National People’s Power (NPP) leader and Presidential candidate Anura Dissanayake told his election rally in Balangoda recently, that his party would set up a Government which Sri Lankans have never seen.
“The Governments the people have experienced so far have not been what they hoped for,” Dissanayake said. “For the first time, we will create a Government that truly meets the people’s expectations.”
Dissanayake criticised the prevailing perception of the Government, saying, “People believe a Government is one where ministers engage in corruption, squander public funds, interfere with law enforcement, and accept bribes from entrepreneurs to start businesses. They think a Government is a place where one can find safety after committing misdeeds.
“A Government should be one that manages a country’s progress, protects its people, and ensures everyone is equal before the law,” he said.
Addressing scepticism, he said, “Some may say that this is just rhetoric. But after the Presidential poll, we will show them what a Government should be.”
Dissanayake said that the NPP has no intention of seeking revenge against anyone. “We will form a Government with those who voted for us and those who voted against us. We will develop the country together,” he said. “We will not harm, nor will we allow anyone from our camp to harm those who voted against us after the Presidential poll on September 21.”
He called for unity saying, “We have no reason to be angry with people who support other political parties. We will create a country where people of different views, from every political party and community, can live in harmony.”
He also emphasised the need for justice, adding, “We don’t want to go about settling old scores. However, justice must be served. We will take steps to prosecute those who have stolen public property.”
Dissanayake also addressed the Easter Sunday attack, reiterating the NPP’s stance. “Within two weeks of the attack, we said it was a political conspiracy. If a political culture develops where killing becomes a path to power, and those who commit such crimes live without fear, the country will never achieve stability,” he said.
He promised to investigate the murder of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, sayng that the failure to bring the perpetrators to justice encourages further criminality. “When criminals remain free after committing crimes, it erodes public confidence in law and order and leads to the collapse of the country,” Dissanayake said. Dissanayake said they will set up a Government rooted in law and order, one that will bring those involved in crimes and corruption to justice. “We have no personal enmities. Our challenge is to restore law and order,” he said.
