State Minister Shehan Semasinghe said the outcome of the recent Geneva vote amply demonstrates to the people who genuinely love the motherland and those who are willing to betray it for money and power.
At a press briefing at his Ministry recently, Semasinghe said after the recent Geneva vote it was possible for the people to identify the group that gives priority to the country’s well-being and the other group that will go to any lengths to protect their existence based on money and power hungry politics, even by destroying the motherland.
State Minister Semasinghe said that by this vote being adopted, there is no way that the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) could impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka and that some of the facts in this Resolution are even against the Charter of the UNHRC.
He accused certain factions in Sri Lanka of trying to discredit the country by using the Geneva Human Rights Council. He also accused the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Opposition of working hand-in-hand to bring the country into disrepute.
He said that the Government has expressed its firm objections over this move at Geneva. Semasinghe said that this is an excellent opportunity for the people of our country to distinguish between the country’s patriots and traitors.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the President of China Xi Jinping in a recent telephone conversation agreed to enhance mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in all fields.
The Chinese President said that the Government of China will continue to support the sustainable development goals of Sri Lanka and will stand firm with Sri Lanka in the face of the unjust pressure it faces in the multilateral arena.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who spoke to his Chinese counterpart from the Presidential Secretariat expressed his heartfelt gratitude to President Xi Jinping and the Government of China for extending their fullest support to Sri Lanka at the 46th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). President Rajapaksa also thanked him for donating 600,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine to Sri Lanka.
The Chinese Leader began the conversation offering his best wishes for the forthcoming Sinhala and Tamil New Year and said that even though the Covid-19 pandemic was a formidable challenge, it helped to take China-Sri Lanka relations to a new height.
He said the Colombo Port City and the Hambantota Port are two major projects that have great potential to contribute to the socio-economic development of Sri Lanka. President Rajapaksa said that the Hambantota Port and other infrastructure development projects are progressing satisfactorily and called on the Chinese Government to complete the remaining work on the project expeditiously.
President Rajapaksa said he hopes to do what is necessary for the prosperity and development of Sri Lanka during the remaining four years of his tenure.
Recalling his visit to Sri Lanka in 2014, Xi Jinping said that he would like to see President Rajapaksa undertaking a state visit to China as soon as possible.
President Rajapaksa said that he was unable to visit China as scheduled due to the Covid-19 pandemic and added that he wished to visit China at a mutually convenient time.
Will support Government
Former President Maithripala Sirisena said at the recent SLFP Kandy convention that he would support the incumbent Government under the leadership of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa while making every effort to strengthen his party so that it would form a future Government.
SLFPers holding ministerial portfolios, party organisers of constituencies and office-bearers of the party were present.
Sirisena said it was possible for the SLFP to form a future Government on its own as it has a history of making comebacks after crushing defeats.
He said the SLFP had been reduced to a mere eight seats in 1977, but at the 1989 election the party secured 64 seats, and in 1994, it formed a Government. Former President Sirisena said the SLFP was a political organisation that had won the support and confidence of all communities of the country.
“This was the policy of its founder leader, the late Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike and Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
Elections
Minister Johnston Fernando said all elections have to be held on time because it is one of the democratic rights of the people. He said if the Provincial Councils are not needed, laws have to be brought to abolish Provincials Councils. “However, our Government’s policy is to hold elections on time and we are always opposed to delaying elections.”
The Minister said what will happen to the public officers who worked in Provincial Councils? We cannot send them home even if Provincial Councils are abolished. Minister Fernando said the former Yahapalana regime should be held responsible for delaying the PC elections. Since the former regime was defeated at the Local Government elections, it was afraid of facing the PC election and took steps to postpone it by two years bringing amendments to the PC Act.
Salaries not paid
The United National Party (UNP) has fallen to the level of not even paying the March salary and Sinhala-Hindu festival allowance to 45 employees who work at the party headquarters, Sirikotha. Sirikotha sources revealed that only Rs. 1.4 million has to be spent monthly to pay salaries to its employees.
