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Sajith to fully support goal-oriented national development 

21 Jul 2022

  • Dullas says P’ment has responsibility to rebuild lost public trust  
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday (20) said that following the Parliamentary vote to select a new President, the SJB’s fullest support will be given to the new President to develop the nation through targeted goals.  “Parliament implemented the Constitution here, but the people are living in disappointment and pain. We must protect their right to life. I believe that the President would lead the way in political reforms, as those are necessary. This country’s state is a result of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. We will never sell the mandate that the people gave us. To develop this nation, our fullest support will be given. Our full support is available to fulfil the nation’s needs. We have publicly asked India to continue to support us, whoever the President is,” he said in Parliament. He added that the Parliament’s view is not reflective of the people’s day-to-day struggles. “At this moment, we must all reflect on why we came to such a state today where Parliament has to select a new President. That is because, for the first time in this country’s democratic history, former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who got 6.9 million votes, was forced to resign due to the massive public uprising against him. All 225 of us should understand this. The country should work according to the Constitution. That is how Alahapperuma became a candidate, and how I was suggested too. But we know mathematics as well as we do the 2020 General Election result. We saw Alahapperuma as a progressive candidate from the SLPP and put our aspirations aside for a new turn in this country’s history, for a change in the system. We must work within the Constitution, as one cannot have an anarchical society. However, we must understand that the people outside have a different reality to Parliament’s opinions.,” he said.  Although the SJB stated last week that Premadasa hoped to be a candidate, it was announced on Tuesday (19) that the SJB would support Alahapperuma, alongside the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a faction of the SLPP backed by its Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris, and independent MPs. Premadasa stressed yesterday that a transparent national plan is needed to develop the country and that a timeline, with proper socio-economic targets should be included in it.  Meanwhile, Alahapperuma, also speaking in the Parliament following the vote, said that their aim was to build the country’s first united interim Government. Expressing his gratitude to those who did and did not support him, he termed this defeat as an “encouraging guidance”. “Whatever the result, this unity is an example to the entire world. A healthy country can get up again. All our support is needed for that. Historically, decisions were made looking at the 225 families on the island in Diyawanna. But we looked at the families living on this island in the Indian Ocean. This Parliament’s main responsibility should be to rebuild the trust that was lost, and that cannot be done through numbers alone,” said Alahapperuma.  The 63-year-old said the current political culture has paved the way for constitutional amendments that prioritised personal and political party agendas instead of a national agenda and betrayed the people’s sovereignty. Speaking further of his intention to contest the presidential race, the parliamentarian said he only wished to establish a “practical consensual government” for the first time in the country’s history. He also recalled Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s candidacy withdrawal to nominate him for the election. He also thanked SLPP chairman, Prof. G.L. Peiris who seconded the nomination.  


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