Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa stated that the opportunity to defeat the budget was lost as Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members refrained from voting at the second reading of the Budget 2019.

Attending an event held in Matale area, he said that although it has been 10 years since the defeat of terrorism, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva still doesn’t see the peaceful state within the country.

“I saw on a Sunday newspaper that 9 military personnel have been issued travel bans stating that they are not let into those countries. The reason is defeating terrorism. Even though we eliminated terrorism from our country, certain countries still suffer from terrorism. We instructed the armies to defeat the terrorism without harming civilians”, said Rajapaksa.

Speaking on the current economic situation, he says living conditions have become hard today that certain families get on by drinking just tea. He said that prices of spices and minor exports have gone down and the people living off agriculture are suffering. 

He further said that children should grow up in a religious environment and more focus should be given to drugs destroying the children.