Sri Lanka ahead of others in good governance - PM

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says that a country which was sidelined by the international community and one the wolrd had no expectations from, has today come forward within just one year. 

He was addressing the main national ceremony to mark the one year completion of the democratic governance, established under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena, held at the BMICH in Colombo today (Jan 8).

Wickremesinghe said that Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who recently visited the island, told him that Sri Lanka is very lucky because the two major political parties were able to unite and form a government. 

He told me that if it continues this way for several more years, Sri Lanka will be the leader in the region, the PM said.  

“We ahead of others in good governance,” he said. 

He stated that the January 8 revolution was the result of the entire country uniting irrespective of religions, race or politics. 

The PM stated that a person told him one day that “this is not a revolution, it’s a miracle.”

“Within one year, a country which was sidelined and had no expectations from the world has today come forward. Everyone including the President made large sacrifices,” he said.

We can be immensely pleased with what we have achieved within this one year, he said, while thanking President Maithripala Sirisena for coming forward and giving leadership to the change.

Within this one year all the political processes have been commenced and that the laws which need approval from Parliament have already been prepared, Wickremesinghe stated. 

He stated that Parliament will convene tomorrow (9) to prepare a constitution for the creation of a Constitutional Assembly and that good governance will be confirmed from there onwards. 

He stated that there are those who oppose the proposal being brought tomorrow as well as those who agree with it. “I think it is an attitude difference.”

Tomorrow we have to decide whether we change our attitude to go forward in the path of good governance or whether we continue to remain stuck in the same old politics which was rejected by the public, he said.

“We who have come this far will not give up the fight.”