UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardena claims Sri Lanka missed a golden opportunity to become Asia’s most powerful nation by rejecting the $415M US MCC grant proposed by Ranil Wickremesinghe. He blames misinformation, missed diplomacy, and local resistance.
If Ranil Took the Deal, Sri Lanka Would Be Asia’s Strongest , Vajira Abeywardena Blames Missed US Agreement for Current Crisis
United National Party (UNP) Chairman and former Minister Vajira Abeywardena made headlines on Poya Day, claiming that Sri Lanka lost a historic opportunity to become Asia’s most powerful country by rejecting a proposed agreement with the United States during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s premiership.
Speaking to the media after inaugurating the Esala Zone event at the Karagoda Sri Devarakkhita Viharaya in Yakkalamulla, Abeywardena said that if Sri Lanka had accepted the $415 million Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) grant from the United States in 2015, the nation’s fortunes would have drastically changed.
“At that time, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe understood what direction global politics was heading,” he said. “He pushed to implement the MCC grant, which was a gift of $415 million, but some groups opposed it and blocked it.”
Abeywardena emphasized that under the proposed deal, Sri Lanka would have gained significant tax concessions, becoming the first country in Asia to benefit from such U.S. support. “Instead, now we’re stuck debating tax policies and feeling the economic weight of missed decisions,” he remarked.
The former minister was highly critical of the opposition faced by Wickremesinghe’s administration and implied that misinformation and fearmongering, such as rumors about needing visas to travel within Sri Lanka—derailed the agreement.
He referenced global developments, including recent reductions in U.S. tax rates from 44% to 30%, and stated that this too reflects what could have been Sri Lanka’s gain. “At the time, President Donald Trump was ready to extend this support. Unfortunately, we failed to act.”
Abeywardena lamented that local leaders, diplomats, and negotiators who might have defended the deal were removed or ignored. “This failure in communication and diplomacy left the Sri Lankan people vulnerable and confused. We couldn’t explain the MCC in a way the public could understand. And now we’re all paying the price.”
According to him, if the MCC had been implemented, Sri Lanka not Vietnam or any other Asian country—would be the region’s top economic power today. “We share the blame,” he admitted. “But this is the time to restart negotiations and protect our people through smart global engagement.”
The media briefing was attended by Yakkalamulla Pradeshiya Sabha Chairman Mr. Ananda Kariyawasam, other area representatives, and a large number of local residents.
The only thing that such counterfactual fantasies do is they massage the ego of RW, who is down there in the depths for personal vanity.