Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the NPP Presidential Candidate, urged the nation to move away from traditional politics and embrace a new direction. 

He criticized the current political landscape and his opponents, Ranil Wickremesinghe and Sajith Premadasa, for their lack of substantial political content.

"Most of the senior citizens had worked to bring about renewed change in this country. However, the final result was that the country and the economy collapsed. The people fell into a state of misery. We need to decide to move away from the traditional and outdated political course, and steer the country in a new direction. Are you ready for this or not?" Dissanayake asked the crowd.

He accused Wickremesinghe of attempting to mislead the public by portraying a false friendship between them. "Ranil Wickremesinghe is trying to portray to the nation that I am his friend. He may consider it, however, I am not his friend. Do you recall those one-sided love stories during school days? One person is in love, but the other party is not even aware of it. This is something like that," he remarked.

Dissanayake suggested that Wickremesinghe's claims of friendship were a strategic move to mitigate the NPP's anticipated victory. "He is aware that the NPP will secure victory and wants to calm things down before that. Even though he calls me a friend, I will ensure that the Bond Scam is thoroughly investigated, and those involved are prosecuted," he asserted.