‘No moral right to reject parliamentary process’:

TNA’s decision to boycott PSC, the biggest blunder – Minister Alahapperuma

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said the TNA’s decision to boycott the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) was the biggest blunder committed by the TNA in its entire political career.

The TNA does not engage in politics within a Sri Lankan political structure. Even at this juncture, we call upon the TNA to participate in the PSC on behalf of the people who voted for them.

If the TNA becomes a cats-paw of any extremist group, it implies that they want to disrupt the environment created to find a home grown solution to this problem, the Minister told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

Minister Alahapperuma said the PSC is a parliamentary process. TNA members have also been elected to Parliament by the people. Hence they have no moral right to reject the parliamentary process.

The TNA has the right to participate in the PSC and highlight its shortcomings. If the TNA does not participate in the parliamentary process, it means that they have some hidden agenda.

At present, the society looks upon most TNA MPs as the LTTE’s mouthpiece. Therefore, this intransigent TNA attitude would further endorse it.

If the TNA sincerely works for the hopes and aspirations of the Tamils in the North and the East, this is not the manner in which they should act, the Minister said.