The opposition should unite against the dreadful ruling

No one has the ethical right to renounce that national right

The country is moving towards the historic cemetery

Country is passing the darkest era

Karu summons the whole opposition to one stage

The war starts

(Sujith Mangala De Silva)

Chairman of the National Movement for a Just Society Deshabandu Karu Jayasuriya emphasized that the time has dawned for all parties and leaders of the opposition to get into the same stage to establish the rights of people and to develop the country by ending the dictatorial and dreadful ruling. 

Mr. Karu Jayasuriya stressed that no one has the ethical right to renounce that responsibility, duty and obligation towards the country, nation and the future generation.

Chairman of the National Movement for a Just Society ,Deshabandu Karu Jayasuriya made these observations at the opening conference for a united opposition of all parties, at Hotel Janaki on Saturday (17)  where he further stated that

As you are all aware our organisation is not a political organisation. It does not have connections to the ruling party or the opposition. We are simply working to convey public opinion to the relevant parties. It is to educate the people about what they need to know and to unite them on the knowledge, ideology and effort required to make independent decisions about the future of the country.

In recent times, we have been conveying to the country’s people that we are once again facing the darkest era in the history of the country. It is not a misinterpretation when you look at what happened during each of those periods. We have come through many such dark ages. But we have come a long way since. Now we are heading back to an extremely dark era. We are evidently moving backwards, not forwards. We are passing through the dark ages and are on our way to the cemetery of history.

As our organisation does not contest in the country’s elections, we have no people's representatives. We are a civil society organisation. But all of you who are present today are representatives of the people, elected by the people. Therefore, we thought of first educating you in order to come up with a plan for this dire situation, how to come out of it and explain its importance. If we as a common opposition can come to an agreement on the burning issues of the country, it will help to safeguard justice, fairness and democracy. It is a national duty we have to fulfill for the unborn generation.

In the face of the severe crisis facing the country, the people expect a political collective that cares for the country and is free from greed for power. As a result, today we are focusing more than ever on the principles that were revived at that time under the leadership of the late Most Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera while bestowing our blessings on a broad mass force to make a difference in the current system.

The time has come for those of you who stand for the freedom and well-being of the people of this country, and those who actively aspire to lead a prosperous and peaceful Sri Lanka and herald in the future of the country to collectively shoulder this responsibility. If this occasion marks a turning point in the life of the people, it will be the highest tribute to the people of this country. We consider contributing to this effort as a great act of charity.

We believe that there is a need for true political reform as a country. We would also like to draw your attention to some of our basic concerns.

Accordingly, we focus primarily on the circumstances that led to the breakdown of the rule of law and the weakening of our democracy. In fact, today all the basic qualities that should be contained in a truly representative compromise government that reflects the aspirations of the people have been destroyed.

An authoritarian has engulfed the entire system of democratic institutions in the country. They created the path for that by passing the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. It re-enacted the executive presidency of which the powers were limited by the 19th Amendment.

The independence granted to the judiciary and the public service has been reversed. The present regime is carrying out anti-public activities based on lawlessness that they have now made into law. Therefore, the first and foremost responsibility of a government that seeks to benefit the people of this country is to wipe out that perverse power and repeal the 20th Amendment.

Also, the current gradual collapse of the Sri Lankan economy is worsening at an alarming rate. Today the economy of this country is being destroyed by a group of economic hitmen that relies on the blessings and connections of one family alliance.

They are absorbing all the resources of the country. Today, commercial businesses in Sri Lanka are on the verge of death and the SME sector is facing a tragic situation.

The country is trapped in a terrible debt trap. The only solution for the present rulers is to sell the national resources of the country. Sri Lanka has also turned this situation into a playground for international powers. Our traditional allies are moving away from Sri Lanka. Our independence as a nation has been weakened. In that, the sovereignty of the people of the country is being pushed to a terrible abyss. At least 675 EU countries proposed the removal of the GSP + because of our misguided foreign policy.

At the same time, we must pay attention to the massive destruction of resources that is exacerbating the suffering of the people of the country. Today, farmers in this country do not have the fertiliser needed to cultivate. The government is shirking its responsibility to provide proper education to the future generations. The fishermen are helpless. The Covid-19 pandemic, which was brought into the country due to the erroneous decisions of the rulers, has become so deadly that many of our people have succumbed to it. In the midst of all these disasters, a ship full of poisonous chemicals has devastated our marine resources while the government's cronies, both soil and sand smugglers alike, have exploited the land and even the rivers and streams.

The foundations for military rule are slowly being laid thereby dismantling the civilian administration, an essential feature of a democratic society. At the same time, the current regime is moving towards a process in which we can no longer hold out hope for free and fair elections, which determine the very existence of democracy.

All other commissions have lost their independence. Pro-government political activists have been appointed as members of all commissions, including the Election Commission. It will also mark the end of free and fair elections in Sri Lanka if this situation is not addressed at this moment or if the necessary intervention is not made to make all commissions independent.

Moreover, the next step in the current regime will be to remove a number of active opposition leaders from the political arena. They have made plans based on the malicious report of the so-called Presidential Commission, which was appointed to look into acts of political revenge. Like all other issues, we must all understand that if the political forces in this country do not take the lead in defeating the Upali Abeyratne Commission's recommendations immediately, it will invariably contribute to limit the political activism of Opposition members.

Therefore, members who represent the Opposition in this country today have come forward not only with the responsibility of overthrowing a regime with anti-people policies but also to protect and safeguard the democracy in this country and to pass on to future generations a free, peaceful and prosperous country. It is also evident that all of you have a major responsibility towards reviving the country's economy which is on the brink of collapse.

It is your duty to discover the correct vision and process to bring about these changes. The need for unity to achieve those national goals is felt today more than ever before in history. We hope that you will all take this lead together.

We state at this juncture that our contribution to that noble cause is generous and unwavering, without any personal gain or any political motive, because we have realised that it is the most important role that must be played for the country today. Towards this endeavour, we will stand beside you every step of the way.