AP Interview: Sri Lankan candidate to 'listen to the people'
Sri Lanka’s opposition leader, who will seek the presidency next week, is vowing to “listen to the people” who are struggling through the island nation’s worst economic crisis
AP Interview: Sri Lankan candidate to 'listen to the people'
Show all 5Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
Sri Lanka’s opposition leader, who is seeking the presidency next week, vowed Friday to “listen to the people” who are struggling through the island nation’s worst economic crisis and to hold accountable the president who fled under pressure from protesters.
In an interview with The Associated Press from his office in the capital, Sajith Premadasa said that if he wins the election in parliament, he would ensure that “an elective dictatorship never, ever occurs” in Sri Lanka.
“That’s what we should do. That is our function — catching those who looted Sri Lanka. That should be done through proper constitutional, legal, democratic procedures,” Premadasa said.
The former president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, slipped away aboard a military plane Wednesday before arriving in Singapore the following day. His resignation was officially announced Friday.
His departure followed months of protests that turned a dramatic corner when demonstrators seized government buildings before retreating days later. Protesters accuse Rajapaksa and his powerful political family of siphoning money from government coffers and of hastening the country’s collapse by mismanaging the economy.
The family has denied the corruption allegations, but Rajapaksa acknowledged that some of his policies contributed to Sri Lanka’s meltdown.
For now, the presidential role has been filled by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was sworn in as the acting leader. Protesters have pressed for Wickremesinghe to leave as well, and for a unity government to address the economic calamity that has triggered widespread shortages of food, fuel and other necessities.
___
Find more of AP’s Sri Lanka coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/sri-lanka
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.