Accusing one another will not resolve crisis – President | Sunday Observer

Accusing one another will not resolve crisis – President

4 September, 2022

One of the basic tasks to resolve the economic crisis, is to extricate ourselves from traditional political perspectives and impartially appraise the ground situation in the context of the global environment, said President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

He said if we can nourish our minds with creative thoughts, according to the trends the modern world, then we can solve the economic crisis. This crisis will not be solved by accusing one another, nor by faulting the past. It can only be solved by adopting short and long-term plans.

Presenting the Interim Budget 2022 in Parliament on Tuesday, President Wickremesinghe said, “I reiterate the invitation to all the parties represented in this Parliament to join an All-Party Government (APG), since this unprecedented situation is the responsibility of us all, and therefore, needs to prioritise the necessities of the country and the nation.

“Some parties say that they will not join an APG due to action by the Government which they cannot condone. Others express a reluctance to join due to their opposition to the policies. In this instance, I wish to emphasise that I am not the person who decides on the actions or policies of an APG.

“It is not an administration of a single person or a single party, and will be set up according to the consent of all stakeholders of the Government. Therefore, I reiterate that, if there are policies or practices which you do not condone, then you have the right and mandate to change them within an APG,” he said.

The President said, “I request all of you in this House and all the citizens of the country, to put aside your personal political goals and unite in the context of the national cause of rebuilding the country and the nation. If we all come together, we will be able to uplift our Motherland, and create a nation that competes and moves forward with the ever-changing world. If we miss these opportunities, we will be marginalised globally.

“I like to remind you, the line of the lyrics ‘Aaji Thapara Lahila’ written by Bandara Eheliyagoda for a teledrama produced for the Mahapola Scholarship Fund. ‘Apa pamanada ekathena kara kenne – Apa thanikara lokaya divayanne’. So, let’s get together for the country, without spinning in one place anymore. Let’s create a knowledgeable society with a strong economy that can run forward together with the world,” he said.

“Not ready to accept any position”

Former President and SLFP Chairman Maithripala Sirisena said that a Government will definitely be formed in the future through an alliance formed with the SLFP and the left-wing parties. The former President also said that he is not ready to accept a position even if given a position because the current Government is run by the leaders of the Pohottuwa (Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna) party.

He was addressing the party’s Maharagama constituency meeting at the Grand Monarch Hotel, Sri Jayewardenepura on Sunday.

Former President Sirisena said that no one from the SLFP has been permitted to join the Government till date, and recalled that Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, who joined the Government had said at the party Central Committee meeting that “we will go only if an All-Party Government in the truest sense of the word is formed. He said so and joined the Government the next day.”

Silent protest

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarians staged a silent protest in front of the Parliament Complex on Monday against the increase in the electricity tariff by a huge margin. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa who participated in the protest, accused the Government saying that a sinister deal is going on in the procurement of coal for the Norochcholai power plant.

He said, “The Government invites us for an All-Party Government (APG) while making the lives of the public more and more difficult. The recent electricity tariff hike is a good example of that. Why are they inviting us for an APG? Do they think that we will take part in gaining commissions from corrupt coal procurement for the Norochcholai Power Plant?” Premadasa said.

The Opposition Leader said, “The people are suffering beyond the limits at the moment. But this Government does not have the heart to solve the burning issues of the people. Instead, the Government is engaging in corrupt deals which drag the country into further trouble.”

Interim Budget

The Interim Budget 2022 was passed by the House on Friday with a majority of 115 votes. 120 MPs voted in favour and five MPs against the Interim Budget 2022 while 43 abstained from voting. The Interim Budget voting was held when National People’s Power (NPP) MP Anura Dissanayake called for a division.

The five MPs who voted against the Interim Budget included National People’s Power MPs Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Vijitha Herath, Harini Amarasooriya, All Ceylon Tamil Congress MP Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and Ahila Illankai Tamil Congress MP S. Kajendran. The MPs of Samagi Jana Balawegaya, 13 Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MPs led by Dallus Alahapperuma and a group of independent MPs led by Wimal Weerawansa include those who abstained.

