President Anura Kumara Dissanayake reaffirmed his commitment to fully exercising his authority to combat fraud and corruption, stressing that laws are meaningless if those in power fail to fulfill their responsibilities effectively.

Speaking at the National Commemoration of the International Anti-Corruption Day held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) today (12), the President outlined his vision for a transparent and accountable governance framework.  

Under the theme “Let us be exemplary pioneers of a proud nation,” the event brought together stakeholders to address the pressing issue of corruption. Addressing the event, the Head of the State highlighted the inefficiency of existing mechanisms.

“If court cases are withdrawn, we should explain why. If files are stuck in seven or eight drawers, shouldn’t we explain to the people why they are stuck? Our entire system has collapsed. Rebuilding our country requires restoring this entire system. It cannot be achieved by addressing a small legal issue or restructuring one institution. My goal is to restore the system and make the state healthy again. That is my expectation”, Dissanayake expressed.

The President also criticized the selective application of laws, describing the current state as inequitable and ineffective.  

“In one year, the Bribery Commission had punished only two PCs, one Grama Sevaka, an SI, and a clerk. This law has been implemented like a spider’s web—small animals get entangled while big animals break free. The people know such a law exists, but they also know it is not implemented fairly. Today, the trust in the legal system is lacking, and rebuilding that trust is imperative.”  

Furthermore, President Dissanayake stressed that his administration’s efforts would not be limited to incremental reforms but aimed at comprehensive systemic change.