Former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said that she watched the unprecedented commotion in the parliament with concern and regret.
Members of Parliament supporting Mahinda Rajapaksa throw dustbin at Speaker Karu Sirisena on Thursday at Colombo
“I watched with concern and regret the efforts by some Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members to betray the peoples’ demands for a better Sri Lanka which gained victory on January 8, 2015.”
Stating that the SLFP, together with many other parties and civil society, had built a massive movement to win the struggle for a decent, honest and prosperous Sri Lanka, she expressed regret for the actions of a section of people in the party.
“It is regretful that some sections of our beloved party finds it fit to betray all our policies and once again join hands with a political group that destroyed fundamental rights, democracy, democratic institutions and built a destructive network of graft and corruption,” she said.
Kumaratunga said that the scenes being played out in the past few weeks within the sacred precincts of the parliament, in government and outside are destroying the peoples’ confidence in democratic institutions so long treasured and safe-guarded by all Sri Lankans.
“The time has come, as never before, for all Sri Lankans who value freedom, democracy and those institutions that uphold them, such as the parliament, the judiciary, an independent police, armed services and public services, to stand up for freedom and good governance in this country, setting aside all personal political pecuniary interests,” she added.
Kumaratunga also said that the country has reached a dangerous precipice of chaos, anarchy and breakdown of the rule of law and all peoples must unite to bring it back from the brink and recommence the journey towards enlightened governance. (The Week)
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