US may probe SL government’s link with Maduro administration: Opposition MP

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

The Donald Trump administration may carry out a probe on the Sri Lankan government’s link with the former Administration in Venezuela led by Nicolas Maduro, an opposition MP told Parliament yesterday.  

Opposition MP Rohana Bandara told the House that the NPP government of Sri Lanka has had links with the former administration of Venezuela following a letter sent to President Donald Trump by a Sri Lankan expatriate. “A letter has been dispatched to President Trump and he has acknowledged the letter and has assured that a probe will be conducted,” MP Bandara said.   “This Sri Lankan expatriate has also informed the US Ambassador Julie Chung. The latter has said she will leave the matter to the new ambassador as she is set to leave Sri Lanka shortly. This situation could create a crisis where geo politics is concerned. 

This could hurt both the USA and India who are always concerned with security in the Indian Ocean region,” the MP said.   

He also said the stand by the JVP and the official stand of the government which is led by the same party seemed to be contradictory. 

At the same time MP Kavinda Jayawardene in a letter addressed to US President Trump has thanked him for intervening with Nigeria on behalf of Christians of that country.   Government MP Lakmali Hermachandra who responded on the matter said the official stand of a government on international affairs could always defer from a stand of a political party. “The opposition should understand this fact,” she said.  

“ One wonders as to how people of this country could listen to what the opposition MPs talk in Parliament, Sri Lankan MPs will soon stop talking of policies at this rate, The speaker should make a note of this fact,” she said.