Former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said that he is not afraid of the oppression of some in the current government and that he will not bow down to the government even if he is imprisoned. He made this statement while addressing the gathering at the 4th annual conference of the United Republic Front held at the Colombo Foundation Institute yesterday (05).
He said that when examining history, the rulers who tried to hold on to power for a long time had to face very bad and terrible experiences, and that the country's democracy and multi-party system would not be allowed to be destroyed.
He said that the sewage problem and the flood problem in Colombo were solved by the previous governments, and that it was also those governments that provided electricity around the clock. He said that no one can be blamed for those facts.
Commenting on the ongoing energy crisis, he said that the government has allowed two of its close friends to control solar power, small hydro power and wind power in the country. Former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka also said that the current government has succeeded in creating a paranoid mentality in the minds of the people. We all need to understand that the failures of the previous governments are the main reason for the emergence of the current government.
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Convener of the People's United Opposition, Professor G. L. Peiris and many political representatives were present on this occasion.