Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has questioned the Government’s ability to manage the country, arguing that its failure to effectively run the prison system raises serious concerns over its capacity to address the needs of the public.
Speaking at a public meeting in Maligakanda, Borella, Premadasa said the Government, which had promised to bring together a team of experts, had instead failed in key areas of governance.
He also referred to the recent cyberattack involving a foreign debt payment, claiming the Government had failed to properly safeguard public funds. He further questioned how an administration that, according to him, could not manage debt repayments or maintain order in prisons could be expected to resolve the country’s wider problems.
Premadasa recalled that only days after the Government defeated the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against the Minister of Justice and Prisons in Parliament, unrest erupted at Mahara Prison. He said the Government, which had defended the minister at the time, is now once again facing another crisis at the same prison.
The Opposition Leader argued that a Government unable to manage a prison cannot be expected to rebuild the country, adding that it was taking the nation in the wrong direction rather than resolving its challenges.
Premadasa also claimed that between 30% and 40% of the country’s population has fallen into poverty, stating that large numbers of people in urban, rural and estate communities are now living in difficult economic conditions. (Newswire)