Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa today criticised President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s parliamentary speech, calling it a “reaction to a nightmare” that failed to address the country’s key economic challenges.
Speaking in Parliament, Premadasa said the President’s remarks focused on political conspiracies in December rather than presenting a structured economic roadmap. “It was a speech made under pressure, not one expected from a Head of State during a crisis,” he said.
Premadasa noted that despite the reduction of US retaliatory tariffs from 44% to 20%, which he welcomed, the government lacked a concrete plan to boost exports and economic growth. He argued that the real “conspiracy” was the government’s failure to implement its own promises.
He added that poverty levels have deepened across all nine provinces and questioned whether the government had a credible plan to revive the economy. “There’s no vision for rapid export growth or strategies to attract direct foreign investment,” Premadasa said.
Commenting on the President’s references to potential political changes in December, Premadasa said such changes must come only through a democratic mandate — “not through backdoor deals.”
He accused the government of misleading the public and urged the President to reconnect with ordinary citizens and understand their suffering.
“The President seems to have forgotten he is no longer an Opposition MP. His speech lacked the economic analysis the country needs right now,” Premadasa added. (Newswire)