'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.