Opposition MP says President sought RW’s support for economic stability

Colombo, May 25 (Daily Mirror) - Referring to what has been taking place behind the scene during the past few weeks, opposition MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake yesterday said that he has been told that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had sought the assistance of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and a few others to stabilise the economy.

"We have heard that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had sought the assistance of Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and few others including Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harsha de Silva and even the Sri Lankan Ambassador in US Mahinda Samarasinghe. I don't know whether Harsha will join the government. He is a man with brains. Anyway no one in the opposition should support the government at this moment. No one should join a government which is sinking " MP Dassanayake told a seminar organised by the joint opposition.

MP. Dassanayake said he had given prior warnings on the devaluation of the rupee during the beginning of this year . " I also predicted the gas shortage and it came true. We have heard that the those in the government had asked Sri Lankan expatriates to remit dollars. They will not do so as there are aware what the government is up to" he said .

Furthermore the MP alleged that Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne suspended him from Parliament last Friday as he saw the former misbehaving with a man inside his room in the Parliamentary complex.

Former minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said the Forex issue had taken place because of the doubts that had arisen in the minds of Sri Lankan expatriates. " Sri Lankan expatriates have opted to keep their dollars without remitting as they have decided to wait and see how the rupee would behave. They keep their dollars with the expectation that the rupee would devalue further" he said. He also said the high premium paid for fuel has also contributed to the issue other than the situation in the Gulf.

All Speakers including MP Ranawaka, MPs Dayasiri Jayasekera, Rohitha Abeygunasekara and leaders such as Asanka Nawaratne Free Lawyers Chief Maithiri Gunaratne and Ajith Mannaperuma stressed the need for a broad opposition collective to confront the government. They claimed the joint opposition will get it's act together by September 21 this year when President Dissanayake completes two years of his term.