SLPP says Opposition failed to deliver in battle against COVID-19

• Charges Opposition for political mileage
• Says if UNP was in power, situation would have been worse

By Nuwan Senarathna 

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) yesterday charged the Opposition political parties noting that they failed to perform their responsibilities to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Speaking to reporters in Colombo, former parliamentarian SLPP senior member Tharaka Balasuriya charged that the Opposition was selfish and attempted to sabotage the Government’s efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

“The Opposition did not support the Government to contain the spread of the virus. They were attempting to sabotage the Government’s efforts. Former Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa was making impractical requests such as donating Rs. 60,000 to families that lost income due to COVID-19 outbreak and recommending medicines,” he charged.

Balasuriya noted the Opposition was only seeking political mileage from the COVID-19 outbreak and that was the only reason to call the Parliament to be reconvened.

He also justified that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had been working in accordance with the Constitution while denying the Opposition allegations.

Citing that hard-hit European countries had also taken steps to reopen their economies, Balasuriya pointed out that there was nothing wrong in resuming the daily life under the guidance of the health authorities.

“We cannot close our economies forever, therefore we have to find the balance and reopen the country while ensuring that all health and safety steps of the public has been taken into consideration,” he added.

MP Shantha Bandara said if the United National Party (UNP) led Government was in power the situation could have been devastating. “If UNP was in power situation could have been very different. The tussle between the Executive and the Legislature would be continued and the President and the Prime Minister will work separately, where the public would have to pay from their lives eventfully,” he charged.

According to Bandara, the coordination between the President and the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had been the main reason to contain the outbreak of the COVID-19. He said the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 also played a key role in bringing the country to normalcy.

When asked on Secretary to the President Dr. P.B. Jayasundera’s letter requesting State employees to make a contribution with their salary in a bid to reduce the budget deficit, Balasuriya pointed out that Dr. Jayasundera’s letter was only a request and charged that the opposition was attempting to take political advantage from the letter by trying to mislead the public.