Sri Lankas National Peoples Front alliance looks to topple the traditional political powerhouses

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(27 Aug 2024) • RESTRICTION SUMMARY: • • ASSOCIATED PRESS • Colombo, Sri Lanka - 26 August 2024 • 1. Various of National People’s Power (NPP) Presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake walking through venue to applause • 2. SOUNDBITE (Sinhala) Anura Kumara Dissanayake, National People’s Power (NPP) Presidential candidate: • “The people of our country have a great expectation for change. There are many people who took part in public protests who carry the aspirations of those protests. They wanted change and we are the agents of that change. All the other candidates are the agents of the old, failed, traditional system. We are the agents of that change and that is the reason why people should elect us to change the trajectory of the country.” • 3. Close of hands • 4. SOUNDBITE (Sinhala) Anura Kumara Dissanayake, National People’s Power (NPP) Presidential candidate: • The youth do not agree with the insipid political culture. They have an expectation to have the freedom to look after their own affairs and engage in their professions. But their hopes were shattered and, because of that, they have chosen the path of protest. We have to be the administration that will fulfil their hopes. • 5. Close of hands • 6. SOUNDBITE (Sinhala) Anura Kumara Dissanayake, National People’s Power (NPP) Presidential candidate: • “We can’t come out from the existing IMF (International Monetary Fund) program because we entered into the IMF program only after the country financially collapsed. We believe there could have been another alternative. But now, all the bilateral and multi-lateral agreements have been placed inside the IMF basket. We can’t come out from that. But we will have a discussion with them. Primarily, our stance is that more attention should be paid to the hardships faced by the people when moving forward with the IMF program. • 7. Close of hands • 8. SOUNDBITE (Sinhala) Anura Kumara Dissanayake, National People’s Power (NPP) Presidential candidate: • “It is true that things that should have not happened, happened during the war. On the question of accountability, it should not be in a way to take revenge, not in a way to accuse someone, but only to find out the truth. • 9. Close of hands • 10. SOUNDBITE (Sinhala) Anura Kumara Dissanayake, National People’s Power (NPP) Presidential candidate: • “International politics do not stagnate in one place. They do not stay in one place. We took our stance in accordance with international politics. The world has changed today. India too has changed and so are we. Our main objective is the safety of the region and we will not allow any party to use our land, sea and air to create instability in the region.” • 11. Dissanayake shaking hands with monks and others in venue • STORYLINE: • A political alliance centered on the working class has emerged as a strong contender in Sri Lanka's presidential race, announcing itself to be the agent of change that millions called for when an economic crisis led to unease with traditional political parties. • • The leader of National People's Power alliance and its presidential candidate, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, said he's serving those who were part of public protests that ousted then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022. • • Protesters blamed Rajapaksa for an economic collapse that resulted in severe shortage of essentials such as fuel, cooking gas, medicines and food. • • “The people of our country have a great expectation for a change,” Dissanayake told The Associated Press. • • “They wanted a change and we are the agents of that change. All the other candidates are the agents of the old, failed, traditional system.” • • • • • • • • • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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