NextGenSL, a collective of cross-party youth political representatives, has called on the authorities not to engage in a desperate power struggle and to appoint a new President through a common consensus to resolve Sri Lanka’s national crisis.
Issuing a statement, the organization said that the names of four candidates have so far been announced as candidates for the election of the new President to be held in Parliament on July 20.
Due to the intense competition that has arisen regarding the secret ballot for the election of the President, many stories are being heard about secret negotiations, deals, and clandestine money transactions to get the support of MPs for each candidate. As we are aware of Sri Lanka’s 74 years of political culture, none of that is particularly surprising.
We must not forget the fact that Sri Lanka is currently facing the biggest crisis in history. We can overcome this crisis only through a massive collective effort. When we analyze the situation that has arisen regarding the election of the President at this point, we see that there is not even a sign of such a collective effort. Instead, we see a desperate power struggle.
Therefore, we request all the parties in Parliament to appoint a new President through consensus. At the same time, a new Prime Minister and an all-party cabinet should be appointed to form a new government for a limited period within a common minimum program, it said.
NextGenSL further said that it is only through such an all-party consensus that the comprehensive reforms needed to address such a massive crisis can be effectively carried out.
A golden opportunity to take the initial steps for such a course of action is the election of the President in Parliament. We kindly request all political parties to use this opportunity as a gateway for a common agreement instead of making it a pretext for a bitter power struggle, it added. (NewsWire)