Government accused of selling Sri Lanka's assets

COLOMBO (News1st): Opposition politicians have accused the government of "selling" the country's assets to foreign nations, citing that they have failed in their election promises. "Mahinda Rajapaksa said the agreement with China on the Hambanthota port would be cancelled. But the port still belongs to China," Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna said. He added that the ruling faction has also failed to cancel the US Millenium Challenge Corporation agreement, contrary to their promise made during the presidential election. Dissanayake pointed out that three cranes that were procured on June 20 for the development of the East Container Terminal at the Colombo Port have not been placed on the site yet. "What is the government doing?" the JVP leader queried. He pointed out that the South Container Terminal of the Colombo Port had been given to China during Mahinda Rajapaksa's presidency, while a jetty had been given out during Chandrika Kumaratunga's reign. "The east container terminal is the only terminal that can handle large vessels," Dissanayake stressed. He blamed former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for forming a joint venture between India, Japan, and Sri Lanka for the development of the East Terminal. "While Arjuna Ranatunga served as the ports minister, a cabinet paper was presented to bring down the gantry cranes. However, Ranil Wickremesinghe did not grant approval for this," the JVP leader recalled.