For the first time in election history, the leader of the United National Party has had to present himself as an independent candidate, National People’s Party (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said on Sunday, July 28. He made this statement while addressing the National Nursing Conference of the All Ceylon Nurses Association at the Maharagama National Youth Service Council Auditorium.
Dissanayake stated, “All the necessary conditions for the political transformation that should take place now have been fulfilled. We need to change existing laws to allow those who have been sentenced to death to serve as ministers in Parliament. I invite the people to unite in building a country with a developed economy that will secure our place in the global technological arena.”
NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake Calls for Political Transformation and New Leadership
He also remarked that the All Ceylon Nurses Association Conference is the first to be held after the announcement of the presidential election date, which has given the party great confidence, courage, and assurance of victory.
“Our nation is afflicted on all fronts,” he continued. “Our economy is in a state of crisis, affecting every sector. Not only is the economy struggling, but the nation itself is also suffering. Of the 137,000 deaths in Sri Lanka last year, 80% were due to non-communicable diseases. Fifteen percent of people under 35 suffer from diabetes, and nearly 35% suffer from heart disease. This indicates a nation in poor health, with both the young generation and the country itself in decline.”
Dissanayake criticized the current leadership, referring to Keheliya’s approach as ineffective. “The medicine administered for the past 76 years has only worsened the illness. It is akin to injecting a drug that makes one blind rather than healing. Our country needs new solutions and a fresh direction. Using the same ineffective methods will only perpetuate the disease.”
He concluded by questioning why bad remedies are chosen when good alternatives exist. “No matter how much we desire change, the necessary social environment for such a transformation has not been created. Upheavals do not occur at our will alone; we must take proactive steps to bring about the needed change.”
