President Anura Must Be Prepared to Go Home: Balangoda Kassapa Thera
13-Mar-2026.
Balangoda Kassapa Thera has warned that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his government should be prepared to step down, stating that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to resign due to issues related to the energy sector.
He made these remarks at a press conference held at a Buddhist temple premises in Colombo on March 12.
He said that during a protest held on June 6, 2024 against the Electricity Board Act introduced by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and former Minister Kanchana Wijesekera, he had been arrested in front of Parliament while demanding that the legislation be withdrawn.
The Thera said that monks have the right to oppose attempts to sell national assets belonging to the Sri Lankan government to foreign or domestic private companies.
He described the Ceylon Electricity Board as the lifeline of a nation and said that it should not be fully privatised.
While partial privatisation could be considered, he argued that the majority of shares must remain under government control.
He alleged that the Electricity Board has now been divided into six separate entities, although their heads continue to claim that the institutions remain government-owned.
According to him, this represents a form of indirect privatisation.
He also warned that if foreign intelligence agencies were to influence the heads of these companies through financial incentives, it could pose a serious threat to the country’s energy sector.
Recalling the protests that forced Gotabaya Rajapaksa from office, he said the public had taken to the streets after power cuts and shortages forced people to queue for fuel and cooking gas.
He warned that similar circumstances could arise again.
He further claimed that foreign intelligence agencies are currently attempting to complete what he described as the “unfinished part” of the 2022 public uprising.
He alleged that although President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has signed agreements with India, the arrival of an Iranian vessel in Sri Lanka had risked drawing the country into geopolitical conflict involving the United States.
He concluded by stating that the government must urgently strengthen the intelligence services and that opposition parties should unite and act.
