Wednesday protest participants are 'traitors' - UNP

COLOMBO (News 1st) - The United National Party (UNP) says that those who seek to participate in tomorrorw's protest are 'traitors'. 

UNP MP Vajira Abeywardena said that some groups who are planning to protest in Colombo should be labelled as 'traitors', as the public wait at least one year to carry out the IMF program in line with the Government.

Abeywardena said that a special discussion on the IMF was presided over by Senior Advisor to President Sagala Rathnayake and Dr. Samaratunga, which concluded with favorable results. 

"A discussion is scheduled to be held again on the 3rd. For this, we especially have to work with the support of India, Japan and China. We are planning to end this issue by creating a favourable economy. The public should give us least one year to do this," he said. 

The UNP MP said that Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and former President Maithripala Sirisena can also be labelled as traitors for participating in the protest march scheduled for tomorrow (1).

Meanwhile, SLPP MP Indika Anuruddha said that no one should strangle a country by its neck when it is barely able to breathe. 

While accusing the Frontline Socialist Party of ragging at universities, the MP said that the SJB is also joining this protest march in hopes of attempting to overthrow the Government, remove the President or dissolve the Govenment entirely. MP Anuruddha called these 'daydreams'.

The Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando demanded whether Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa agrees to ragging as he is also taking part in the protest tomorrow, while Minister Manusha Nanayakkara alleged questioned the motives of tomorrow's protesters.

"For the country to be economically stable, an agreement with the IMF is necessary, and we should receive an initial agreement by the first week of December. But those who do not like this system being changed will take to the streets. It is natural. They are not interested in a system change," Minister Nanayakkara added.