11 April 2022 08:15 pm
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that every second the youth protested, the country was losing vital dollars and the government would take all possible measures to address the current issues since the other parties refused to accept the request for an all party government.
In his televised address to the nation, the Prime Minister said his government ended the war that plagued the country for 30 years , and he never intended to leave people suffering in queues to purchase gas and fuel .
He said he is sensitive to the sufferings of the people and he, along with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa would leave no stone unturned in the efforts to overcome the current difficulties.
Commenting on the slogan rejecting all the 225 MPs, he said history is full of examples to prove repercussions of assaulting parliamentary democracy . He urged the youth in the protests not to drag the country back to such a period of horrific violence.
He said there was a lot of blood shed during the 88/89 period due to the rejection of democracy at that time .
"Around 60,000 young lives were lost as a result of the violence unleashed at that time," he said .
He said, “I see national flags fluttering in your hand . You have recieved that freedom due to the enormous sacrifices made by the three forces ,” the Prime Minister said. (Kelum Bandara)