Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has criticised the government over the recent flooding in Colombo, saying that while the government is conducting islandwide meetings under the theme “Two Years of Good Fortune for the Country”, the situation has instead forced people to say, “Two years of good fortune, but the whole of Colombo is flooded.”He made these remarks while attending an event to establish Samagi Tharuna Bala Mandala (Samagi Youth Force) in the Agalawatta electorate of the Kalutara District today (7).Premadasa pointed out that although the President had spoken about constructing new reservoirs, Colombo had turned into a vast water body following yesterday’s heavy rainfall.He also recalled that the government had promised to transform Colombo within six months after gaining control of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC). However, the flooding on the night of November 6 had exposed failures to properly clean and renovate the city's drainage systems, he alleged.The Opposition Leader claimed that the benefits of the so-called “renaissance” had been enjoyed only by the President, the Prime Minister, the 159 government MPs and the Mayor, while ordinary citizens had been left out.He further accused the government, which had come to power promising to create a prosperous country, of allowing a single spell of rain to severely disrupt the lives of many people.Premadasa said the authorities should have repaired Colombo’s drainage network and implemented a proper flood-management programme but had failed to do so.He added that warnings had been issued about the possibility of both droughts and heavy rainfall in the future, as well as the continuing effects of El Niño and La Niña weather phenomena. Despite these warnings, the government had failed to ensure proper water management and maintenance of drainage systems, he claimed.Questioning the government's ability to develop the country, Premadasa asked how it could build the nation if it was unable to manage flooding in Colombo despite having an Executive President, a two-thirds parliamentary majority and a Mayor from the National People's Power (NPP).He also claimed that public dissatisfaction with the government was growing, with people taking to the streets to protest over unfulfilled election promises.Government led by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of attempting to introduce new legislation that could undermine people's fundamental, human and democratic rights he accused.The opposition further alleged that the proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill was intended not to protect the country from terrorism, but to protect the President and the government from the people.He also criticised the government's plans to introduce legislation to prevent organised crime, claiming that the administration itself was causing organised harm to the country by failing to honour its election promises.He said that the country was also facing economic and industrial challenges, with some factories being forced to close. While the rest of the world was advancing through digital technology, Sri Lanka was being left behind, he claimed.He added that although the government had spoken about smart education, the initiative was not being properly implemented.Sri Lanka lacked financial independence, as the country continued to turn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) whenever financial difficulties arose he said.He noted that the country had accumulated multilateral and bilateral loans, as well as debt through International Sovereign Bonds. He further claimed that Sri Lanka would have to repay around US$3 billion annually in debt from 2028 onwards.With the IMF programme scheduled to conclude in March 2027, Premadasa stressed the need to focus on economic growth, foreign direct investment and export expansion, particularly as the country would face annual debt repayments exceeding US$3 billion from 2028.He also alleged that millions of people, including young people, had been misled by politicians who made promises that could not be fulfilled. He said young people were frequently being used as pawns in democratic political contests.To address these issues, Premadasa said the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) would establish a social contract aimed at creating an environment in which young people could progress based on their talents, abilities and skills.He also claimed that the SJB was the only political party that had worked for the country without holding state power.Opposition leader emphasised the need to create opportunities for young people to reach the highest levels of success through their skills and talents, rather than through political connections and favouritism.