'Aragalaya' led to appointment of mandate-less leader: Wimal

COLOMBO (News 1st); Leader of the National Freedom Front, Wimal Weerawansa says that the ultimate result of the people’s protests, the ‘Aragalaya’ is that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who won the people’s mandate was sent home, while Ranil Wickremesinghe, who lost the election, was elected to the post of President.

He stated that Wickremesinghe was elected by Parliament to counter the people’s struggle, which has no strategic moves.

He said the 134 MPs voted for Wickremesinghe due to insecurity which they felt, adding that the new President, and those who secured win will not be able to lift the country from its present state of crisis.

Speaking further, the MP said that the other MPs tended to think that Presidential Candidate Dullas Alahapperuma is too democratic, and might even side with the protestors.

MP Weerawansa said that as he does not believe that the new President and the group which elected him will not be able to get the country out of its current crisis, which is why an all-party Government was proposed under MP Dullas Alahapperuma, which would have included Opposition parties, thereby granting it a level of multilateralism in policies, with growth of trust in a fair attempt and a solution from the side of the people.

He emphasized that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has no solution for the economic crisis, as he has no other solution except for the IMF, which would only contribute to making the crisis deeper than what it is now.

Pointing out that not many envoys of notable nations congratulated the newly-elected President, the MP said that, the lack of gesture itself shows the trust placed in him by the international community.

Therefore, MP Weerawansa predicted that this issue would exacerbate again in about a month, with growing unrest that could ultimately result in brutality. He also said that this eventual situation could pave the way for an intervention by foreign nations into the country as well.