Facebook icon
Twitter icon
e-mail icon

‘I am not a friend of the Rajapaksas’ smirks Sri Lanka’s new president

21 July 2022

Sri Lanka’s president Ranil Wickremesinghe mocked a question from Sky News, as he claimed to not be a friend of the Rajapaksas and instead a “friend of the people”.

Wickremesinghe is a former Rajapaksa rival-turned-ally, after being appointed to the post of prime minister by Gotabaya Rajapaksa earlier this year.

When asked if, as an “old friend of the Rajapaksas”, whether he could be any different, Wickremesinghe smirked and shot back at Sky News.

“How am I an old friend of the Rajapaksas?” he said. “When did I know the Rajapaksas? I’ve been opposing them all this time. You come here today and tell me I am a friend.”

“I am not a friend of the Rajapaksas,” he continued. “I am a friend of the people.”

The new president also shot back at the Sky News journalist for questioning him, stating,

“But I must tell you one thing. As a journalist when you come here you must do your independent investigation. Don’t ask questions like this.”

Read the full transcript of the exchange below.

Q: The people say they want change. You are an old friend of the Rajapaksas, how can you be different?

A: How am I an old friend of the Rajapaksas? When did I know the Rajapaksas? I’ve been opposing them all this time. You come here today and tell me I am a friend.

Q: You’re not a friend of the Rajapkasas?

A: No, you ask any of them. Here, the Rajapaksa friends are there (gesturing towards former Foreign Minister, Dinesh Gunawardena).

Q: Can you be the change that Sri Lanka says it wants?

A: I will give the change that the people want. But I must tell you one thing. As a journalist when you come here you must do your independent investigation. Don’t ask questions like this.

Q: You’re not a friend of the Rajapaksas?

A: I am not a friend of the Rajapaksas. I am a friend of the people. And I have worked earlier with Mrs Kumaratunga. I never voted for her. She belonged to one party. I belonged to another party. For me to work with the president of another party does not mean I am his friend. It means that I am also looking at my opportunity of strengthening my party.

  • Facebook icon
    Twitter icon
    e-mail icon

We need your support

Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view

We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.

For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.

Tamil Guardian