“Don’t blame the public for the second wave of Covid infections” – Kiriella

Published

2 years ago

2020/11/15

Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella is urging the government not to blame the public for the second wave of Covid 19 infections which has increased the death toll from the disease.

He told Parliament during debate on the first reading of the Appropriations Bill yesterday that there is a saying about politicians which is “if we win, it’s us, if we lose you are to blame.”

“During the first wave because there was some control, you took the credit, but now that the second wave is out of control you are blaming the public,” he said.

“It is the duty of the government to protect and safeguard the people,” he added. “Don’t insult our people.”

Kiriella also warned the government not to rush into bringing a vaccine until the proper testing is done.

He also criticized the government for not passing laws and regulations to deal with the Covid outbreak on time.

“Most countries had laws and regulations in place in the April-May period, but this government said Covid is over and failed to bring in the necessary laws,” he said.

He said that the government is blaming the opposition for discouraging investors from entering Sri Lanka.

“But the government is to be blamed for amending the constitution in such a way that the Judiciary is no longer independent,” Kiriella said.

He pointed out that China, about 25 years ago, made far reaching changes to it’s legal system to make it more independent.

“They particularly focused on the implementation of the Companies Act,” Kiriella said.

“It was after those changes were made that investors began to flow into China.” (ECONOMYNEXT)

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Stay on course and don’t go back to the past – Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy

Published

3 hours ago

2023/03/24

Priyan

Former Governor of the Central Bank delivering the keynote address at a high profile Webinar hosted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (24) said that Sri Lanka must implement the structural reforms proposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) without relaxing like in the past or else we will be in a deeper economic mess.

The webinar was titled ‘What is next for Sri Lanka in the wake of the IMF programme’

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Sustainable economic development goals cannot be achieved unless attention is paid to mitigating climate change – Sagala Ratnayake

Published

3 hours ago

2023/03/24

Priyan

President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayake said sustainable economic development goals cannot be accomplished without taking steps to mitigate climate change.

He said this while participating in the 10,000 sapling planting program organized by the LEO Youth Vision 2048 Club and the LEO Club at the Royal College, Colombo on Thursday (23rd).

This program was organized in view of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s birthday, which is today (24), and the required plants were distributed to the main schools of the Colombo District.

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SF claims thousands of police and military personnel leaving

Published

15 hours ago

2023/03/24

Thilina Walpola

By Saman Indrajith

Thousands of police and military personnel had left the services recently as they did not want to carry out illegal orders, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka told Parliament yesterday. According to the war-winning army commander 200 policemen have resigned during the past two months and 25,000 soldiers have left the army during the last two years.

“We urged the law enforcement and military officials not to follow illegal orders. We will reinstate them with back pay,” he said.

Fonseka also urged the President and the government MPs not to take people for fools.

“Sri Lanka owes 55 billion dollars to the world. Ranil’s plan is to borrow another seven billion during the next four years. So, in four years we will owe 62 billion to the world.

Ranil and his ministers ask us what the alternative to borrowing is. These are the people who destroyed the economy and society. They must leave. Then, we will find an alternative and develop the country,” he said, adding that the IMF loans had made crises in other nations worse.

“Ranil says that by 2025, we will have a budget surplus as in Japan, Germany and South Korea. These countries are economic power houses, and this comparison is ludicrous.”