Need of the hour is unity - Abdul Cader

by Uditha KUMARASINGHE

Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne yesterday gave 15 minutes from his allocated time to UNP Kandy District MP Abdul Cader to speak at the budget debate in Parliament as the UNP had not allocated time for its MP to make his speech.

The senior MP who made his speech using the time given to him by the Premier told the House that he would vote in Savour of the second reading of the budget in retaliation of the UNP, not giving him time.

Cader who stop up after the Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga spoke the speaker that he would now speak due to non allocation of time for him by the UNP.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa told the Chief Opposition Whip that the MP's name is not in the speaker's list of the UNP and asked whether will he be given time from the UNP.

The Chief Opposition Whip responding to the Speaker said they requested the MP to attend their group meeting and get the time allocated. But he did not come. Therefore these things cannot be done haphazardly. This led to exchange some heated words between the MP and the Chief Opposition Whip.

The MP Cader said in a situation where the prices of goods have gone up the UNP speaks about IMF and IIFA. The need of the hour is that both sides should be united and help the government to move to wards the right direction. "I am not against the party leadership or with anybody else."

The MP said 'we should raise our hands for the benefit of the country. Earlier the opposition always raised its hands against the Government. If we always speak and oppose everything put forward by the Government, what would happen to the future of this country?

He said he never acted against the UNP Leader Ranil Wickremseinghe, while Wickremesinghe was losing election after election, I was with him faithfully.

I was in fact his ardent supporter within party ranks, while others were rebelling against him, I was on his side. Thus, it is hurting when I am ignored and sidelined now.Cader said I am not against my party. I requested in writing from the party leadership to allocate time for me to speak in this important debate. But the party has left me out when it prepared its list of speakers.

"When the Government does something good for the people and country, we must support it.

We must strengthen the hands of the President and work with him to develop this country. That would pave the way to the international community to increase its support to Sri Lanka, he said.