Labour Minister Athauda Seneviratne yesterday (21) challenged Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to an open debate.

Reacting angrily to Wickremesinghe’s remark that the President did not accept the challenge thrown by the Opposition Leader for a debate on the ceasefire agreement, the Minister said: "I am asking you to come for a debate with me, not with the President."

Moving out of his seat with clenched first the Minister attacked Wickremesinghe with a verbal barrage. "We have debated with more powerful debaters and second class persons like you are no match for us." He said that Wickremesinghe was a failed leader.

Minister Seneviratne was making his speech during the adjourned debate on the Nation Building Tax (Amendment) Bill, when he touched the issue of the ceasefire agreement of 2002. The minister said that the agreement had legitimized a terrorist outfit and paved the way for LTTE to become stronger.

Opposition Leader Wickremesinghe said that was no use of talking of the ceasefire agreement since the President had not accepted his challenge to an open debate. "If he had accepted my challenge we could have a debated the issue. There is no point you’re making allegations," he said.

This remark had roused the anger of Minister Seneviratne.

Wickremesinghe walked out of the chamber as the angry minister continued his verbal barrage. "You talk of debates, but when challenged retreat through back-door," the minister said.

He said that the Opposition leader had done everything possible to stop the EU granting an extension of the GSP+ relief facility to Sri Lankan exports to EU countries. The Opposition Leader and some UNP members had sent e-mails to the IMF asking not to give loans to Sri Lanka. Wickremesinghe had one requested the HSBC not to give loans to Sri Lanka, he said.