Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera told Parliament that the Opposition should not try to take political advantages of the Covid-19 pandemic prevailing in the country and instead should support the Government to fight it.
Speaking during the debate on the Covid-19 situation, the Minister reminded how the same Opposition tried to hinder the former Government led by then President Mahinda Rajapaksa during the final phase of the battle against terrorism.
Minister Amaraweera said, “Many Opposition MPs call for a lockdown of the country. However, when lockdown was imposed before, the Opposition was going around questioning that move as well. We should not politicise this matter. If any lockdown is needed, our health and defence authorities will reach that decision. If we go for a total lockdown, how can people sell their products? How will people purchase necessary items?”
He said, “Countries that have faced the worst stages of the pandemic have not gone for total lockdowns. Therefore, it is obvious that the Opposition is looking forward to take advantage of the situation. The Government will not hesitate to take crucial decisions to save the country from this pandemic, with or without the support of the Opposition. However, we strongly believe that the responsibility of an Opposition is to support the Government when it is on the correct path.”
Minister Amaraweera said, “It is good to point out our shortcomings; we can accept criticism. However, it is the responsibility of the Opposition to support the Government in times of need. This pandemic affects everybody; the Opposition should realise that.”
Seventh expressway
The construction work on the country’s seventh expressway was launched by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday (May 7). The inauguration ceremony of the first phase from Kahatuduwa to Ingiriya of the Ruwanpura Expressway was held with the participation of a limited number of participants as per the health regulations in place in view of the pandemic. Premier Rajapaksa participated in the ceremony via new technology from Temple Trees.
The Prime Minister said irrespective of obstacles, challenges and difficulties, the Government will always remain committed to policies and development programs it has put forward until they become realities. He said, “We started the Southern Expressway as the first Expressway in Sri Lanka in 2006 while the battle against terrorism was going on. Today, we are embarking on the Ruwanpura Expressway at a challenging time when not only the country but the whole world is gripped by the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Premier Rajapaksa said, “We had planned to start work on the Ruwanpura Expressway in 2014. We thought that the Government which came to power in 2015 would start where we stopped the development of the country. They did not wish to develop the country. Therefore, everything we had started was stopped by the previous Government.”
The Prime Minister said that the previous government had not stopped at that and went on to take revenge. “We were taken before Courts and Commissions. We took back a country where national security and the economy had been affected and development had come to a standstill. But we gladly accepted the challenge. We always wanted to give the best to this country and its people. We wanted to fulfill the expectations of the people.”
Vacant seat
Former Minister Navin Dissanayake said that UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who has been in Parliament for 40 years, is the most suitable candidate for the party’s National List seat. At a media briefing in Kollupitiya, Dissanayake said that he was the first to suggest that Ranil Wickremesinghe should be appointed as the UNP National List Member of Parliament. The UNP suffered a heavy defeat at the last General Election and only secured a single seat through the National List allocation. So far, the UNP has not been able to fill its vacant seat in Parliament due to differences of opinion and infighting within the party ranks.
The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) writing to the UNP has underlined that the Party has violated the people’s democratic rights by not appointing a Member to its National List Seat in Parliament. It has urged the UNP to immediately fill its solitary Parliamentary seat that has been vacant since the General Election. It has pointed out that the Party’s internal disputes are no excuse for keeping its National List seat vacant, adding that the people who voted for that Party are not responsible for those internal issues.
President in Parliament
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa attended the Parliamentary session on Wednesday (May 5). Minister Johnston Fernando, State Ministers and Government Parliamentarians received the President at the Parliamentary Complex on his arrival.
President Rajapaksa listened to the speeches delivered by the lawmakers. This is the fifth occasion the President attended parliamentary proceedings since addressing the inaugural session of the new Parliament. The adjournment debate on the current Covid-19 situation in the country was taken up in the House for the second consecutive on May 5.
The Committee on Parliamentary Business chaired by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana which met on Tuesday (May 4) decided not to hold the debate on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill on Wednesday (May 5) as Parliament is yet to receive the determination of the Supreme Court pertaining to the petitions filed on against the Bill. Instead, the Committee decided to take up the Adjournment Debate on the pandemic situation from 10.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. on May 5 without a lunch break.
Jathika Jana Balawegaya Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake has stressed the need for an extensive parliamentary debate on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill. He said, “The Government and the opposition need to put forward their views before the people.” He said that the Government is conducting itself to fulfil its destructive motives rather than in the best interests of the country’s laws, regulations, constitution, the public and ethics. Dissanayake said, “The Government can cite this as a turning point of the economy. We can put forward other arguments over this,” Dissanayake said.
