Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa says although an invitation was extended to all parties to come forward in unity to address the current crisis, they all failed to step forward.
The Prime Minister in his address to the nation last night said this is not a time to prioritise party affiliations over the resurrection of the country’s economy.
The Premier said with this call being unanswered, the government as the party commanding a majority, have taken up this responsibility and will overcome these challenges.
The Prime Minister said power plants were built to ensure a continuous supply of electricity, in an effort to ensure the fulfilment of promises made in 2010.
However, Premier Rajapaksa said due to the previous government stalling the development of such projects, they have not been able to fulfil those expectations and upkeep of such assurances.
Prime Minister Rajapaksa said he understands the fatigue of the people who have been queuing for days in fuel queues and empathise with their pain including the skyrocketing price of goods.
The Premier added the government restricted taking loans from international stakeholders and prioritised working with and empowering people to make Sri Lanka a debt free country.
He claimed the government has always strived to protect the independence of the country even from international influences under trying circumstances, to the point that at times, they withdrew opportunities to bring in large scale investments to Sri Lanka when public opinion dictated so.
The Premier also claimed that the government will never take decisions that will undermine democracy, the country’s governance structure or its supremacy.
He noted that the chant ‘No 225 in Parliament’ today echoes through the streets and it immediately translates to a rejection of this democratic system.
Premier Rajapaksa added as they embark on an enormous programme to overcome the crisis we face today, every second is spent by the President and this government in exhausting avenues to rebuild our country.
The Prime Minister also said the government has historically imbued farmers with the highest relief packages to aid their industry, yet today farmers stand against the government.
He noted no matter how honourable the notion of organic fertiliser is, it is not the time for it to be implemented.
As such, the Premier said they will be reinstating the fertiliser subsidy to once again equip farmers to optimise their craft.
