Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa criticized the government of Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe at a recent meeting in Tissamaharama, saying that former President Ranasinghe Premadasa had better plans than the present government.

The UNP at present wants to reclaim the paddy fields and sell off the country's vital economic resources to foreign powers. They will sell Hambantota to China, Palali and Kankesanthurai to India and Colombo to everyone, he added.

Rajapaksa said that he developed Hambantota Port with a long term plan to reduce poverty in the area. The people in Hambantota supported him in the election, Rajapaksa recalled, adding that the present government was taking revenge from the people in Hambantota by abandoning all the plans and selling off the land to foreigners.