Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna National Organiser Namal Rajapaksa says the party will strengthen its grassroots engagement by visiting communities across the country as it prepares for future elections.
Speaking to journalists at SLPP headquarters on Nelum Mawatha on Monday, the parliamentarian said the party had contributed to bringing the President closer to the public and would keep working directly with communities, the Daily Mirror reported.
“We have to go from village to village for the presidency today,” he said. “We have been able to take the President from the AC room in Colombo 7 to the main road and bring him closer to the people.”
A warning on comments about the courts
On the proposed 22nd Amendment, Rajapaksa raised concern over statements by government representatives on matters that could come before the judiciary. Public comments that appear to anticipate court decisions, he said, could raise concerns about judicial independence, and recent debate had underlined the importance of allowing the courts to work without political influence.
He said constitutional changes should be considered carefully and should not undermine public confidence in democratic institutions or the rule of law.
The remarks land on a day when the same theme was being pressed from several directions. The BASL’s president and secretary petitioned the Supreme Court for a ruling that the amendment requires a referendum, while the Joint Opposition protested outside the Bar Association accusing its president of politicising the body over the same Bill. Senior counsel have made similar arguments about judicial independence in recent days.
Cost-of-living demands
Rajapaksa said the government should give more attention to issues affecting the public directly — the timely provision of fertiliser, the purchase of paddy, fuel concessions for fishermen, support for graduates and assistance to industries in difficulty. It should focus on delivering the commitments in its policy programme, he said, while ensuring investigations into alleged wrongdoing were conducted fairly and transparently.
Referring to recent investigation reports, he questioned whether some inquiries had focused on selected individuals and called for a comprehensive review of the findings. The SLPP was still studying the reports, he said, and a proper assessment would be needed before drawing conclusions. He did not name the investigations he had in mind.
On El Niño, Rajapaksa said previous governments had prepared contingency plans based on adverse weather forecasts, and urged timely preventive measures and adequate preparation by the relevant institutions. Drought conditions currently affect tens of thousands of people across seven districts.
The Daily Mirror was the only verified newsroom to file its own report of the briefing as of Monday evening.
