Prominent political scientist Prof. Jayadeva Uyangoda today urged all religious leaders, community leaders, civil activists, and senior citizens to come forward and intervene in resolving the current political crisis which has made a debilitating impact on every aspect of the country.

Delivering the keynote speech at the Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera commemorative event at the New Town Hall, Colombo, this evening, Uyangoda said only such an initiative could bail the country out of the mire it is in.

“What we need, at the moment, is a ‘moral intervention’ by all these groups. The political organizations alone cannot find a solution to the current crisis,” the political scientist explained. “Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera appeared for a civil society movement that was able to make moral interventions. It is the very approach that we need today – at a time when the entire country is grappling with an unprecedented political crisis.”

“In the absence of such an approach, the prevailing political crisis might slide into a bloodshed,” he added.

“From what I see, there will be a fierce confrontation between the Legislature and the Executive in the coming days. In the absence of an amicable solution, the current crisis may end in some sort of violence.”

Uyangoda added that the face-off between the Executive and the legislature could result in far-reaching ramifications and it was the responsibility of everyone to rise up to the moment and help contain the crisis.

Meanwhile, addressing the same event, Prof. Sarath Wijesuriya said Sobitha Thera, a crusader for freedom and democracy, would have been dejected if he was alive today see the conduct of the common candidate he vigorously campaigned for.

“But Sobhitha Thera saw the first signs of President Sirisena’s uncivilized conduct. On the day Shiral Lakthilake was appointed Advisor to the President, Sobitha Thera telephoned me and described it as an “ungrateful” act. We have experienced this ungratefulness many times since January 2015,” Wijesuriya said.

“What he did, on October 26, did not occur on the spur of the moment. It was a carefully planned and well-executed act. The President slowly prepared the ground for this drastic, undemocratic act that went against the aspirations of everyone who voted for him in the hope of democracy and good governance.”

“It was President Sirisena who stood in the way of law enforcement authorities when they tried to take action on corrupt individuals, murderers, and criminals linked to the previous regime,” Wijesuriya said. “Susil Premajayanth was the first person to challenge the legality of the Police Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID). The President also intervened to stop a corruption investigation against Premajayanth. Today, Susil Premajayanth took paths before Sirisena as the Justice Minister of the country.”

In a scathing attack on President Sirisena, Professor Wijesuriya said, “Every time the SLFP rose up in arms against January 8 promises, Sirisena was behind it. He has acted in a treacherous, uncouth and uncivilised manner.”