The Joint Opposition (JO) members’ hue and cry on the floor of the House on Thursday (May 4) drew Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s attention to the sudden removal of a section of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security contingent amidst charges that it is a dangerous move when there are serious threats to his life. Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka responding to the queries raised by the JO members categorically stated that there is no political reason behind the Government’s decision to withdraw 42 Police bodyguards assigned to former President’s security contingent and it was entirely based on a recent security assessment which has indicated that the former President didn’t face a security threat. The Minister said, former President Rajapaksa still has a 187 member contingent of Police personnel including elite Police Special Task Force (STF).
Joint Opposition Leader Dinesh Gunawardena who raised the issue told the House that former President Rajapaksa has said there are threats to his life and therefore, removing his security is a very serious matter. MP Gunawardena further said he has already had discussions with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesnghe and Minister of Law and Order Sagala Ratnayaka on the issue. The MP pointed out former President’s security contingent has been reduced by 42 personnel on May 3 after the JO’s May Day rally. The MP was of the view that the former President’s security should be restored.
JO front liner MP Dallas Alahapperuma also drew the attention of the Speaker and said, the former President has a more serious threat than TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran who has also received death threats. If MP Sumanthiran has threats from the LTTE, former President Rajapaksa may have thousandfold more threats from LTTE remnants. Chief Opposition Whip Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, increasing or withdrawing an MP’s security was not a healthy trend, adding that if the decision has been taken based on politics, it is not fair and would not be acceptable.
The Speaker in his response assured the JO that he would make a statement on the sudden reduction of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security contingent, after discussions with President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Contingent
The following day, Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayake told Parliament that the Government decided to withdraw 42 Police bodyguards assigned to former President Rajapaksa’s security contingent on the basis of a recent security assessment which has indicated that he didn’t face a security threat. However, Minister Ratnayaka categorically stated that the contingent hasn’t been reduced for political reasons. He said the former President still has a 187 member contingent of Police personnel including the elite Police Special Task Force (STF).
Giving the details of the number of security personnel deployed to former Presidents, Minister Ratnayaka said, when President J.R.Jayewardene quit politics, he had a contingent of 65 personnel but it had been reduced to 18 at the time of his death. Upon retirement President D.B. Wijetunga had a 78-member contingent, but at the time of his death it had been reduced to 12. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga had a 198 member security contingent at the time of her retirement and it was subsequently reduced to 12 Army personnel and 69 Police and added that at the moment former President Kumaratunga has a 59 member security contingent.
The Court of Appeal order issued on May 3 declaring that UPFA Galle District MP Geetha Kumarasinghe is disqualified to be a Member of Parliament as she holds dual citizenship turned into a hot topic in Parliament and some Government and Opposition legislators during their speeches also responded to the issue.
MP Kumarasinghe on Thursday (May 4) informed the Speaker that she would make an appeal to the Supreme Court in respect of the Court of Appeal decision to deprive her of her parliamentary seat. She met the Speaker in the wake of defeated UPFA candidate Piyasena Gamage declaring his readiness to fill the vacancy created by former actress turned politician being disqualified by the Court of Appeal. However, responding to a query raised by UNP Kurunegala District MP Nalin Bandara Jayamaha, the Speaker told Parliament that he has not been informed of the Court of Appeal decision regarding MP Kumarasinghe. MP Jayamaha demanded to know how Geetha Kumarasinghe was still in Parliament as the Court of Appeal has disqualified her from being an MP. JVP Gampaha District Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath drew the attention of the House that Geetha Kumarasinghe is not the only person holding dual citizenship as per the recent comments by Kumarasinghe and Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. Therefore MP Herath asked Parliament to furnish the names of the other members who currently hold dual citizenship.
Without hindrance
Denying speculation, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament that President Maithripala Sirisena has not made a Cabinet proposal to appoint Regional Development Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka as the Head of operations of the tri-forces. Responding to a question raised by JVP Gampaha District MP Vijitha Herath, the Premier noted, according to the Constitution, the President is the Commander in Chief and the appointment of a person to head the operations of the tri-forces has to be done in accordance with the existing laws. However, the Premier said the issue of maintaining the essential services without hindrance was discussed in detail at the Cabinet meeting on April 25. The Prime Minister further said, the Cabinet of Ministers asked the President and him to appoint a special committee to maintain essential services in case of any emergency and further discussions are under way in this regard.
The Premier was of the view that if a decision emerges from these discussions to assign a role to Minister Fonseka in that committee we could do so. MP Herath queried from the Premier whether it is true that Cabinet Spokesman Minister Rajitha Senaratne categorically stated at the Cabinet press briefing that the President had proposed the name of Fonseka for the post of head of tri forces operations. Premier told MP Herath that he cannot comment on the remarks made at the Cabinet meeting as he is bound by the collective Cabinet responsibility. MP Herath said the Premier is dodging the question and added that this issue is not about an individual but a new post being created to suppress democracy.
Chief Government Whip and Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunatilleka alleged that some diplomatic officers who got appointments to Sri Lankan missions abroad engaged in human smuggling during the period of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government. The Minister said they did so making use of the allocation made for them to take persons abroad from Sri Lanka for the post of Personal Service Assistants. Responding to a question raised by JVP MP Bimal Ratnayake, Minister Karunatilleka tabled the names, passport numbers and addresses of persons who had gone missing from 2005 to 2015.
He told the House that 100 Sri Lankans taken abroad by diplomatic officers as Personal Service Assistants, are at large in those countries. MP Ratnayake pointed out there is no need to take action against the personal assistants who switched from their jobs and disappeared there, but action should be taken against those officials who took them there using the official allocations provided to them and earned money. The MP said those human smugglers disrespected the foreign service.
The Premier outlining the Government’s stance on the Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm issue told Parliament that a policy decision has been taken to develop the Oil Tank Farm as a joint venture between the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Lanka IOC. The Premier who responded to a query raised by UPFA Colombo District Udaya Gammanpila informed the House that the intention of the Government is to make use of this storage facility to enable the CPC to enter the Indian market and said there is no reason for anyone to oppose this plan.
However, he assured the House that nothing has been finalised or agreed with regard to the proposed joint venture and the final decision can be made after Petroleum Resources Development Minister’s discussions with relevant stakeholders. Once a final agreement is reached, we will inform Parliament, he said.