Former Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara has denied allegations that he misused public funds by obtaining money from the President’s Fund, clarifying that the funds were used for a medical emergency.

In a statement, Nanayakkara explained that he received Rs. 500,000 from the President’s Fund in 2014 to cover a stent surgery following a heart condition.

He noted that, despite using personal income and contributions from family members, he still fell short of Rs. 500,000 and sought assistance from the fund.

Nanayakkara criticized Minister Nalinda Jayathissa, who had disclosed a list of politicians who had accessed the President’s Fund, accusing him of deliberately omitting the specific amount Nanayakkara received.

He alleged that this omission was intended to mislead the public into believing he had borrowed a large sum, as some other politicians had.

Nanayakkara explaining further, said that as a dedicated politician who resigned from a legal career in 1980 to serve the public, he considered it reasonable to request such assistance rather than seeking help from wealthy individuals.

He also explained that the surgery, performed at Asiri Surgical Hospital on his doctor’s recommendation, was an urgent procedure for which his political party could not arrange funds on short notice. (Newswire)

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The Democratic Left Front -led by former MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara has decided to support President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s National Peoples’ Power (NPP) at the upcoming General Election.

Former MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara announced the decision during a media briefing held today.

“Parliamentary elections are coming up. In this election, our party has decided to support the NPP. Our party will contest the election separately but will do so by extending support for the NPP.

“We have tried to build a relationship with the NPP to compete together in this election. Even during the Presidential election, we tried to do so, but it did not work out due to policy differences,” he said.

Vasudeva Nanayakkara said, however, that even if his party contests separately, it extends its support to the NPP in the Parliamentary Election.

“To our followers, we say, the vote given to us is a vote given to the NPP,” he added. 

Vasudeva Nanayakkara also confirmed that he had withdrawn from the Mawbima Janatha Party (MJP) led by Dilith Jayaweera, to which he had previously voiced support. (Newswire)

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Former MP Niroshan Premaratne has been appointed as the Leader of the Democratic Left Front.

He was announced as the new leader of the Democratic Left Front today, a party which was founded by MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara.

The appointment has been made to focus on the Democratic Left Front’s future political journey. 

Niroshan Premaratne was a popular TV presenter and producer at the state-owned Independent Television Network (ITN) when he entered politics in 2015.

A member of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), he was elected from the Matara District in 2015.

In 2022, Niroshan Premaratne served as the Chairman of ITN. (Newswire)

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Opposition MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara has warned that they will not hesitate to bring forth an impeachment against President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Addressing Parliament today, MP Nanayakkara said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was the reason for the livelihoods of nearly 3.5 million families being destroyed.

He stated that the government was claiming that the cost of living has dropped after fulfilling the criteria set by the IMF for financial assistance.

Stating that the IMF is now seen as an enemy of Sri Lanka, MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara warned they will not hesitate to impeach the President if he continues so. (NewsWire)

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The Rs. 5000 note must be removed from the monetary system of Sri Lanka, former Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said in Parliament on Friday (10).

MP Nanayakkara said this must be implemented as a measure to help mitigate the black currency in the country. 

“Large sum of money to be collected as income tax by state institutions is being disregarded. This is due to a large black market consisting of a large sum of black currency operating in the country,” he revealed.

MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that similar to India, Sri Lanka too must remove the Rs. 5000 note from its currency, which will result in all the hidden Rs. 5000 notes being revealed. 

This move alone will help the government collect the necessary income tax, he opined. (NewsWire)

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