Government lawmakers who are highly critical of the vociferous call by the Opposition to reconvene Parliament said the Opposition’s deliberate efforts are aimed at using their majority in Parliament to block Government finances, thereby sabotaging the anti-coronavirus campaign to bring the Government into disrepute before the General Election.
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in astatement also noted that it is unfortunate that even in the midst of a national crisis and global disaster, the Opposition is making use of the opportunity for their mere political gain by calling to reconvene old Parliament asserting that after April 30, the President has no legal right to allocate funds without the approval of the old Parliament. The Government lawmakers requested all to set politics aside and concentrate on controlling the coronavirus outbreak and restoring normalcy in the country.
The Premier even recalled as to how the Opposition even posed a threat to the Government saying that unless Parliament is reconvened, the President and all others run the risk of losing their civic rights and the confiscation of their properties. He said that the Opposition’s concern is that if the election is held in a situation where the anti-coronavirus campaign in Sri Lanka has shown much better results than in most other countries, it would become a serious disadvantage to them. The Opposition’s efforts are aimed at getting the old Parliament reconvened and sabotaging the Government’s efforts to combat the Covid-19 outbreak, the Prime Minister said.
The Opposition attempts to build up yet another argument that according to Article 150(3) of the Constitution, the President is allowed to allocate funds for the running of Government services at a time when Parliament has been dissolved only if the previous Parliament had not passed an Appropriation Bill.
The Opposition claims that the previous Government had passed a Vote on Account up to April 30 and after this due date, the President has no authority to allocate funds for any purpose. However, the Premier and Government lawmakers describe this is an absurd argument and added that under Article 150(3) of the Constitution, the President has complete authority to allocate funds for any purpose for which funds had not been allocated by Parliament. If Parliament has allocated funds for a purpose, there is no need for the President to intervene in the matter.
Prime MinisterRajapaksa had rejected the Opposition’s claim that the President is not reconvening Parliament with the ulterior motive of misusing the funds coming in from abroad for the anti-coronavirus campaign. He said all funds received by the Government go to the Treasury via the Central Bank and there are procedures to be followed in spending money.
Citing an example, the Prime Minister said that funds in the Treasury cannot be spent in the manner that Ministers of Yahapalana Government misused the money of the Central Cultural Fund. The Premier is of the view that until the new Parliament is convened, the Opposition should refrain from misleading the public with blatant lies.
The Government lawmakers said that if the main Opposition parties, including the United National Party (UNP), the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) wereconcerned about containing Covid-19 and supporting the Government, they would have joined the ex-MPs’ meeting convened by the Prime Minister on May 4. The UNP which was initially in favour of attending the meeting later informed that its 19 members decided to boycott the meeting.
SLPP frontliner and former State Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardana told the media that the Prime Minister’s meeting was the best chance to express views and the Opposition could have made use the opportunity for a fruitful discussion. He said the meeting was convened with the intention of sharing the Government’s Covid-19 mitigation efforts and receiving proposals from former Parliamentarians.
However, representatives from 16 political parties, including the SLPP, SLFP, MEP, LSSP, CP, PHU, DLF, CWC, TNA, NFF, EPDP and the ACMC were present at the meeting. The TNA was the only major Opposition party attended the meeting convened by the Prime Minister.
TNA leaders told the media that its decision to attend was to address important issues as well as to indicate that the party is prepared to extend its cooperation to resolve these issues in the interests of the country and its people. TNA leaders said the party is of “the firm view that Parliament must be convened as stated in their joint statement to deal with several constitutional and legal issues that have arisen which Parliament alone can deal with.”
Former State Minister Abeygunawardana told the media that boycotting the meeting by Opposition political parties proved that they are attempting to gain political mileage from the coronavirus pandemic. He said the Opposition was sabotaging the Government’s efforts from the beginning and added that they made false accusations against the Government, including those pertaining to the Covid-19 fund. Abeygunawardana said if the Opposition attended the meeting, they could have asked those questions, but all they want is to tarnish the Government’s reputation and sabotage its anti-coronavirus campaign.
Prior to the May 4 ex-MPs’ meeting convened by the Prime Minister, SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara announced that the SJB would boycott the meeting to discuss the Covid-19 crisis with all members of the previous Parliament. Issuing a statement, Madduma Bandara said the solution to the prevailing crisis was to reconvene the last Parliament under the leadership of former Speaker KaruJayasuriya.
