“Time Spent on LG Polls Could Have Hindered Economic Recovery” – President

Maharagama, Sri Lanka – President Ranil Wickremesinghe acknowledged yesterday that the postponement of the Local Government (LG) elections was a violation of citizens’ basic rights. However, he expressed no regrets over the decision, emphasizing that the time was instead devoted to ensuring the people’s right to live and maintaining national safety.

Speaking at the National Conference of the New People’s Front (NPF) at the Youth Service Council Auditorium in Maharagama on August 22, President Wickremesinghe underlined the critical importance of stabilizing the country’s economy. He suggested that if time had been spent on conducting the LG polls, it might have jeopardized the progress made towards economic recovery.

“Every hour was crucial in our efforts to stabilize the economy. If we had diverted our focus to conducting the Local Government elections, achieving the current level of economic stability would not have been possible,” the President remarked. He also highlighted the importance of ensuring access to essentials such as gas, medicine, food, and fuel, stressing that these needs had to be prioritized over electoral processes.

President Wickremesinghe reiterated his commitment to safeguarding the basic rights of the people, stating that he would continue to make decisions necessary to protect these rights. He also confirmed that the General Election will be held after the Presidential Election, with the necessary funds already secured. Following the General Election, Provincial Council Elections will be scheduled, with Local Government elections to follow.

In his address, the President also questioned why the opposition did not take their concerns to the Supreme Court in 2022 to address the economic crisis and work towards a return to normalcy. He defended his decision to postpone the elections, stating that while the right to vote is fundamental, it must be balanced with the right to essential goods and services.

“The people will ultimately judge whether our decisions were correct,” President Wickremesinghe concluded, expressing satisfaction with the progress made in stabilizing the economy over the past two years.