Govt. sincerely taking measures to introduce new Constitution: Minister Kiriella
The Government would bring about a new constitution and the UPFA should give its support to make it a success, said Leader of the House and Highways and Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella in Parliament yesterday.
He said that it was a historic moment that the country was experiencing due the UNP and UPFA having joined to solve the issue between the North and the South.
He made these observations yesterday, joining the Adjournment Motion moved by Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan.
“The government is honestly taking measures to introduce a new constitution,” Minister Kiriella said. “We have no any hidden agenda.”
He further said that even within the government there are some parties who do not uphold the mandate they received.
“Some of these parties were not with us during the Presidential and General elections. It is we who formed this government,” Minister Kiriella said.
“There is no big difference between the UPFA and us. This is the only chance we got to formulate a new constitution. We should not let this opportunity slip through our fingers. Please lend your heart and hands to make this endeavour a success in the name of future generations of this country. We have nothing to hide. We are honest,” he said.
Opp Leader wants Constitutional Reforms brought in genuine and purposeful manner
Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan yesterday, making a strong case for Constitutional reforms, urged the Government to continue the process in a genuine and purposeful manner and move and act fast over its commitments in the UNHRC resolution.
He was moving an Adjournment Motion in Parliament on “Sri Lanka’s International Obligations.”
Making an emotionally charged speech for nearly one and half hours, Sampanthan stressed that Tamil people were almost losing their patience and beginning to feel disappointed that this Government’s treatment to them was no different than the previous Government.
“I don’t think the national question could remain unsolved very long. Questions of missing persons, land, prisoners, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, reparation, Office of Missing Persons and non-recurrences are fundamental issues that need to be addressed with urgency,” he said.
The Opposition Leader recapping all previous efforts in attaining a long lasting political settlement to the national question, quoted the documents of the Bandaranaike - Chelvanayagam Pact in 1957, the Dudley Senanayake - Chelvanayagam Pact, the Indo-Lanka Agreement in 1983, Mangala Munasinghe’s Select Committee, former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s proposals in 1995 and 1997, as well as the Constitutional Bill in 2000, Oslo Communiqué in 2002, the speech of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Inauguration of the All Party Representative Committee and Multi-ethnic Expert Committee in 2006 and the joint statement issued by the UN Secretary-General and Mahinda Rajapaksa in May 2009.
Reading section after section of these documents, Sampanthan pointed out proposals in almost each of them were much beyond the scope of the 13th Amendment. He also pointed out most of these documents had given provision for the amalgamation of the North and East.
Stepping into the ring against former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Prof G L Peiris over their recent comments on constitutional making, power sharing and devolution, etc., Sampanthan exposed how contradictory these were to their very own words in the past.
“Prof G.L Peiris as the Minister of Constitutional Affairs in the Government of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, presented the Constitutional Bill to the House in August 2000. There were many progressive proposals in it which were compiled by Dr Neelan Thiruchelvam and Prof G L Peiris. This draft Bill was approved by both Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa who were ministers in that Government. Unfortunately, legislation could not get through Parliament, as there was no consensus between the two major parties,” he pointed out.
Commenting on the Oslo Communiqué, Sampanthan again reminded that Prof G L Peiris was the Chief Delegate on behalf of the Government in those discussions. The Opposition Leader quoting Prof Peiris at a press conference soon after signing the Oslo Communiqué in which he spoke supportive of power sharing within one country, pointed out this was what the TNA is asking now.
Quoting the verbatim of Rajapaksa’s speech at the Inauguration of APRC and MEEC in 2006, Sampanthan pointed out that Rajapaksa wanted these Committees to go for “maximum possible devolution.”
Sampanthan also reiterated that the TNA stands for a united and indivisible country with devolved powers. He also made a strong case for a referendum, adding that the very resolution to convert Parliament to a Constitutional Assembly mentioned this.
He also made it clear that they did not think every soldier was a war criminal, but individuals in the armed forces who committed heinous crimes such as murder and rape, must be identified and prosecuted. “Soldiers who fought the war on behalf of the country were simply executing the orders of the State. We do not consider them war criminals,” he said.
