The UNP is strongly opposed to the sale of Air Lanka. The UNP is strongly opposed to the sale of the nation’s resources. The agreement signed with Air Lanka Airlines will be canceled under a future UNP government…’
Parliament
19.05.1998
This is how UNP leader Ranil Wickramsinghe yelled at the no confidence motion debate presented by UNP against Chandrika’s government against the sale of Air Lanka.
Furthermore, Ranil Wickramasinghe, the UNP leader and the opposition leader, has threatened the advising body for the Emirates-Air Lanka deal, S.M.and E advisory committee that the deal is highly corrupted and will be cancelled as soon as his party takes power. On May 24, 1988, the Sunday Times reported that following Ranil’s threat, World Bank President James Wolfensohn had requested a report from the World Bank committee that advised the sale of Air Lanka. In a subsequent statement, the UNP stated that a massive robbery had occurred in this deal and that all aspects of this would be exposed and the deal would be cancelled.
Not only was Air Lanka sale, but the UNP-led opposition brought numerous no-confidence motions against Chandrika’s government, including Cement Corporation, Sri Lanka Telecom, Shell Gas, and the Elizabeth Jetty in Colombo Harbour. They, as an opposition, engulfed the country by emphasising these. The thawakkal debate was a no-confidence motion against Cement Corporation. Ranil and his UNP claimed that all of these dealings were riddled with massive fraud and that as soon as he regained power, he would cancel all of the deals he had promised the country.
Ranil’s government took power in 2002. The government of Ranil did not cancel Air Lanka or any of Chandrika’s deals. Neither Ranil nor the UNP are incorrect. That is the purpose of politics. Furthermore, even after the 2020 General Election, the U.N.P received only one National List MP Position when Gota’s government planned to sell Kerawalapitiya shares to an American company. The sale of public resources, according to the U.N.P Chairman Vajira Abeywardena, it is pushing the country into a major crisis because there is no money to move the country forward. On July 5, 2021, he stated this at a press conference in Sirikotha.
This is called opposition politics. Two or three MPs of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya who do not know the politics opposition secretly have made a deal with Ranil and the Rajapaksa family and say that it is our party’s policy to sell, and we do not support the strikes against the sale. They say without saying that Ranil’s program is good. Ranil going to IMF It’s good. It is also good if Ranil sells. Ranil’s taxes are also good. This is not Samagi Jana Balavegaya, but two or three MPs of Samagi Jana Balavegaya, who take pleasure from the businessmen who protect Ranil and Rajapaksa’s family by making deals with Ranil and Rajapaksas. These two or three MPs are not led by the public, but by corrupt businessmen who have made a lot of money due to Ranil and Rajapaksa’s alliance.
‘I will look you after if you tell Ranils IMF deal is a good victory’
‘We will take care of your election funds tell the sale of oil, and telecom is good and criticise the striking and opposing unions ..’
This is what some corrupt businessmen who thrive due to their support to Ranil Rajapaksa government call and tell to Samagi Jana Balawegaya MPs.
‘We will do it well, We will praise Ranil saying this is our policy as well..’
These few MPs shamelessly give voice cuts to those media who are loyal to Ranil Rajapakse.
‘ If Ranil going to I.M.F. it is good, if it is good Ranil to tax, if it is good for Ranil, to sell, why do people vote for Samagi Jana Balawegaya? Could have voted for Ranil himself…’
This is what Samagi Jana Balawegaya voters say..
During the ‘aragalaya’ period, the JVP never had a wave in their direction; they only got one after Ranil became president, when Samagi Janabalawegaya began commenting on Ranil’s economic direction.
This was said by an old leftist.
‘People are looking for an alternative to the current system, not a replacement….’
What he is saying is right. The opposition is the alternative. Before 1994, the two major parties in Sri Lanka represented two ideologies. UNP said open economy is good. SLFP said open economy is wrong. 1994 Chandrika came to power and U.N.P’s open economy worked smoothly. Her government sold the largest amount of state property. This was a very difficult time for the U.N.P.
UNP criticised Chandrika’s open economic policy knowing very well Chandrika follows UNP’s open economic policy. Chandrika’s open economic policy was strongly criticized by Ronnie de Mell, the mother of open economy. At that time he was in U.N.P, a member of parliament.
When Chandrika was going to sell state resources, the UNP along with its trade union Jathika sevaka sangamaya stood up for with the trade unions that stood against it. Their trade union joined the unions in striking against the sale of state resources. This caused Chandrika to become unpopular in the SLFP, which is an anti-open economy party. Ranil and the UNP put on a mask against the sale to see an end to Chandrika among Sri Lanka freedom parties People’s Foundation.
“Politicians must be opportunists if they don’t want to become obsolete people who cannot change events from now on…”
This is a saying of the former Prime Minister of Britain, Benjamin Disrael. JR used to remind this always to his U.N.P members. Today Samagi Jana Balawegaya should remember this Disraeli’s saying. The two or three MPs of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya say that ‘selling is our policy’ is polishing the boots of the Ranil and Rajapaksa government.
‘5 of the 6 companies that applied to buy the Hambantota Oil Refinery are fake companies…’
This is what Sri Lankan scholars say. Ranil and the two or three members of the Samagi Jana Balavega who are polishing the boots of the Rajapaksa government saying that ‘selling is our policy’ will not say a word about this. Where are these companies that they should really be? Who deals with these companies? What are the deals happening under the carpet? ,investigate and reveal to the country. They do not do that because it is easier for them to make a deal with the Ranil and Rajapaksa government than to form a government of Samagi Jana Balavegaya and become ministers.
The public elects an opposition to oppose a government if it tries to destroy the right to express opinions given by the constitution itself. If the right to strike is taken away, to fight against it. The opposition is the only support for the labor forces who are being suppressed by the government. Ranil and the two or three MPs of the Samagi Jana Balavega who took the boon from the Rajapaksa government and do not allow the Samagi Jana Balavega to fulfil their responsibility in the opposition, they should be caught by the legs and thrown to the government.
During the May 1974 rally, the then Prime Minister Mrs. Bandaranaike was on the stage and the people representing the left parties chanted a wonderful slogan.
This is what we ask Prime Minister
Stand straight like Castro’
The party members should give this message to the leaders of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya regarding the MPs who are supporting the Ranil and Rajapaksa government.