Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe launched a scathing critique of the current government during a meeting with UNP local government representatives at the Kandy Postal Auditorium. He warned that the administration’s approach to civil servants and the economy risks undoing the hard-won stability achieved after the country’s 2022 collapse.
Addressing the crowd, Wickremesinghe referenced the shifting political mood in the country. “Many who voted for the compass [National People’s Power] in the last election are now disillusioned. We need to talk to them, understand their concerns, and explain the reality—not talk about me, Mahinda, Chandrika, Gotabaya, or Sirisena. This election is not about personalities,” he said.
He noted that the public had turned to the JVP-led compass out of desperation after the economic crisis, but they too failed to deliver solutions. “Now, even this government’s supporters are growing tired.”
Reflecting on his brief presidency, Wickremesinghe highlighted his actions in stabilizing the economy. “I took over a collapsing nation. I ended fuel and gas queues. I secured IMF funding. But what has this government done since? They threaten civil servants and use public resources as political leverage.”
He condemned recent statements attributed to the President suggesting that government employees who don’t cooperate politically may face transfers. “Civil servants are protected by the Constitution. They’re not here to serve political parties, but the country.”
Wickremesinghe defended the public sector, recalling their crucial role in past administrations—from the Mahaweli project under J.R. Jayewardene to infrastructure developments under Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa. “Even during good governance, they helped keep things moving. If civil servants are failing today, it’s because the government is failing to lead.”
The former Premier also criticized the misuse of anti-corruption efforts for political gain. “The new anti-corruption law was brought in 2023 by Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. The National Anti-Corruption Plan was my initiative. The law to seize property gained through crime? That was my work too. All of this was promised to be completed by December last year.”
He pointed to delays in delivering the Rs. 400,000 assistance that had been pledged. “We were supposed to give it in the first quarter of this year. The election delayed it. Now they talk again of giving it—but only as another promise.”
Turning to recent international claims, Wickremesinghe questioned the President’s statement that Sri Lanka had been exempted from U.S. tariffs. “If it’s true we’ve been exempted while even China and India are still negotiating, then it’s something to praise. But show us the agreement. What exactly was done?”
He added that although the current leadership is eager to take credit, the foundation was laid long ago. “We built the garment industry. We managed trade without clashing with unions. We handed over the economy at 5% growth. Now it’s fallen to 3.9%, and if this continues, it could drop to 3.5%.”
He concluded with a reminder of the contributions made by past leaders in building the Kandy district. “It was J.R. Jayewardene, Gamini Dissanayake, and Premadasa who drove real development. Today, you have MPs claiming ancient kings built modern reservoirs and that Queen Victoria existed during Governor Brownrigg’s time. How can you take that kind of leadership seriously?”
Wickremesinghe urged party loyalists and undecided voters to reflect on the record of performance—not on rhetoric—and to hold the government accountable for its threats, failures, and lack of coherent economic planning.
