When most of the world’s super powers have given top priority to their economic strategy rather than facing the global phenomenon of the Covid-19 pandemic, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has given utmost priority in the Government’s agenda to combat the coronavirus outbreak in the country, former State Minister of Railway Services C.B.Ratnayake said.
Ratnayake said today, countries such as the US, Italy and France have faced dire consequences due to not giving priority to their healthcare, and focusing only on economic benefits. However, the Sri Lankan Government’s top priority is to combat the disease, while economic benefits and election targets are secondary matters in its agenda. He said Parliament was dissolved before the coronavirus outbreak and it was the Election Commission which changed the date fixed for the election owing to the prevailing situation in the country.
The former State Minister said, in a situation where the President and the Government are fully committed to combat the corona pandemic, some Opposition groups are attempting to realise their narrow political objectives rather than extend support to the Government. If the Opposition acts irresponsibly in a national and global disaster such as this, then their sole intention is to reconvene the old Parliament, paving the way for a crisis.
Ratnayake said that at present, the majority of the Opposition parliamentarians are engaging in a battle to get their pension as they were not able to complete their full term due to the early dissolution of Parliament. However, as a responsible Government, the first, second and third priority of the agenda is to combat the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.