Country in severe crisis due to government arrogance – G.L. Peiris

2026-03-17 - 17:04

Former Minister Professor G. L. Peiris stated today (17) that the country has fallen into a severe crisis as a result of corruption, fraud and arrogance within the present government, which has led to the creation of numerous problems. He made these remarks during a meeting held today (17) at the headquarters of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka in Borella, where representatives of the ‘Mahajana Handa’ organisation met with representatives of the Communist Party and other leftist parties. Professor Peiris said that Sri Lanka, as a country, is currently facing a very serious situation, and that the severity of the crisis has been further highlighted by a grave statement made by the Power Minister indicating that electricity cuts may become necessary. He further noted that the government cannot evade responsibility by blaming the Middle East conflict for all issues, and added that due to problems related to coal, electricity generation would have to rely on diesel. He also pointed out that there is a clear connection between the power crisis and alleged irregularities in coal procurement. Professor Peiris stated that although other countries have taken various measures to address issues arising from the conflict, the Sri Lankan government has failed to do so. He added that the QR system introduced to eliminate queues has instead resulted in longer queues. He also remarked that weaknesses in government management are the primary cause of the current problems, and that providing temporary, stopgap solutions has led to the emergence of further issues. He claimed that the delay in reintroducing the QR system was due to disputes over credit being attributed to Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera under the government of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. He further noted that, in response to challenges arising from the conflict, Bangladesh first introduced a work-from-home system, while countries such as the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam implemented comprehensive measures in a timely manner. He emphasised that it is particularly important for parties with a long history, such as the Communist Party, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, and the Democratic Left Front, to unite against the actions of the government. He added that, in the face of government repression, it is vital for the opposition to work together on behalf of the people.