Sri Lanka’s new PM promises to bring food back to everyone’s table
Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said on Saturday that he will gradually turn around the difficult situation faced by the population and ensure that people can feed themselves three times a day.
He said this in response to a question posed by the BBC about whether he has a timeline for turning around the country’s ailing economy, acute shortages and queues snaking down the roads for fuel, gas, milk powder etc.
“Whenever I functioned as prime minister of the country, I always ensured that people were able to have three meals a day,” Wickremasinghe, who returned as PM for the sixth time, said. “So, I want to end this era of queues and shortages and create an environment where they can go back to their normal way of living.”
When asked if he would get parliamentary support to do this, he said: “I will have the approval of parliament to engage in the work that needs to be done. Some will support and some others will oppose it, but I am looking to get the support of everyone to achieve this objective urgently.”
When asked whether he could get on well with the president to execute his plans, he said: “I will do my part. I will act to restore the economy. I will help preserve the rights of the people. We have agreed that GotaGoHome should continue to exist. Now we are discussing the facilities we should give these youths to promote their cause. There’s another group which clamours ‘Ranil go home’. I’m a man who was born in Colombo, and this is my home, and I have no place else to go,” he said.
Responding to the violent protests on May 9, in which an MP was killed and properties of the ruling party, he said: “I have told the IGP to take necessary action. I will follow up on the progress made in the investigations.”
As for international support, he said: “I met with several ambassadors. I have a good rapport with them. So let’s see what can be done. We need to have discussions with the IMF as well. If we can get our macroeconomy in good shape and convey the message to the world that we are acting with proper fiscal discipline, other friendly countries will also step forward to help us.
“I am going to change many of the policies of the Rajapaksa government,” he said.
“The next few weeks will turn out to be the most difficult period for us. Today the voice of the youth has emerged because of the issues they face. GotaGoGama is a symbol of that.
“We will preserve that site through the functioning of a committee and we should provide it with the facilities it needs. These youths should administer that site, not the government. We have to support it. They have sent me eight proposals and I would like to discuss them with them. We have to transform things by listening to them.”
Asked what he had to say to the internal community, he said: “We need your support to get back on our feet. We need your financial assistance for a year. The funds we receive from you, we will certainly repay.”
In his message to the public on Vesak Day, Wickremesinghe said: “As conveyed in Buddha’s preaching to the rulers of Licchavi Kingdom, Sri Lankans should also gather and take decisions in unity to come out of this crisis that has befallen the country.”
The Island
Asia News Network
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