MR brands 2017 a decisive year

Requesting the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to put the future of the country above all else, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his New Year message called 2017 “a decisive year”. 

“The sovereignty and territorial integrity of our motherland and the fate of future generations will hang in the balance in 2017 under this increasingly dysfunctional Government,” he said, adding that 2017 would be the year in which the future of Sri Lanka would be decided. 

Criticising the devolution process and the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India and the PPP agreement for the Hambantota Port, Rajapaksa said there were a number of unwelcome changes planned by the Government in the coming year 

“The Government’s devolution package to divide the country into what they call ‘distinct spheres of authority’, the ETCA with India to open up Sri Lanka to Indian service providers and workers, the privatisation of the Hambantota harbour and other Government-owned assets are just some of the unwelcome changes that the Government has planned in the new year.” 

He highlighted that all of the Government’s plans compound the “gross economic mismanagement, declining growth rate, declining foreign reserves, the deteriorating exchange rate, increased taxation, increased interest rates, increasing inflation and a phenomenal increase in the national debt that we have seen over the past two years.”

In his statement he was also critical of the SLFP members who are also members of the current coalition Government. Rajapaksa stated that politicians who were elected on an anti-UNP vote now appear to be engaged in a struggle with their conscience. 

“Uncertain of the correct path to take, they keep vacillating. While condemning Arjuna Mahendran over the bond scam they defend the Prime Minister. They criticise the UNP in public but vote with them on the VAT Bill, the Office of Missing Persons Bill and the Budget. They cooperate with the Joint Opposition to defeat the ‘super minister’ Bill, but at the same time they cooperate with the UNP on the devolution proposals. At this decisive moment, they should be mindful of the future of the country above everything else,” he stated.

“There are many Ministers and MPs in the SLFP group as well as the UNP who are genuinely perturbed by what the Government has been doing. When the leaders of the Joint Opposition so decide, the doors of the anti-government coalition of forces will be thrown open to all such individuals. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of our motherland and the fate of future generations will hang in the balance in 2017 under this increasingly dysfunctional Government. May all citizens of Sri Lanka have the courage and strength to meet the challenges that lie ahead from the first week of January onwards,” the statement added.