Friend of the poor is not poor:
Budget Office, a prudent move:
Constitution should be changed to reflect modern needs:
In a recent interview, UNP Chairman and Member of Parliament Wajira Abeywardena shed light on Sri Lanka’s journey towards economic recovery under President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership. Abeywardena emphasized the importance of national unity and outlined the challenges faced by the government in overcoming a bankruptcy.
Q: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved US$ 337 million for the second loan installment to be given to Sri Lanka. Can you describe the difficult journey the Government has taken so far?
A: President Ranil Wickremesinghe took over a bankrupt country. In layman’s terms, a businessman who cannot repay a small business loan takes a major blow and he won’t get approved for a loan again. Even a loan shark won’t lend him money because he is bankrupt.
The same applies for a country. When a nation cannot pay its debts it does not deserve recognition. That is why, after Sri Lanka was announced as a bankrupt State on April 12, 2022, when our young people flew out of the country, our passports also became the passports of a bankrupt State. But as of today, we got a passport that is not bankrupt.
When countries go bankrupt, it is difficult to recover even after six to eight years. But luckily for us, President Wickremesinghe had only been murdered politically when about 125 of our national leaders were killed in our country. So far, he has fulfilled his duty, in a short period of one and a half years. Today, our Letters of Credit (LCs) are internationally accepted. All the projects that were halted in 2021, 2022, 2023 which were funded by foreign aid are currently being implemented. We took over under these difficult circumstances.
Q: You say that there is no other way to get out of the economic crisis. Should we continue on this same path?
A: Many projects should be implemented in the future. Our economy must be strong again. Through this, not just the prices of goods and services, but also the bank interest rates which have affected the people should be reduced and we should move forward. But if this situation is disrupted, the country will not be able to recover. We have to go this way. We need to explain how we will repay the IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), JICA as well as China.
Because there is no other path, President Wickremesinghe established a national council for leadership. His request was that they should agree to the national program without harming their own political movements. Neither the masses nor the size of the country is relevant for a country to be ranked first in the world. What is relevant is moving forward by incorporating new technology. In this journey, small countries can become economically powerful. To become a world power, we must take this journey carefully.
Q: What are the benefits of establishing a Budget Office in Parliament?
A: Articles 27, 28 and 29 of the Constitution state how the basic rights and duties of voters are fulfilled. Article 29 states that no Court can enforce the above mentioned matters whether they are fulfilled or not. No court can even submit an application. It is a clause used to protect democracy. Article 37 of the Indian Constitution mentions the same. The same is mentioned in the Constitution of Japan.
This situation has strengthened the current leadership. President Wickremesinghe has established a Budget Office in Parliament. The Budget Office is recruiting economic experts. The leaders who are elected by the people should have financial control. A country goes bankrupt because of the failure to control finances.
Q: You say that our Constitution should be amended to suit the times. How should it change?
A: With the Covid crisis, the laws that prevailed in 2022, 2023 were changed in many countries. Nearly 100 amendments should be brought to our Constitution. Around 200 amendments have been brought already. By 2023, the Constitution of India has been amended 116 times. Our Constitution was amended 18 times. Of course, that is not enough. Our Constitution should be changed every year with the changes in the world. A Constitution is not an eternal document. It has to be changed to compete with the world.
Q: While the Opposition accuses that the country is not yet out of the economic crisis, are you saying that there is no leadership other than President Wickremesinghe’s to come out of this crisis?
A: A special qualification of the President is that no other contemporary leader in the world has the knowledge and experience that he has. He has been a career politician and an economic expert for nearly 50 years. People are calling this sort of national leadership a boon, at a time when the country had collapsed. Because of what he has done to uplift the economy, the Sri Lankan nation can finally stop begging. They were applauding when they saw a tanker pulling up to a fuel station; they ran after gas trucks and clapped when they saw food coming in. You can buy your goods now without an issue, although at a higher cost.
Even this situation will change if there is no disruption to the present national leadership. The President said our economy will get a boost if the tourism industry can attract five million tourists per year. But some people insult us and laugh at us when we explain these things.
It is possible to become a country with a strong economy after paying off the debts. The nation has nothing to gain from strikes and work stoppages. There are cat’s paws that are manipulated from abroad. When things shut down, the benefit goes to foreign countries. If one industry closes down in our country, it means the businesses of those countries that compete with us will develop. Our people should understand this situation. Let everyone come together and let the President lead the country for another 12 years. Then he will be able to make Sri Lanka a very powerful nation in Asia.
Q: You said that the President will get 10 million votes at a future Presidential Election?
A: I was not joking when I said he will get 10 million votes. If the people fulfil their duty, they should vote for this leadership.
Q: The next year, 2024, is an election year. How are you preparing?
A: The people should think about the candidates running for the Presidency and they should not choose a weak leader. The year 2024 is a big responsibility for everyone. Foreign forces did not let President Wickremesinghe become a national leader for 35 years. If we have a strong leader, it is a hindrance to certain inimical forces in the international community.
We are working against these forces. Every political force needs a national consensus at this time. If we neglect it, our children will become the beggars of the world. The friend of the poor is not the poor. The friend of the poor is the educated. It is inevitable that President Wickremesinghe’s national leadership will create a strong future for the country.
Q: Will 2024 be a transformative year as you say?
A: There should be no doubt about 2024. In order to move forward in 2024, everyone’s agreement is needed. We must go to a national agreement while keeping the political differences. There is no other way to go. The IMF, World Bank, ADB and China have approved this program in principle and are helping us to overcome the present difficulties. The people got into trouble because they did not accept the truth. Even though we lost elections, we told the truth. Unfortunately, the people did not accept what we said. We also got chased off. Do not repeat that mistake and blame us.
(Translated by Jonathan Frank)
