President Ranil Wickremesinghe who returned to Sri Lanka after participating in the “Belt and Road Initiative” conference in China, went straight to participate in the UNP special convention. The delegation which went to China also arrived in Sri Lanka on October 20 night. The President even had time to look up information about the convention on the plane.
The President assigned UNP National Organiser Sagala Ratnayaka to look into the organisation of the convention. Sagala, who got off the plane after coming to Sri Lanka, came to check on the affairs of the convention before going home.
When Ratnayake arrived at the Sugathadasa Stadium, General Secretary Range Bandara and others were present. Ratnayaka, who looked into the organisation of the UNP special convention until close to midnight, decided to finalise the agenda of the convention after discussing it with Party Leader President Ranil Wickremesinghe the next day.
General Secretary Range Bandara organised all the activities of the convention from arranging the seats to the speeches of the guests. On the main podium, the name of each guest was also affixed to the seat. The matter related to Parliament needed for the President’s speech at the convention that morning was procured from Prof. Ashu Marasinghe. He had forwarded all the information on Sectoral Oversight Committees and Anti-corruption laws to the President through Randula Abeydeera.
After the arrival of President Wickremesinghe, the convention started amid cheers from the people. From the welcome speech to the Party Leader’s speech, nine speeches were made.
President Wickremesinghe had come wearing a jacket. “Sir, where did you find this jacket?” It is perfect for the meeting.” While coming to the venue, Kotte organiser Attorney-at-law Dinesh Vidanapathirana asked the President.
When Range Bandara said,”The President always thinks in a new way,” the President smiled and got on the podium.
After finishing his speech, Minister Manusha Nanayakkara came to the President and said, “Sir, I have started the change that is going to be made in the future. It will continue without stopping here.” The President appreciated him when he said that.
Only a limited number of people were seated in the main podium and since the podium was arranged on supports in the middle of the stadium, the arrival of other people was restricted except for journalists and invited guests. But several complaints were made to General Secretary Range Bandara that two persons not entitled to be on the podium were there. At the same time, he instructed the Executive Director of the party, Shamal Senarath to investigate this.
After a long trip abroad, the President did not miss his duties and went to Mannar on Sunday morning, which was a holiday, to join the National Milad un Nabi festival. Later he came to the office and engaged in work. It is about the matter of changing ministerial subjects scheduled for Monday. Although efforts were made to revise the subjects for a long time, it was delayed due to Dr. Ramesh Pathirana’s refusal to accept the health subject. But finally, when he expressed interest in the request, the President took steps to amend the ministerial subject.
Cabinet reshuffle
On Monday morning, the President started his duties with the Cabinet reshuffle. Mahinda Amaraweera, Keheliya Rambukwella and Ranjith Siyambalapitiya were present to take oaths.
Dr. Ramesh Pathirana left the plantation industry subject and he took oaths as the Minister of Health and of Industries. Keheliya Rambukwella was sworn in as the Environment Minister and Mahinda Amaraweera was sworn in as the Plantation Industries Minister in addition to the Agriculture portfolio. Ranjith Siyambalapitiya was sworn in as the Non-Cabinet Minister of Plantation Enterprises in addition to the State Minister of Finance.
The President looked into several matters until that evening. Among them was the controversial Chinese ship. The Chinese ship officials had discussed with the Nara Institute in Sri Lanka to conduct a number of maritime inspections, but due to geopolitical issues, the Government did not permit the Chinese ship to come to Sri Lanka.
But as the ship was still engaged in exploration activities in the Indian ocean, the Government permitted the Chinese ship to come to Sri Lanka to get fuel, food and water. The President had entrusted Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka to coordinate the activities. He had fulfilled that duty for the President.
The Cabinet meeting was also held that evening and the President explained about the release of the IMF loan premium. Because in the first review, IMF officials delayed signing the staff level agreement to release the second tranche. Therefore, the President clarified the facts about this. As President Wickremesinghe said at the convention, two Bills namely the Parliamentary Budget Office Bill and the Anti-Corruption Bill No. 09 of 2023 were presented to the Cabinet that day.
On Tuesday morning, the President attended the Security Council meeting and returned to the office in the afternoon because three newly appointed Ambassadors to Sri Lanka were to present their credentials to the President. After finishing it, President Wickremesinghe went home to take a short rest because he continued to be without rest after coming from China.
Budget
On Wednesday morning, the President went to the BMICH to address the 117th annual sessions of the Institute of Engineers, Sri Lanka. That afternoon, the President met a group of officials including Finance Ministry officials, Central Bank officials, President’s Chief of Staff and President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake to discuss the Budget.
Discussions were held about raising and lowering taxes and raising incomes and wages. The discussions ended without a final decision but with an agreement to meet again and discuss.
The President went to the Monarch Imperial Hotel that evening to participate in the National ICT Awards, NBQSA 2023 ceremony.
The President visited the Ministry of Finance on Thursday after some time, because he was not in the country and unable to come to the Ministry of Finance due to other duties. Many officials and Ministers were also present. The group expressed their appreciation to the President and Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka for the President’s visit to China and for receiving the second tranche from the IMF.
“It is heard that a research institute linked to the Opposition slandered the IMF not to give the second tranche,” Minister Manusha Nanayakkara said.
Sagala Ratnayaka replied saying, “Yes, its head wants to advise the Constitutional Council. That is why the IMF told us to appoint a committee to advise the commissions including the Bribery Commission. The President did not want to appoint committees above the Constitutional Council. Minister Shehan Semasinghe and the President were of the opinion that this cannot be done.”
Recalling the Morocco conference, Minister Semasinghe said, “In any case, we are working to make legal regulations about qualifications and how they should act when appointing officers to anti-corruption agencies including the Bribery Commission. The IMF was willing to accept that.”
