By Aruna Boghawatte

The country was in crisis and masses are suffering untold hardships because President Gotabaya Rajapaksa chose wrong advisers, SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera says.

Addressing the media in Kurunegala, former minister Jayasekera said that President Rajapaksa had among his advisers who had not even passed Grade Eight. “Those advisers were from the Kurunegala District. The President followed their instructions. Now, you see the results. The President should understand the causes of this crisis at least now.”

Jayasekera said that it was not the time to topple governments or for elections but for all parties in Parliament to come together to find solutions for the economic problems to save the country from its present plight.

 “Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa walks along the road shouting that he would bring about a no-confidence motion. We too are ready to support it. We will support him to topple this government but he should first tell us whether he would take over government. Premadasa has stated that he would not like to do so. Therefore, we have to tell him that our support will be extended only if he tells us how the country will be governed.

“Then there is JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who also marches with his comrades while being adamant that they will not speak of the solutions until President Rajapaksa resigns. They have also called for an election. We are not in a position to conduct elections. We do not have paper to print even the school textbooks, so where can we find paper to print ballot paper and election materials.

“Therefore, we call on all these divergent opinion holders to reserve their differences for the sake of people and country and come together genuinely to find a solution,” Jayasekera said.