The Rajapaksa faction has flatly refused Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s challenge for a debate on Sri Lanka’s debt, with Joint Opposition front liners confirming that the former President is not willing to participate in the debate.
Speaking at a press briefing over the weekend, JO MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage had said that former President Rajapaksa would not face the Finance Minister on the question of the country’s debt and added that Hambantota District MP Namal Rajapaksa also did not have time to engage in the debate.
The Sunday Observer had reported that when contacted MP Namal Rajapaksa had said the Minister should be engaged in steering the economy during the bad weather prevailing over the country and not entangle himself in “unnecessary debates”.
“Before he challenges someone to a debate he should deliver on what he promised,” Namal Rajapaksa was quoted as saying.
Minister Samaraweera meanwhile has slammed the refusal of his challenge, saying the former President was dodging the issue because he did not possess the knowledge to engage in such a debate.
Last week, the Finance Ministry went to pains to point out that out of Sri Lanka’s total foreign debt of Rs 4,285 billion (Rs. 4.28 trillion), the current Government was only responsible for foreign borrowings to the tune of Rs. 570 billion. The rest of the debt servicing by the Treasury is related to borrowings during the tenure of the Rajapaksa regime, the Finance Ministry said.
Source : Sunday Observer
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