Confirming the Government’s commitment to deal with the Treasury bond scam, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told the Opposition members making a big hue and cry on the issue, that if they are not happy with the instructions coming from the Attorney General’s Department and want to hand over the task to a legal expert of their choice, the Government is willing to fulfil their requirement, with the consent of Party Leaders. The Premier also told the Opposition legislators, if they want to give the task to former Chief Justices Sarath N. Silva or Mohan Peiris, he has nothing against it, if the Party Leaders agree.
However, the Premier said, he was waiting for instructions from the Attorney General’s Department to decide the future course of action on the issue and added that as the Minister responsible, he has done his level best and it is up to the House to decide on any alternative. He described how the investigations into the allegations were completed within a year after the new Government assumed office, and stressed that the investigation needs to be expedited.
The bond scam
The Premier also reminded the Joint Opposition (JO) members at the forefront in taking up the bond scam issue, how many times the UNP had demanded investigations into the Hedging and Greek Bonds issues, but nothing tangible was done by the former Government. He pointed out how they appointed the Pitipana Committee to investigate the Treasury Bond issue. When the report came, the then COPE Chairman D.E.W. Gunasekera said it was a UNP committee and that the report was not acceptable. The Premier’s remarks were a clear proof of the decision taken by the Government to appoint JVP MP Sunil Handunneththi as COPE Chairman, and allowing to conduct an investigation on the Treasury bond scam and issue a report. He thanked MP Handunneththi for the task fulfilled by him. The Premier said the COPE report came up with recommendations and he acted in accordance with such recommendations. The Prime Minister has consulted the Speaker and the Attorney General following the advice given by a legal expert. He also stressed the need to take action with regard to the other 37 COPE reports as well.
The un-parliamentary language and unruly behaviour of some Government and Opposition law makers led the Speaker to request MPs not to abuse one another during debates, as Parliament sessions were telecast live. The Speaker said, it was the duty of all Parliamentarians to ensure that their conduct does not cause the public to lose faith in Parliament. Making an announcement at the commencement of the sessions, the Speaker said, all proceedings were telecast live throughout the day and MPs had to mind their language and refrain from making allegations and counter allegations. On several occasions during the Committee Stage debate of the budget, some Government and Opposition members resorted to various baseless allegations against their opponents, which sometimes led to heated verbal blows between the two factions.
Joint Opposition front liner Mahindananda Aluthgamage who joined the debate on the votes of Land Ministry was very critical on the misuse of Mahapola Scholarship funds. He challenged those who deny the allegations, to take legal action and that the JO is ready to take up the challenge. However, UNP Kandy District MP Ananda Aluthgamage who spoke next, dealt a huge verbal blow at his close relative. Instead of focusing on the subject matter, the MP in his aggressive speech vehemently criticized the conduct of MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage.
Even the use or non-use of Viagra by Members of Parliament dominated during the live telecast of parliamentary proceedings when the actor-turned politician, Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake insisted that MPs shouldn’t gratify their carnal desires at the expense of the President’s Fund. MP Ramanayake told the House that he didn’t mind it as long as public funds were not involved. Ramanayake also intervened during a heated argument between UPFA Kandy District MP Keheliya Rambukwelle and UNP Kurunegala District Nalin Bandara over the utilization of President’s Fund to pay the medical bills of Rambukwella, when he was the Media Minister in the former Government. MP Rambukwella insisted that unlike some members, he didn’t use Viagra. However, the UNP castigated MP Rambukwella for obtaining Rs 20 million from the President’s Fund for treatment received in an accident at a hotel in Melbourne, Australia in February, 2012. Rambukwella however answered by saying that MP Bandara is one of those who needed Viagra. MP Nalin Bandara emphasized, it was very unfair for Rambukwella to receive so much money from the President’s Fund, while many needy people awaited assistance from the Fund. He also pointed out that Rambukwella had made four attempts to switch allegiance to the UNP in the run-up to the last parliamentary polls and that his bid was thwarted by Minister Lakshman Kiriella.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, on Tuesday, taking a lenient view of the incident where a parliamentary official was alleged to have sat on his Chair, said, there were more burning issues in the country that needed attention. The Speaker told the House, the incident is not a big problem for him and added that he was ready to give up his Chair at any time. However, the Speaker assured that he would hold an inquiry on the incident. The Speaker’s remarks followed UNP Matale District MP Ranjith Aluvihare’s complaint to the Speaker that the official who allegedly sat on his Chair had threatened some journalists for reporting the incident. When UPFA Colombo District MP Dinesh Gunawardena who also raised the issue regarding the threats against parliamentary correspondents, said, such acts should not be tolerated, the Speaker asked for a written complaint to initiate an inquiry.
Contrary statements
Another highlight of the committee stage of Budget 2017 was, when the Cabinet and State Ministers of Skills Development and Vocational Training made contrary statements during the debate on their Ministry, on Wednesday. Skills Development and Vocational Training State Minister Palitha Range Bandara attempted to portray that there are massive corruption and irregularities taking place in his Ministry. The State Minister pointed out, only 15 percent of the allocation made to the Ministry by the last budget had been expended and the rest remained intact. The State Minister attempted to convince the House that only a small sum has been allocated to his Ministry. He described the situation with the pithy Sinhala saying “Balla piduru kanneth nehe, kana gonata denneth nehe”.
However, Cabinet Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training, Mahinda Samarasinghe, in his reply said, some speakers who participated in this debate expressed their opinions without knowing the actual facts. Minister Samarasinghe maintained the view that some of the statements were malicious and full of hatred. Denying the allegations, the Minister said, there are practical situations where the Ministry may not be able to spend all the funds allocated to it. The Finance Ministry had allocated Rs 3,000 million from the last budget, but this Budget has provided only Rs 875 million to the Ministry and added that they made use of 55 percent of allocations made to the Ministry from last year’s Appropriation Bill. Minister Samarasinghe told the House that they have initiated some work, the results of which would be manifest in the future, and those who made such malicious speeches would then realize the truth.
Participating in the debate on his Ministry, Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake wounding up the debate said, he was willing to offer an advisory post to JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. He said, he could make use of the JVP Leader’s expertise, who at one time held the portfolio of Agriculture Minister. The JVP Leader, as Minister of Agriculture had launched a large number of projects. It is regrettable that MP Dissanayake left the then Government before the completion of the projects. Minister Dissanayake said, he would like to invite the JVP Leader to accept the post of adviser to his Ministry.