Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Tuesday, 20 September 2022 01:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
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| Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa |
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| Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP S.M. Marikkar
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Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP S.M. Marikkar claims an SJB Government will be formed next year with Sajith Premadasa as its President. “We cannot let this corrupt Government continue in this manner,” he said, adding that the current rulers are now using the people’s poverty and helplessness to rob them of their wealth and rights. “Therefore, I assure you by next year the SJB will come to power. It will be a Premadasa-led Government” he said.
Marikkar made these comments at a party meeting held in the Kolonnawa electorate yesterday. The meeting was also attended by SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa.
Marikkar said the true ideologies and policies of the original United National Party (UNP) are now only being followed by the SJB. “SJB is the real UNP now. We are continuing the UNP policies that started with Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake,” he said. Marikkar accused current President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also the Leader of the UNP, of pawning the age-old party to thieves and thugs.
“Today those who felt they could not leave the UNP are now leaving it to join the SJB as a result of this,” he said, while challenging Wickremesinghe to contest against the SJB at an election. “If he watches this video today and sees the kind of support the SJB has from the people, he will not hold an election,” he said.
Marikkar accused the Government of profiting from the current crisis and said therefore it must now be allowed to be in power. “When we question Wickremesinghe of various dubious activities he merely says he will check and revert. This is the same response we got when we questioned him about the bond scam. We will defeat this group and form an SJB Government next year,” he claimed.
However, he said bringing all those responsible for corruption will have to be brought before justice. “Wickremesinghe is asking us to forget the past. Is he asking us to forget all that was stolen by the Rajapaksas and the crimes they committed? Is he asking us to forget that they must be brought before the law and punished?” he asked.
Marikkar said that once elected as President, the responsibility of punishing those who stole from the people will lay squarely on Sajith Premadasa. “We will bring before the law everyone who stole from the people including officials who followed illegal orders of the current Government. Premadasa must accept the responsibility and ensure this,” he said, adding that an SJB Government will also recover all funds acquired through illegal and corrupt means.
