Tobacco battle takes new turn with Maithri accusing former prez

... reveals MR met top CTC reps at Temple Trees

By Shamindra Ferdinando-February 11, 2015

Maithripala Sirisena has accused his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa of humiliating him in the presence of Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) representatives towards the tail end of the Rajapaksa presidency.

President Sirisena alleged that he had been asked to justify the need to make it compulsory to display pictorial warnings on 80% of cigarette pack when both India and Pakistan adopted a much milder approach. According to the former SLFP General Secretary the meeting had taken place at Temple Trees.

The President said he was told that the CTC would move the court against his bid.

He was addressing a group of government nurses at the Maharagama National Youth Services Council on Tuesday.

Responding to a query by The Island, a spokesperson for the CTC yesterday said that a comment could be considered once the company studied the statement attributed to President Maithripala Sirisena.

President Sirisena asserted that it had been grossly unfair for his predecessor to take up the contentious issue of pictorial warnings with him in the presence of CTC officials.

The revelation was made hours after health minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne on behalf of Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government presented a Bill to amend the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act which would make it compulsory for the tobacco companies to print pictorial warnings on 80 percent of the display area of cigarette packets.

The bill states that 80% of the top surface area of both the back and the front of every packet, package or carton containing tobacco products must be covered in health warnings of legible print.

A new controversy erupted in the wake of the CTC strongly contradicting Minister Dr. Senaratne’s allegation that massive bribes had been paid to the previous government to thwart Maithripala Sirisena’s anti-tobacco campaign.

President Maithripala Sirisena lambasted the health sector officials, alleging that they were the worst as far as corruption was concerned.