Lands Minister S.M. Chandrasena said the decision taken by the eleven constituent parties of the Government to boycott Wednesday’s All-Party Conference (APC) clearly reflects that they don’t have a genuine desire to sort out the burning issues in the country.
Actually, the members of 11 Government constituent parties should have attended the APC. However, they had only nominated SLPP Parliamentarian Prof. Tissa Vitarana and Ape Janabala Party MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera to participate in the conference. They should have come and discussed their Mulu Ratama Hari Magata program in that forum and explored the possibility of implementing their proposals, the Minister told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
Minister Chandrasena said the 11-party group should have discussed their issues within the Government rather than conduct outside meetings. They should have made their representation at the APC on Wednesday.
He said, “As stated by Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara, I don’t think these coalition parties will quit the Government. If a few MPs quit the Government, it won’t have a big impact on the Government.
However, we request the five or six MPs who are attempting to quit the Government not to do so but remain in the Government.”
The Minister said, “We don’t agree with the decision taken by the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the National People’s Power (NPP) to boycott the conference. It is very obvious that they have no genuine intention to overcome the burning issues of the people and they somehow want to embarrass the Government and put the people into difficulties to increase their vote base.”
Minister Chandrasena said the Government will continue over the next three years as planned. A Government cannot be toppled as the Opposition and certain sections think under the Executive Presidential system. “We clearly witnessed the recent incidents in Parliament.”
“As long as the President is stable, there are ways and means to muster a majority in Parliament and continue the Government. We saw that during the tenure of Presidents J.R. Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa. Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga continued her Government for five years with only a one-seat majority in Parliament under the Executive Presidency. Therefore, we don’t think the Government would collapse as expected by the Opposition,” he said.
The Minister said whatever issues faced and criticism made by Opposition political parties, the President is successfully facing the situation patiently and moving forward. Therefore, at this juncture, it was very timely to convene an All-party Conference to seek the views of all political parties.
Instead of facing this crisis as a Government and a political party alone, it is more appropriate to seek the views of the people and other political parties to overcome the crisis.
“The President is giving the leadership to take the APC process forward. As a member of the Cabinet, I say that all political parties should take part in the APC to find a solution to the crisis,” he said.