Former Prez returns

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa returned to the country from Thailand on Friday night. The former President, who returned to the island on Friday night, arrived at his residence at Malalasekara Mawatha in Colombo 7 at around 12.50 a.m. on Saturday. He returned to Sri Lanka via SQ 468 flight belonging to Singapore Airlines that touched down at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake on Friday night.

The security in the area has been beefed up by the security forces and the police. Former President Rajapaksa left the country for the Maldives on July 13 following the masses storming the President’s House in Colombo seeking his resignation. He left for Singapore on the next day, from where he announced his resignation from the position. Thailand was his final destination, where arrived on August 11.He returned to the country on Friday exactly after 51 days from his departure.

SLPP meetings

The SLPP commenced meetings to strengthen the party mechanism with the initial meeting at party headquarters on Sunday. SLPP Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa had told the media that a special meeting with the party Parliamentarians and other political representatives of the Kandy district was held at the SLPP Party head office.

The meeting was held under the patronage of SLPP National Organiser and former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa. MP Namal Rajapaksa has said that the meeting focused on the current political situation in the country and the future course of the SLPP. The meeting was attended by Kandy District Leader MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage, SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam and MP Namal Rajapaksa.

‘Grand alliance’

Former Minister Wimal Weerawansa has said that a collective of eleven former coalition partners of the SLPP-led ruling alliance that now sit independently in Parliament is due to form a grand alliance together with other parties today, September 4. Weerawansa told reporters that the 11 parties, with other parties he did not name, will announce the new ‘historic’ coalition at an event to be held at the Maharagama Youth Centre today, September 4.

“It will be a progressive, pro-people coalition founded not merely to overcome the present crisis but one that can overcome future challenges as well,” he said. Asked about the proposed All-Party Government which has yet to be formed, Weerawansa said leaders of the parties that represent Parliament have been unable to come to a consensus on how to help the people out of the economic crisis, the worst Sri Lanka has faced since Independence.

He accused the parties of looking out for their individual interests rather than coming up with a plan to solve the crisis. “That is the tragedy of this country,” he said

Full pardon

SJB Parliamentarian Harshana Rajakaruna said the SJB has decided to appoint former MP Ranjan Ramanayake as soon as an SJB National List MP position becomes vacant, but the nature of the presidential pardon given to him may hinder the process.

The SJB lawmaker said that the party has made a decision to appoint Ramanayake who was serving a four-year rigorous imprisonment on charges of contempt of court and was released on a conditional presidential pardon last week – as an MP as soon as an SJB National List MP post becomes vacant.

However, noting that the pardon granted to Ramanayake is conditional, MP Rajalaruna said that the SJB, as a step towards rectifying that, has requested President Ranil Wickremesinghe to grant Ramanayake a full pardon.

Independent Group

SLPP Chairman Prof. G. L. Peiris said that a group of 13 SLPP Parliamentarians have decided to take a seat with the Opposition as an Independent Group.

MPs Dullas Alahapperuma, Dilan Perera, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa, Prof. Charitha Herath, Prof. Channa Jayasumana, K. P. S. Kumarasiri, Dr. Gunapala Ratnasekara, Udayana Kirindigoda, Dr. Upul Galappatti, Dr. Thilak Rajapaksa, Wasantha Yapa Bandara and Lalith Ellawala have decided to join with SLPP Chairman Prof. Peiris. Prof. Peiris made a special statement in Parliament on Wednesday behalf of several MPs in Parliament.

He told the House, “Sri Lanka is facing a series of crises, including the economic, social, and political crises. This is nothing new to Sri Lanka. We have managed to face them all including the battle against terrorism, the Tsunami, and the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Prof. Peiris said during all those periods Sri Lanka had the strength of a strong Parliament that represented the mandate of the people. Unfortunately, today we do not have that strength adding that there is clear disparity on what the people want and what is represented in the Parliament. He said the promises and pledges made to the people back in 2020 ahead of the Parliamentary Elections are not being fulfilled.

