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Contest election and enter P’ment, Patali tells aragalaya

12 Jul 2022

BY Buwanajee Coralage Leader of the 43rd Brigade and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) elected “independent” MP Patali Champika Ranawaka stated that representatives from the “aragalaya” (struggle) have the ability to rightfully contest in an election and enter Parliament through the people’s vote in order to bring about the system change that they seek.  Speaking to the media yesterday (11), he stated that if the people of this country need to dispose of all the 225 MPs currently in Parliament, they can do so by electing new peoples’ representatives into the Government at the next election, adding, however, that any other means of power acquisition will be undemocratic and unconstitutional. “It is the people who voted for these 225 MPs, and there is a fundamental system in this country. This is not a disconnected country. We follow a standardised system approved on the international stage. So the protestors have the right to elect a totally different set of 225 individuals to the Parliament in the next election, and we are not against that. That is the view of the people, but they too have to contest in the elections. The ‘aragalaya’ represents the public community. Though some may represent different factions, what they can do is contest in the next election and acquire the peoples’ vote to activate their will and principles; however, acts to establish power otherwise are wholly undemocratic,” said Ranawaka. He also stated that the 43rd Brigade has taken steps to address all the major political parties last week through a letter stating the crucial changes that need to be adapted with regard to the political and economic paradigms in the country to resolve this crisis.  “The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution Bill cannot be accepted as is, as there needs to be a profound democratic reconstruction within Parliament. A collective interim Government needs to be established with a set of collective goals and objectives, while the resignation of the current President Gotabaya Rajapaksa should occur as declared by Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena in order to prevent the further escalation of protests.” When questioned regarding the stance of the 43rd Brigade regarding working together with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) and the SJB, he stated that discussions are underway with the respective party representatives to create a collective set of political principles to be adhered to in the future. Ranawaka emphasised that the Rajapaksas have now lost the faith and trust of the people and noted how it would be the healthy and honourable choice for the President to step down as planned tomorrow (13). He however noted that this does not imply that other parties can declare that the people are with them now, as they have no right to act beyond what is stated in the Constitution.   


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