“There Is Competition Even Among the Opposition” – Harshana Rajakaruna

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Harshana Rajakaruna has criticised the government and President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, raising questions about the President’s absence from the United Nations General Assembly and alleging inconsistencies between statements made by the President before and after assuming office.

Rajakaruna made these remarks while speaking at an SJB media briefing.

He said that world leaders were currently attending the United Nations General Assembly, while Sri Lanka’s President was engaged in political activities at a ground in Gampaha and travelling to different districts for political programmes.

Rajakaruna said Sri Lanka’s President should participate in the UN General Assembly.

However, according to the current official arrangements, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath is representing Sri Lanka at the 2026 UN General Assembly, and is scheduled to deliver Sri Lanka’s national statement on September 28. President Dissanayake is not attending this year’s session.

Rajakaruna also compared statements made by Anura Kumara Dissanayake as a presidential candidate with those he has made after becoming President.

He claimed that during the presidential campaign, Dissanayake had promised to introduce a new Constitution, reduce taxes and abolish the executive presidency.

Rajakaruna further accused the government of now engaging in what he described as the spreading of hatred.

He said the President had stated that the law would be implemented strictly and argued that, if the law was to be applied equally, the same standards should also apply to incidents that had occurred since Dissanayake became President.

Questions Over Coal Shipments and Legal Action

Rajakaruna also referred to a previous controversy involving containers, saying that only one consignment had been involved at that time, while claiming that 19 coal shipments had subsequently arrived and that a substantial amount of foreign currency had been lost.

He referred to an alleged US$1.5 million loss and questioned whether different standards were being applied to different groups.

He also criticised what he described as one set of laws being applied to individuals associated with the Pelawatte area and another set being applied to others.

Rajakaruna further questioned laws introduced after President Dissanayake assumed office, saying that these matters also required examination.