Sirisena, Aluthgamage clash in Parliament

• Former President says people in glass houses should not throw stones
• Reminds Govt.’s 2/3rd hinges on SLFP support
• Says he has his own way of hitting back
• Aluthgamage counters by saying Sirisena’s expenses more than those of current President
• Warns he will hit back if he is hit

Maithripala Sirisena

Mahindananda Aluthgamage

Former President Maithripala Sirisena clashed with Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage in Parliament yesterday, during which he reminded that the two-third majority of the Government hinged on the support of the 14 SLFP MPs and he had his own ways of hitting back if necessary.

“Minister Aluthgamage said that if anyone hits him, he will hit back. I am a compassionate person, so I won’t hit back in his style. There are other ways to hit back,” Sirisena said, speaking soon after he came in for criticism by the former.

The disquiet between the coalition partners began following Aluthgamage’s comments on Tuesday during the debate on the votes of the President’s Office during the Committee Stage of the Budget in which he compared the expenses incurred by the former President in 2019 and the current President in 2020.

He repeated the claims yesterday, angered by criticism levelled at his handling of the fertiliser issue by those in the SLFP, including State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera.

Aluthgamage said the former President’s office was allocated Rs. 3.7 billion in 2019 as opposed to Rs. 1.2 billion that was allocated to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2020 and also tabled a letter sent by the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration confirming that three houses on Paget Road, Colombo 7 had been converted as the residence for Sirisena. “I spoke on this to illustrate the example set by the current President and not to attack anyone. I have every right to do so, and I don’t need anyone’s permission. If someone hits, I will hit back and not retreat like a coward,” Aluthgamage said.

Sirisena in response said that while he agreed the current President has set a good example, in 2015 when he took office he had also set a good example compared to his predecessor. “When you look at the expenses on vehicles, foreign tours, plane rides, etc. incurred by my predecessor, I also set an example compared to him in 2015,” Sirisena said.

He said that the current Government was a coalition of several parties including the SLFP and history had shown that breakdown in coalitions led to the collapse of the governments. “If we are in a coalition government, there must be maturity in handling differences. Those living in glass houses should not throw stones,” he said.

He also accused Aluthgamage of lying to the country about the fertiliser issue, but the Minister defended himself saying the decisions were not taken by him personally but by the Government.