Basil says SLPP not responsible for actions of current govt

Former Minister Basil Rajapaksa says the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) is not ready to be held responsible for the decisions taken by the incumbent government.

During the “360°” political program aired on TV Derana last night (Dec 12), Rajapaksa stated that this government is not formed by the SLPP despite the support it is being given by the party.

Had the people of the country been a bit more patient, the economic crisis in the country would have been resolved, he said.

In response to a question, he stated that the SLPP is ready to join hands with the United National Party (UNP) if that is what the supporters want them to do.

Rajapaksa was appreciative of the measures taken by President Wickremesinghe to give priority to restoring law and order in the country following months of unrest during which residences of a number of politicians were torched and destroyed.

He also stated that Wickremesinghe was the only one who was willing to take on the challenge to bring back economic stability to the island and the one who is capable of doing it.

When asked what he discussed with the Head of State during a recent meeting, Rajapaksa said he asked him to continue maintaining peace established in the country, to allow the opposition parties to freely engage in politics, to ensure that people’s needs are fulfilled when making decisions and to disallow any attempts to weaken the SLPP.