report in The Island, Sept 8, 2023
Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, in an interview with Sirasa TV on Wednesday night, said that she would have gone for a general election if she had been in President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s shoes.
She said that Wickremesinghe did not go for an election because he feared defeat.Wickremesinghe had been able to halt the rapid decline of the country but he was unable to move forth because he worked with corrupt politicians, she said.
“Only members of one corrupt family is not in government. I don’t think Ranil is stealing but everyone around him steals. Look at the Health Minister, everyone knows people have died due to imported substandard drugs. He should be arrested. The Opposition had to bring in parliamentary motions to get rid of him,” she said.
Kumaratunga said that corruption was the main issue holding back the country and with such crooks in power.
“People are angry. What they expected following the departure of Gotabaya Rajapaksa has not been achieved. The next Aragalaya won’t be peaceful. There will be a bloodbath. Don’t underestimate people’s anger,” she said. https://island.lk/cbk-ranil-fears-electoral-defeat/
