Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa says showing affection to the deceased tusker Kawanthissa was far more worthy than embracing the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as he criticised the government's close engagement with international financial institutions.
Speaking in Parliament, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) leader questioned the government's approach toward multilateral lenders, including the IMF, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank, amid concerns over national poverty levels.
Citing a 2025 World Bank report, Premadasa noted that an estimated 61.1 percent of Sri Lanka's population lived on less than US$8.30 a day last year, noting that IMF-mandated economic adjustments have placed a disproportionate burden on ordinary citizens.
He also displayed a photograph showing Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya greeting the former IMF managing director with an embrace.
While noting that he was reluctant to use the image against the Prime Minister and acknowledging that such a greeting was a standard diplomatic courtesy, he drew the comparison to respond to ruling party criticism over his widely publicised gesture of kissing Kawanthissa.
The Opposition Leader said that government legislators had failed to grasp the cultural and emotional significance of paying tribute to the tusker, insisting that his gesture held far greater meaning than diplomatic pleasantries extended to international financial officials.
