Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has questioned whether a government unable to manage the country’s prison system can safeguard the wellbeing of its 22 million citizens, in a wide-ranging attack on the administration’s competence delivered at a public gathering in Maligakanda, Borella.
A government that cannot control a prison will not be able to rebuild the country, Premadasa said, arguing that the administration was creating fresh difficulties rather than resolving existing ones. He said the government had promised a system of governance led by experts but had failed to manage key responsibilities.
Prisons and the no-confidence motion
Premadasa pointed to the opposition’s no-confidence motion against the Minister of Justice and Prisons during the previous parliamentary session. The government voted in support of the minister and ridiculed the opposition at the time, he said — and only days later, unrest erupted at Mahara Prison, leaving the administration to manage a crisis of the same kind.
The Mahara Prison unrest on August 1 left one inmate dead and six people injured, destroyed the prison kitchen, hospital and rehabilitation workshops, and prompted an overnight curfew on surrounding areas. It followed the Negombo Prison riot of July 12, in which the death toll has been revised to 32.
Debt payment and hacking claims
The Opposition Leader also alleged that the government had failed to properly make a foreign debt instalment payment, and claimed that USD 2.5 million had been lost to hackers. He questioned how an administration unable to handle such matters could resolve problems facing the public.
Premadasa said around 30 to 40 percent of the country’s population is currently affected by poverty, with significant numbers in urban, rural and estate communities facing economic hardship.
The government has not responded publicly to the debt payment and hacking claims. LankaNewz found no independent confirmation of either figure at the time of publication.
