Right candidate will emerge at right time: Champika Ranawaka

• Now is not the time to discuss presidential polls 

By Yohan Perera 

Opposition MP Patali Champika Ranawaka who spearheads his political movement called ‘43rd Brigade’ said at its national convention yesterday that the right presidential candidate would emerge at the  right time, but this was not the time to talk about such elections. 

He said the setting up of a national centre and paving the way for the people to arise for a real change and prevent Sri Lanka from becoming a country like another North Korea is the duty of all political parties.
Mr. Ranawaka said all opposition political parties should forget about the presidential elections as there are few more years for it.
 “The right candidate will emerge at the right time. This is not the time of the presidential elections,” Mr. Ranawaka said.
 He said the 43rd Brigade will not call for a political alliance as it is not the need of the hour. “The total foreign debt service that has to be settled is US $ 38.5 billion,” he said.
“We cannot resolve  the foreign exchange crisis by begging for assistance from India and China. We should think beyond such a move. Therefore Sri Lanka has to seek assistance of a body such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or should obtain the help of a private mediation body as  some countries have done. We should also think of a middle path rather than thinking of turning Sri Lanka into another North Korea or a Myanmar as it is thought by some forces,” he added.

“Sri Lanka should also go for investment projects which are viable and adopt a transparent process when selecting suitable investments. The country should also focus on debt rescheduling and putting a stop to corruption and other matters,” he said. MP Ranawaka said there is a large-scale embezzlement of public funds,” The government is to spend four times the actual cost for the elevated highway project in Colombo and had planned to construct a prison complex in Homagama where the previous government planned to construct the tech city.

SJB MPs Thalatha Athukorala, Kumara Welgama, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, TPA Leader Mano Ganesan, UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene and Senior Vice President Sagala Ratnayaka were present at the event.