President allays fears over ‘absolute power’, urges new Cabinet to deliver on promises

In his inaugural address to the newly-appointed Cabinet of Ministers, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake underscored the immense responsibility shouldered by the new government and emphasized the importance of using power with accountability, integrity, and respect for the public’s trust.

Speaking after the new 21-member Cabinet was sworn in at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (18), Dissanayake highlighted that it is the responsibility of everyone to protect the continuity of the democratic process and elevate it to a new level.

Highlighting the historic nature of the victory that brought the incumbent administration to power, the President noted the decades-long struggle of countless individuals who dedicated their time, labor, and even lives to achieve it. 

“We know that the general public’s intervention is higher in our victory... A large number of people, whose names or addresses we don’t even know, contributed to this success. Many here have struggled for this dream since childhood or from a young age,” he stated.

Furthermore, the Head of the State said: “So, now we have two types of responsibilities – one is for the aims and expectations of the public, the other is for [our] movement. We trust that the power is a special thing. Power generates power, power expands power, power develops power again and again. We saw that people are now saying that power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Yes, that’s true. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Acknowledging the concerns surrounding the potential misuse of power, the President reassured both the public and his movement that their administration is aware of its limits, noting, “…Therefore, suspicions can be created in the country of where we will go with this unlimited power. For those who have at least a little bit of doubt I’m saying that, it’s true we have power. Similarly, we know the limitations we can go with that power. We have an aim with this power”.

Addressing fears of corruption, he added, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. It has been proven. In our country, such unlimited powers have often led to results unfavorable to the public. We must be vigilant to avoid such outcomes.”

“This power we gained is accountable. To whom? On one hand, it is accountable to the public, and on the other hand, to the movement,” he said, calling on the new Cabinet Ministers to uphold the principles of responsibility, limitations, and integrity in their roles.

Responding to discussions about the inexperience of most of the Cabinet members and the newly elected MPs, the President defended their appointments, noting that while they may be new to Parliament, they are seasoned in political activism and professional spheres. 

“They are freshers to the Cabinet, to the Parliament, but they are neither freshers to politics nor to working,” he affirmed.

Urging the new Cabinet to deliver on the promises made to the nation, President Dissanayake described them as “the drivers of victories the country expects” and expressed confidence in their dedication and honesty. 

“We had a lot of good aims. We worked to gain power for that. We struggled a lot… The huge the victory we achieved, the heavier our responsibility. We had to struggle for the victory and we’re the drivers of the struggle to achieve the results now. You [Cabinet Ministers] are the centre of all this”, he said.

The President concluded by rallying the Cabinet of Ministers to work collectively for the nation’s progress, asserting, “Your proportion is huge in our success. Let’s work together to achieve the results our people deserve.”