• I wonder where Dissanayake and Premadasa were hiding during the economic crisis in 2022. I had to take over as they were not willing to come forward

By Yohan Perera   

President Ranil Wickremesinghe said he is ready for a debate with NPP candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake and SJB Candidate Sajith Premadasa but stressed that Dissanayake should first state whether he is in favour of an export based economy.   

Mr. Wickremesinghe was responding to the invitation made by Mr. Dissanayake to come for a public debate with him.   

“ Anura Kumara Dissanayake should first discuss with his party cadres and decide on a concrete stand on the economy. He should state whether his party will depend on imports or whatever they are prepared to introduce as an export based economy. We can then have a public debate with Dissanayake and Premadasa thereafter” Wickremesinghe told a gathering of a business community in Kurunegala.   

​“ I wonder where Dissanayake and Premadasa were hiding during the economic crisis in 2022. It was them who should have taken over the government when both President and Prime Minister resigned in 2022. I had to take over as they were not willing to come forward. Sri Lanka would have ended up with a power vacuum like in Bangladesh if I did not take over the reigns that year, “ he said.   

“ I took over as I knew how to deal with IMF. We were told not to print money, not to borrow from banks as Sri Lanka’s debt management was not sustainable. We have managed to make it sustainable now. Sri Lanka’s debt is going to be only 5 percent of GDP in 2025,” he added.