Country belongs to people, not to its rulers: Cardinal

Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith who visited MP Ven. Athuraliye Ratana Thera during his fast unto death said the problem would not have blown out of proportion today if President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had acted against those who discreetly aided and abetted the terrorist attacks.

“People have given a mandate to the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to govern the country for five years. They had not been given a lifetime right to be in office. They have not been given the country on freehold basis. The country belongs to people, not to its rulers. The rulers should be mindful of it. The time has come to take a decision on the President and the Prime Minister,” he said.

He said if it were the President and the Prime Minister who could appoint Minister Rishad Bathiudeen, then it was they who had the authority to remove him.

The Cardinal also said that there were no proper investigations into the Eastern Sunday attacks so far.

“No one is investigating to find out about those indirectly involved in this attack. Because of that, there should be immediate investigations to find out who were behind this attack. So we call on the President and the Prime Minister to launch a proper inquiry into the attack immediately,” the Cardinal told the media.

“I urged the President and the government find out the persons who were creating hatred among the communities and take necessary action against them. I believe that Ven. Rathana Thera too conducting this fast because the government had failed to do what the people want in this context," the Cardinal said.(Nadeeka Daya Bandara)

Video by Nadeeka  Daya Bandara