The festival allowance had also not been paid to the Sirikotha employees last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was the first time such a thing had happened during the history of the UNP and at that time, Akila Viraj kariyawasam was the General Secretary of the UNP. Now Palitha Range Bandara acts as the General Secretary of the UNP.
The sources have also confirmed that they have already informed Party leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Chairman Vajira Abeywardena and General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara regarding this issue. However, it is reported that each of them was deliberately shirking their responsibility.
Ranjan misled
Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that he hopes to bring a private motion to demand justice for Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake who is serving a term of four-years rigorous imprisonment.
Minister Aluthgamage made this statement speaking to the media outside the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court premises on March 31 after withdrawing a case filed by him against MP Ramanayake for insulting him at a press conference in 2016. The Minister said that Ranjan Ramanayake was suffering in prison after being misled and catering to the needs of others and that he had decided to withdraw the defamation suit filed against him as there was no one to stand for Ramanayake today.
Aluthgamage said he had also informed President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa that he was withdrawing the case against Ranjan Ramanayake, adding that he did not want to take revenge against anyone. The Minister also said that pardoning Ranjan Ramanayake, who had attacked him the most during the period of good governance, was meant to set an example for the country to stop political revenge.
Publicity stunt
SLPP Parliamentarian Prof. Ranjith Bandara said the Opposition is putting on an act and has selected a few sensitive subjects for media publicity in their attempt to mislead the people.
At a press briefing at Waters Edge Hotel, Battaramulla recently, Prof. Bandara said that the people are well aware of the Opposition’s modus operandi of cheating and will not be misled again. He said the Opposition has suddenly become conscious of the environment but the people of this country know who destroyed the environment. We should not talk about people who speak about the environment.
Prof. Bandara said, “The country is affected by a pandemic. However, the Opposition thought that they would not be affected by it. They have selected a few sensitive subjects and are trying to mislead the people through them. The people of this country know who destroyed the environment.”
He said that those members of the Yahapalana Government who held Ministerial posts watched when 300 people were killed on one day and are now found on the streets with some topics attempting to mislead the people of this country.
“The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna which was active in the late 1980s is saying that they will topple the Government. The JVP was responsible for creating an environment where 96,000 young people had to sacrifice their lives. They ruined the economy. That is the political party which brought chaos to this country,” he said.
UNP plan to protect environment
The UNP will announce a comprehensive plan to protect the natural environment, including the World Heritage site, Sinharaja, wetlands and rainforests and the Ramsar Wetlands. UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is due to announce a proposal to set up an independent body today (April 4) with high powers that is not subject to any political or any other influence to manage affairs related to the environment.
It is proposed that the above institution be given special powers in the program carried out by environmentalists for the protection of forests and the natural environment.
The appointment process will also be presented by Ranil Wickremesinghe. The declaration “A green year to protect Sinharaja” is also to be presented. Wickremesinghe is also expected to use the colour green of the UNP to launch environmental protection programs throughout the country and to announce an environmental policy under a future UNP Government.
Made in Sri Lanka
Minister Wimal Weerawansa said there are those in the Government who continue to operate like late Minister Felix Dias and former President J.R. Jayewardene discouraging local production. Weerawansa was speaking at the launch of a Made in Sri Lanka program on Tuesday (March 30).
He said, “The 1977 open economy is what ruined Sri Lanka’s local production capacity.
The Government can achieve success in the future and take forward the Made in Sri Lanka program to empower local manufacturers if it successfully identifies those who operate like Felix Dias and J. R. Jayewardene in present-day politics.”
Unity
A group of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarians has informed UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe that a formidable force against the Government cannot be formed without the latter.
Wickremesinghe told a group of SJB Parliamentarians in Colombo that all Opposition forces should unite against the Government as everyone has fallen into its trap.
SJB Parliamentarians have said that forming an anti-Government force would not be possible without Ranil Wickremesinghe.
UNP Leader Wickremesinghe had told the SJB Parliamentarians how he stressed the importance of unity during the last election, recalling a Jathaka story in Buddhist literature where quails under the grip of a fowler managed to escape with the net that was cast upon them through unity.