President wants DDO approved by Saturday

"When others said NO to the post of Prime Minister, and fled in fear, I took over this task." - President

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday (6) called on the Prime Minister to extend the Parliament sessions to Saturday (9), if necessary, in order to secure the passage of the government's domestic debt optimization program.

"We need to approve this before Saturday, and the Speaker can place his stamp on it on Sunday. That is all I want," he told the house while elaborating on the efforts taken to achieve a domestic debt optimization program.

"We need to complete all this by next week. If we don't, all of this will collapse, and I state it with responsibility. I took over a country that was in disarray. When others said NO to the post of Prime Minister, and fled in fear, I took over this task. Please, give the opportunity to do so," stressed President Wickremesinghe.

Moreover, the President said that the proposal to award the Employees Provident Fund with a 9% interest rate following the DDO program was introduced by the government led by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, even before he was considered for Prime Minister.