaka Mandalaya, Most Venerable Professor Thubulle Seelakkhanda Nayaka Thera, the Chief Registrar of Samastha Lanka Shasanarakshaka Balamandala, Venerable Muganuwala Anuruddha Nayaka Thera, along with the Maha Sangha of the Samastha Lanka Shasanarakshaka Balamandalaya.
Also in attendance were multi-religious clergy, Speaker of Parliament Jagath Wickramaratne, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, other Ministers and MPs, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, senior government officials, foreign Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and a distinguished gathering of local and international guests.
The Election Commission has called on all candidates who contested the just concluded 2025 Local Government (LG) Elections to submit their campaign income and expenditure reports by May 28, in line with the Election Expenditure Regulation Act No. 03 of 2023 although there are no penalties for non-compliance.
Candidates are required to file their disclosures with the Returning Officers of their respective electoral districts. Election Commissioner General Saman Sri Ratnayake stated that the measure aims to promote trans parency and accountability in the electoral process.
However, Institute for Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies(IRES) Executive Director Manjula Gajanayake expressed concern over the lack of enforcement mechanisms, warning that the absence of penalties could undermine the effectiveness of the law.
By Ranil Dharmasena
Prime Minister intervenes to speed up Police investigations into the death of the child at Kotahena
State Vesak festival 2025 begins under the patronage of the President
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