“We emphasize that the power of the people is greater than the presidency of Ranil Wickremesinghe. We emphasize that Ranil Wickramasinghe should learn from what happened to Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Next year’s budget has allocated the most money to the security forces and the police. A meagre amount has been allocated to other sectors and to develop the country’s national product. But Ranil attempts to save his temporary presidency by bringing more tear gas, batons, and water cannons to suppress the people’s struggles. At a time when people are in a battle with death due to the pressure they have to bear, they take to the streets to struggle, not to cry. The people taking to the streets against the rapacious rule of Ranil Wickramasingha’s and Rajapaksas are not protesting with tickets like going to a carnival,” emphasized General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva.
He emphasized this in a press conference held at the JVP head office at Pelawatta yesterday (24th).
He said, “The JVP position on a statement made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament on the 23rd needs to be clarified. Even now, the country’s people are facing a shortage of essential food and medicine, their sources of income are collapsing, and they have to bear a huge tax burden. The main topic that needs to be discussed at this time is rebuilding the destroyed economy. However, the presented budget is a continuation of the old system of borrowing and taxing, there is nothing new. Ranil Wickramasinghe made a speech in Parliament where he tried to show himself as a hero when the primary attention should have been given to these basic problems. Ranil Wickremesinghe became president by accident. A large vote of the people elected Gotabaya Rajapaksa, but there was a huge public protest against him, and he was chased out. Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed to the vacant post of President for the protection of the Rajapaksas, not by the votes of the people of this country. At least the people have not voted for Ranil Wickramasinghe to become an MP. As a result, Ranil came to parliament from the position of MP that was given to the UNP from the national list after losing the Colombo district in the last general election. He should understand the extent of the presidency gained by that MP.
No matter who takes Ranil Wickramasinghe’s stories seriously, JVP does not care about them. We are not at all afraid of his threat to the people and the suppression he intends after getting drunk with the inconsistent power he has got, just like the gatekeeper becoming the king. We know that Ranil Wickramasinghe has a hatred for the recent public uprising. We know that that uprising has challenged their class. That struggle is not a single struggle of any political party or group of people. Ranil Wickramasinghe tries to define the struggle as a struggle of a single person and a single party. But a massive public uprising took place, participated by a combination of organizations of farmers, fishermen, students, youth, women, trade unions, professionals, etc. Because of that enormity, Gotabaya Rajapaksa had to leave the executive presidency and run away. Mahinda Rajapaksa had to give up the Prime Ministership. Other Rajapaksas had to give up their ministerial positions, and Basil Rajapaksa also had to give up his membership. Now, Ranil Wickremesinghe, grabbing the presidency he got from the Rajapaksas as a benefaction, always threatens the struggle. Also, Ranil Wickramasinghe thinks that if Gotabaya Rajapaksa could be chased away by the same people who elected him to power by a big majority, he, who has no mandate at all, too would face the same fate. That is why Ranil always comes out with words of fear instead of talking about bravery.
Ranil Wickramasinghe says that he will not allow any struggle after this, he will not allow the government to be changed through struggle, and he will use the emergency law and use the army to suppress. Should the people struggle by taking licenses from the oppressor who oppresses them? People who took to the streets worldwide to expel oppressors did not take permission from the oppressors to do so.
Also, the oppressors never gave permission for public protests. Like Ranil, Gotabaya Rajapaksa tried to deploy various measures to stop agitations. 6.9 million voted for Gotabaya, he was an army officer and secretary of the defence ministry. He had a government with a two-thirds majority to help him. When compared with Gotabaya, Ranil Wickramasinghe has nothing. How can he, who the people did not elect, stop people’s protests?
We emphasize that the power of the people is greater than the presidency of Ranil Wickremesinghe. We emphasize that Ranil Wickramasinghe should learn from what happened to Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Next year’s budget has allocated the most money to the security forces and the police. A meagre amount has been allocated to other sectors and to develop the country’s national product. But Ranil attempts to save his temporary presidency by bringing more tear gas, batons, and water cannons to suppress the people’s struggles. At a time when people are in a battle with death due to the pressure they have to bear, they take to the streets to struggle, not to cry. The people taking to the streets against the rapacious rule of Ranil Wickramasinghas and Rajapaksas are not protesting with tickets like going to a carnival.
