By Yohan Perera  

Those who are not willing to admit their past mistakes are not fit to lead this country, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said.  

“One should admit the mistakes they commit. We have made mistakes in the past. We have given so many promises to people during elections, fully knowing that we don’t have the resources to fulfil these promises. We admit this mistake. However, others such as those in NPP seemed to be not prepared to admit their mistakes. Those who don’t admit their mistakes are not fit to lead the nation,” Mr. Wickremesinghe told the ‘Puluwan Peraliya’ forum in Colombo.  

“NPP or JVP behaves as if they were not involved in the insurrection in the 1980s. They should file action against those who used their name to launch the insurrection in the 1980s if they were not involved in it. JVP should do this if they were not involved in the insurrection,” Mr. Wickremesinghe said.  

Also, he said SJB candidate Sajith Premadasa is engaged in making promises. “Sajith is engaged in making so many promises. The only thing he has not promised is to provide headaches free of charge,” he said in a lighter vein.  

“I had to make very difficult decisions to stabilise the nation. Increasing the value-added tax is such a decision. Sri Lanka would not be what it is today if we did not make such hard decisions. The rupee would not have been strong if we did not make hard decisions,” he said in this regard.  

Meanwhile, the President came up with a few pledges including the introduction of Jana Sabhas, to increase women and youth representation in elected bodies. “We have received 87 recommendations on electoral reforms, responsibility of political parties by the committee headed by former Solicitor General Priyasad Dep. We will make a new country for the people by implementing all these proposals,” he also said.