Gotabaya to continue economic blueprint of the former Rajapaksa regime

SLPP presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa has pledged to continue the economic plan halted during the previous Rajapaksa regime.

He gave this assurance when he addressed a mass rally at the Ashoka grounds in Rambukkana organized by former Chief Minister Maheepala Herath on Thursday.

Several economic experts however, noted that Gotabaya is going to continue the previous economic plan marred by corruption, financial misappropriation and mal practices under the Rajapaksa era spearheaded by officials with allegations of corruption.

Hundreds of allegations have been leveled aganst the Rajapaksas including the Greek bond scam, Commonwealth games' money swindling, illicit land transactions, luxury tourist hotel deals, mega project scams and stock market pump and dump schemes among others, they claimed.

One can write a separate book on the ten year Rajapaksa era economic misdeeds, economists pointed out.

They added that if Gotabaya comes to power, he will be definitely reversing course on corruption, tamil persecution, and Sinhala ethnic triumphalism might finally be happening with a new government.

Since the Rajapaksa's defeat in the last presidential polls, family members and close associates of the former president have faced corruption allegations, including maintaining secret bank accounts overseas.

Some of them, including then Minister of Economic Development and Mahinda Rajapaksa's younger brother Basil, were arrested.

Former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa was also interrogated by the police. His sons meanwhile are said to be linked to the murder of a popular national rugby player. The Rajapaksas however, have denied the charges.
     
Accepting the misdeeds of the Rajapaksa regime and also putting the blame on others, Gotabaya further noted that all governments that came into power were accused of corruption charges but highlighted that the current government was accused the most in terms of allegations of corruption.

He further added that he would bring corruption to an end with the help of technology no matter the status of the corrupted individuals.

However, Gotabaya now has a responsibility to explain to the public on the manner in which he intends to end corruption using technology and what he is going to do in relation to his own corruption and the hundreds of corrupt practices of the Rajapaksa regime.