Ranil Wickramasinghe should remove the conditions under which the people are oppressed, not talk about repression. Ranil Wickramasinghe has now started talking about Dinh Diem. Dinh Diem is the pro-American oppressive ruler of South Vietnam in the 1960s. In 1963, he was kidnapped and killed in a conspiracy. During his reign, severe repression was launched, Buddhist monks were killed, a band of thieves formed a government, and the regime ruled with the support of the United States. A massive struggle, even in the face of repression, was carried out with the strength of the monks and the people, Dinh Diem’s army made a conspiracy and killed him. We ask Ranil Wickramasinghe to learn from history before he tries to adorn Dinh Diem’s garb.
If you can’t learn from Dinh Diem, we ask you to study the fate of dictators all over the world, from Marcos in the Philippines, to the Shah of Iran or from Batista in Cuba. Ranil further says that the economy will be built, and elections will be held. Because they will never build the country, the election he is talking about will never come. If they think they can stop the youth who ask for change using the Prevention of Terrorism Act, it is a pipe dream. If the government of the Rajapaksas, with a huge mandate, had to leave, the government of Ranil Wickramasinghe, which has no support from the people, would have no chance to rule.
Recently, a public opinion survey conducted by a certain organization revealed that only 10% of the population is in favour of this government, and only 3% are satisfied with the government. Because of this, a vote should be held to establish the government that the people want. But this parliament is trying to continue to carry on as much as possible the presidency that Ranil Wickramasinghe has got.
The existing ruling party needs Ranil, and Ranil also needs the composition of this parliament. Therefore, they are trying not to have even the local government election. We are sure that if they do not have an election and the people have no other option, they will come forward to win an election.
We can see that Ranil Wickramasinghe has some memory problems. He says he brought the pro-democracy 17th amendment, 19th amendment and 21st amendment. The 17th amendment was brought during the government of Mrs Chandrika Kumaratunga as one of the conditions for the JVP to intervene and implement a probation programme. Thinking that people don’t remember, he is making fraudulent statements like this. That is why he tries to forget history. Hundreds and thousands of people who are hoping for change will no longer allow Ranil Wickramasinghe’s tomfoolery. His knavish moves must be defeated. The struggle for that should be led to victory with a goal, programme and political leadership. If not, there will be repressions like what is happening now. Therefore, we are building a massive mass movement with a very reliable and responsible political leadership. Ranil Wickramasinghe said that the army would be used to suppress. The children of this country’s mothers and fathers are in the army. Tear gas, baton charges and bullets cannot stop these struggles. We saw that the army and the police looked at the last struggle with an affable eye. We know that at some point, the army and the police will bless the people’s struggle. They will take the initiative to establish governance free of fraud and corruption that preserves their professional dignity. Ranil Wickramasinghe is trying to divide the people of our class by saying he would deploy the army and the police to suppress any uprising. Even though Ranil Wickramasinghe make threats, he does not have the power to implement them. The people have rejected him, and he and his party have been limited to one member in Parliament.
A country cannot be governed by a small group of MPs who the people have opposed. We emphasize to the president, who has got a temporary chance to rule, that a country cannot be governed only by MPs who vote for Ranil Wickramasinghe’s proposals. What Ranil Wickramasinghe should do is give the mandate a chance and try and form a government or step down. We assure you that we will end this anti-people regime of Ranil Wickramasinghe very soon and then build a country that will strengthen the people’s economy so that the people can live happily in a democratic state. We are not afraid of Ranil’s threats, we will take to the streets and struggle to build this country. We need not get Ranil’s permit to carry out our programmes and struggles. We use the right given to us by the constitution. We invite all the country’s people to join us in creating a people’s government that can build a better future for the people.”
