Premadasa dares Govt. to hold PC polls

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa yesterday challenged the government to hold the long-delayed Provincial Council elections, saying the polls would provide an opportunity to gauge the level of public support enjoyed by the administration.

Addressing a farmers’ meeting in Tissamaharama, Hambantota on Saturday (29), Premadasa also criticised the latest Rs. 17 per kilogram increase in wheat flour prices, warning that it would push up the prices of bread, bakery products and other flour-based food items and place further pressure on households already struggling with the rising cost of living.

He said Sri Lanka ranked 120th among 130 countries in an international comparison of minimum wages, arguing that wages remained inadequate to meet the escalating cost of living.

Premadasa also questioned official assessments of living standards, asking whether a person could survive for an entire month on Rs. 17,315, a figure he attributed to the Department of Census and Statistics.

He claimed that between 30 and 40 per cent of the population was living in poverty and called for a clear programme to help affected families improve their economic conditions.

Turning to the proposed 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which seeks to increase the retirement age of superior court judges, the Opposition Leader accused the government of attempting to undermine judicial independence and interfere with democratic institutions.

He also criticised the government’s handling of poverty, employment, agriculture, healthcare and investment, saying more effective measures were needed to provide relief to people facing economic hardships.

Premadasa called for stronger policies to attract foreign direct investment and urged the government to formulate a national strategy for developing the tourism industry.