MR calls on masses to topple Govt.

• Claims taxes to double by 2018-end, says Budget against people’s aspirations   

By Skandha Gunasekara

MP and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday in Parliament called on the masses to give their fullest support to “send the incumbent government home”. 

Addressing the House hours before the vote on the Second Reading of the Budget 2018, MP Rajapaksa said the next elections would reveal the true political desires of the people, which would allow a new Government to come to power and rescue the country from the prevailing economic dilemma. 

“I call on all those who love our Motherland to give their fullest corporation to send the incumbent Government home.”

“These corrupt and inefficient leaders should be sent home immediately. It is the task before the people of this country. The public displeasure against this Government is loud and clear and is echoing across the country. The Government is suffering from election paranoia and has delayed holding local government polls for the past two and half years. People are aware of this and the entire nation condemns the Government’s attempt in September 2017 to further postpone elections in the face of a certain loss. However, there will be an end to this deferment soon. A day will soon come when the aspirations of the public will triumph once again. The sinister tactics of these corrupt and inefficient leaders will not be able to delay the elections any further. On that day, the wishes and hopes of the masses will arise. A new group capable of solving the political and national problems will come to power.”

He then asserted that the Budget 2018 lacked progressive elements and demanded to know what the incumbent had achieved since coming to power.

“The Prime Minister always says that my Government left them with a huge debt burden. Then he says that the incumbent Government was able to uplift the nation. Both those statements are as true as when they said that Volkswagen would invest in Sri Lanka. What progress have they made to talk about? What new employment have they given? Did they make a single power plant? Did they upgrade any ports? Construct any highways? They could not even supply petrol to the people,” he said, adding that instead the incumbent Government had bought a host of luxury cars for the President, Prime Minister and Ministers.  

The former President also remarked that the since his Government was ousted in 2014, the Government had doubled its domestic tax revenue.

“When our Government left, the total tax revenue was Rs. 1,050 billion but by the end of 2018 it is expected to almost double to Rs. 2,034 billion. It appears the Coalition Government believes the draining the masses of the hard-earned money is a big achievement. I’m certain that those in Washington are happy that their obedient cronies in Colombo are doing as they are told.”