No Pressure to sign MCC- Cabinet spokesman

Colombo (News 1st): Co-cabinet spokesman Minister Gunawardena on Wednesday (Jan 15) said that there is no pressure to sign the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement and the government made it clear to the visiting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells that no agreement contrary to the wishes of the people will be signed. “There was no pressure. The MCC agreement has been suspended by the government and the state secretary made it clear that no agreement contrary to the wishes of the people will be signed. This is a positive situation. This agreement was a result of a proposal prepared and presented to the US by the United National Party and a few of their allies,” Gunawardena said when the journalist questioned the Minister as to if the Assistant Secretary of State of America who arrived in the island pressured the government to sign the MCC agreement.