Cannot change Govt. by taking to the streets: President

• Says positive results on the country’s economy soon 

President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday emphasized that  the only way to bring about a change of government is through a  parliamentary election and not through street protests, stating that the  latter is not a viable option for the parliament.  

The President emphasized that a nation can become anarchic  due to an economic collapse and urged everyone to prioritize  safeguarding both the constitution and the economy of the country.  

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said this while addressing  the commissioning ceremony of the Air Force Officer Cadets at the  Trincomalee Air Force Base yesterday morning. Meanwhile, 40 Officer Cadets including three females were  commissioned as Officers of the Sri Lanka Air Force by the Chief Guest and received their ceremonial swords, which symbolizes their status as  Commissioned Officers.   

 Addressing the gathering, President Wickremesinghe said,  
During the period between 1980 and 2009, the country faced  significant threats to its unity and territorial integrity. It was  during this time that the armed forces and the police made immense  sacrifices to safeguard the nation. Their unwavering commitment and  dedication helped to protect the country’s sovereignty and independence and ensured that its people could live in peace and security.  

“I am deeply grateful to the armed forces for their role in  protecting the Parliament last June. As we have seen in other  countries, when a parliament is not safeguarded, chaos and anarchy can  quickly ensue. Similarly, a country without a strong economy is also at  risk of devolving into chaos,” the President said.  

It is therefore the responsibility of all of us to work  together to protect both the constitution and the economy of our  country. In recent days, I have met with various organizations to  discuss strategies for boosting the economy, and I am confident that our  efforts will yield positive results in the near future.