PM responds to Ranil’s offer to teach Constitution

October 31, 2024 at 11:03 AM

Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has questioned if she should be learning the Constitution from former President Ranil Wickremesinghe who has been rejected multiple times by the public and has continuously lost several elections. 

Addressing a public event, PM Amarasuriya said despite losing the elections 17 times, Ranil Wickremesinghe does not seem to be leaving and is hanging on to his political career.

“He does not seem to be able to understand that the public has changed and that they have rejected him. However, we have commenced a new journey,” she said. 

Pointing out that the fundamental of the Constitution is the people’s mandate, the PM questioned, how Ranil Wickremesinghe who seems to not have understood this basic factor, could teach the Constitution?”

“A person who knows the fundamentals of the Constitution will not postpone elections, or interfere in the decisions of the National Council or the judiciary. I think he should at least be aware of these basics to be able to teach me about the Constitution,” she said. 

PM Harini Amarasuriya further pointed out that Sri Lanka has been ruined due to the actions of leaders who assumed and acted like they knew everything and the others did not.

She said the government led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake is now working on ending such a political culture in the nation.

Slamming Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent comment claiming that officials’ approvals are not required for the Cabinet to take a decision, Prime Minister Amarasuriya said that it was his way of governing, but the new government follows a different approach.

“We take into account the requirements of the people and the suggestions of the relevant officials before making a decision. Our decisions are focused on being beneficial to the public,” she revealed. 

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya recently clashed over the procedures followed by the former government in connection to the approval granted to increase public servants’ salaries.

PM Amarasuriya had claimed the former government had not followed the proper procedures, to which Ranil Wickremesinghe responded that Cabinet decisions do not need the approval of department officials and also questioned if the Prime Minister requires tutoring on the Constitution. (Newswire)