Former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said he would not be intimidated by alleged harassment from members of the Government and would not “bend his spine” before it even if he were imprisoned.
He made the remarks while addressing the fourth annual convention of the United Republic Front, held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute in Colombo on September 5.
Ranawaka said rulers who had attempted to prolong their grip on power throughout history had ultimately faced severe consequences.
“We will fight against any attempt to destroy the country’s freedom, democracy and multiparty system, and turn the people into prisoners of a small group belonging to a single party,” he said.
“We are not the kind of people who will bow down when threatened with imprisonment or harassment. It is the Government that should be afraid of resorting to repression,” he added.
Ranawaka acknowledged that previous administrations had failed to recognise the strong public resentment that had developed against the political system, politicians and the political class.
He alleged that the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna had fostered a punitive mentality among the public, encouraging people to celebrate calls for political opponents to be imprisoned or executed.
Ranawaka said earlier governments had resolved Colombo’s waste-management and flooding problems and ensured an uninterrupted 24-hour electricity supply.
He also cited the addition of 2,700 megawatts of rooftop solar power as an achievement that the current Government could not dispute.
However, he alleged that the Government was now curtailing rooftop solar power generation between 11 a.m. and 1.30 p.m., including on Sundays.
He further claimed that the Government had allowed two politically connected businessmen to control the country’s solar, small-scale hydropower and wind-energy sectors.
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, People’s Joint Opposition Convener Professor G.L. Peiris and several other political representatives attended the convention.
