When it was announced that President Ranil Wickremesinghe was coming to Anuradhapura to launch the North Water Supply Project, the main demand of the farmers was that the project should not begin until the Mahakanadarawa Lake is supplied with water from the Moragahakanda reservoir. They also said that they would not allow the President to launch the project.
Because of this, many people thought that President Wickremesinghe would not come to Anuradhapura. On that day, the President not only participated in the event but also discussed with a group of representatives of the main farmers’ organisation which staged the protest.
State Ministers Shasheendra Rajapaksa, Shehan Semasinghe, MP Duminda Dissanayake and former Provincial Minister H.B. Semasinghe were also present.
President Wickremesinghe also invited the District Secretary to this discussion along with the officials of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board and the Irrigation Department.
The President asked the farmers to present their problems first and they said that after taking the water from the lake for drinking purposes, they will not have water for cultivation in the upcoming Yala season.
“Sir, it is the first time that the officials of the Water Board and the Irrigation Department met at the same time. One day when we met the officials of the Irrigation Department, they said one thing. Another day, when we met officials of the Water Board, they said another thing,” the farmers said, commencing the discussion.
“What they say is right. The three groups affected by the problem should meet together. That is why the problem has gone so far,” the President said.
One agreement
President Wickremesinghe promised that the three parties will come together and prepare one agreement and that he will refer it to the Attorney General and prepare it as a legal agreement.
“How much time do you need to prepare?” the President asked the officials. Their reply was that two weeks would be enough.
“OK, send it in two weeks. My policy is also that agriculture cannot run out of water,” the President said, and the farmer representatives agreed.
The President launched the drinking water project along with the JICA Chief.
The President’s speech about the three points presented by Lenin before the revolution turned into a centered topic during the lunch at the President’s House, Anuradhapura after the ceremony.
“Did Lenin talk about communism after the Russian revolution?” State Minister Shehan Semasinghe asked the President.
“Yes, when Lenin started the revolution in 1917, he spoke about three things. The first thing he said was about making peace after the revolution. Second, he spoke about giving the people the right to land. The third was about bread and that means food. He started talking about communism after providing these things to the people,” the President said. “There is an underlying story there. When the 2022 ‘Aragalaya’ started, there was no food and there was no peace. There was also no land ownership,” MP Duminda Dissanayake said.
“Now there is peace. People get free land rights due to the ‘Urumaya’ program. The poor person also has no problem with food due to the ‘Aswesuma’ program. The President who took over the country after the ‘Aragalaya’ has built the country following Lenin. The President has gone the way of Lenin more than those who have followed communism.” When Shehan Semasinghe said the President smiled and said nothing.
President Wickremesinghe arrived in Colombo on Saturday night after his visit to Australia to attend the Indian Ocean Conference in Perth.
On Sunday morning, he went to inquire about the well-being of Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, who was a senior leader of the UNP. When he arrived at Perera’s residence in Giriulla, the presence of a large number of local residents and party members of the Katugampala electorate surprised the President.
President Wickremesinghe, who inquired about the health of the former Minister, engaged in a cordial conversation with the group of people present.
Gamini Jayawickrema Perera passed away yesterday morning.
From Giriulla, the President came to the UNP party headquarters, ‘Sirikotha’ where he met the party’s youth groups and the party’s academic groups. The President also met several groups of the party that evening. The President’s Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka was also present. On Monday morning, the President went to Valukaramaya to unveil the ‘Keerthi Sri Narendra’ statue installed on the occasion of Viharadhipati Thera’s birthday.
Payment gateway
The ceremony to start a common trading system between India and Sri Lanka was held on Monday afternoon. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Mauritius were present via Zoom technology.
Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Sabry, State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath, President’s Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka and Secretary Saman Ekanayake and Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe were also present.
While President Wickremesinghe was talking about history, Indian Prime Minister Modi recalled the relationship between the two ethnic groups. The “online gateway” between the two countries was opened after that.
The President met the Israeli Transport Minister on Tuesday afternoon. He agreed to provide support to develop the transport sector in the country.
That evening, the President met the UNP Management Board where he assigned responsibilities to several members of the party for the future work of the UNP. The Party Leader assigned the responsibility of building the party organisations to UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena and assigned the party’s digitisation program to National Organiser Sagala Ratnayaka.
UNP Leader, President Wickremesinghe also entrusted Akila Viraj Kariyawasam with building student movements as well as university teachers and non-academic staff. Ravi Karunanayake was entrusted with the responsibility of building an alliance around the UNP by gathering other parties and MPs and organisers.
May Day rally
Building a UNP social media program was assigned to the Management Board. The Party Leader assigned the responsibility of organising the upcoming May Day rally to Minister Harin Fernando and advised him to organise a successful May Day rally together with the party Management Committee.
President Wickremesinghe also told them to discuss with not only the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) but also all other parties to gather them around the party.
The President advised to organise a meeting in April with his participation, similar to the one to be held in Kuliyapitiya in March. Party Chairman Wajira Abeywardena pointed out the need to make the country aware of how the JVP has deceived the country throughout history and Party Leader Wickremesinghe approved it and asked to take the necessary measures.
USAID Administrator Samantha Power met the President via Zoom technology. The President spoke about the country’s economy and the Online Safety Bill.
Samantha Power said that they will also help to build the country’s economy. The President went to St. Anthony’s College, Kollupitiya on Wednesday to participate in the national ceremony of distributing textbooks and uniforms to children.
JICA President Dr. Tanaka Akihiko met President Wickremesinghe that evening. They discussed the projects being built under JICA support and the projects to be built.
