By Newswire Editorial 

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has said that kissing Kawanthissa, the deceased tusker, was far more worthy than kissing the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Speaking in Parliament, Premadasa questioned the Government’s relationship with international financial institutions, including the IMF, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), identifying the institutions as ones which the government preferred to kiss and hug.

He made these remarks while questioning the Government over Sri Lanka’s poverty levels, citing a 2025 World Bank report which estimated that 61.1% of the population lived on less than $8.30 a day in 2025.

During his remarks, Premadasa produced a document showing an image of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya greeting the then IMF chief with an embrace.

“I shouldn’t be showing this against the Prime Minister, but here’s an image of you kissing. That’s fine; it’s the normal way of greeting someone,” he said.

Responding to a remark about his widely publicised kiss to Kawanthissa, Premadasa said government members did not understand the significance of the gesture.

He maintained that kissing the tusker was more worthy than kissing the IMF chief. (Newswire)