Contradiction

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said that he is not content with the Interim Budget 2022 presented by the Government, he told the media at the Parliament premises after presentation of the Interim Budget on Tuesday, Premadasa said that there is a contradiction between the UNICEF organisation statistics and the Budget statistics about the families in Sri Lanka who are in need.

“We cannot agree with the number of people drastically affected by the economic crisis in the budget speech. Because if you read the UNICEF report, you will realise the real number of mothers, children and girls who have become victims of the crisis is much larger than the numbers read out today,” he said.

According to the Interim Budget speech, only 61,000 families are drastically affected by the economic crisis. “We cannot agree on these numbers. In addition, we believe that the Government can do a better job in managing the Government revenue. So all in all, we are not satisfied with the Budget proposals,” Premadasa said.

Difficult time

SLPP Kandy District Parliamentarian Mahindananda Aluthgamage told Parliament that President Ranil Wickremesinghe had to present the Interim Budget at the most difficult time. Joining the debate on Interim Budget 2022 on Wednesday, Aluthgamage said that five State-run institutions are currently experiencing a loss of Rs.323 billion. Can the Government run such institutions?

Therefore, decisions have to be made regarding these institutions. He said, “If the three institutions - Customs, Excise and Local Revenue - are properly managed, we do not need to go to the IMF. Everyone above 18 years of age is asked to open the tax file. That’s a good suggestion.”

“Forced to support Budget”

SJB Parliamentarian Dr.Harsha de Silva said President Ranil Wickramasinghe has presented a plan to build the economy as an Interim Budget proposal. It covers most of what we presented. In particular, 80 percent of the points opposed by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna are there. So the problem is how to implement this.

Commenting on the Interim Budget presented by the President, Dr. de Silva said, “We agree with the economic restructuring announced by the President. We said from the beginning that steps should be taken to solve the economic problem.”

“We said in 2020 to seek International Monetary Fund (IMF) assistance. But the SLPP said that they will have to walk over our bodies.” That is why the country has gone into an abyss now. But now they are forced to support this Budget. “I cannot fully agree with the tax policy proposed by the President. Excise duty has been increased from 12 percent to 15 percent,” he said.

Change in party positions

SLPP MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena said SLPP Parliamentarians who sat in the Opposition as an Independent Group in Parliament on Wednesday will be ousted from their positions in the party. He said that such MPs became independent a long time ago and were against the Government, while stating that they have acted against the party policies and will thereby be ousted from their positions in the party.

SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam had also previously said that there will be a change in the party positions. He said these changes will be made at the SLPP National Convention. Kariyawasam said that certain party members who are holding key positions in the party, and who went against the political decisions taken by the SLPP in the recent past, will be removed.

Invisible power

SLPP Parliamentarian Dullas Alahapperuma on Friday said an invisible power is preventing the group of SLPP independent MPs from expressing their opinions in the House.

He was addressing the launch of the ‘Freedom People’s Council’ which was jointly formed by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna MPs who became independent in Parliament in Colombo on Friday. According to him, the Freedom People’s Council is not another political party, but a movement that seeks positive political reforms to the country.

Alahapperuma said depriving the members of his team from their right to represent the Parliamentary Committees, not providing those with an opportunity to join the debate on Emergency Law and at the debate on the interim budget clearly showcased that an invisible power is operating against them in the Legislature.

The working committee of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) has unanimously approved key amendments to the party’s constitution. The SLFP celebrated its 71st anniversary on Friday under the patronage of party’s Chairman, former President Maithripala Sirisena.

The event was held at the National Youth Centre, Maharagama. Before the anniversary celebrations kicked off, the meeting of the SLFP’s working committee was held, where the party’s General Secretary MP Dayasiri Jayasekara presented the proposed amendments to the constitution of the SLFP.

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