Ganesan sees nothing but crony capitalism in govt.

… says people voted to elect true leaders, but they got dealers

By Saman Indrajith

Tamil Progressive Alliance leader SJB Parliamentarian Mano Ganesan recently said that people who had voted for the SLPP expecting true leaders to develop the country had instead got a bunch of dealers.

Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s office in Colombo, MP Ganesan said that prior to the presidential and general elections a political campaign led by Gotabaya Rajapaksa the people had been promised that the country would be run by professionals. “That was the main slogan of the Viyathmaga led by the President. Their message to people was that the country was rudderless and the public should vote for them so that the country would have true leaders. People believed in that and voted for them. Now, those who voted for the SLPP have realised that they were duped. They now know that they elected a government run by a bunch of dealers instead of leaders.

“The President goes around the country vowing tough action against corruption, fraud, exploitation of people and promising a better country. But his words are not matched with deeds. The government issues gazettes to control prices but big businesses carry on regardless. The aim of reviewing taxes should have been to increase government revenue or provide relief to people. The recent tax revisions did not help people and benefited only a bunch of businessmen dealers.”

He said that the country was now governed by the very same bunch of dealers. “It is no longer our SLFP politicians or senior parliamentarians in government who run this country now but some dealers. Many senior politicians have been sidelined. Take the issue of repatriating Sri Lankan workers. They make a tremendous contribution to the economy and help keep the economy afloat. Some of them even flew here during the election especially to vote for the SLPP. But today the government has allowed those migrant workers to be fleeced by the friends of a bunch of dealers in the government.”

“The dealers have become more powerful than political leaders. It is those dealers who had Ukrainian tourists brought here at the expense of the Sri Lankan expatriate workers.

SJB Kurunegala District MP JC Alawathuwala also addressed the press.