Published on 12:00 AM, July 18, 2019

New govt within five months

Says Lankan president

Sri Lankans would have the opportunity to appoint a new government within five months and they should ensure that a government of humane, patriotic and clean politicians would be elected, President Maithripala Sirisena said on Tuesday at Nuwara Eliya.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the opening of the Nuwara Eliya new hospital, he said that the only way that Sri Lanka could realise its potential was to elect a clean government. "The economy has collapsed. The only way out it to elect a government comprising clean politicians. The responsibility for electing clean leaders lies with the voters."

The President said that clean and patriotic politicians would attempt to identify the problems faced by the people and try to solve them. "If the public sector workers numbering 1.6 million do their work properly, developing the country will not be a problem."

"Drugs destroy a country. This is a menace and it's difficult to get things done because a lot of politicians only think about their own political agendas."

The President also said that a lot of steps had been taken to uplift the living standards of the estate sector workers during the last four years.

Sirisena on Monday claimed international drug syndicates orchestrated Sri Lanka's deadly Easter Sunday bombings, despite earlier blaming the attacks on Islamists.

The statement comes amid a nationwide narcotics crackdown, with Sirisena aiming to reintroduce capital punishment for drug offences.