- A country takes years of efforts to build, but needs just an hour to destroy
- All should support the successful journey started by the president
- Opposition only knows how to say no & cannot
- We have proven ourselves to be capable of overcoming any challenge
The opportunistic, petty and traitorous opposition takes the country further to anarchy by its everyday street protests, former finance minister and UNP’s Colombo district leader Ravi Karunanayake alleges.
Answering questions raised by journalists following a function in Colombo, the former finance minister said;
"Parliament is the focal point of democracy. How invaluable it is if the president attends sittings regularly? These opportunists and traitors, who question his presence in parliament, cried foul in the past that presidents do not attend sittings and that they are not accountable to parliament.
When the work is done properly, such questions arise in this country. What is needed at this moment is not these petty and opportunistic questioning, but on how to let the people live and to rebuild the country. This country has flattery only.
Securing the IMF’s loan and support will not resolve all problems in the country. But, it opens the doors towards their resolution. We can progress in this journey with the support of the World Bank, IMF and the ADB who have come forward to do so. With the fiscal discipline brought about now, we have the trust of these institutions and developed countries.
What the opposition always said was this challenge cannot be overcome. This country’s opposition is capable of nothing. What it can do is say no and cannot to everything, criticize everything and mislead the country and the people. By now, we have proven that any challenge can be overcome. For the 16th time, I went to the IMF as the country’s finance minister. This time, president Ranil Wickremesinghe went to the IMF as the finance minister and proved that we are capable of overcoming any challenge. We are pleased by that.
Without losing this support by the IMF and other global organizations and developed countries, we should increase our exports, decrease imports, develop the country and give maximum relief for the people.
Can the country be developed or the cost of living brought down by protesting all over the country as opportunists and sabotaging everything? Are there any countries that developed in that manner?
Even developed countries collapse due to opportunistic, petty and conspiratorial protests like these. Democratic and other rights should be safeguarded. But, everything has a limit.
Therefore, what we should do is let the people live first of all. We should be pleased that the collapsed economy has now been revived. Without doing so, will tourists and investors come to this country with everyday protests like this?
A country takes years of effort to build, but it needs just an hour to destroy. The government led by the president has started a successful journey. Therefore, all should set aside political, party, colour, racial and religious differences and unite for the sake of the country."
