Sajith says he won’t accept presidency without a public mandate
May 2, 2025 03:29 pm
Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa claims that Sri Lanka’s debt repayment in 2028 is at risk, given the current state of the country’s economy.
Speaking during TV Derana’s current affairs programme “360°”, he alleged that the previous government, led by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, agreed to initiate the debt repayment process in 2028—despite the possibility of obtaining an extension until 2033—in order to use it as a campaign point for the 2024 Presidential Election.
“But it brought no benefit to the country or its people,” he added.
Furthermore, the Opposition Leader criticized the current administration for failing to renegotiate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“If we are unable to begin debt repayments by 2028, we will have to undergo another restructuring,” the leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) stressed.
“We warned early on what would happen to the country. Now I say this again—Sri Lanka is at risk when it comes to initiating debt repayments,” he noted.
Responding to a question on whether he would take over the presidency if the current government fails before the end of its term, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa asserted that he would not accept the presidency without a public mandate.
Premadasa, who emphasized that he declined the presidency in 2022 when the then government collapsed due to his personal policy of not assuming power without a mandate, stated that this policy remains unchanged.
“Let’s assume I took over the presidency. How could I even pass the Budget without a majority in Parliament?” he questioned.
