Pointing out the difficulty in clearly separating official and personal expenses of a Head of State, leaders of Opposition political parties, represented in Parliament, yesterday further censured the NPP government and the Criminal Investigation (CID) for reporting unproven allegations — still under investigation — to the judiciary and remanding a former President. The Opposition alleged that such a course of action undermined multi-party democracy and democratic values.

The Opposition declared that the move to arrest former President Wickremesinghe and remand him on a non-bailable charge constituted a form of state conduct that was “moving towards a dictatorship “and is in opposition to a multi-party democratic system.

The Opposition alleged that developments during the last few days represented a deliberate attack on the democratic way of life in Sri Lanka and it was vital that the public should be aware of the implications of this situation and its danger to the society as a whole.

The Opposition has said that the allegations against former President Wickremesinghe are politically motivated and have been built upon a misinterpretation of the law; the arrest of former President Wickremesinghe cannot justified in any way as being essential for the purpose of conducting a proper investigation.

The statement also highlights the recent events as an indication of attempts to politicise the Attorney General’s Department.

The Opposition h as asserted that if these initiatives are allowed to proceed without impediment, the values which we hold sacred as part of our inalienable heritage will be irretrievably lost.

Accordingly, party leaders have called upon the general public to resist the attempts by all means available within the country’s democratic framework and to safeguard the substance of freedom for generations to come.