He said that this was essential, given that only Parliament has the authority to look into country’s finances and pass legislation to counter the Covid-19 outbreak. JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake in the letter to the Prime Minister said that it was not a constructive move to convene a meeting of the 225 former MPs to Temple Trees, instead of convening Parliament which has constitutional powers to seek views and suggestions to overcome the current situation and combat the coronavirus epidemic.
Yet another highlight in the week was SJB General Secretary RanjithMaddumaBandara filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition challenging the Gazette notification issued by the Election Commission declaring the General Election on June 20 as well as the Gazette notification on the dissolution of Parliament.
The Attorney General, Election Commission’s Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya and its members have been cited as the respondents. The petitioner has said that mandatory provisions have been provided by the Constitution to fix a date for the Parliamentary Election and convene the new Parliament not later than 3 months from the dissolution of Parliament.
The petitioner has argued according to the Appropriation Bill passed by Parliament on October 23, 2019, the Government is authorised to disburse State funds only until April 30. The petitioner urged the Supreme Court to issue an interim order declaring the temporary invalidation of the two gazette notifications on the dissolution of Parliament and holding the General Election on June 20.
Countering the Opposition’s allegation, Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that the President has the power to reimburse Government funds when Parliament is dissolved and the Constitution has vested powers with the President for three months after the General Election. Minister Gunawardena told the media that anyone who doesn’t agree can go to the Supreme Court and challenge it.
He said if the Supreme Court decides that the President and the Cabinet do not have the legal power to pay for Government expenditure, he is ready to go to jail and take measures to provide relief to the people in the face of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera requested State sector employees to donate aportion of their salaries of May in a bid to reduce the budget deficit. Dr. Jayasundera noted that the country’s budget deficit could be reduced if State employees donate their salaries. “For some, donating their entire salary would be difficult. Therefore I believe, that at least half, a week’s salary or a day’s pay can be contributed,” he said.
The SJB in response to the President’s Secretary said the President, Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers could have set up an example by foregoing their salaries and allowances before asking Government employees to donate a portion of their salaries. SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa told the media that the Government has conceded that they cannot manage the economy and added that asking state employees to donate their salary shows the lack of a robust plan to strengthen the economy.
However, the Government condemned the allegations levelled against President's Secretary Dr. Jayasundera based on the personal request made by him from the State employees to donate their entire or part of May month's salary to the Widows' and Orphans' Pension Fund taking into consideration the crisis faced by the country as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. Cabinet Spokesman Minister Bandula Gunawardena told the media on Friday that as an experienced civil servant and the Head of the public servants, the President’s Secretary has the authority to make such a request from public servants.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during a meeting with the Presidential Task Force in charge of the Economic Revival and Poverty Eradication said that he is optimistic that the economy adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic could be re-built on a solid basis. The Task Force has been entrusted with the responsibility of formulating a new economic model to achieve this objective.
The President directed that the Task Force should prepare economic plans with specified targets in different areas that come under its purview and implement them. The Task Force has met on May 6 under the patronage of the President to discuss modalities relating to the resumption of civilian life and work from May 11. The President said that the apparel and tourism sectors which make a huge contribution to the economy should be revitalised to suit the changing situations. The President was of the view that new opportunities are open to attract tourists from countries where the coronavirus has subdued.
The President said that medical tourism can be promoted by highlighting the capabilities of the indigenous medical system which was used for treatment of the virus infected people. The President said to encourage high-spending tourists, visas must be issued to them supplemented by an internationally recognised certificate.
Sources confirmed that the Constitutional Council has decided to convene a meeting on May 11 to discuss the controversy raised following media speculations that Election Commission Chairman MahindaDeshappriya has misused his power upon recalling his son from the United Kingdom. The Constitutional Council is due to hold a meeting under the patronage of former Speaker KaruJayasuriya at his official residence on May 11 at 4.30 pm on Monday.
However, Election Commission Chairman has made a remark on the matter in his official Facebook page saying that he did not act on unlawful grounds, but informed certain high officials from personal level and the Ambassador of Netherlands of the return of his son. He said if those who level the allegation suggest that he acted otherwise, he would be ready to resign from his post as the Chairman of the Election Commission.