There was an exchange of words between former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa at today’s All-Party Conference over the IMF report.
Mr Wickrmesinghe was listing out UNP’s proposals to get over the crisis and requested the IMF report for a proper study of the situation. He told the APC that the report on Pakistan is already out, and it has 149 pages.
Finance Minister Basil Rajapakse said they are yet to receive the report from the IMF. However, Wickremesinghe replying stated the position of the IMF is they had already dispatched the findings. Finance Minister repeatedly denied that they received the report. He said once they compile it, they will get the board’s approval and send it.
At this stage, the former Prime Minister told the President to summon the IMF representative in Colombo and ask for the findings of the IMF.
A startled Finance Minister eventually admitted that they received a draft report.
A visibly upset Finance Minister Rajapaksa queried the former Prime Minister whether he wanted the draft.
“Anything but give it to the House, not me”.
Finance Minister Rajapaksa declined.
“We have challenged the findings of the draft report. He said
The former Prime Minister had yet another battle with Central Bank Governor Nivard Cabraal for pinpointing statistics aimed at finding fault with the previous regime.
Former Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said we are not here to talk politics and said he could have replied to CBSL Governor with facts and figures. If the part replies, somebody else will respond, and the blame game will go up to King Vijaya and eventually, the blame will go to King Vijaya for arriving in this country, he said.
President Gotabaya Rajapakse intervened to tender an apology to the former Prime Minister at this stage for the misdemeanour, saying it was a passing remark not meant to harm anybody. “During our time, people had everything they wanted,” the former Prime Minister remarked.
