Ruwan Wijewardena, the Deputy Leader of the United National Party, emphasized that after the last presidential election, a lot of defamatory misinformation has been circulated targeting former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. The United National Party strongly condemns such baseless statements.
It was falsely spread on social media that the Chief Security Officer of the Eighth Executive President, along with other security officers, was given written orders to report to designated police divisions immediately. However, the Acting Inspector General of Police has denied this news.
Ruwan Wijewardena mentioned this while making a special statement to the media in Colombo today (07).
He also pointed out that President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mrs. Maithree Wickremesinghe never used the Presidential Palace for personal purposes and only utilized it for official duties. He condemned the spreading of low-class statements.
The Deputy Leader of the United National Party, Ruwan Wijewardena, further stated:
“Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has done a lot of work for this country. It was also former President Ranil Wickremesinghe who turned the country’s collapsed economy in a positive direction. Yet, he is being targeted with insulting and false information. It is also being spread on social media that the police officers who were assigned to protect former President Ranil Wickremesinghe have been removed.
In recent days, parties friendly to the current government have shared a video of a kitchen in a foreign country, falsely claiming it is the kitchen of the Presidential Palace used by the former President. This misinformation is being circulated by individuals who lack the intelligence to properly assess the truth or falsity of such information.
During Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe’s presidency, the Presidential Palace in Colombo Fort was used solely for domestic and foreign official duties. It should be noted that President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mrs. Wickremesinghe lived in their private residence.
Additionally, it should be emphasized that the food items required for hosting guests with local cuisine during official ceremonies at the Presidential Palace were purchased from local suppliers under the advice of the chefs working at the palace.
I want to make it clear that at no point were printed foreign food recipes, luxury foreign cuisine, or the services of foreign chefs requested or required by President Ranil Wickremesinghe or Mrs. Wickremesinghe. The false statements made in this regard are nothing more than a low-grade slander motivated by political hatred.
As the United National Party, we are deeply saddened by this smear campaign launched to assassinate the character of the leader who rescued the country from a major crisis without avoiding responsibility, even during the most challenging times Sri Lanka has faced.
We also request that the current government dedicate itself to fulfilling the people’s aspirations, as per the mandate given to them, without wasting time.
– Media Unit