Competition
A group of MPs had asked the President on Thursday about the Opposition’s talk about abolishing the Executive Presidency.
“I have said several times that I have no intention of postponing the Presidential Election. The money has been allocated. There is now a competition between two Opposition groups. The fact that one group has come ahead is a problem for the other group. The traditional Opposition is worried about this. That’s why they are taking this story by even connecting me through their friendly media.
“The people know that the Executive Presidency cannot be abolished easily. Don’t fall for this false propaganda carried out by the Opposition. Talk about the economic program that we are following,” the President said.
EU delegation meets Sajith
Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Mrs. Carmen Moreno and a group of representatives, met Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa at the Opposition Leader’s office on Thursday afternoon and discussed the challenges the country is facing in political, economic activities.
The Opposition told the delegation that the intervention and contribution of the EU is very important for building the country’s economy at present. In particular, the Opposition Leader explained the problems faced by the export-oriented manufacturing industries and the problems faced by the micro and medium scale industries.
According to the sources of the Department of Census and Statistics, about 263,000 small and medium scale industries have been closed.
The Opposition Leader said that the highest number of industries was closed in 2023, which was 33.4 percent, while 29.3 percent closed in 2022 and 27.4 percent in 2021.
It was emphasised that nearly 27,600 of the businesses closed were run by women. The EU representatives said that it was an important feature of a new political culture that the Opposition Leader, who intends to act by focusing on this issue, comes forward to solve problems for the country regardless of narrow political advantages.
After this discussion, the Opposition Leader invited the representatives of the EU to meet the representatives of the small and medium scale business forum who had come to meet him.
The Opposition Leader said that it will help them understand their problem correctly. The group of representatives of the EU accepted it and joined the discussion very willingly. In this discussion, the small and medium scale industrialists said that they can provide detailed knowledge about the problems faced by them to the EU representatives.
A representative of small and medium scale industrialists, Tania Abeysundara said that she appreciates the Opposition Leader’s continued efforts to intervene in the problems in their sector. She said that the businessmen have not refused repayment of the loan installments taken for their business but more time is needed to repay.
Parate law
She said that it is necessary to temporarily suspend or change the Parate law.
Another representative Prasanna Liyanarachchi said that the Minister has the ability to change the Parate law. He asked the Opposition Leader to mediate in Parliament.
MP Dr. Harsha De Silva, who attended the discussion, said that he will call small and medium-scale representatives and ministerial officials in the Public Accounts Committee to discuss this and try to find a solution.
The Vanni Hathpaththu Agrarian Summit organised by the Samagi Govijana Balawega affiliated to the Samagi Jana Balawegaya was held in Galgamuwa recently.
It was significant that a large number of farmers had attended the event. The Opposition Leader turned to the National Organiser of the Samagi Govijana Balawega, MP Nalin Bandara and said, “There is a large group of people. Isn’t it so, Nalin?”
MP Nalin Bandara said, “Yes, Sir, these are all original farmers and not people dressed as farmers.”
MP Kins Nelson said, “But Sir, the Government is trying to cheat the farmers and there is no plan yet to buy paddy in the Maha season.”
MP Rohana Bandara said, “A kilo of paddy is purchased at around Rs. 70. The rice mill mafia has been strengthened to look after their cronies.’’
MP Harsha de Silva said that the Shakthi rice business strengthened small and medium scale rice mill owners at that time by providing relief to the consumers as well. At the end of this discussion, everyone who participated in the farmers’ summit thanked the MPs of the Kurunegala district including MP Nalin Bandara who organised it.
Samagi lawyers confab
The lawyers’ organisation of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya held the Samagi Lawyers Conference at the Monarch Imperial Hotel, Battaramulla last week.
Steps were also taken to call a press conference about it before the event. A large group of lawyers from all parts of the island attended the conference. At the conference, 116 proposals were presented for reforms to be carried out in the legal sector under a future SJB Government.
At the friendly get-together held after the conference, the Opposition Leader joined all the lawyers in friendly conversation, thanking President’s Counsel Upul Jayasuriya and others who contributed to making it a success.
Jayasuriya told Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa to base new proposals to provide the change demanded by the people of the country under a SJB Government.
The Opposition Leader said that we are already preparing the background for a program that will strengthen the democratic system in such a way that there is protection and balance between the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary.
President’s Counsel Farman Cassim said, “Leader, it is important to declare the party’s position on the Executive Presidency. It is also very good the explanation given against postponing the Presidential Election under the guise of doing away with the Presidency.
“Leader, if this system is to be changed, an appropriate election procedure should be prepared for it,” he said.
The 116 proposals presented by the Samagi Lawyers’ Association and the activities of the Association became a matter of everyone’s attention last week.
Anti-corruption force
The Samagi anti-corruption force emphasised the need to build public opinion against drug trafficking. The president of the anti-corruption force, former MP Mujibur Rahman said that the President and the Cabinet cannot wash their hands of responsibility by arresting Keheliya Rambukwella.
He said that the President and the Cabinet of Ministers who gave permission to Keheliya Rambukwella are responsible for this corrupt deal. Convener of the Samagi anti-corruption force Niroshan Padukka said, “Then let’s implement a program to popularise it.”
Poster campaign
Joining the discussion, former MP Mujibur Rahman said that they will run a poster campaign next week highlighting those facts. The lawyers who are committee members of the anti-corruption force emphasised that corruption has spread to many other places and said to send an application form to the Criminal Investigation Department under the Right to Information Act to get the statement of the Secretary to the Ministry of Health.
Committee member Ananda Palitha said that it is important to complain to the Bribery and Corruption Commission that a lot has happened about this corrupt transaction extraneous to the Cabinet decision.
