Ranil Questions Policies of Rival Candidates

COLOMBO (News 1st); Independent presidential candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe has raised critical questions about the economic policies proposed by his rivals, emphasizing the importance of maintaining fiscal benchmarks.

He pointed out that while some candidates promise to lower taxes and duties, they fail to provide alternative sources of income, which could lead to a significant reduction in revenue.

"Now the first question before us is, do you want to continue with this or are you going to give it up? These conditions cannot be changed in the sense the benchmarks. The benchmarks have been put as to what the government revenue should be, and what our expenditure should be. Those are conditionalities. In other words, you can't change them."

He urged voters to consider the long-term economic implications of such policies, reminding them of the past consequences of reducing taxes and increasing handouts without sustainable financial planning.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has also called for sweeping reforms to the political and economic systems of Sri Lanka, emphasizing the need for stability and transparency.

Wickremesinghe questioned the sustainability of the current political party system, arguing that final decisions should be made by the members rather than external influences. He stressed the importance of having a few stable political parties to ensure effective governance.

"Everyone talks of corruption. They talk of these 400 files. I know the 400 files are there. They found 15 people to prosecute and nothing else. Everyone talks of corruption, not how to deal with it," he said, urging for practical solutions to tackle corruption.