Aragalaya only managed to send elected Prez home and bring in defeated Ranil as Prez: Wimal
Posted on July 21st, 2022
Courtesy The Daily Mirror
What the Aragalaya (struggle) has finally done was to send home President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was elected through an election, and elect Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was defeated in the election, as the President, National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa said today.
He told a news conference that as a result of the struggle on May 9, Ranil Wickremesinghe became the Prime Minister, subsequently became Acting President due to the June 9 struggle and now became the President.
“This is only what the Aragalaya has achieved now. That is why we did not endorse the slogan that the President should go home. I reiterated that such a move will only allow someone worse than him to come to the office of the President. But, these youth protesters were not wise enough to realize that,” he said.
Weerawansa said Ranil Wickremesinghe was able to secure 134 votes in Parliament due to the insecurity of parliamentarians created as a result of the struggle.
He said the MPs thought it was Ranil Wickremesinghe who could suppress the struggle and secure their lives than Dullas Alahapperuma who is more democratic.
“That is why 134 MPs voted for him. As a result of the struggle which sans principle, strategy or purpose, the President who did not shoot at the protesters when they stormed into the President’s House has been sent home and created the situation to elect a President who is going suppress them,” he said.
Weerawansa said they never believe that Ranil Wickremesinghe would be able to rescue the country from the current economic crisis. (Ajith Siriwardana)