News
Protesters refuse to leave Galle Face until Ranil steps down
They do not want to inconvenience people who come to relax at Viharamaha Devi Park
By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon and Sujeewa Thathsara
Anti-government protests will not shift to Viharamaha Devi Park, Convener of the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) Wasantha Mudalige said yesterday.
“We will protest where we want. It is our constitutional right,” he said.
The government has said that it will allocate Viharamaha Devi Park, etc., for protesters.
Mudalige added that they would continue to protest until Ranil Wickremesinghe stepped down.
“Wickremesinghe and his allies are not capable of finding solutions to the economic woes of the country. Has he proposed a plan? Before becoming Prime Minister his acolytes insisted that he would bring in billions of dollars through his connections. Where is the money?” he asked.
The IUSF convener said that some Ministers wanted the protestors to move to Viharamaha Devi Park. The protesters are not ready to move and their presence was not an obstruction to the people, he said.
“No one can say where people should protest. The government must show us that they have a plan. But it seems that the only plan they have is suppression,” Mudalige said.
He added that people will be greatly inconvenienced if protests are held in Viharamaha Devi Park. “This is one of the few places where people in Colombo can come and relax. It’s an oasis of trees and nature. Children come there to play. There are art exhibitions and events there. Does the government not know this? Do they think that if we are not seen, people’s troubles will lessen?” he said.
Mudalige said that the international media had portrayed the protests positively and young people from around the world have expressed solidarity with Sri Lankan youth. “If anything, protests have made Sri Lanka look good internationally,” he said.
NPP Parliamentarian Asoka Ranwala who was appointed the 22nd Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament, on 21st November has resigned from his position today [13], in the wake of the controversy surrounding his educational qualifications.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has officially appointed members to the Port City Economic Commission.
Accordingly Harsha Amarasekera, President’s Counsel, has been appointed as the Chairman while Damien Amal Cabraal, Mohan Ray Abeywardena, Sanjaya Kulatunga, and Dr. Harsha Subasinghe were appointed as members of the Port City Economic Commission
The official letters of appointment were handed over to the members by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today (13).
“We will not allow the trust the people have placed in us to be undermined in any way,” stated President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during a meeting with the heads of state media today (13).
He further emphasised, “Regardless of their status in government, if mistakes are made, we will not hesitate to take appropriate action.”
The President further explained:
“For more than seven decades, the people of this nation have built and dismantled various governments. For the first time, we stand with a profound understanding of the historic mandate entrusted to us and the National People’s Power on two occasions.
The people placed their faith in the National People’s Power (NPP) government, hoping for a standardised and stable country. We will not tarnish that extraordinary trust, even by the slightest misconduct.
Simply put, our government is not here to shield anyone who errs, for any reason. Be it within the broader framework of the country or within our administration, anyone found guilty of wrongdoing will face consequences. We will not hesitate to act decisively and at the right time. In essence, our government will not shield anyone who makes a mistake, regardless of the reason. Whether the mistake occurs within the country or at any level within our government, we will not hesitate to take decisive action. Every necessary step will be taken at the appropriate time without delay.”
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also reaffirmed his government’s unwavering commitment to upholding the trust placed in them by the people, who have endured decades of deception. He pledged to work tirelessly to build a better nation.
The Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, Director-General of Government Information, Harsha Bandara, and the heads of state media were present at the meeting.
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