United National Party Chairman Wajira Abeywardena on Friday (26) said Sri Lanka’s response to the current crises stands in sharp contrast to the collective and consultative approach adopted in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, warning that the country is now being driven towards a deeply regrettable situation.

Speaking to the media in Colombo, Abeywardena was responding to a question on how Sri Lanka had managed to recover after the tsunami compared to the situation the country faces this year.

He said that during the tsunami period, then President Chandrika Kumaratunga brought together all political parties and made use of their collective knowledge and experience in rebuilding the country.

“There were criticisms, and there were also constructive proposals. Taking all these into account, the country moved forward,” he said.

Abeywardena alleged that the present leadership has failed to consult or make use of the knowledge and expertise of other political parties, pushing the country towards an increasingly alarming situation.

He warned that the consequences of this lack of consultation would become evident in the coming months, noting that by the end of January or February next year, the extent of the damage caused by ignoring broader political input would be clearly felt by the country.