Sri Lanka has gained the support of friendly nations - President

President Ranil Wickremesinghe highlighted that, due to the government's efforts over the past two years to rebuild the economy, Sri Lanka has gained the support of friendly nations, including India and Japan, in its journey towards progress. Speaking at the "Ranil Can" (Ranil ta Puluwan) victory rally in front of the Kantale Railway Station he emphasized that, in partnership with the Indian government,

 Trincomalee will see extensive development. Additionally, he reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the nation's living conditions, aiming to resolve the "kitchen battle" by 2025.

A large crowd attended the rally, which was organized to support President Wickremesinghe's candidacy in the upcoming presidential election. Responding to public demands, the President announced plans to establish an industrial zone, restore the Kantale Sugar Factory, and construct the Verugal Aru Bridge.

During his address, President Wickremesinghe criticized Sajith Premadasa and Anura Kumara Dissanayake for abandoning the people during the previous economic crisis, despite now speaking about patriotism. He also noted that, following two years of economic stabilization, 38 individuals are currently working to rebuild the nation.

I ran as the UNP candidate in the 2005 presidential election, contesting against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Unfortunately, I lost because the people of the North did not vote for me that day. I had presented a program called "Yali Pubudamu" to develop the country, but it came to an end with my defeat. I chose not to contest the 2019 presidential election. When Gotabaya Rajapaksa was running against Sajith Premadasa, I warned him not to reduce taxes.

In 2016, during a discussion I had with the International Monetary Fund as Prime Minister, they made it clear that reducing taxes would result in losing IMF support. I made this public at the time. Yet, when Gotabaya Rajapaksa came into power, he reduced taxes, and as expected, the IMF stopped providing relief.

During the 2020 parliamentary elections, I clearly stated that the country needed $6 billion to address its primary economic issues. No other party addressed this problem. Instead, promises were made to give everything for free, and as a result, we lost the 2020 elections.

As predicted, the economy collapsed in 2022. The people were left queuing for food, medicine, fuel, and gas. I don't need to repeat the hardships we faced. As a consequence, the government led by the SLPP crumbled.

At that moment, no one stepped forward to take over the government. I had to take on that responsibility. Both Sajith and Anura refused, leaving the people behind. That was their version of patriotism.

Now, after two years of stabilizing the country’s economy, 38 people are trying to take control, but they are incapable of moving the nation forward.

I brought together people from all parties to strengthen the economy. Neither Sajith nor Anura supported me, but the majority stood with me. Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa extended his support, as did Mr. Wajira Abeywardena from the United National Party. Members from various parties, including the Podujana Peramuna, also joined me. Despite this, they accused me of being part of the Rajapaksa government.

If this were truly a Rajapaksa government, Namal Rajapaksa would be standing on this platform with me. I appreciate the support they offered in times of need, but with the majority in hand, I took the lead in negotiating with the International Monetary Fund and successfully implemented the program.

I am fully aware of the suffering our people endured during the economic crisis. Some could barely afford one meal a day. Even today, challenges persist. However, thanks to the sound economic decisions we made, the rupee has strengthened and commodity prices have gradually decreased. But I’m not satisfied with that alone. We will take further steps to ease the burden on people’s lives in the coming year.

In many countries, it took 5 to 10 years to resolve such crises. Greece, for example, needed 8 years, during which a third of government employees were laid off and wages were slashed by 50%. I did not take such extreme measures. Instead, we stabilized the economy. While Sajith and Anura turned their backs and fled, they now promise tax cuts in exchange for power.

The truth is, there is no alternative to the program with the International Monetary Fund. We must protect and advance this program, which is why I am seeking a mandate for the next five years.

To move forward, we must shift towards a competitive export-driven economy. For this, we have initiated an agricultural modernization program. Durian cultivation should take root in this region. By exporting durians to China, we can mirror Thailand, which earns $1 billion annually from durian exports. Over the next five years, we aim to develop Kantale as a key agricultural area.

In addition, we are developing the Trincomalee port in partnership with India. Plans are underway to relocate the Sapugaskanda oil refinery to Trincomalee, while Sampur is being transformed into a solar energy hub. Trincomalee will also grow as a tourism destination, and we’ll establish trade and investment zones there. The governments of India and Sri Lanka are collaborating on this development.

Thanks to the efforts we began two years ago to rebuild the economy, we now have the support of nations like Japan, India, and others to continue this path. We must maintain this momentum.

So, I urge everyone to vote for the "gas cylinder" symbol to help resolve the ‘kitchen battle’ and continue this journey of recovery.