People should take opposite of what Mangala says - Dilan Perera
by Gagani Weerakoon - MAY 27 2018The 16 Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members who vowed they will not leave the Party nor will they defy SLFP Leader Maithripala Sirisena, following a meeting held with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa last week, openly declared that they were willing to form a broader opposition alliance under Rajapaksa’s leadership. Though this was not completely unexpected they appeared to be in two minds whether or not to abandon President Sirisena, completely.
According to former Minister S.B. Dissanayake the discussion focused on how the group of 16 could work with the Joint Opposition (JO) on addressing key issues including dealing with the tax burden imposed on the people by the Government.
MP Chandima Weerakkody said that among other things that were discussed, it was agreed to accept Rajapaksa’s leadership. He, however, said they have not discussed or even thought about lobbying for MP Rajapaksa to be made the Opposition Leader as there is a “technical issue” in doing so.
“President Maithripala Sirisena is the leader of the SLFP. Those MPs in the Joint Opposition are also Members of the UPFA.
Even though there is no change in President Sirisena’s SLFP leadership or us being SLFP Members, we will work under the leadership of Rajapaksa when acting as Opposition Members,” Weerakkody added.
When pointed out that their stance is contradictory, MP Weerakkody responded in the negative.
“This is not a new concept. When Chandrika Kumaratunga was the President, the Opposition Leader was Rajapaksa. Both of them were Members of the SLFP,” he added.
Former Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara stated that he was prepared to work in the Opposition, while protecting the SLFP.
Rajapaksa, while stating that the SLFP should be protected, requested the group of 16 to work as part of the Joint Opposition through discussions.
The group of 16 is expected to meet Rajapaksa on 3 June following the SLFP Central Committee meeting, during which Party reforms are to be discussed.
On previous Thursday (17) the SLFP Central Committee met under the patronage of its Chairman Sirisena where the latter had indicated the need to exit the Unity Government for the Party’s own benefit.
According to several senior SLFP members, President Sirisena has told the group, of SLFP Ministers and Parliamentarians, that remains in the Unity Government to decide for how long they are going to continue with the Government.
After meeting Rajapaksa at his residence, the group called a press conference at their media premises which is situated at a property belonging to MP Thilanga Sumathipala in Colombo and declared that they would support the Presidential candidate who receives the blessing and support of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The group had also agreed to be a bridge between the Rajapaksa-backed 2020 Presidential candidate and minority parties and minority communities, to iron out differences, if any.
Flanked by colleagues, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Thilanga Sumathipala and Tharanath Basnayake, Dilan Perera said the SLFP breakaway group would function as a separate entity within Parliament as well as outside and would not join the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), despite leader Prof. G.L. Peiris requesting them to do so.
“We will cooperate with the Joint Opposition when it comes to political activities, but this does not mean that we are leaving the SLFP. We will stay in the Party and lobby for radical reforms. From 3 June, the SLFP reforms will begin.
The time has come to remove Duminda Dissanayake from the post of SLFP General Secretary. We are hoping that this change is possible as President Maithripala Sirisena has indicated the need to appoint new office-bearers of the Party. A special committee was also appointed in this regard,” he added.
SLFP to get rid of Unity Government
Perera’s contention is that the SLFP will get rid of the UNP-led Unity Government after the radical changes that are being envisaged are implemented.
“At the upcoming Presidential Election, most probably both President Maithripala Sirisena and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa would support the anti-UNP candidate. Even President Sirisena was fully aware about our meeting with the former leader and gave his blessings,” Perera noted.
He also pointed out that there would be a broad anti-UNP alliance in the future under the leadership of former President Rajapaksa and parties such as the SLFP and SLPP would be partners in the alliance.
When a journalist questioned about recent remarks made by Minister Mangala Samaraweera against former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is highly speculated to be the SLPP Presidential candidate, MP Perera said people should take the opposite of what Minister Samaraweera says.
Minister Samaraweera had said that Gotabaya Rajapaksa is not fit to be the President of the country. “Previously in 1999 and 2005 Presidential Elections he said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was a failed leader and he is incapable.
But, now he is saying, he said so, being fully aware that Ranil was clever. Now he is saying Gotabaya is not suitable for the country’s leadership and is incapable. The truth is that he knows Gotabaya is suitable. That is why he is uttering the opposite,” Perera added.
Meanwhile, speculation is ripe that former Minister Susil Premajayantha would be appointed as the UPFA General Secretary while his colleague S.B. Dissanayake would be appointed to the post of SLFP General Secretary on 3 June when appointing temporary office-bearers to the Party to work out a proper organizing and revival plan before 2 September.
However, this has been neither confirmed nor denied by any of the Parties as yet.
Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade, Malik Samarawickrama praised former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa for his ‘Vision 2030’ unveiled at the ‘Viyathmaga’ annual convention on 14 May.
Samarawickrama, opening the debate on two Orders under the Strategic Development Projects Act on Tuesday (22) said, “We are glad that Rajapaksa has endorsed the economic policies of our Government.
The economic development which he said he wants to achieve by 2030, we hope to achieve by 2025. I will table the documents related to our plan for that”.
At this juncture, Joint Opposition Parliamentarian Bandula Gunawardana queried as to how Rajapaksa was relevant to the debate on the Act. Samarawickrama replied that it was very relevant because the debate was all about investments and economic projects.
