'Maithripala caught in Opposition's trap'
Amidst the rumours about mass crossovers and conspiracies to topple
the Government, Budget 2015 was passed in Parliament with a two-thirds
majority on November 24. Budget 2015 presented to Parliament by
President Mahinda Rajapaksa on October 24 received 152 votes in favour
and 57 votes against at its Third Reading vote. It was a clear testimony
to the Government's unsullied image despite futile attempts by a few
SLFP dissidents in collaboration with the Opposition to defeat the
Budget.
A few days prior to the final vote of the Budget, six Government
Parliamentarians led by Minister Maithripala Sirisena quit the
Government. Subsequently the main Opposition UNP decided to field former
Minister Sirisena as the Opposition's Common Presidential candidate.
Despite speculation that this move by the SLFP rebel group could have a
big impact on the final vote of the Budget, the hopes of the Opposition
were shattered when not even a single parliamentarian crossed over to
the Opposition during the final day of the Budget debate.
Parliamentarians Maithripala Sirisena, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, M.K.D.S.
Gunawardena, Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, Wasantha Senanayake, Duminda
Dissanayake and Perumal Rajathurai who switched allegiance to the UNP-led
Opposition alliance were not present in the House when the vote was
taken up while JHU parliamentarians Patali Champika Ranawaka and Ven.
Aturaliye Ratana Thera were also absent at the time of voting.
The UNP, DNA and TNA as usual voted against the Budget. The notable
absentees from the Opposition were Arjuna Ranatunga, Tiran Alles,
Lakshman Kiriella, Karu Jayasuriya, J. Sri Ranga and Abdul Haleem. At
the end of the debate Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga called for a
division on the Budget. Accordingly Leader of the House and Irrigation
and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva called
for the division by name. Vociferous Government MPs drew the attention
of the House on the notable absence of Government members who joined the
Opposition alliance when their names were called at the time of voting.
Some Government legislators during the final day of the Budget debate
criticised Maithripala Sirisena and other members who quit the
Government. They described it as an international conspiracy hatched to
topple the Government. Highways, Ports and Shipping Projects Minister
Rohitha Abeygunawardana recalled how similar political conspiracies were
hatched in the SLFP earlier too and some of its General Secretaries also
left the party. He said those who hatched conspiracies and quit the
party were politically bankrupt.
Minister Abeygunawardana said one of the main slogans of Opposition
common candidate Maithripala Sirisena is to abolish Executive Presidency
and make Ranil Wickremesinghe the Prime Minister. He questioned as to
how the JVP could stand together with Ranil Wickremesinghe as it was the
UNP which was held responsible for killing over 60,000 youth during the
1988/89 terror. The Minister also called upon JHU MP Ven. Rathana Thera
to come before the House and answer their queries without campaigning in
the Parliament lobby. The Minister said he was confident that President
Rajapaksa would be elected for the third consecutive term at the
forthcoming presidential election. He told the House in lighter vein
that they will have to call former SLFP General Secretary "Aiyo Sirisena"
on January 9.
Joining the debate Wildlife Conservation Minister Vijith Vijithamuni
Zoysa told the House that the Opposition had staged a mega teledrama
these days. The main Opposition UNP has failed to find its own candidate
while the JVP is attempting to keep away from the election by not
contesting it. He said that Maithripala Sirisena was caught in the
Opposition trap. The intention of the Opposition move is to create
political instability and shatter the economy.
Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities
Minister Wimal Weerawansa attempted to convince that former President
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was behind this drama. He also
described how Kumaratunga deceived the entire UNP. Though a foreign
embassy had requested Kumaratunga to contest as the Opposition's common
candidate but she had turned it down. However, Maithripala Sirisena who
was fielded as the common candidate was given the impression that nearly
40 Government MPs were to cross over to the Opposition.
Winding up the debate Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water
Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said from the day
President Rajapaksa assumed office in 2005, the UNP and other Opposition
parties were daydreaming that the Government and the economy would
collapse. However, their hopes were shattered and they will not be able
to topple this Government in future. The eradication of terrorism was
the beginning of our economic victory, he said. The Minister cited
statistics as to how the key economic indicators had shown a remarkable
development during the tenure of President Rajapaksa.
Minister De Silva responding to the Opposition's claim that they
would win the January 8 polls, said that none of the SLFPers would allow
Ranil Wickremesinghe to grab power through a cats-paw. They can't make
the people fools. The President's victory is very clear because the
people are well aware of what he has done for them. Although there were
a very few ungrateful people, the vast majority are grateful to the
President. They will show their gratitude on January 08. The Minister
also commended the SLFP's potential and grit to face challenges. He said
even when Anura Bandaranaike crossed over to the UNP while Chandrika and
Vijaya Kumaratunga formed a new political party, the partymen never left
their party. He told the House the UNP was the architect of the
Executive Presidency. Now they have realised its adverse effects. Though
the UNP came to power in 2002, it couldn't abolish the Executive
Presidency.
In the back drop of the much-talked about international conspiracies
UNP parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva gave an assurance that the UNP
would not let the international community take President Rajapaksa or
any war heroes before any international war crimes tribunal whether he
won or lose at the next presidential election.
Commenting on a recent news report aired by the Al-Jazeera Channel,
Dr De Silva said he has become a victim to unethical media reporting by
that Channel. He said that this Channel had contacted him and asked for
a comment telling him that a comment from the Government side would also
be obtained from Mass Media and Information Minister Keheliya
Rambukwella.
The MP told the House that he had conveyed his displeasure to the Al
Jazeera on its unethical reporting. Sports Minister Mahindananda
Aluthgamage interrupting the MP said that he had not criticised the
views expressed against the President and the war heroes. As a youth
from the South, I have no intention whatsoever to join hands with the
terrorists, and never hesitated to call a terrorist, a terrorist," Dr.
de Silva said.
The Government members expressed their opposition to a request made
to the speaker by Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga who claimed to
have in his possession the full report of the Supreme Court opinion on
the incumbent President contesting a third term, to include it in the
Hansard.
Raising a Point of Order, National Languages and Social Integration
Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that it should not be incorporated in
the Hansard without checking the authenticity of the document. UPFA
parliamentarian A.H.M. Azwer who also raised a Point of Order requested
the Speaker to conduct an inquiry as to how this member had acquired
this document from the Supreme Court. He described this as a robbery
because he has robbed it from Supreme Court. The speaker
said if the Opposition could steal a copy of the Supreme Court
opinion on the incumbent President contesting a third term that
indicates its resourcefulness and talent. The Speaker asked the MP to
table the document first and he will check its authenticity so that it
can be decided whether to include it in the Hansard or not. |