Leader of the United National Party (UNP) and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has ordered his party leaders not to make any comments on the hard-hitting statement made by President Maithripala Sirisena participating in the 75th birth anniversary of Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera on Wednesday.
The Premier has reportedly said that what the political leaders of the UNP should do is to work according to the people’s response and not to respond to the President.
Prime Minister Wickremesinghe issued the directive when the senior leaders of the party raised the issue at the UNP Working Committee meeting held at party headquarters Sirikotha yesterday.
It is reported that young politicians of the party have made a strong request to the Prime Minister that the facts should be presented to the country in response to the allegations made by the President in his speech at the Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero commemoration.
The Prime Minister who listened to the UNP’s youth politicians has said that no one should try to respond to the President’s speech.
The President in his speech accused the UNP government of attempting to sell state banks and said it was he who stopped it.
“A proposal was made to transfer all the funds in the state banks to private banks. I was against this proposal which was debated for three months. If the proposal was passed, the Bank of Ceylon, Peoples Bank, National Savings Bank and any state pawning outlets would have faced difficulties,” the President said.
