You have to be shrewd when doing politics -RW

By Yohan Perera
Highlighting that one has to think correctly to ensure a bright future for the youth, independent candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe said one cannot be a successful politician without being shrewd.   
“I have learnt this quality by following late President J. R. Jayewardene also I have studied how late Prime Minister D. S Senanayake ran this country. I was able work with people such as Late President R. Premadasa. I have leant from them how to be shrewd and to make right decisions,” Mr. Wickremesinghe told ‘Ask Ranil’ youth forum.   
 “You have to become shrewd to be successful in politics,” he said.   

“My plan is aimed at absorbing Z generation into the society and turn them into leaders who will be responsible for the country’s future. Youth have to decide about their future by themselves. There were issues in the Sirimavo Bandaranaike administration in the 1970s. We worked with late President Jayewardene and he told us to design a future for the country when he came into power. He opened the economy and implemented the Mahaweli project. Likewise today’s youth must decide on their future,” President Wickremesinghe said.   
“We cannot remain a poor country for ever and ever. Japan was behind Sri Lanka during my childhood. Today only Myanmar, Afghanistan and Laos are lagging behind Sri Lanka. These counties will beat us if we don’t put our act together,” he added.   
“One cannot obtain results through false slogans. Sri Lanka must think of a way to succeed like other nations. We have to rebuild the economy. It is not possible to depend on handouts every day. We also have to stop borrowing. Late Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew once said that a Sri Lankan election is an auction of non-existing resources. This has to change,” he also said.