“Rajapaksa said that China, India and Japan will be economic giants in the coming decades and that Asia will be the economic powerhouse of the world. He should be congratulated for realizing it. That is exactly why we are negotiating comprehensive economic and technology agreements with India and China.
As you know, we recently signed an agreement with Singapore. We hope to do the same with other Asian nations. Our aim is to make Sri Lanka the hub of Asia. We want to benefit from Asia’s economic growth,” the Minister noted.
Samarawickrama added that Rajapaksa at this stage thinks that economic development is the only solution for the ills of the country. He also added, “It is a vote of confidence for us to focus our work on collective efforts, new projects and the introduction of economic reforms to ensure economic researches.”
He said that if the former Government, which lasted for nine years, had the same priorities Sri Lanka would have been leading the charge in the region.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe too took a dig at Gotabaya Rajapaksa when the two, along with President Sirisena happened to sit in the same table at the wedding held recently at a five star hotel on Thursday (24).
PM Wickremesinghe made both Gotabaya and President Sirisena laugh when he asked “didn’t you steal our 2025 economic policy? (Ape arthika prathipaththi prakashaya horakamkala neda?) Rajapaksa however did not shy away and responded: “We don’t have to steal anything from you. Ours is more practical than yours”.
20th Amendment
The proposed 20th Amendment to the Constitution was handed over to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and Parliament Secretary General Dhammika Dassanayake at the Parliament Complex on Friday (25), by a group of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) members led by Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The Amendment aims to abolish the Executive Presidency, which also was a key promise made by President Maithripala Sirisena during the Presidential Election 2015.
Dissanayake submitted the Amendment as a Private Member’s Bill. MPs Sunil Handunnetti, Nihal Galappatti and Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa were present on the occasion.
Speaking to journalists after handing over the proposal, the JVP Leader demanded that both President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe should let the general public know about their stance on the proposed 20thAmendment.
“If this Government has a genuine interest in delivering its key promises made during the elections that they would abolish the Executive Presidency, it can present the Bill in Parliament and pass it within a period of two to three months.
We are always ready to hold discussions with every political party and all the other factions who are interested in the Amendment. We would like to make further Amendments if necessary and we welcome all the constructive criticism as well,” Dissanayake said.
He added that the JVP decided to move the proposed Amendment with the realization that the space for a new Constitution is fast shrinking with what is taking place in the current political arena. “Therefore, we wanted to take this chance to introduce more democratic reforms”.
The Bill has to be gazetted after the approval of the Attorney General before it was presented in Parliament.
If the Amendment gets passed, it would come into effect on 8 January 2020.
As the Eighth Parliament would have been dissolved by then, a nominal President would be elected by the new Parliament and he or she would function as the Head of State but not as Head of Government.
According to the proposal, the nominal President would be unable to hold a ministerial portfolio and would not chair or participate in meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers either.
Furthermore, the President would have the right to make suggestions to the Cabinet and he would be informed of the decisions taken by the Cabinet.
However, because none of the powers vested with the President through the enactment of the 13th Amendment will be subject to change by the proposed 20th Amendment, the President will have the power to appoint Governors.
Also, the President’s power to appoint Ambassadors and High Commissioners and grant pardons would be subjected to Cabinet approval. Also, the proposed Amendment would remove the President’s power to prorogue Parliament.
Walt and Row
Associates’ cheque
Meanwhile, UPFA MP Dayasiri Jayasekara, who defected to Opposition with 15 others recently, admitted in Parliament on Friday that he received a cheque for Rs 1 million, from Walt and Row Associates Private Limited for his election campaign in 2015.
However, the MP said that at the time of receiving the cheque he was not an MP.
During the debate held over seven Orders under the Appropriation Act, Jayasekara made a special remark saying that he would elaborate that what he had said was in fact the truth.
“I received the cheque in question on 13 July 2015. I was the Chief Minister of the North-western Province at the time and there were preparations for the 2015 General Election.
That was the same day on which I submitted nominations for the General Election after resigning from the post of Chief Minister.
I was appointed as an MP on 17 August 2015. I was not a Member of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) at that time,” he said.
Jayasekara told the House that the cheque in question was a cash cheque.
“I cannot remember if it was signed by the owner of primary dealer of Perpetual Treasuries Limited, Arjun Aloysius. It was not addressed to me.
I did not encash it. It must be someone else who encashed it and used it for my election campaign,” he said.
“In Sri Lanka it is common practice that businessmen give donations for election campaigns. Not only MPs, but Provincial Councillors and Pradeshiya Sabha Members also receive such donations,” he noted.
“I had a close business relationship with Aloysius and former Central Bank Governor, Arjuna Mahendran. But when the details of the Treasury Bonds scam were revealed, I did not try to protect them.
I did not take money from him when I was in the COPE and I would never ever do so even in the future,” Jayasekara added.
Jayasekara alleged that there were many persons who had obtained money from Aloysius.
“I know who they are, but I am not going to name them right now,” he said and added, “There are around 3,000 pages in the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry regarding the matter which has not been tabled in Parliament.
If these pages are tabled, then everyone would be able to see the names mentioned in the report and those who obtained money from Aloysius,” he stressed.
Jayasekara claimed the Government was now on a witch-hunt of UFPA MPs who voted in favour of the No-Confidence Motion against Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe and defected from the Government.
