Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has firmly rejected attempts to create fear among public officials, while stressing that no one should evade accountability or act without regard for the law.
Addressing concerns surrounding law enforcement and governance, the President said he was aware of efforts to instil fear within the public service, but made it clear that officials should not be intimidated. At the same time, he emphasised that wrongdoing should never be treated lightly, warning that the country cannot progress without strict adherence to the rule of law.
President Dissanayake stated that everyone must be subject to the law and must fear the law, regardless of position. He said this principle applies equally to the President and to grassroots-level public officers, stressing that all citizens are bound by the same legal obligations.
He pointed to a damaging culture that had taken root in the country, where individuals with political backing, power, wealth, or close connections to political authorities were able to evade the law. He said such a system prevents a nation from moving forward and stressed that Sri Lanka must adopt a new approach where no individual is above the law.
The President said that power, influence, status, or past dominance would not be considered, as the country requires a fundamental transformation.
He noted that within the law, it is standard procedure for statements to be recorded from anyone whose name arises during an investigation, questioning how such a basic legal process had come to be portrayed as oppression or injustice.
He said that even if his own name were mentioned in an investigation, a statement should be taken, reiterating that no one stands above the law. The President warned that efforts were underway to create a false societal narrative portraying lawful procedures as persecution.
Calling for collective responsibility, President Dissanayake said the country needs a society where everyone is equal before the law, subject to the law, and respectful of it. He assured public officials that fair enforcement of the law would not hinder them from performing their duties within prescribed limits.
He stressed that the law would never be enforced with vengeance, hatred, or anger, and that enforcement would be carried out fairly.
The President added that legal mechanisms already exist to address any instances of unfair or unjust application of the law.
Encouraging officials to work without fear, he said certain groups had long believed that the law would never reach them. When it eventually did, they were unable to accept it, having assumed they were above the law. He said the law must operate without regard to status, rank, or historical influence, as such impartial enforcement is essential for national transformation.
President Dissanayake also observed that all public officials operate within defined legal, regulatory, and procedural frameworks, regardless of the responsibilities they hold. He contrasted this with a past culture where power was associated with a lack of limits and boundaries.
He further noted that several former Presidents had been judicially proven, through court rulings, including Supreme Court judgments, to have violated the Constitution, questioning what remains of a country if even its Presidents breach constitutional limits.
The President stated that the government is making every effort to ensure governance remains within the legal framework. He called on all officials to work confidently within the law and added that if existing legal frameworks hinder effective governance, those frameworks themselves must be changed through lawful means.
