Basil avoids Japanese premier!

Thursday, 11 September 2014 

Economic development minister Basil Fernando avoided meeting Japanese prime minister Shinso Abe and leading Japanese entrepreneurs who had accompanied him on a 18 hour short visit to Sri Lanka from Sunday. That was because priorty had been given to president’s son Namal Rajapaksa, a senior minister of the government told Lanka News Web.

Cabinet ministers had not been invited to be introduced to the Japanese premier, and they had been told that since Mr. Abe was having a very tight schedule, there would be no such opportunity. The president’s office has told the cabinet ministers that the trip was a very short one, and asked them to continue with their election campaign in Uva.

However, the Japanese PM and the entrepreneurs had been taken to parliament and a meeting was held. According to parliamentary tradition, a special session of the House is held on the occasion of a visit by premier of a powerful country, but that was not the case here. Instead, he had been given only a tea party. That is a complete breach of parliamentary tradition, said the senior minister.

The Japanese entrepreneurs on the visit had entered into various trade agreements, and each and every agreement had been signed with the participation of MP Namal. According to government tradition, the economic development minister should be present on such occasions, but he has been electioneering in Uva at those times.