Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Saturday, 2 April 2022 02:40 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Chandani Kirinde
The alliance of 11 parties yesterday called on the Cabinet of Ministers to resign or for the President to dismiss them and form an interim Government to stop the economic and political turmoil in the country from worsening.
National Freedom Front Leader and MP Wimal Weerawansa said that this was the only constitutionally available option to the President to prevent the country from sliding towards anarchy.
“People have no faith in this Cabinet. The Ministers in it are incompetent. They must immediately resign, or be dismissed,” Weerawansa told reporters at a press briefing.
He said the President must then discuss with all parties in parliament and appoint a Cabinet consisting of members of all parties to salvage the country from the economic abyss it has fallen into.
“The economy should be stabilised first, and this should be followed up with a general election” he said.
He said the immediate need is to restore people’s faith in the government and warned that violence was inevitable if things continued as they are.
“The Government has betrayed the people’s mandate. We tried for nearly two years to put things right while in Government, but no one listened to us,” he said
Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Leader and MP Udaya Gammanpila said people have lost faith in a Government elected for five years in just one and half years.
“The Government is getting ready to make debt payments, but people are without food, gas, medicine, fuel and electricity,” he said.
Other party leaders of the 11-party alliance also spoke at the press conference.
The SLFP was not represented at the press briefing, but Weerawansa said that the party supported the interim Government proposal.
