Country being dragged down a path of destruction: Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith

The Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith this week said with pain that the country is being dragged down a path of destruction by the group that came to power claiming to protect the country.

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith said all hopes of the people for the present Government had been dashed and a very precarious environment is being created in the country.

He said that under whatever themes such as ‘good governance’ and ‘vision of prosperity’ came to power, those governments had only committed betrayals and that this journey should be stopped now.

Addressing a media briefing held at the Archbishop’s official residence in Borella, the Cardinal said the people are disappointed in many aspects and the way in which the country is being governed. The Archbishop said he was concerned about the current situation in the country, adding that a problem had arisen as to where the country was heading, and who would make the decisions and govern the country.

He said it was easy to sell off existing resources, but development was not about selling off all of the country’s resources, and urged the Government not to sacrifice its territory to other countries at this time. He said the people did not vote for the Government to merely initiate development projects and to sell state assets.

The Archbishop of Colombo said the group that was strongly opposed to the Millennium Challenge Corporation agreement was now in power and was working even worse, adding that dictatorship or game-playing could not be allowed in the country.

He said the Government should take decisions not from the side of the rich, powerful or foreign countries but from the side of the people and the country will be gradually destroyed by this corrupt system of government instead of a righteous, principled and transparent government.