Week in Parliament with Uditha Kumarasinghe

Focus on Budget 2011

The Government’s budgetary process for the 2011 financial year got under way with the presentation of the Appropriation Bill in Parliament on Tuesday by Prime Minister D.M.Jayaratne in line with the Government’s keen interest to further develop all key segments in the country as pledged in “Mahinda Chinthana Idiri Dekma”.

The Government showing its utmost commitment to national security has made the highest allocation to the Defence Ministry while the second highest sum has been made to the Highways Ministry. A colossal sum of money has also been channelled to the Economic Development, Health, Education, Transport and other Ministries to continue their development programs.

The Appropriation Bill is considered the first reading of the budget and sets out expenditure allocations for various Ministries and also foreign and local borrowing limits for the next year. The budget proper with itemised expenses and measures to bridge the deficit including tax changes which is considered the Second Reading of the Bill is to be presented in Parliament by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on November 22. The debate on the second reading of the budget will be held for six days and the committee stage for nine days.

The motion moved by the Prime Minister on Tuesday in Parliament to extend the State of Emergency by another one month was also passed in Parliament with a majority of 99 votes. The motion received 118 votes in favour while 19 Opposition members of the UNP, DNA and TNA voted against. However, UNP MP Ranjith Maddumabandara abstained from voting.

The Premier in his speech disclosed attempts made by the LTTE friendly Tamil diaspora for the revival of the LTTE movement at international level. According to Premier a joint operation of the state intelligence service and INTERPOL was under way to take action against Nediyawan and Rudrakumaran who are now travelling the world over to restore the LTTE’s international network which had been dismantled following the decimation of the LTTE leadership.

“Nediyawan and Rudhrakumaran are mobilising LTTE sympathizers to unite under a new organisation. The team led by Rudhrakumaran had met at the UN Plaza Hotel in New York recently and also passed a constitution for their organisation.” The Prime Minister who stressed the need for the extension of emergency told the House this security arrangements had been mooted as part of a series of programs against the LTTE’s international network.

UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera who took part in the emergency debate said the Government has not made any statement to Parliament on what happened to the money that belonged to LTTE sympathiser Kumaran Pathmanathan who was arrested and is under the Government custody at present.

Perera also informed the House that the UNP never requested the Government to give a pardon to Sarath Fonseka. UPFA MP A.H.M. Azwer who interrupted the MP’s speech asked him who gave a pardon to underworld figure Gonawala Sunil ? Housing and Construction Minister Wimal Weerawansa categorically denied allegations levelled by the Opposition that the Government had used the emergency to suppress the Opposition.

Weerawansa pointed out it was only this Government that used the state of emergency only for its expected goal. The Government used the emergency to defeat terrorism which was the main obstacle for achieving peace.The extension of emergency is essential to maintain political stability in the country and not to provide any room for terrorism to revive.

UNP MP Harin Fernando said in a lighter vein that even during the emergency debate, UNP reforms and the leadership crisis have become the key topic of the Government. Although a miracle is contained in the words expressed by the Government, people in villages are undergoing severe hardships. The MP claimed the Government was deriving enjoyment by confining Sarath Fonseka to a small prison cell.

UPFA MP Duminda Silva criticised attempts made by the UNP to use those who live in shanties in Colombo and suburbs to gain their narrow political objectives. Today the UNP has a great sympathy on these shanty dwellers which it never had.

UNP politicians like Ravi Karunanayake who deprived the jobs of 3,500 CWE employees is having a great sympathy on these shanty dwellers today. The UNP is jealous that the President’s relations are represented in Parliament. The UNP should know that all of them contested the General Election and got elected to Parliament. They did not come from the National List.

Four motions moved by the Prime Minister to increase the salaries of judges and the Chief Justice was unanimously passed in Parliament on Wednesday. Environment Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa during this debate stressed the importance for a special course of studies for the benefit of lawyers passing out from Law College, Open University and other universities to widen their knowledge in the field of law.

Justice Minister Athauda Seneviratne who participated in the debate on the motion to increase the salaries of judges said Sarath Fonseka should not be pardoned as he was serving a prison sentence on being convicted of fraud. The Minister noted that if Fonseka was given a pardon, other prisoners should also be pardoned. No one had taken political revenge from Fonseka but he had been sent to prison for committing a serious fraud.

Irrigation and Water Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva moved four motions for the approval of Parliament pertaining to four orders under the section 3(1) and section 3 of Mahaweli Authority Act that were published in the gazette.The Minister said the Mahaweli Development Project has rendered a great service to farmers specially in the Dry Zone. “Mahinda Chinthana” has decided to cultivate more areas of Mahaweli zones to uplift the economy.

Disclosing more information on LTTE international Wing Leader Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP, Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardene said KP was taken to Wanni recently as part of the ongoing investigations against him.Minister told the House that KP remains in protective custody since he was arrested on August 05, 2009. The investigations are still going on and charges will be filed against him once they are completed.

Minister Gunewardene commenting on anti-LTTE efforts said the security Forces have managed to crack down on several international operatives and have been sharing intelligence with other countries in its anti-LTTE efforts. The Minister also noted that the Government is in the process of handing over 110 kilograms of gold seized from the LTTE valued at over Rs.490 million to the Central Bank. Economic Development Deputy Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene told the Parliament on Wednesday the Government has not taken a decision to hand over even an inch of land in Moneragala district to any foreign company.

The Deputy Minister made this response to an adjournment motion moved by the UNP MP Ranjith Maddumabandara and said the MP has presented this motion after receiving some misleading information. According to Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera 13,319 persons had been imprisoned in 2009 owing to drug related offences. This is 35.2 percent of the total number of prisoners. Responding to an aral question raised by the UPFA MP Arundhika Fernando, the minister said separate prisons have been built for those imprisoned for drug related offences in Pallekele, Thaldena and Weerawila.

Minister Dinesh Gunawardene told Parliament that officers and other rankers of the three Armed Forces had been paid 65 percent of their pension and this had now been increased up to 85 percent. The Minister said this increment was granted in accordance with a pledge made in “Mahinda Chinthana.”