Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the presidential candidate of the National People’s Power, says that because President Ranil Wickremesinghe feels his defeat in the upcoming presidential election, he has started making impractical promises such as increasing the salaries of government employees and cutting off crops and cultivation loans.
Addressing a rally held in Elpitiya, he said that if he had real concern for the country and the people, he would have been able to fulfill many of the promises he is making now.
He said that after knowing that he will lose power, he started giving false hopes.
“A month and a half ago, the public sector employees of this country went on a big protest demanding that they be paid enough to live on. Then what did Ranil Wickramasinghe say? They said that they can’t increase by a cent, if they increase it, it will collapse. The Secretary of the Ministry of Finance said: If the salaries of government employees are increased, VAT will have to be increased to 21%. When was this said? Last year? Last January? No, last July. What are you doing now? Now they say that they will give an allowance of Rs. 25000 from next January and there will be a 24% salary increase from January. He can tell all these lies because he is losing. Today the cabinet has taken a decision to cut off all farm and cultivation-related loans. Now when Ranil Wickramasinghe says that, the people think that it would be better if there were elections every day. This is a lie. In the face of defeat, he has started telling such impossible crisis stories. On the other hand, fear has started to create panic. But what do we have to say? – Ranil Wickremesinghe, it is too late now.” He also said there.
