President Ranil had planned to visit Japan as soon as the debt restructuring was completed, but that did not happen. Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, went to Japan instead of Ranil. Ranil took the post of Prime Minister from Gotabaya by assuring that he could get 4 or 5 billion dollars as a loan from Japan. As soon as Ranil became the prime minister, the Japanese ambassador went to Japan, and Ranil’s media unit campaigned that the Japanese ambassador went to Japan to start the initial negotiations for giving the $5 billion to Sri Lanka.
When the opposition asked the Japanese embassy in this regard, the Japanese embassy said that the Japanese ambassador suddenly went to Japan for personal reasons. Opposition leader Sajith said in a special statement in Parliament that Japan had told the then President Gotabaya that Minister Nimal Siripala had asked for a bribe from Japan to implement Japanese projects. After Sajith’s statement, Gotabaya appointed a committee to investigate the accusation and asked him to resign from the post of minister.
Once Ranil became the president, a separate committee was appointed to investigate the accusation against Nimal Siripala, and Nimal Siripala was acquitted of the accusation and he was given the same ministerial position related to the project accused by Japan. Moreover, he also took Nimal on the trip to Japan. Nimal Siripala helped Ranil become Prime Minister and President. It was Nimal who told Gota that Ranil would have the support of the Sri Lankan Freedom Party to make Ranil the Prime Minister and President.
As soon as Ranil became president, Nimal was released from the charges to show his gratitude. But Ranil’s decision is like a slap in the face to Japan. Ranil was respected in Japan as JR’s relative, but Ranil lost it when he tried to protect Nimal Siripala. The people of the country had to pay for Ranil’s mistake. Because Japan continued to postpone the start of projects that had been stalled in Sri Lanka.
Ranil visited Japan several times after becoming president. It is not known whether to get the loan promised to Gota or to start the stalled Japanese projects. Whenever Ranil went to Japan and when Japanese ministers and representatives came to Sri Lanka, the news that Ranil spread in Sri Lankan media was that Japan expressed its willingness to sign agreements to start the projects that had been stalled. Each time, Japan said that no project would resume until debt restructuring was completed.
Now Sri Lanka’s debt restructuring is over. Ranil planned to go to Japan to sign agreements to start the projects that Japan had stopped and give a big publicity. But as it did not get a good response from Japan, Ranil cancelled the Japan tour. Ali Sabry, went instead. But he also could not get Japan to agree to sign agreements to start Japanese projects.
Gotahaya cancelled the Japan Light Railway project and damaged Sri Lanka-Japan friendship. Ranil, who took over the post of Prime Minister from Gota and became the President, has not been able to rebuild that friendship saying that he can get help from Japan. Moreover, he has lost the close friendship he had with Japan as JR’s relative after becoming president. Despite these even now Ranil has forgotten the promise given to Gota that he will get a loan of 5 billion dollars from Japan.
