President Anura Kumara Dissanayake Says He Is Ready to Take the Risk, Even If It Costs Him His Position

COLOMBO — President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared that he is prepared to take political risks in pursuit of change, even if those risks ultimately result in him losing the presidency.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka on Wednesday (August 12), President Dissanayake said he would not exercise executive power beyond the limits established by the Constitution.

The President's remarks came during a discussion with representatives of the legal profession, where concerns were reportedly raised about the risks associated with constitutional amendments and political reform.

Dissanayake stressed that his administration would remain within the constitutional framework and said neither his executive authority nor any other power held by the government would be used beyond what is permitted by the Constitution.

“I will not use my executive power, or any power we possess, beyond the Constitution,” the President said.

However, he appeared equally determined not to allow concerns about political consequences to prevent his government from pursuing what he described as necessary change.

Responding to a reference made during the meeting to the political risks involved in constitutional amendments, President Dissanayake said he was prepared to accept those risks.

He reportedly referred to the possibility that constitutional changes could eventually lead to a president being forced to leave office, and made it clear that he was not afraid of such an outcome.

“I am a person who is ready to leave. I did not come here intending simply to sit in this position,” he said.

The President went further, saying that meaningful political change cannot always be achieved without accepting a degree of risk.

“I am a person who is ready to take the risk to bring about this change,” he said, according to the remarks made at the meeting.

‘I Am Ready to Take the Risk’

President Dissanayake's comments represent a striking political position for a sitting head of state. Rather than presenting the preservation of his position as the government's primary objective, he suggested that he was willing to accept the possibility of losing office if that was the consequence of pursuing reforms he believed were necessary.

He argued that major changes in any society inevitably involve risk.

“I don't think change can happen without risk. Change always takes place by bearing a risk,” he said.

The President used investigations into the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks as an example of the risks involved in pursuing controversial or sensitive matters.

He referred to investigations being conducted by the intelligence services and acknowledged that such investigations could involve risks to the lives of those involved.

The President said he understood that there could be personal and institutional risks associated with such investigations, including questions concerning security and the protection of those responsible for carrying out the work.

Nevertheless, he argued that avoiding risk altogether would make meaningful change impossible.

“I do not believe that change can be made without taking a risk,” he said.

A Message to the Legal Profession

The remarks were particularly significant because they were made in the presence of representatives of Sri Lanka's legal profession.

The Bar Association has an important role in discussions concerning constitutional government, the rule of law, judicial independence and the protection of fundamental rights. Consequently, the President's assurance that executive authority would not be exercised beyond constitutional limits is likely to attract attention among lawyers and constitutional commentators.

At the same time, his statement that he was willing to accept the political consequences of reform could be interpreted as an attempt to demonstrate that his government is not pursuing constitutional change simply to protect its own political power.

President Dissanayake said he was prepared to accept whatever consequences might arise from taking the risks he believes are necessary for change.

“If, in the face of that risk, I lose my position, I am fully prepared to accept that and leave,” he said.

The statement provides an unusually direct insight into the President's political thinking. It suggests that he views political office as a means of implementing change rather than an end in itself.

Constitutional Limits

The President's comments also place emphasis on the distinction between executive authority and constitutional authority.

Sri Lanka's political history has repeatedly featured debates over the extent of presidential power. The executive presidency has been at the centre of constitutional and political controversies for decades, with successive governments proposing or implementing changes to the balance of power between the presidency, Parliament, the judiciary and other institutions.

Against that background, Dissanayake's declaration that his government would not exercise power beyond the Constitution is politically significant.

The challenge, however, will be how such principles are applied in practice.

Constitutional reform inevitably involves legal and political questions over the interpretation of existing provisions, the scope of executive authority and the institutional safeguards necessary to prevent the abuse of power.

For the legal community, therefore, assurances from the President are likely to be assessed alongside the actual content and implementation of proposed reforms.

Risk and Political Change

President Dissanayake's comments also underline the difficult political balance facing his administration.

Reform can generate opposition from established political interests, institutions and sections of society that fear the consequences of change. At the same time, governments that promise major reforms are frequently judged by the extent to which they are willing to implement those promises.

The President's statement appears to acknowledge that tension.

His argument is straightforward: if a government is unwilling to take political risks, it may be incapable of delivering fundamental change.

But the opposite argument is equally important — political risk cannot justify departing from constitutional safeguards or weakening democratic institutions.

That is why the President's pledge to remain within constitutional limits may be just as important as his declaration that he is willing to risk losing office.

‘If I Have to Go, I Will Go’

The central message from the meeting was therefore unmistakable.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says he is prepared to risk his political position in order to pursue the changes he believes Sri Lanka requires.

He insists that such changes must nevertheless be carried out within the Constitution.

His declaration — that if the risks involved in reform ultimately cost him the presidency, he is prepared to leave — places the responsibility firmly on the government to demonstrate that its proposed changes are consistent with democratic principles, constitutional safeguards and the rule of law.

For Sri Lanka's legal and political community, the coming months will show whether the President's willingness to “take the risk” translates into substantive constitutional reform, institutional change and stronger governance.

For now, his message to the lawyers was clear: he says he is not in office merely to remain in office — and if pursuing what he considers necessary change costs him the presidency, he is prepared to accept the consequences.