Sampanthan in his speech was also highly critical of Tamil politicians who had termed MP M A Sumanthiran as ‘treacherous.’ “One party, which got only 15,000 votes, is now trying to portray Sumanthiran, who got four times more votes than their whole party, as a traitor. We look upon Sumanthiran as a useful MP doing a valuable service to our people and country. Attempts on his life must be thoroughly investigated and those involved must be prosecuted,” he said.
Housing complex for media personnel: Discussions underway
Discussions are underway with the Housing and Construction Minister for the construction of a housing complex for media personnel, said Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilake.
He said that media personnel from the North too would be considered when those houses are granted.
Minister Karunathilake made these observations yesterday, in response to a question raised by Opposition Member Douglas Devananda in Parliament yesterday.
The Minister further said that three houses would be built for three journalists in the North who were affected in the three decade war, adding that the three houses would be built by the ANCL (Lake House), the Rupavahini and the Independent Television Network (ITN). He also added that two houses would be built in Jaffna, while another in Vavunia. He added that the three institutions have already allocated money for the purpose.
Weerawansa wants Speaker to accept NFF as independent group
The National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa, requested Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday to accept five NFF parliamentarians, including himself as an independent group in the Opposition in Parliament, since they have no connections with the UPFA.
Speaker Jayasuriya said that he would refer the matter to the Party leaders’ meeting scheduled today and would inform the outcome to the House. The Speaker also said that this was the first time that MP Weerawansa publicly stated that he had severed connections with the Joint Opposition.
MP Weerawansa said that he had informed the Speaker about the decision earlier, while the latter had failed to listen to his request. He added that he could submit the Hanzard report to prove that he was correct.
When the sittings commenced, MP Weerawansa had handed over the same request in writing to the Speaker months ago. “We have informed you that the NFF MPs no longer have any connection with the UPFA and would act as an independent group,” Weerawansa said. “You stated that the matter would be taken up with UPFA leaders and would let us know of the result. However, so far we have not been informed of the result. This has deprived us of our rights. I request you to take the necessary action to enable us to function as an independent group in this Parliament. We have a right to be independent. Please give our rights.”
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said that he informed the UPFA leaders of the letter as soon as I received it. “The UPFA leaders had written back to me and said that they had not been informed by your party of any such decision to be independent in the House,” the Speaker said. “You should inform them too of your decision to break away from them.”MP Weerawansa said the matter was simple as they had broken their ties. He added that the UPFA leaders say that it was unacceptable.
At this stage the Speaker said that the UPFA leaders want Weerawansa to make a public statement.
“For God’s sake is Parliament not a public place?” asked Weerawansa.
“There is no need telling the gods. Tell it to this House,” said the Speaker. “I will discuss this with the UPFA and inform the House of my decision.”
Weerawansa said that there was no need to talk with the UPFA but to give the Speaker’s decision.
“Let me do my job,” the Speaker said. “I have a right to speak. I need to consult legal experts in this regard before giving my ruling. Let me do that.”
At this stage UPFA MP Bandula Gunawardena said that MP Weerawansa was not a member of the UPFA and there was no problem to allow them to be independent.
“I too once faced a similar problem during the previous government,” Minister Rauf Hakeem said. “We contested under the UNP ticket. When we demanded to be considered a separate group, that request was turned down saying that we contested from the UNP. Then we accepted it. I was deprived of the chance of raising issues in the Chamber as a party leader. It was the last government which set that precedence.”
Leader of the House Higher Education and Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella said that it was yesterday that MP Weerawnansa made his intentions public. He added that when he informed the government of his intention, he was told said that it be stated in Parliament, but he did not do so then.
MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena responding to Minister Hakim, said that the then Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa stated that leaders of each party should be recognized. Minsiter Hakim’s issue is older than that.
