They want a class war; elites vs non-elites, says Dayasiri

Colombo (News 1st): Member of Parliament Dayasiri Jayasekara strongly criticized the government's actions against former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, accusing them of attempting to create an elites vs non-elites class war.

Jayasekara, a member of the board opposition, defended Wickremesinghe's leadership, citing his efforts to remove the criminal defamation law and presidential immunity. "It was Ranil Wickremesinghe who removed the criminal defamation law and immunity that presidents enjoyed. We need to respect him for giving leadership to bring the country out of the economic crisis," Jayasekara said.

The MP questioned the legitimacy of the current government's actions, particularly the internal audit that led to Wickremesinghe's case. "There is no mention of any such incident in the audit reports from 2003 and 2004. So what they have done is initiate a new audit and take such action," Jayasekara stated.

Jayasekara also expressed concerns about the politicization of the police force, citing the case of Shani Abeysekera, who allegedly joined the JVP's political wing after a clash with Wickremesinghe. "Instead of giving him promotion and allowing him to retire, they used him to get something done against Ranil Wickremesinghe," Jayasekara claimed.

The MP further highlighted alleged inconsistencies in the application of the law, pointing out cases involving government ministers and officials that have not been investigated. "Only the president, prime minister, and speaker receive official residences without any cost. However, the speaker is also occupying another residence paid for by the government. That is actually an offence under the procedures. Yet no action has been taken," Jayasekara said.

He also slammed the government for not investigating officials accountable for releasing over 300 cargo containers and insteading sending the CID to question MPs who raised the red flag over the incident.

Jayasekara added that the government's actions are an attempt to justify political persecution and create a narrative of elite versus non-elite battle. "What we are witnessing today is the fate of the country that has fallen into a group seeking class-based vengeance. We will take all necessary action against this. We will not allow democracy to be undermined".