- Country will be ruined if son of ex-President is elected
- Absurd politicians are opting to be country’s leaders
SJB Gampaha District Parliamentarian Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka told Parliament on Thursday, June 20 that if leaders who distribute goods to schools and hospitals with casino owners’ money, come to power, the country will be destroyed and if such people are voted at an election, it will be a betrayal even to future generations. He said that a person could not come to power because he was a Party Leader, his father was a President, he had relatives, or because he had the inheritance of parties. If the country is handed over to such a person again, the country will be destroyed.
Fonseka said that the people are requested not to vote for those politicians who claim to go to the North and pledge to give the 13th Amendment to get 500,000 votes. MP Fonseka also said that when he requested time from the Chief Opposition Whip to express his views in Parliament, he was asked if he would support Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in the upcoming elections.
Fonseka said that due to the Opposition not giving time for his speech, the ruling party gave him time. He said that he would request the people not to get into trouble by voting for the Opposition Leader in the upcoming elections.
During his speech, Field Marshal Fonseka who criticised the actions of Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and Chief Opposition Whip MP Lakshman Kiriella said, “I am a representative of the people. I am the second most voted person in the Opposition. I got 113,000 votes. The person who said that I can’t give time got 70,000 votes. We can only make our speeches here if we praise certain persons.
The Chief Opposition Whip also expressed such a point of view. However, I didn’t give up my attempt. On this occasion, the time was obtained with the help of the ruling party. I thank all those who allocated time for me to speak. MPs get a chance to speak based on percentage. In that case, there should be some mechanism to know whether we are getting time to speak or not. Only one person in the Opposition speaks for more than 40 minutes a day. I speak once in three parliamentary sessions. There is something wrong if one person uses the time allocated for us and does not provide us the opportunity to speak if we don’t go behind him or praise him. This mistake should be rectified. No one should be treated unfairly. We work with honesty. We did not get votes by giving alcohol to the people.”
“I did not engage in politics by taking bribes. Neither do I collect money from the casino owners in Colombo and distribute goods to schools and hospitals. I do politics without even drinking a glass of alcohol. Therefore, we deserve these privileges. Now a District Organiser has now been appointed to my electorate and alcohol is being distributed.
A dansala was also organised for Vesak and while noodles were distributed, the Organiser was serving alcohol in the backyard. When things like this happen, there is great regret about the future of the country. Because we have not collected money from racketeers and casino owners and distributed the goods and then we don’t ask the people if this is the change they are expecting. I was also in one particular meeting.
“Distribute goods and ask if this is the change this country is anticipating. Such absurd politicians are waiting to become leaders of the country. People should be aware of such politicians. If people make them the leaders of this country instead of Party Leaders, the country will not recover. That is the problem with corrupt politics. There is a group of people called strongmen in these parties. Half of these so-called strong people are corrupt. There are 15 to 20 percent who have no vision. When the Party Leaders contest the Presidential Election, the people have no alternative. People should be aware of those who have no vision.
The country should have a good leader. This country cannot be built by this Parliament. Fifty percent of Parliamentarians are corrupt. A good and capable leader should be elected.
“In the selection of that leader, if the country is handed over to a person whose father was the President or Party Leader, or whether it was inherited or related, the country will be ruined.”
“Understand this situation. If you want the country to recover, appoint a leader with an intelligent vision. If people who distribute goods with casino money become leaders, the country will be destroyed. If you vote for such people, you will be betraying the future generations. Poverty will not end just because one distributes goods. Don’t vote for such people,” Fonseka added.
