Addressing party men at the Jatika Sevaka Sangamaya Headquarters, the first of a series of meetings to prepare for the elections that would be held in the next few months, Wickremesinghe said the government’s claim that it was unable to reduce prices due to the war was insufficient an excuse.

He said even during President J. R. Jayawardene’s time the war was being fought but the people were not burdened with high prices instead they were provided with relief.

During the presidential election campaign Mahinda Rajapaksa had pledged to sell fuel to the public at prices lower than what the government paid for it in the world market saying he had friends in the Arab, world but after he was elected President he had forgotten the promise made to the public, the Opposition Leader said.

"This government is trying to hide all problems behind the war and the people are left to suffer under the heavy cost of living. We are opposed to the people being burdened in this manner. Former Presidents Jayawardene and Premadasa too had to fight the war during their times but they did so while providing relief to the public," he said.

Wickremesinghe said the main reason for the high cost of living was the heavy expenditure the government incurred in maintaining the world’s largest Cabinet of ministers and supporting President’s family with public funds.