Former Minister Jeevan Thondaman has urged the National Democratic Front (NDF) to consider former Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera for the remaining National List seat of the party, highlighting that the new Parliament requires experienced politicians in the opposition.
In a statement on ‘X’, Thondaman said considering the National Peoples’ Power (NPP) Government’s supermajority in Parliament, it was important that the opposition had Parliamentarians experienced in the ongoing reforms to hold the Government accountable.
“I hope that the remaining National List seat of the New Democratic Front is given to Kanchana Wijesekera, who led the most ambitious and difficult reforms in the energy sector in our country’s history. He set the stage for competition, transparent pricing and accountability in our energy sector. He did all of this knowing that the political outcome of his decisions would not be good for him. Kanchana risked his electoral prospects so that the ultimate winner of his reforms would be the Sri Lankan consumer,” Thondaman said.
The former Minister further highlighted that due to Kanchana Wijesekera’s efforts, today, Sri Lankans are no longer beholden to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) or the Lanka Indian Oil Company (IOC) PLC when buying fuel.
Jeevan Thondaman also pointed out that likewise, if the authorities follow through with Wijesekera’s reforms in the Electricity Act, Sri Lankans won’t be entrapped by the high prices and frequent power cuts of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) either.
Former Minister Thondaman emphasized that like telecoms and fuel, Sri Lankans deserve the right to choose their energy provider and to be free from monopolies.