Opposition MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara said they contested under the Betel Leaf symbol and they agreed to do so under the leadership of Mahinda Rajapaksa. “ “We hope that our rights and the rights of those who voted for us would be protected,” Nanayakkara said. “We have forwarded this issue to the International Parliamentary Union too.” He said that the Speaker is the Chairman of that Union, while the Speaker denied it.
MP Nanayakkara said that the matter could be sorted out through discussions with the Speaker.
The Speaker said that 55 per cent or 60 per cent of the time allocated to the UPFA is given to the Joint Opposition. “We have accepted Dinesh Gunawardena as the leader of the Joint Opposition,” the Speaker said. “Today MP Weerawansa for the first time made a statement in the Chamber expressing his party’s wish to be independent. I would take this issue at the Party Leaders’ meeting tomorrow and let you know.”
Parliament should make an attempt to see new constitution making process succeeding: FM
Parliament should have the courage to persevere in seeing that the new constitution making process succeed and take it before the people for their approval, in whom the sovereignty is vested to go forward united in its diversity, said Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera in Parliament yesterday.
The Minister made this observation yesterday while joining the Adjournment Motion moved by Opposition leader and TNA leader R Sampanthan. Minister Samaraweera further said that the country after losing many opportunities to solve the issues of the country after independence was achieved, the country received a new lease of life on January 08, 2015 with the election of Maithripala Sirisena as the President of all the people of all religions.
He also said the people across the country gave a mandate at two elections to bring about lasting peace, a durable political settlement and protect the rights of all, irrespective of race, religion, caste and creed.
He also said that to achieve all these things, the country has to bring about the new constitution which Parliament too unanimously approved. He added that the new government could pass the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, the Right to Information Bill, and enact legislation to establish a permanent office to undertake a humanitarian mission of finding the citizens who are still missing.
He also said that the government had been able gazette the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances Bill. He added that it would be taken before April. He also said that the new amended Counter Terrorism Act which would replace the PTA, would be presented to the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Legal Affairs. Once it was referred, the drafting of the new legislation would commence. He also said that we have reached an important juncture where the two main parties have united the new legislature could be formulated. “The other important factor is that we have a moderate Tamil Opposition Leader and Opposition who is committed to a settlement with a united and undivided Sri Lanka. He added that the Opposition Leader says that they are not ready to accept a political settlement that is not accepted by a Sinhala majority in the South.
The Minister also said that these measures were not taken on the instructions of the International Community or the UN, but to bring about lasting peace that would enable the country to go forward unitedly in diversity. He added that every citizen should support this matter and bring about a solution by the 70th Independent celebration that all could walk side by side equally.
Increasing minimum salary of migrant workers: Minister Athukorala wants grace period of one year to implement proposals
Foreign Employment Minister Thalatha Athukorala said that she had proposed to the Cabinet to grant a grace period of one year for the implementation of the Budget proposals of increasing the minimum salary of migrant workers up to US$ 350 per month and for skilled workers US$ 450 per month.
She made these observations in reply to a question raised by MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena under Standing Orders 23 (2).
She said a circular was issued by the Chairman of the Foreign Employment Bureau to all licensed foreign employment agents to implement these Budget proposals with effect from February 1, 2017, pursuant to Treasury instructions received on .
“However, most labour receiving countries are not ready to grant the minimum wage of migrant workers. Further, there are many countries which send workers on low salaries. Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan and some African countries are such examples. As a result, there is a possibility of losing job opportunities for Sri Lankans and it would in turn, have an impact on overall remittances,” she said.
MP Dinesh Gunawardena, observing that foreign remittances of the migrant workers last year stood at US$ 7.2 billion, brought the attention of the House to a news article which appeared in an English weekly that the above mentioned budgetary proposal posed a risk to the foreign job industry.
“The subject minister says that the budgetary proposal made by the Finance Minister for 2017, could not be implemented this year. This means the House had approved a proposal which was not being implemented and the budgetary proposals have been withdrawn in relation to the biggest foreign exchange earner of the country,” he said.
Minister Athukorala replied that the proposal has not been withdrawn. “We have only submitted a note to the Cabinet asking further time” she said.
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