LSSP Leader warns that govt will soon sign two controversial deals with US bartering our future

By Kamal Bogoda

The Ranil Wickremesinghe administration would soon sign the controversial Millennium Challenge Compact (MCC) and Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), leader of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) Prof. Tissa Vitharana said on Tuesday addressing the party’s 88th anniversary.

He said that these agreements were to be signed during the yahapalana administration.

“If these two agreements are signed, we will be in great trouble. The multinationals will have information and access they need to undermine the country’s sovereignty and local industries. The Americans are already holding Diego Garcia as a large Naval Support Facility. In 2019 continued British administration of the archipelago was deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Given this development they are looking for other places and Sri Lanka is a good place for this,” he said.

The LSSP leader said that the grave economic crisis in Sri Lanka is being used by certain sections to convince the people that national assets needed to be sold.

“They are trying to convince the people that signing agreements like the MCC, and SOFA are good ideas and that we are in this mess because we didn’t sign these agreements. Those in the Rajapaksa camp are also supportive of this,” he said.