Director General of Government Information Dinith Chinthaka, joining the conversation, said, “There has been a lot of talk about the change of ministerial portfolios. It is clear from those stories that ‘Pohottuwa’ is disappointed. The accusation is that the President did not ask them.”
“Presidents work according to their own will. It is also clear in the Constitution. All former Presidents have worked like that. That’s why people took to the streets targeting Presidents. The President does not need to work by asking anyone because good and bad things come to the President,” MP Wajira Abeywardena said with a bit of impulse.
“On the one hand, the feelings of some may have been hurt as a group of young leaders are coming forward with the President,” Prof. Ashu Marasinghe said.
The President raised issues about the conflict in the Middle East. “The world is divided into two. This is not good for the economy. Things such as rising fuel prices can grow and we need to find solutions to this,” the President said.
“Sir, what is there in the Budget?” That question was from Minister Prasanna Ranatunga.
“That’s what they call ‘Budget secrets’.” The President replied with a smile. The discussion about the Budget started after that.
Two methods
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa visited the Manelwatta temple recently and invoked blessings of Ven. Bodagama Chandima Thera.
“My team and I plan the economic recovery of the country under two methods – macro plan and micro plan. When the macro plan is implemented at the national level, the micro plan will be implemented at the same time,’’ said Opposition Leader Premadasa.
“There are approximately 51,000 villages in 14,021 Grama Niladhari divisions which come under 341 Divisional Secretariat divisions in 25 districts of the nine provinces of the country. It’s a pity that officials don’t know the number of villages in the country,’’ the Opposition Leader told the Thera.
Ven. Chandima Thera said, “The people who hope to come to power need to show the people a plan that can help the country recover from its current state. Food should be provided to the people and there should be a plan for that. Laws should be made to take uncultivated land and give it to those who can cultivate it. A program should be made to retain the investors coming to the country.
Opposition Leader Premadasa said, “If my father was here, such things would not have happened.”
He said, “Ven. Thera when investors come to our country, those from top to bottom are asking for bribes. The Opposition Leader said that bribery, corruption and fraud should be stopped.”
A meeting took place among Opposition Leader Premadasa and UN Children’s Fund Regional Director Sanjaya Wijesekera and UNICEF’s Sri Lanka Representative Christian Skoog recently where the future of the health and education sectors was discussed.
“You have deep knowledge about the country’s health and education subjects,” said UNICEF Representative to Sajith Premadasa.
The Opposition Leader explained to the UNICEF Regional Director how the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is actively contributing to the health and education sectors of Sri Lanka in cooperation with the United Nations Population Fund and the Food and Agriculture Organisation.
“Bright future”
He said, “Women’s and children’s rights are at the centre of SJB policies. The SJB is working with unwavering commitment for a bright future for all.”
The Sakwala program was implemented last week and 80 buses, each worth Rs. 5 million were provided to 80 Government schools so far under the program spending Rs. 389,200,000. Thirty-nine Government schools had been given smart classroom equipment to the value of Rs. 35.3 million under the Sakwala program of providing smart classrooms.
Opposition Leader Premadasa said, “The Government which says it would create a smart country is raising electricity charges violating the law and Cabinet decisions. This will not create a smart country. Nutrition of schoolchildren has decreased. Parents have not been able to provide good education and food to their children, so the brain development of children has weakened.’’
There was a discussion about increasing the electricity charges of Sri Pada during a recent meeting with the SJB Parliamentarians. Electricity was provided to Sri Pada during the construction of Lakshapana Power Station. At that time, a vow had been made to provide electricity to Sri Pada to speed up the construction work on Lakshapana Power Station. All previous Governments have provided electricity to Sri Pada.
At that moment, SJB MP Nalin Bandara said, “This is a Government which has sent an electricity bill even to ‘God Saman’.”
“This is a Government which has no understanding of the values and the culture of the country. This is a Government which does not respect the religious places of the country,’’ MP Imtiaz Bakir Marker said.
In the discussion, the Opposition Leader focused attention on the increasing electricity tariff. He said that ‘torch protests’ should be organised in every city against the increase in electricity tariff. The Opposition Leader had said at the discussion that the Samagi Jana Balawegaya will take legal action regarding the increase in electricity tariff.
A discussion was also held between the Lawyers’ Association of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the Opposition Leader last week.
The Opposition Leader had instructed the SJB Lawyer’s Association to take further action regarding the breakdown of the country’s law and order and unconstitutional actions. The Association had also told the Opposition Leader that they will hold a national conference.
A discussion between SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara and university lecturers was held last week. The lecturers had said that they are happy that the views of the university lecturers have been included in the formulation of the policies of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.
They had also expressed happiness about getting comments from university lecturers on the speeches made by the Opposition Leader in Parliament. The university lecturers have said they will extend their fullest support to the alternative solutions presented in Parliament by the Opposition Leader after incorporating ideas of the lecturers.
Lanza criticises Namal
MP Nimal Lanza criticised MP Namal Rajapaksa who said that they would take a tough decision in the Budget. A group of MPs had informed Namal immediately. They had said, “Nimal Lanza criticised you.”
Namal replied, “Don’t worry about that, Nimal Lanza has helped us a lot. He also helped former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Don’t worry about Nimal Lanza – Namal Rajapaksa/The SJB will take legal action regarding the increase in electricity tariff – Opposition Leader/Sir, what is there in the Budget? – Prasanna Ranatunga asked the President
I remember when Lanza faced some problems, former President Rajapaksa was close to him. When certain incidents occurred at Negombo, Lanza rushed to that place. Therefore, he was someone who was with us even though he is no longer with us. So, don’t think about it.”
