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.