Who Was Ranil’s Economic Adviser? Bimal Responds To Harsha

COLOMBO (News 1st); A sharp exchange over the identity and past role of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake's economic adviser triggered a heated debate in Parliament, with Leader of the House Bimal Ratnayake accusing Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Dr. Harsha de Silva of making a claim that was "completely false."

The controversy originated from remarks made by Dr. Harsha de Silva during Wednesday's parliamentary proceedings, where he questioned whether the same economic minds were continuing to influence successive administrations.

Referring to Duminda Hulangamuwa, Dr. de Silva argued that the individual currently serving as an economic adviser to the President had also been associated with former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, suggesting continuity rather than change in economic thinking.

However, Bimal Ratnayake forcefully rejected the assertion, telling Parliament that Hulangamuwa had personally clarified that he had never served as an economic adviser to Ranil Wickremesinghe or any other President or Prime Minister.

Ratnayake explained that Hulangamuwa had previously been appointed to various committees in his capacity as President of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, and not as a personal appointee of the former President.

He further maintained that Hulangamuwa's first appointment as an economic adviser to a government came under the current National People's Power administration.

The Leader of the House went on to argue that the economic adviser attached to former President Wickremesinghe was in fact Sagala Ratnayaka, not Duminda Hulangamuwa, and urged Dr. Harsha de Silva to withdraw his statement.