Top UPFA spokesman and Minister Dallas Alahapperuma yesterday defended his ministerial colleague Champika Ranawaka’s assertion that the issue of cost of living, media freedom and executive presidency should not be allowed to divert the attention of the ruling coalition.

The JHU nominee in the government had said that such minor issues could not be allowed to hinder the country’s progress in the aftermath of victory over LTTE terrorism.

He said that the rapidly changing international scene had placed Asia in a commanding position and that Sri Lanka’s position in the region should be exploited.

Alahapperuma said that Ranawaka’s statement should not be taken in isolation but viewed against the backdrop of an internationally backed attempt to harass the Sri Lankan government.

Ranawaka left immediately after addressing the press conference leaving no room for the media to raise the issue.

Alahapperuma said that with the defeat of the LTTE in May, those supportive and sympathetic to terrorists had re-launched their campaign. They would not give up their effort easily, he said, recalling a damaging attempt to tarnish Sri Lanka’s image during the World Cup at the height of the war. Referring to disappearances in Colombo and its suburbs at that time, a senior Opposition Leader said that had ace spinner Mutthiah Muralitharan been around, he, too, would have been abducted. He said that nothing could as bad as this statement which caused irreparable damage.