Government politicians from the top downwards, are still using the "war card" to fool the masses, while they continue to live in the lap of luxury, the UNP’s Kesbewa Organizer and Western Provincial Councillor, Niroshan Padukka said yesterday.

He told a news conference in Colombo, that the war was long over and the government without getting down to the task of eliminating waste, corruption and massive losses in state institutions, has the audacity to ask the people to tighten their belts further. "If the masses follow the tongue in cheek advice of the government, they would all get strangled to death."

The people had put up with all the burdens heaped on them while the war was on, but the ungrateful Mahinda Rajapaksa government, instead of relieving them of their agony, continues to cook up various excuses for its inefficiency and incompetence, Padukka said.

"The masses have been made scapegoats for the massive losses suffered by various state institutions. For example, Sri Lankan Airlines and Mobitel, which is a subsidiary of Sri Lanka Telecom, were making profits, but have been converted into white elephants, due to the stupidity of those in charge."

He said that SriLankan Airlines has suffered losses due to its tie up with Mihin Air, while Mobitel had spent over Rs.170 million only on its advertising campaign.

Any fool can see that Mihin Air which made a Rs. 3000 million loss in its very first year, would continue the same way, but it was being kept afloat purely to satisfy the huge egos of big wigs in government, Padukka added.