National Drug Policy Bill sees the light of day
Despite deliberate attempts by some pharmaceutical companies along
with a high profile political figure of the former UPFA Government to
derail the National Drug Policy in Sri Lanka, the incumbent Government
after a lapse of 45 years has passed the National Medicines Regulatory
Authority Bill as an urgent Bill of national importance fulfilling yet
another key promise under the 100-day program of President Maithripala
Sirisena.
Both the Government and the Opposition members extended their fullest
support to pass this important piece of legislation which received 68
votes in favour at the Third Reading of the Bill.
The only member who opposed the Bill was Front Line Socialist Party
MP Ajith Kumara.
As pledged to the people during his election campaign, President
Sirisena had this legislation passed within the stipulated timeframe of
hundred days to strengthen the country's free health sector.
Despite his efforts as the Health Minister of the former UPFA
Government to present this urgent Bill in Parliament his attempts were
in vain due to some powerful politicians of the former Government
influencing multi-national drug companies rather than considering the
larger interests in the health care needs of the people.
Another significant event was President Sirisena's presence in
Parliament when the Bill was taken up for debate. This was the first
time in the history of the country's legislature that a President
addressed the House at the time of moving a Bill for debate.
This would also go down in the annals of Parliamentary history as his
first inaugural speech delivered on the floor of the House after being
elected President.
President Sirisena who opened the debate on behalf of the Government
told the House that a powerful politician of the previous regime had
obtained a one billion rupee bribe to misplace the Draft Bill of the
National Drug Policy.
He said 400 pharmaceutical companies had paid Rs 2.5 million each to
make up the one billion rupee bribe and it is still unknown what
happened to that money. The President said that bringing this important
piece of legislation before the House was a twist of fate in his life
because those who obstructed the passage of this Bill would have never
thought it would ever be brought before the House again.
The Government and Opposition parliamentarians who aired their views
during the debate commended the challenging task accomplished by
President Sirisena in introducing this Bill within the hundred day
timeframe of the Government.
The President's speech was a clear reflection on his attempts to
introduce a National Drug Policy as the former Health Minister though
the Draft went missing in 2011 with the "blessings" of higher-ups of the
then regime. President Sirisena described it as the biggest tragedy in
the country's health sector.
Health and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said
that President Sirisena was the pioneer in introducing this Bill.
He said that he was pleased to present this Bill in Parliament as a
university student of Prof. Senaka Bibile who was the architect of the
National Drug Policy for Sri Lanka.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe raising a privilege issue drew
the attention of the House to certain opinions expressed by some media
organisations about his interview to a private television channel.
He alleged that another private TV channel had engaged in a campaign
to discredit him by insinuating that he had agreed to protect UPFA
parliamentarian Duminda Silva from the charges levelled against him by
participating in an interview with the TV channel owned by his brother.
The Premier reaffirmed to the House of his genuine desire to
safeguard the rule of law and independence of judiciary.
He said such baseless allegations against him would amount to a
breach of his privileges as an MP and would also hinder his duties as
the Prime Minister. The Premier requested the Speaker to hold an
immediate inquiry into such allegations.
Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa stressed the need to inform him prior to any
Member of Parliament being arrested by the police. He said it had been a
tradition do so and this tradition to protect the privileges of Members
should continue. The Speaker however, said he had not been
informed of MP Tissa Attanayake's arrest.
Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody on Friday said that Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi would address the Sri Lanka Parliament on March
13 at 3.15 pm on the invitation of Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa. Reading out
the Speaker's announcement when sittings commenced,
the Deputy Speaker Weerakkody said that special security arrangements
would be in place during the two days-March 12 and 13 in view of the
Indian Premier's visit to Parliament. All parliamentarians have been
requested by the Speaker to be present when the Indian Premier addresses
the House.
Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva who moved an adjournment
motion in Parliament drew the attention of the House to the fact that a
large number of rural development and infrastructure development
projects initiated by former Government had come to a standstill after
the January 8 Presidential election.
The Opposition Leader said that a circular issued by the Home Affairs
and Fisheries Ministry had called upon District Secretaries to suspend
the development projects launched by the former Government.
However, some Government legislators who joined in the debate said
that a huge amount of money had been unnecessarily spent on some of
these projects by the previous regime. |