The Government taking a correct policy decision to accommodate SAITM students at the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) introduced the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (Special Provisions) Bill providing a lasting solution to the issue which dragged on during the last three years. Most of the Government and Opposition law makers who participated in the debate, commended the timely move by Government to resolve the long standing SAITM issue in a prudent manner agreeable to all parties who held views for and against SAITM. However, some Government legislators pointed out that the SAITM issue came up during the tenure of the former Government and said it is surprising that the Joint Opposition (JO) MPs who didn’t utter even a single word against SAITM then shed crocodile tears today. They were of the view that JO members have no moral right to speak about SAITM as it was the brainchild of their own Government.
Commencing the debate, Higher Education Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told the House that the SAITM issue came up due to permission being granted to set up Higher Educational Institutes in an informal manner. The Ministry is now in the process of formulating a new Quality Assurance and Accreditation Bill to keep a complete check on Higher Education Institutions from inception and ascertain the feasibility of offering degrees and training courses. The Minister was of the view that had candid efforts been made, the SAITM issue would have been resolved without prolonging it for so long.
Minister Rajapakshe said the new KDU Bill will have its effect only on the students enrolled at SAITM from September 15, 2009 to May 15, 2017. The Bill has sought permission to enroll the students who had studied at SAITM during the said period to KDU after checking their educational qualifications and clinical training. However, Minister Rajapakshe stated that the SAITM Medical Faculty will remain till the completion of the transfer of its students to the KDU Medical Faculty and added that this process will take at least ten years or more.
The Minister said certain sections are still entertaining doubts whether the Medical Faculty of SAITM would continue even after these students are enrolled at KDU. The Minister categorically stated that the SAITM Medical Faculty will be abolished when the students are enrolled at KDU. He said the KDU Bill was drafted after extensive discussions with all parties concerned. All sectors which were highly critical of SAITM finally realised that the SAITM issue didn’t arise on the part of the SAITM students. Therefore, all parties finally agreed that justice needed to be meted out to these students. The new methodology is based on the consensus reached by all parties.
Minister Rajapakshe was of the view that had the university community acted in a flexible manner, the SAITM issue would not have occurred. UPFA Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara said the SAITM issue could not be resolved due to the serious involvement of the Health Minister and former Higher Education Minister. The Committee appointed under the Chairmanship of State Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva attempted to bring some solution to the SAITM issue.
UNP Parliamentarian Mujibur Rahuman who joined in the debate charged that the former Government should be fully responsible for creating the SAITM issue but unfortunately the incumbent Government has had to intervene to sort it out. When SAITM was set up not a single MP in the JO uttered a word against it for fear of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The then Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake, who was instrumental in setting up SAITM is not to be seen even in Parliament today. The struggle right through was to admit SAITM students to a Government university. When attempts are being made by the Government to fulfill it, certain elements stage protests against the Government’s efforts. MP Rahuman queried as to why there is all this opposition against private medical education. He said during the tenure of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, SAITM scholarships worth over Rs. 100 million had been given to his close associates. Some JO MPs support t SAITM as their children are studying there while other JO members are dead against it due to sheer hypocrisy on their part.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya making an announcement at the commencement of sittings in Parliament on Tuesday, urged the MPs not to insult and make derogatory remarks about each other until Parliament officially receives the complete Bond Commission report. He pointed out that such derogatory comments would only damage the good image and dignity of the House, MPs and the country as a whole.
The Speaker also told the House that the Secretary to the President has informed Parliament in writing that he is awaiting the Attorney General’s advice to release all documents pertaining to the Bond Commission report to Parliament. Subsequently, UPFA Parliamentarian Dullas Alahapperuma called on Deputy Speaker Ananada Kumarasiri to reveal the names of MPs who had obtained cheques from Arjun Aloysius to put an end to the matter in the best interest of Parliament. MP Alahapperuma, referring to the claim made by Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake on Tuesday (June 19) in Parliament that some MPs have received ‘other gifts’ also from Aloysius in addition to money said that the statement has brought humiliation to MPs and their children too.
Despite the assurance given by the Speaker to Parliament on Tuesday (June 19), that Party Leaders on Thursday (June 21) would decide when to hold the next Provincial Council Elections, a Party Leaders’ meeting on the long overdue Provincial Council elections ended inconclusively on Thursday at the Parliamentary Complex. The Party Leaders had failed to agree on the electoral system under which the polls should be held. It had been decided to hold a Parliamentary debate on July 06 to decide whether the PC polls should be held under the proportional representation system or the new electoral system. According to the sources, Provincial Councils and Local Government Minister Faiszer Musthapha had informed the Party Leaders that President Maithripala Sirisena was of the view that the Provincial Council Elections should be conducted under the new electoral system. However, Minister Rauff Hakeem had objected on the ground that the minority parties could not agree to it and as such they preferred the old electoral system.