Anura ready to provide answers in a debate with Ranil

JVP/NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday challenged President Ranil Wickremesinghe to a debate, promising to address all the questions the latter had posed.

Speaking at a rally in Anamaduwa, Dissanayake said: “We can’t tackle these serious issues by speaking from different stages. He asks a question in Welimada, and I respond in Anamaduwa — what’s the point? Let’s sit down together, where you can ask me questions, and I’ll do the same.”

“He has been asking me to answer certain questions. Before I respond, I want to ask him a few questions,” Dissanayake said, noting that serious questions would be answered only if Wickremesinghe first addressed a few simpler ones.

“The first question is whether he genuinely called the Rajapaksas thieves — was that genuine or just false claims? Also, his classmate Dinesh Gunawardena called Wickremesinghe a thief — was that true or another fabrication?” Dissanayake asked, emphasising that these were straightforward questions that Wickremesinghe should be able to answer easily.

Dissanayake added that a clarification was needed on the mutual accusations of thievery between the two parties before he could answer any questions himself.

“Presidential advisors have been appointed at the expense of the state. One such advisor is Akila Viraj. Ranil needs to answer this question to the country: What advice did you seek from Akila Viraj? And what advice did you receive from Sagala,” Dissanayake queried.