'Attempts to defeat President and destabilise country'

The Government legislators who joined the debate on the three Orders under the Special Commodity Levy Act in Parliament on Friday were highly critical of the backstage role played by former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga to bring Common Opposition Candidate Mathripala Sirisena into power. They called it a conspiracy hatched by her to take revenge from President Mahinda Rajapaksa with the backing of certain international forces who attempt to defeat the President and destabilise the country.

Most of the Government members who joined the debate seemed to air their views on the recent political developments in the country, particularly the conduct of the joint Opposition's election campaign. The Government Ministers said that under the pretext of supporting the Common Candidate, former President Kumaratunga attempts to realise her selfish objectives. They said that this is not any effort on her part to streamline the SLFP.

Deputy Health Minister Lalith Dissanayake questioned as to on what grounds former SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena quit the Government and joined hands with the Opposition camp. The Deputy Minister said that Maithripala Sirisena didn't quit the Government with the intention of heralding a social transformation as Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike did.

He reminded the House how Premier Bandaranaike quit the UNP on July 12, 1951 and formed the SLFP and unified the nation under the Sangha-Veda-Guru-Govi- Kamkaru quintuple force in 1956. He said Maithripala Sirisena caters to the interests of former President Kumaratunga. Therefore, the people are well aware who is behind the screen. He said if the former President was so sincere, she could have easily abolished the Executive Presidency during her tenure of office.

The Deputy Minister also categorically rejected certain remarks by the Common Opposition Candidate regarding the initiatives taken to introduce pictorial warning in cigarette packets and National Drug Policy when he was the Health Minister.

He said that the Tobacco and Alcohol Act was introduced in 2006 by the then Health Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva. It is obvious that Maithripala Sirisena had systematically hatched this conspiracy to topple the Government. It was Ranil Wickremesinghe who raised his hand to deprive the civic rights of Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. It is a shame to note how Maithripala has joined hands with them to topple the Government, he said. The Deputy Minister predicted that President Mahinda Rajapaksa would win the upcoming Presidential Election with an overwhelming majority of 2.5 million votes.

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardane vehemently condemned the futile attempts by the former President and her malicious intention to defeat President Rajapaksa. If the country's economy was bankrupt and per capita income had drastically dropped, it all happened during the tenure of President Kumaratunga who now acts as the main adviser to the Common Opposition Candidate. Minister Gunawardane told the House that this kind of contracts and conspiracies had been hatched throughout the history with the help of foreign elements to destabilise the country.

Minister Gunawardane's speech was a clear testimony to the controversial political character of former President Kumaratunga. He pointed out how she was instrumental in creating divisions within the SLFP and later formed the Mahajana Party. He said that former President Kumaratunga always represented a pro-LTTE ideology and that is why she sent her husband Vijaya Kumaratunga to the North to hold talks with the LTTE. The Minister pointed out as to how the former President introduced a Draft Constitution for a federal solution which was burnt inside Parliament by some MPs.

He said the former President never joined any peace-march, human-chain or any other political campaigns launched by the SLFP. She didn't extend any support even to her mother when she was the Prime Minister. The Minister came out with facts to prove as to how the former President attacked the nationalistic and patriotic forces in the country.

He said on the instructions of the former President, the Ceasefire Agreement was signed by the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. She was fully committed to safeguard the Ceasefire Agreement. The Minister said that the war against terrorists had reached a critical phase when President Rajapaksa assumed office in 2005. It was President Rajapaksa who eradicated the three decade old terrorism from the Sri Lankan soil and putt an end to the dark era. He also said that the international community has realised that President Rajapaksa's Government can never be toppled through the public mandate.

That is why they have given the contract to former President Kumaratunga to topple the Government. The Minister also commented on predictions by the former President to hoodwink the public that a number of Government MPs would cross over to the Opposition. At present Kumaratunga is manipulating to destroy the UNP. Minister Gunawardane alleged that it was former President who took Maithripala Sirisena to that unholy alliance and made him the Common Opposition Candidate. The former President through her attempts has shown her hatred towards President Rajapaksa. The nature of this conspiracy should be exposed to the country. The people will have to decide whether they should vote for the leader who didn't divide the country but genuinely loved his motherland or a leader such as Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga who hatched traitorous acts and pulled the country backwards.

UNP Parliamentarian Sujeewa Senasinghe who opened the debate on behalf of the Opposition said the Government has slashed the prices of some food commodities to win the Presidential Election. He said that when the war against terrorism ended, the people firmly believed that the prices of food commodities will be brought down which the Government failed to do. Chief Government Whip and Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena interrupting the MP inquired from him in lighter vein about what has happened? MP Senasinghe said nothing had happened, but 14 Government MPs have crossed over to the Opposition.

He said all of them are busy with the Presidential Election campaign. MP Senasinghe deviating from his speech told the House that the Pope would definitely visit Sri Lanka next month because the President has with him his file as well. Minister Gunawardena told the MP not to insult religious leaders by dragging such sensitive issues. MP Senasinghe told the House that the President has the file which refers to the good conduct of the Pope - not anything bad as thought by the Minister.

Joining the debate, UNP MP Ajith P. Perera criticised the Government's tax policy which he claimed as unfair.

The MP said the people don't approve this kind of unbearable tax policies. He pointed out how a large number of taxes has been imposed by the Government on motorcycles and three wheelers.

This kind of unbearable taxes have been imposed on each and every sector. MP Perera said that the country needs a change at this juncture as the Government has not effected such a change as expected by the people.

Former All Ceylon Muslim Congress (ACMC) Eastern Provincial Council member Ameer Ali took oaths as a Member of Parliament on Friday before Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody to fill the seat vacated by the UPFA's National List MP A.H.M. Azwer. When the House met Serjeant-at-Arms Anil Parakrama Samarasekera accompanied Ali to the Chair and was sworn in.