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MALWATTE AND ASGIRIYA MAHANAYAKA
THEROS EXPRESS THEIR STRONG DISAPPROVAL OF UNP EFFORTS TO STOP LOANS
(By Walter Jayawardhana)
The most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Maha Nayaka of the Malwatte
Chapter and the most Venerable Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Maha nayaka
of the Asgiriya chapter expressed their strong disapproval of the declared
policy of the United National Party under opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe
to sabotage the government’s effort to raise bank loans for the
development of infrastructure in the country.
The two leading Maha nayakas of the island nation’s largest sect
, the Siamese Sect who control the most number of Buddhist temples in
the Buddhist majority nation expressed their disapproval of the Wickremesinghe
effort during the discussions they had with Minister of International
Trade and Export Development Dr. G. L. Peiris at their temples at Malwatte
and Asgiriya in kandy respectively.
The Maha nayaka Theros were responding to another Kandyan member of
parliament , Laxman Kiriella , who is a protégé of his
leader, who said that they were writing to the HSBC Bank threatening
not to payback the loan if the Wickremesinghe led UNP comes to power.
Kiriella’s press conference statement was made following a United
National Party working committee meeting presided over by Ranil Wickremesinghe
which decided to write to the banks from which the government of Sri
Lanka is raising loans threatening them not to pay back.
But legal experts said there is no provision in international law to
refrain from not paying the loans as every government is bound by law
to pay back any loan obtained by any government in Sri Lanka irrespective
of which party governs.
The Malwatte Mahanayaka Thero told Peiris that all should consider the
country above party. While political parties in the opposition they
are accustomed to create and show fantasylands to the people and when
they come to power play a different tune, the Venerable Mahanayaka said.
He said the Opposition should act considering the great saying that
one’s mother and motherland are more precious than heaven and fully
cooperate with the government in the development of the country without
sabotaging any such effort.
The Asgiriya Mahanayaka Thero said during his discussion with Peiris
that when political parties act only to benefit themselves that reverses
the country in its progress. He said the Opposition should not go beyond
righting the wrongs by criticism and reach sabotage. He said he disapproved
such measures and the opposition should stop making pressure on foreign
countries not to give loans to the government for its infrastructure
development.
Meanwhile holding another press conference the United national Party
Democratic Wing said that they were appealing to their party leader
Ranil Wickremesinghe not to drag local political problems to the international
sphere and sabotage the progress of the country.
Minister Mano Wijeratne said Ranil Wickremesinghe should not destroy
the honor and reputation of the country for parochial political interests
by trying to block loans to the government.
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