General election 2015: UNP pushes for
steady MS-RW partnership
‘Debt crisis’ during MR’s time compared with hand grenade about to explode
By Shamindra Ferdinando-August 11, 2015, 9:46 pm
Finance Minister and Colombo District UNP candidate Ravi Karunanayake yesterday said that the national economy had been in such a bad shape with the then government experiencing a severe debt crisis at the time of what he called the Jan. 8 revolution.
Minister Karunanayake compared the debt crisis caused by the previous regime to the Maithripala Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration getting a hand grenade without its safety pin.
Karunanayake was addressing business forum at the Cinnamon Lakeside.
Briefly explaining key points in the UNP’s manifesto for the August 17 parliamentary election, Minister Karunanayake stressed the pivotal importance of continuing with post-Jan. 8 arrangement between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Minister Karunanayake was joined by Minister and Colombo District UNP candidate Patali Champika Ranawaka and Deputy Ministers, Dr. Harsha de Silva and Eran Wickremaratne to explain the UNP-led coalition’s strategy to revive the national economy. Both Dr de Silva and Wickremaratne are also contesting from the Colombo District.
Minister and National List nominee Karu Jayasuriya addressed the gathering on behalf of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was unable to be present due to a busy campaign schedule.
Jayasuriya alleged that the previous government had been rapidly moving towards the establishment of North Korea style authoritarian state when political parties rallied around the then SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena to bring it down. Jayasuriya, once a Cabinet Minister in the Rajapaksa government, recollected the circumstances under which the previous government had used excessive force to quell protests at several places in the country during the former President’s second term.
"Those who demanded clean water were slaughtered at Weliweriya. The Free Trade Zone workers at Katunayake received a massive beating with one killed during a peaceful protest. In Chilaw the fishing community was suppressed during protests against the increase of fuel prices. Journalists, too, were killed."
He reiterated the UNP’s commitment to what he called private-sector led growth. Jayasuriya, too, asserted that the Maithripala Sirisena-Wickremesinghe combination was good for the country.
Commenting on the proposed electoral reforms to be adopted by the next Parliament, Jayasuriya said that the country couldn’t afford to increase the number of MPs. The UNPer said that the UNP remained committed to a mixed electoral system to elect 225 members comprising 140 elected on the first -past-the-post system and 70 on District Proportional Representation and 15 appointed through the National List.
Jayasuriya compared the life styles of the Rajapaksas with that of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and their spouses.
Deputy Minister Wickremaratne stressed the need to attract investment from Europe and the US. The former banker pointed out that there had been hardly any investment from the US and Europe over the past ten years. Wickremaratne explained the on-going efforts by the Maithripala-Wickremesinghe administration to attract foreign investments from various parts of the world and recent visits undertaken by two Chinese delegations.
Wickremaratne warned that the government couldn’t ignore the requirement to throw its weight behind the export sector. Wickremaratne asserted the growth of the national economy depended on the government’s readiness to back exports.
Both Wickremaratne and Dr. De Silva discussed the importance of empowering the people. The much touted development meant nothing unless those who had been struggling to make ends meet received relief with the gradual expansion of the economy, they asserted. Dr De Silva quoted a recent research to highlight the failure on the part of the previous government to ensure a boost for the poor.
Dr De Silva alleged that the previous government had got its priorities mixed up.
The economist said that the previous government could have secured Chinese help to establish a ‘Chinese Technical College’ like the ‘German Tech.’ Those who had received training at the ‘German Tech’ could find employment anywhere in the world, the UNPer said. Similarly, the country could have benefited if the previous government sought the Chinese help to expand training facilities as it wasn’t in good terms with Germany at that time.
Dr. De Silva warned that the country was faced with the daunting task of increasing exports. Warning of dire consequences unless the country bettered its performance in the exports sector, he said the UNP-led coalition had the wherewithal and the will to transform the country to what he called the most competitive country in this part of the world.
