Ranil and the 134 backing him must be sent home: AKD 

NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake

• Says torso of Rajapaksa regime surviving in Parliament 
• Highlights that only two political camps now exist
• Accuses Ranil Wickremesinghe of using repression to survive 

By Maneshka Borham 

National People’s Power (NPP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake claimed the Rajapaksas have not been fully vanquished from Parliament. According to him, while the citizen’s protest managed to get rid of its ugly head, the torso remains in Parliament to this day. “If the country is to be revived then these remainders of the Rajapaksa regime must also be destroyed,” he said 

Dissanayake made these comments while addressing those gathered at the massive anti-Government rally held by the party on Saturday in Nugegoda. A protest march organised by the party calling for the Parliament to be dissolved immediately commenced from the Wijerama Junction and headed to Nugegoda where a public meeting was held at the Ananda Samarakoon Open Air Theatre. 

“In the last several months we witnessed the most significant uprising of the people in Sri Lanka’s recent history. That citizen’s struggle was able to strike off the head of the Rajapaksa clan. They were able to get rid of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Ministers Chamal Rajapaksa, Namal Rajapakasa and Shashindra Rajapaksa. But the torso of the clan by way of their supporting MPs remained in Parliament. Then a new head was just fixed on the remaining torso to survive. That head was Ranil Wickremesinghe,” Dissanayake said. 

According to the NPP leader, following this now only two political camps exist in the country. “One is the Ranil-Rajapaksa camp consisting of Ranil, the Rajapaksas, and a group consisting of criminals and frauds,” he noted, adding that there is also a smaller group milling about this camp including those claiming to be independent and certain MPs from Sajith’s faction.

“This camp is not one accepted by the people of this country and is only surviving due to 134 heads in Parliament. They are dependent on the current Constitution as it has helped them to establish a constitutionally accepted power. This camp is also dependent on benefits and rewards,” he said, pointing out that a number of ministers are to be sworn in during the coming week. 

“This camp is surviving by wasting millions of public funds by granting additional plum positions. The United National Party managed to only get one MP into Parliament and that was Ranil Wickremesinghe. Every other person lost. But now all of them have also gathered around this camp,” he pointed out. 

According to Dissanayake, Ranil is now attempting to bolster his power through repression. “He believes his survival depends on repression. Recently making a speech, he said the citizen’s struggle had peaceful protestors but later that the protests turned towards terrorism. We too watched the arrests carefully to see these so-called terrorists. 

“Who were they? One was a person who bathed in the President›s pool, another who used the President›s washroom and another who had earned a slice of papaw at the President›s House,” he said, adding that there is no choice but to send President Ranil Wickremesinghe and the 134 who supported him home.