ECONOMYNEXT — Sri Lanka leftist presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake has said his National People’s Power (NPP) is the only party to not platform MPs accused of crime or corruption, accusing the main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) of opening its doors to questionable characters.
Speaking at an election rally in Kegalle on Tuesday September 10, Dissanayake claimed that a former state minister accused of swindling the stock market was now with the SJB.
MP Geetha Kumarasinghe who had only just last week praised President Ranil Wickremesinghe was now saying SJB leader Sajith Premadasa is great, he said.
“The one who made a teacher kneel in Anamaduwa is also with Sajith,” claimed Dissanayake.
The NPP presidential candidate said MP Rishad Bathiudeen who was in the centre of an alleged deforestation controversy was now with Premadasa as is a young Buddhist monk who had lodged a complaint against Bathiudeen at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
“This is a politics of no principles,” he said.
Former MP and Sri Lanka Cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga and Thilanga Sumathipala, both said to have conflicting views on the state of cricket, are now with Premadasa, said Dissanayake.
“What did MP Patali Champika Ranawaka say about a month ago? He said Sajith has childish views. That Champika is also with him now,” he said.
“Only the NPP has been engaging in principled politics,” he insisted.
The NPP is the only party to not welcome MPs who have committed criminal acts, engaged in corruption, “jumped here and there” or incited racism, said Dissanayake.
“This alone is enough to decide who is good and who is bad,” he said.
Dissanayake also responded to allegations levelled by Premadasa of a deal between himself and President Wickremesnighe.
“The true deal is between them. There are meetings some nights,” he said, claiming that an SJB legislator prominently associated with SJB’s economic policy outlook had met the president two weeks earlier. (Colombo/Sep11/2024)