Responding to a question raised by the Member of Parliament V. Radhakrishnan, the Prime Minister pointed out that there are numerous issues within the education sector of the estate community, with teacher shortages being a significant concern. She noted that over 23,000 teachers have been recruited to fill these vacancies in accordance with a court determination. She further stated that these issues are being raised at district-level discussions of the Ministry of Education and that steps are being taken to provide prompt solutions.

The Prime Minister further stated:

“It is essential to focus on the current situation of the country and the challenges we face as a nation. After enduring a global pandemic, followed by an economic crisis and then a political crisis, the country had just begun to recover when the present situation emerged. At such a time, the opposition must deeply reflect on their responsibility. Unfortunately, opposition members are involved in futile attempts to topple the government with the aim of gaining power. They continue to create unnecessary fear among the public by fabricating weaknesses in governance and diplomacy.

Instead of presenting policies and gaining public trust through the democratic electoral system, the opposition appears intent on seizing power by any means, even if it leads the country toward destruction. The very groups that contributed to the country’s bankruptcy and economic instability are now conspiring to overthrow a democratically elected government, in order to evade allegations and investigations related to their past administrations.

Rather than helping to control the situation, the opposition seems intent on exacerbating the crisis. At times, due to their narrow political agendas, statements are made that even harm diplomatic relations.

The Prime Minister further emphasized that if the opposition seeks power, it should do so through democratic means by gaining the confidence of the people in elections. She stated that the current fuel crisis should not be misrepresented as a failure of the government, noting that it is a result of the global war situation. She added that within a short period of about twenty days since the onset of conflicts in the Middle East, the government has taken several correct decisions, resulting in Sri Lanka having one of the lowest fuel price revisions in South Asia”.

Further commenting, the Prime Minister stated:

“It is true that there may be some reduction in fuel supply in the future. Therefore, a QR code system was introduced to manage fuel consumption. We are continuing to streamline this system to minimize irregularities. Even in the face of this crisis, our objective is to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of essential services, public services, and industries. We also call upon the opposition to support the fulfillment of the promises made for the welfare of the people.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]