Hon. (Mrs.) Thushari Jayasingha, Attorney-at-Law

Adjournment Motion: Establishment of a State Free from Bribery and Corruption The hope for a country free of corruption has been a dream held silently in the hearts of our people for decades. Though many promises were made on political platforms, they remained mere words. To build a corruption-free state, committed and exemplary political leadership is essential. Sri Lanka’s capacity to maintain strong anti-corruption mechanisms has been weak, which is why our standing in international anti-corruption indices has been very low. Accordingly, under policy statement “A Prosperous Country – A Beautiful Life,” item 4.3, we presented a people-accountable programme against bribery and corruption and began implementing it expeditiously. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Sri Lanka moved up 14 places in 2026 compared to the previous year. This is not only commendable, it is evidence of the first-year test of a new era of governance. “Full stop to corruption” is not a mere slogan; it is a fundamental of development. The progress achieved within a year must be advanced further; that is our collective responsibility. Sri Lanka is showing the world not just words but an operational system. We must end the mechanisms by which development projects and national wealth were captured by bribery and corruption. In building a clean state through an anti-corruption process, the responsibility of the wider society is essential and must be socialized decisively. Many countries ranked low in international indices are underdeveloped. Therefore, opposing corruption and fraud is vital to step onto the path of development. I therefore propose to this Hon. House that, in establishing such a state system, the cooperation of political leadership, public officials and the general public must be mobilized to carry this programme forward with greater strength. Many people have long hoped for the measures we are now presenting to combat corruption and for the programme we are advancing. Placing that trust in us, the people elected the National People’s Power to the Presidency and entrusted 159 parliamentary seats to form the Government. We are committed to realizing those expectations. We can give confidence to the public about the integrity of our programme. We also remember the corrupt eras we have emerged from: the assassination of High Court Judge Sarath Ambepitiya, which happened because of a case under his purview; the assassination of Assistant Superintendent of Customs Sujith Prasanna Perera of the Customs Intelligence and Investigations Division on 2001-03-24 because of his official investigations; and the 2002 acid attack on Additional Auditor-General Lalith Ambanwela while he was conducting an audit in Kandy District. Those were times when democracy was suppressed and public officials could not perform their duties. We now have the opportunity to end that era. Hereafter, there will be no support from the Government side for any wrongdoing or to block investigations. We have given that assurance to the people, and the people in turn have given us their trust. We will protect that trust. I conclude, thanking you for the time given.