Will not allow another ‘Aragalaya’ - President warns

• Will impose emergency and use security forces to suppress any unlawful protest
• Will allow protests with police permission and i am called as Hitler 
• Dual citizenship holder Kumar Gunaratnam behind the aragalaya and all the violence
• Will not dissolve Parliament till the economic crisis is resolved

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana  

President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday stressed that he will not allow another Aragalaya and will impose an emergency and use security forces to suppress any unlawful protest movements. But said there won’t be any obstacles for demonstrations after obtaining police permission. ‘‘I am called Hitler for this’’ he said.

Speaking during the debate on his expenditure head, the President said, “I will appoint a commission to look into Aragalaya. We will have to find out as to which media organization encouraged violence,” he said.  

“The Aragalaya forces were planning to take over the President’s House, President’s Secretariat, Prime Minister’s office, Parliament and the Judiciary.  Imagine what would have happened if such a thing happened. No one can attack MPs, he added. He alleged that Frontline Socialist Party Leader Kumar Gunaratnam was behind the aragalaya and all the violence. “ Kumar Gunaratnam is a dual citizen. He has both Australian and Sri Lankan citizenship. These people even threatened the Maha Nayaka Theras during the aragalaya,” he alleged.
The President said he will not dissolve Parliament till the economic crisis is resolved. “ We have to resolve the economic crisis first before going for elections. We also have to come up with political reforms as well,” he said.  

The President then stressed the need for political reforms. “We have to make reforms which the youth of this country want. Therefore I request the House to finaliz the names of youth members who are to be appointed to sectoral oversight committees before January. We have to appoint these committees by January Next year,” he said  

The President also said he would call for an all party conference to resolve the ethnic issue. Are the political parties of this House agreeable for an all party conference after the budget process is over. Will the SJB agree to this?, the President questioned. A positive response was received for an all party conference while MP Gevindu Kumaratunga said the solution to the ethnic problem should come within an undivided unitary state.  

“ I will protect the 13th Amendment ,” the President said at this moment, calling all MPs to come to a consensus on the ethnic issue.