Opposition Leader must work for people

Lakshmi de Silva

In the country there is a weak Opposition and the Opposition Leader is living in a dream world. The role of the Opposition Leader was not to wait until he gets power through political games, but to serve the people of the country as the Opposition Leader, Attorney-at-Law Kalinga Indatissa said.

Addressing a press conference at the Mahaweli Centre, Colombo Wednesday on behalf the Sri Lanka Professional Forum he said as Winston Churchill once said every country should have a strong Government and a strong Opposition. One needs not wait until he comes to power to do a service to the public.

Even an ordinary Member of Parliament could move motions and bring beneficial results to the public.

The Opposition Leader should not dream but work for the people of the country.

The Opposition had tried political games to come to power through short cuts but had failed as it was not playing the correct role as a responsible Opposition, he said.

Even if the Opposition Leader was weak he could call legal experts and get their opinion and work for the progress of the country. But he does not do that. Even the people of the country were politically active, violent at times and sensitive but less knowledgeable about politics, he said.

It was the duty of political leaders and Members of Parliament to ensure that a concerted effort was made towards the development of the country either from the Government or the Opposition, Indatissa also said.