Is the Government divided on KDU? – Talatha questions leadership stance

By Yohan Perera

Referring to recent remarks by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and directives issued by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake regarding the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), United National Party (UNP) General Secretary Talatha Athukorala yesterday questioned whether the government is divided on how the institution should be administered.  
“Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has stated that the KDU will be converted into a military university, while President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed that it should function as a regular university and continue operating its medical faculty. We are left wondering whether there is a division of opinion within the government on this matter,” Athukorala said at a media briefing.  
She further noted that even the Deputy Minister of Defence had mentioned that the university would be open to both foreign students and military personnel, adding to the confusion surrounding its future direction.  
“It is the youth of this country who will ultimately suffer due to this lack of clarity and consistency,” she stressed.  
Athukorala also recalled that protests led by individuals now in the current administration had previously obstructed educational opportunities for Sri Lankan youth.