Opposition MPs in Parliament yesterday delivered a sarcastic welcome to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent helicopter trip to Kandy, highlighting what they described as a contrast to his earlier statements on the use of such transport.
MP Hector Appuhamy said it was appropriate for a Head of State to travel by helicopter and noted that it was encouraging to see the President using two helicopters during the journey. He recalled that President Dissanayake had previously questioned the practice, even jokingly asking whether a President could jump from one helicopter to another mid-air.
Appuhamy further pointed out that the President had earlier stated he would never use helicopters, but had now opted for the mode of travel.
Meanwhile, MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake also commented on the matter, stating that when in the Opposition, President Dissanayake may not have been fully aware that deploying two helicopters is a standard security measure for a Head of State.