PM meets Abhayarama Chief Incumbent
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had recently met the Chief Incumbent of Abhayarama Temple, Narahenpita, Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera. The Premier and Ven. Ananda Thera had an extensive discussion which had lasted for over one and half hours. During the recent past, Ven. Ananda Thera was critical of some of the steps taken by the Government. He played a pivotal role to bring back former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to active politics after his electoral defeat in 2015. Those days the Abhayarama Temple had become the centre for political activities of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Heated argument
Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara and SJB MP Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka were engaged in a heated argument in Parliament on Wednesday (May 5) with regard to the recent release of Military officer Sunil Ratnayake.
Minister Weerasekera accused Fonseka of betraying the nation by saying that the release of Ratnayake was wrong. The Minister told the Parliament “Field Marshal Fonseka has betrayed the nation through his remarks.”
Fonseka said, “Military officers cannot commit murders. It is a disgrace for your uniform if you think that way.” The Minister said Field Marshal Fonseka is talking after accepting dollars from the Tamil diaspora. “We don’t do that kind of low (thuttu deke) acts.
Fonseka replied it was Minister Weerasekera who brought dollars from Geneva.
The Minister said, “It was Fonseka who told journalist Fredrica Jansz that Sri Lankan security forces killed those who came with white flags. It is because of these statements that the whole world has gone against us. It is we who were at the battlefront. Fonseka doesn’t know that I was one of the few who were at the front in the battlefield and was honoured. Besides Sunil Ratnayake was also at the forefront and fought hard for the country.”
UNP chairman visits friends
UNP Chairman Vajira Abeywardana had recently visited State Minister Wimalaweera Dissanayake who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Colombo. Since the days Abeywardana represented Parliament, State Minister Dissanayake was one his close friends.
The duo had extensively discussed their past memories and current pandemic and political situation in the country for over an hour. Later UNP Chairman Abeywardana participated in a media briefing in Colombo.
He told the media if the Government took appropriate measures during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year to prevent the spread of coronavirus, it would have not spread to this extent. He said there is a huge delay in importing the second dose of the Covid vaccine as the Government has not entered into agreements on time and allocated sufficient money.
Abeywardana said this situation two and a half months ago. He said when the coronavirus was started to spread, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe requested to increase the PCR tests and the ICU beds in hospitals. However, the Government didn’t take it seriously and the country now faces a serious situation.
Abeywardana had also visited one of his long standing friends MP Harin Fernando who is receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo. While the two were having a chat, UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had phoned Abeywardana. Then Abeywardana had given his phone to Harin Fernando by allowing UNP Leader Wickremesinghe to talk to him. Vajira Abeywardana and Harin Fernando during their lengthy discussion had laid key emphasis on the spread of coronavirus and the Port City project.
Ranjan denies rumours
Former SJB Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake has denied rumours that he attempted to commit suicide in jail.
There was media speculation that Ramanayake attempted to commit suicide while serving a jail sentence. However, in a message posted on Facebook, Ramanayake had denied the rumours. The Supreme Court sentenced former MP Ramanayake to four years rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court. He has been imprisoned at the Angunukeolapelessa prison since his conviction.
Objection
Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara on Wednesday (May 5) called on the Speaker not to allow SJB MP Rishad Bathiudeen, who is detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to attend Parliament until the investigations relating to his arrest are completed. He said that any MP who is detained under the PTA should not be allowed to attend Parliament until the investigations are over.
Minister Weerasekara said any statement made by MP Bathiudeen following his attendance in Parliament may hinder the investigations. It may even allow other persons who should be investigated later on, to evade arrest or flee the country. The Minister made this statement as the Opposition raised concerns on not allowing MP Bathiudeen to attend Parliament.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa called on the Speaker to permit MP Bathiudeen to attend Parliament. Chief Opposition Whip MP Lakshman Kiriella told the House that there is no clear reason presented as to why Bathiudeen was not present in Parliament on May 4 and 5.
Kiriella said, “Within the past 24 hours, I heard three rumoured reasons as to why MP Bathiudeen was not brought to Parliament. One said that MP Bathiudeen had close contact with a Covid-19 patient. According to the family of MP Bathiudeen, the signature of the Speaker allowing the MP to attend Parliament was not available. We do not know which is true. We call on the Speaker to ensure the privileges of Parliamentarians.”
Harassment
He said SJB will not be able to support the Government in arresting the Covid-19 pandemic if Opposition MPs are harassed. TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran said that such a move, as suggested by Minister Weerasekara, has never happened in the history of Parliament. Sumanthiran said that it would be very easy to hunt down political opponents if this proposal is accepted, as any MP could be taken into custody under the PTA and investigations carried out for three months which will automatically cancel their seat in Parliament. He also observed that there could possibly be no legal restrictions in facilitating MP Bathiudeen from attending Parliament sessions.