Domestic issues - Govt. won't bow down

Despite the adjournment motion moved by DNA parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake to make a big hue and cry in Parliament on the appointment to diplomatic missions and present a distorted picture on the Government's foreign policy, External Affairs Minister Prof.G. L. Peiris and Government legislators countered such allegations by the Opposition outlined the significant landmarks achieved by the government in foreign affairs.

The main allegation by MP Dissanayake centered on political appointments to diplomatic missions. Citing an example, the MP said of the 49 posts of Heads of diplomatic missions, 35 have been filled with political appointees. He said the politicisation of the foreign service had paved the way for the current crisis situation in the foreign relations. The MP accused the Foreign Ministry of appointing relatives, friends and close associates of the Government to high positions in the Foreign Service. Dissanayake also read out a lengthly list of relatives and friends of Government politicians who have been appointed as diplomats.

Deputy External Affairs Minister Neomal Perera responding to

Dissanayake said that the appointment of close associates of the Government to high positions in the Foreign Service is nothing new as the successive Governments too had done this to project the Government's image in foreign countries. Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake who joined in the debate said that the aim of the adjournment motion was to create a wrong impression that the UNHRC resolution against Sri Lanka could be adopted due to the collapse of the foreign service. The Minister said that the Government's foreign policy and diplomatic missions remain stable.

The Minister said even during the Presidents J.R. Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa regimes their relatives and friends were appointed to diplomatic posts. The Minister said when Anura Dissanayake was the Agriculture Minister he had brought all JVPers to his Ministry.

External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris in his winding up speech countered all allegations made by the Opposition. The Minister reiterated the Government's position that it would not bow down to any powerful country to resolve its domestic issues. However, Prof. Peiris regretted the MP's attempts to sling mud at the External Affairs Ministry officials. The Minister said some times politicians would have to face mudslinging from the Opposition. But it is not ethical to sling mud at the Ministry officials as they are not in a position to answer the allegations. It was obvious that the Opposition could not digest the comprehensive reply by the Minister.

The attempt by UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake to stop the Minister's speech by drawing the attention of the Chair that there was no quorum in the House was proof of it.

The role of the three-member panel of experts appointed to advise and assist the Presidential Commission on Disappearances and Missing Persons arose following a statement made by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday. Wickremesinghe demanded to know from the Government how much was paid to the three-member panel. The Opposition Leader questioned the Government about the reasons for appointing the Panel and the process followed by the Government in selecting them.

Minister Peiris said that there was no legal impediment with regard to the appointment of the three members of the Commission. The members of had been appointed at the request of the Commission, to assist them in various legal issues that had cropped up. Prof. Peiris said it was the Government's responsibility to strengthen the Commission so as not to leave room for external elements to intervene. The Minister condemned the Opposition Leader's attempts to give a wrong interpretation on this panel to mislead the public.

Another highlight in Parliament was the resignation of UNP parliamentarian Harin Fernando from his parliamentary seat to contest the forthcoming Uva Provincial Council election as the UNP Chief Ministerial candidate. Making a special statement, the MP said that he would return to Parliament one day under a UNP Government. The MP in his emotional speech said he had always placed the interests of the party above his personal gains. He told the House that people have asked him to come forward and take the initiative to bring about a change. He said he does not care what he would lose because he had to respect the call by the people and party. He said that it would have been easier for him to contest the Chief Minister's post from the Government. But the difficult task is to contest as an Opposition candidate and win. The MP said that he accepted the challenge and it is like swimming against the current.

Prior to MP's statement, UPFA parliamentarian A.H.M. Azwer who moved an adjournment motion on Government's Midyear Fiscal Management Report 2014 said that he regretted the remarks made by the MP that he would return to Parliament one day. He accused the MP of being engaged in a drama to mislead the people. Azwer said that Harin Fernando's genuine desire is not to develop the Uva but to execute somebody's agenda. He also drew the attention of the House on the present plight of the main Opposition UNP. He said if ever a young UNP MP raises a big voice in Parliament, the UNP will remove him from Parliament.

Senior Minister for Human Resources and COPE Chairman D.E.W.

Gunasekara presented the Interim Report of COPE in Parliament on Tuesday. The interim report contained findings of investigations conducted by the COPE from October 8, 2013 to April 8, 2014 on 47 state institutions of which 18 were State Business Enterprises and Limited Liability Companies, while the remaining 29 were non-profit-oriented establishments. Minister Gunasekara told a press briefing at the Parliamentary Complex that the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), Mihin Lanka Ltd and Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC) had suffered the highest losses amounting to Rs. 9,711,527,776 during 2013. The CPC has minimised its loss while the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has reached the profit-making level. The Minister justified the reasons for the losses incurred by SriLankan Airlines and Mihin Air. He said both airlines had been set up without capital and they borrowed the capital and opened the business.

According to the statistics, not more than 10 airlines all over the world are running at plus profits. These are national carriers and in most of the countries, these airlines are running at a loss and the Governments are subsidising them. The Minister was satisfied with the performance of the state institutions which come under the purview of COPE over the past four years.

The hardships faced by the people due to prevailing drought turned into a hot topic in Parliament due to the statement by DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake. The MP said more than a million people in eight provinces were suffering without drinking water and the Government had not taken steps to help them. He said that the drought has affected Anuradhapura, Kurunegala and Ampara districts too and the paddy harvest would decrease by at least 15 percent.

Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said that the drought was prevailing in 14 districts. As the number of bowsers was not sufficient, the Government had placed orders to purchase 200 more bowsers. He said the number of drought affected families was so high that the country did not have enough bowsers to cater to them. Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa has allocated Rs 170 million to purchase 50 litre water tanks to be distributed among the affected families, he said. Funds have also been released to the District Secretaries to provide relief to those affected.