New Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe vows tough line against troublemakers
Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Ranil Wickremesinghe addresses the media representatives during his visit at the Gangaramaya Buddhist temple in Colombo, Sri Lanka on July 20, 2022. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP)
Sri Lanka’s president-elect vowed on Wednesday to take tough action against anyone resorting to what he called the undemocratic means that led to his predecessor’s ouster.
Six-time prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he will not bow to violence after winning a parliamentary vote to succeed Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country and resigned last week.
“If you try to topple the government, occupy the president’s office and the prime minister’s office, that is not democracy, it is against the law,” Wickremesinghe said after praying at a Buddhist temple in the capital Colombo.
“We will deal with them firmly according to the law. We will not allow a minority of protesters to suppress the aspirations of the silent majority clamouring for a change in the political system.”
Shortly after his election, he met with elite police and army units guarding the national parliament to thank them for defending key state symbols, his office said.
The overrunning of the presidential palace earlier this month by protesters against Rajapaksa’s handling of the economy saw him flee the premises and then the country. He sent in his resignation from Singapore.
Wickremesinghe is widely seen as a proxy of the once powerful Rajapaksa family, but he denied that he was friends with them.
“I am not a friend of the Rajapaksas,” he told reporters at the Gangaramaya temple. “I am a friend of the people.”
The new leader earlier invited all political parties in parliament to join him in addressing the country’s unprecedented economic crisis that has led to severe shortages of essentials such as food, fuel, and medicines.
(AFP)
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Thank you. When the house is on fire, it is the calm and discipline that will get any result. Not ‘trying to fish in the murky water’ or complete anarchy.
The Aragalaya is finished.
The Aragalaya claims to have reached objectives which is doubtful.
The Aragalaya was taken over by crazy, unruly elements who bask in ‘thrill-vaadaya’.
Don’t be so forlorn. Aragalaya achieved the ‘re-birth’ of Ranil, at least for 2-3 years. The downfall of Aragalaya started with occupying government institutes to prevent those who should be working their going in to do the job at a time the country was in dire trouble(s). That is turning to thuggery and that is what allowed the insurgents in as you claim. To me, there were enough insurgents and hooligans were in it. And, then they went on demanding to release ‘political prisoners’. There were no political prisoners as such, except relatively few of those insurgents (who you claim to have taken over Aragalaya) police apprehended for good reasons,
Exactly RW, Handful of Aragalaya guys can’t dictate the terms & conditions to run the state. RW is doing the right thing to bring law and order. That said, he should take immediate action to stop corruption in the government. For Aragalaya guys: 1. So called Buddhist monks with mustache, bared and long hair should go to Temples; 2. Christian clergy who are in Aragalaya should go back to the church; 3. University students those who unable to complete their respective degrees (for more than 8 years should return to their educational institutes; 5. Other elements go back to their respective houses and try to grow ala-bathala’’ and/or engage in another trade; 6. Guys who hijacked the peaceful áragalaya’’ can commence their campaign for the next presidential elections. Last but not least, I favour giving the Easter Bombing case to UK to do an investigation. Then, I am sure we will no the real maha-mola karu and culprits. This will definitely satisfy the Rev. Malcolm Ranjith et al.