Port City, hot topic in Parliament

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera reaffirmed in the House on Friday that the Government has not deviated from its stance of setting up a domestic mechanism to investigate the alleged human rights violations in the latter stages of the war. The Minister reiterated that international inquiries cannot be conducted on this matter since Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the Rome Statute on international jurisdiction on war crimes due to the far-sighted vision of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who didn't sign the Charter during the tenure of his former UNP Government.

Responding to a statement by Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva, Minister Samaraweera said that the anti-democratic process and foreign policy of the former Rajapaksa regime opened avenues for the international community to intervene in Sri Lanka's internal matters. The Minister told the House about the Government's decision to set up an independent domestic judicial mechanism to ensure justice with regard to human rights matters fulfilling another pledge in President Maithripala Sirisena's

100-Day Program.

The Minister was critical of certain remarks by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at a recent seminar where he had said he gave voting rights to the people in the North and the East and if he didn't do so, he would have won the election. Minister Samaraweera said that this gave the impression that the former President could only secure a victory in a country which has a separate Eelam state. He referred to this speech as a clear testimony to identify those who support Eelam. The Minister told the House he would like to know whether former President concedes the fact that he cannot return to power again in an undivided Sri Lanka.

The following day, Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva demanded to know from the Government whether Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera in a letter to the Head of the UNHRC promised to bring those accused of alleged war crimes before justice. He queried whether he also made a request to the Head of the UNHRC to delay the report of the investigations on the alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.

Minister Samaraweera presented the letter sent by him to the UNHRC, wherein he had said that the Government within the short time of taking office has taken a number of steps to ensure freedom of expression, assembly and movement and safeguard the rights of all citizens.

The Government as pledged in its 100-day program passed two Bills - Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Bill and National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (Amendment) Bill as urgent Bills. The presentation of these Bills within the stipulated timeframe showed the Government's genuine desire to fulfil its promises to the people as pledged.

The first Bill presented to the House by Justice and Labour Relations Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe set out to uphold and enforce the rights and entitlements of victims of crime and witnesses and to provide for a mechanism to promote, protect, enforce and exercise such rights and entitlements.

Health and Indigenous Medicine Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne presenting the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Bill brought in Amendments to increase the present 60 percent health warning printed in cigarettes and other tobacco products to 80 percent.

The Port City Project turned into a hot topic on the floor of the House following the reply by the Prime Minister in response to a query raised by the Opposition Leader two weeks ago.

The Premier outlined the Government's intention of further strengthening the bilateral relations with China. He told the House that they would not let the goodwill and friendship between China and Sri Lanka jeopardise due to fraud and corruption.

Neither China nor Sri Lanka will protect fraudsters as the two countries have taken a strong position against frauds and corruption.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the stand adopted by

the previous government with regard to the Colombo Port City Project is not lawful. The then Leader of the House Nimal Siripala de Silva promised on February 7 last year to present all relevant reports to Parliament, but it did not happen.

The Premier said that the work in the Port City was not done in a transparent manner and the Agreement had been signed without Cabinet approval. The Premier said that a special committee had been set up to look into the Port City project while another Cabinet subcommittee headed by himself has also been appointed.

A final decision on the project will be made based on the report of the experts and the findings of the investigations and this assembly will be apprised of our decision, he said.

DNA parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti on Thursday expressed displeasure over the Media and Parliamentary Affairs Minister protecting the members of the previous Government when giving answers to queries on the journalists who had come under attack and harassment during the previous regime.

The MP said that the media has given a negative reply when he was asked whether he was aware of a fundamental rights petition by the owners of a website to the Supreme Court alleging that their rights had been curtailed.

The MP said it seemed that the Minister was reading out answers provided to him by his officials who tried to hide the facts relating to journalists harassed during the previous regime, to protect the culprits. It is the duty of the officials to provide true and accurate answers.

The MP who was not satisfied with the answer asked the Speaker to reconsider entering the question again in the Order Paper. Minister Karunathilake assured the House that he would look into the matter further and provide a complete answer to the House in the future.

In response to a query by MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera alleged that the Sri Lankan diplomatic missions abroad had been functioning as business centres during the last regime.

Citing an example, he highlighted how one such Embassy in a prominent country had been used by its ambassador to sell weapons.

He told the House that he had called for an investigation from the Ministry on the deals and tasks carried out by the Lankan High Commissions, Embassies and Consul General offices abroad during the previous government. He said that the rule of the jungle practised by the previous regime was not limited to this land. Now we find that the same rule of the jungle prevailed in Lankan missions abroad too, he said.

Minister Samaraweera said the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington had paid Rs. 5,172,700 to the Cranford Johnson Robinson Wood Company in 2010 without entering into any agreements.

Those funds had been paid from the Ministry of External Affairs to promote Sri Lanka's good name while the Lankan Embassy had all physical and human resources to perform the same task. Stacks of documents related to many controversial deals had gone missing, he said.

Parliamentarians on Wednesday questioned on what grounds UPFA MP Basil Rajapaksa was granted three months leave from Parliament. When the leave motion was moved by Opposition Leader, DNA MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake demanded to know for what purpose the leave was granted.

As the House is granting leave, it has the right to know whether the MP is taking leave for educational or medical purposes.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa who agreed with MP Dissanayake said that it would have been far better if the reason for taking leave should have been mentioned in the motion.

Opposition Leader De Silva made the point that there was no practice or tradition of mentioning the reason when moving a motion seeking leave. I have moved the motion and if Members of this House do not wish to grant leave, they could oppose and defeat the motion.