Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa work as father and son with a thorough understanding of issues at hand, Public Enterprise Minister Lakshman Kiriella said today.

He downplayed alleged crosstalk between him and Minister Kabir Hashim as widely reported in the media saying they were best of friends.

Responding to journalists at a ceremony held to mark the opening of a teacher vocational development centre in Kandy in line with a national programme, he said there was no animosity between him and Minister Hashim as reported by certain media outlets.

“Both of us exchange views regularly. We, in the UNP, take decisions collectively and not only by a few family members,” he said. The questions and answers between media personnel and Minister Kiriella ensued as follows:

Reporter: The UNP has divided these days, isn’t it?

Minister: Not at all. Minister Premadasa only holds UNP meetings.

Reporter: Some say they aren’t UNP meetings.

Minister: Anyone can say, but everyone strives to bring the UNP’s candidate to power.

Reporter: There were media reports that some seniors of the UNP have proposed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as the presidential candidate. Is that correct?

Minister: The final decision on the matter will be taken by the Premier and Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa after a cordial discussion. Both are working with total understanding of the issue like father and son.

Reporter: When will the UNP’s presidential candidate be nominated?

Minister: It will be decided by the working committee. We don’t take decisions like the ‘Pohottuwa’ family. Naming the UNP’s presidential candidate will take place soon. We also want a quick solution to this issue. However, the media disrupt matters.

Reporter: The opposition alleges that the government is subservient to the US.

Minister: The presidential hopeful of Pohottuwa is a US citizen. All his family members are green cardholders. We never fled the country. Our leader Ranil or Deputy Leader Sajith never left the country. We did not seek safe haven overseas during the war. Therefore, no one can point the finger at us and say we are submissive to the US.

On a different note, the minister said 100% of the population was literate today because of the father of free education C.W.W. Kannangara. Teacher vocational development centres were opened in 23 districts today. (Sandun A. Jayasekera)