Sri Lanka’s opposition MP Dilith Jayaweera has claimed that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake failed to present a vision for rebuilding the country during his recent address to Parliament, arguing that the speech has instead discouraged young people and prompted them to consider leaving the country.
Addressing a meeting of representatives of the Sarvajana Balaya Party in Uva Paranagama, Jayaweera said Parliament traditionally refrains from interrupting a President while delivering a speech, but accused Dissanayake of misusing that convention to level allegations instead of addressing the country’s pressing economic and social issues.
He alleged that the President had failed to speak about the hardships faced by farmers in Uva Paranagama, the rising cost of electricity, fuel and water, the increasing prices of consumer goods, the impact of the depreciation of the rupee on people’s lives, or growing public concerns over confidence in the judicial system.
Jayaweera further claimed that, rather than offering solutions, the President staged “political dramas” and insulted the intelligence of the public.
He said a President addressing Parliament should inspire citizens, encourage them to contribute to production and exports, support small and micro-enterprises, and provide hope for the future.
“There wasn’t a single word in that speech that gave the younger generation confidence to stay in Sri Lanka or believe they have a future here,” Jayaweera said.
He further alleged that any young person listening to the parliamentary address would be motivated to return to the passport office queue in search of the earliest flight out of the country because they would see no future in Sri Lanka.
