AKD lying to people and governing country according to whims and fancies: Mujibur

SJB MP Mujibur Rahman

• Claims making statement on removing former President MR’s security is inappropriate for a President
• Says President has not followed intelligence reports on security threats to MR, former MPs
• Highlights NPP Govt. has significantly failed to address woes of people
• Emphasises Govt. is not importing rice through Sathosa as promised
• Reveals procurement process to import rice has still not commenced

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) yesterday accused President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of lying to people and governing the country according to whims and fancies.

“President Dissanayake is no different from former President Ranil Wickremesinghe as no change has been brought for a system change and nothing has happened yet. President Dissanayake is lying to people while the country is governed according to his whims and fancies,” said SJB MP Mujibur Rahman.

He said making a statement on removing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security is inappropriate for a President, and this statement also showed that he did not follow intelligence assessments on security threats to Rajapaksa.

Rahman also claimed that although the Government says that the security of former Presidents and Parliamentarians was assessed before, it was false.

Addressing a press conference yesterday at SJB’s headquarters, Rahman said Dissanayake earlier assured that intelligence reports would be called for the security of former Presidents and Parliamentarians, but his statement on the security of Rajapaksa made it clear that he had not called such intelligence reports before removing security. Rahman further said eight persons had died in shooting incidents in January and the Government had failed to provide assurance to people regarding their security.

Touching upon the prevailing economic crisis in the country, Rahman said the National People’s Power (NPP) Government had significantly failed to address the woes of people as they pledged before elections.

“A majority of people who worked to bring the NPP to power have now become disappointed with the performances of the Government,” he said.

He accused the Government of not importing rice through Sathosa as promised and the procurement process to import rice has still not commenced.

“We have doubts whether the Government delayed the procurement process to leave room to fulfil the interests of private businessmen.”

“The Trade Minister said that Sathosa and the Government will intervene to import rice at a low price. But not a single metric ton has been brought yet,” he emphasised.

Rahman also said that the shortage of essential goods was increasing further and this could lead to a point where people could not bear the cost anymore in the future.

“President Dissanayake has now forgotten that he is now the country’s President. So has his Ministers; they think that they are in the Opposition. This is obvious as there is no difference between the speech he makes as the President and those speeches he made when he was in the Opposition,” he stressed.

Rahman also said that President Dissanayake said that he would eliminate the rice mafia when he was in the Opposition but he had increased rice prices without consulting the Cabinet, the Consumer Authority, and the Paddy Marketing Board.

“Even though rice prices are up, there is no rice in the market. A tax of Rs. 65 is being levied on imported rice,” he pointed out.

He also noted the price increase of essential commodities like salt, coconut, and coconut oil.

“But during the Presidential Election, President Dissanayake said that the prices of essential commodities would be reduced within 24 hours of coming to power. The Government is 100 days old and still it has failed to bring down the prices of essential commodities,” he said.