Minister of Plantation Industries and Industries Dr. Ramesh Pathirana said there is no need to form an All-Party Government at present. The Minister in an interview with the Sunday Observer said if the Opposition MPs want to join the Government, doors are open for them.
The Minister said except the TNA and the JVP, almost all other parties are represented in the Government. UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe came forward and accepted the premiership. It’s only six weeks since the Premier assumed duties. He has attended to most of the issues. “We are of the view that he should be given more time to ensure that this matter is gradually solved,” Pathirana said.
Excerpts
Q: Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and former President Maithripala Sirisena met several Opposition political party leaders and civil rights activists on Monday in a fresh effort to moot a collective program to form an All-Party Government to get the country out of the current crisis. Do you think forming an All-Party Government would pave the way to resolve the crisis?
A: Sometime ago, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa invited all the parties to form a National Unity Government. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa was invited to form a Government which he flatly rejected. Then, the President extended the invitation to other parties as well. However, they didn’t come forward to form a Government. Some MPs from all the parties represented in Parliament got together and formed the incumbent Government. For example, SJB Parliamentarians Harin Fernando and Manusha Nanayakkara accepted ministerial portfolios while UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe accepted the premiership.
Except the TNA and the JVP, almost all the other parties are represented in the Government. Ranil Wickremesinghe accepted the premiership. It’s only six weeks since the Premier assumed duties. He has attended to most of the issues. We are of the view that he should be given more time to ensure that this matter is gradually solved. There is no need to form an All-Party Government at present. If the Opposition MPs want to join the Government, doors are opened for them. If all the parties in the Opposition want to join the Government, we can include them in the current Government.
Q: Galle Face protestors and people countrywide are demanding the President to step down. If the President steps down, will it provide solutions to the burning issues the country is facing?
A: This economic situation has been gradually developing over a period of time. It became more complex due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequently due to the Ukraine and Russian war. Whoever the President and whatever the Government in power has to tackle all these issues given the backdrop of this difficult scenario we experience in the country and also the world is experiencing as a whole. We are attending to whatever possible solutions.
The people have demanded a lot of things. We have obeyed and bowed down to some of those conditions. They demanded the resignation of then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, then Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa. All other Rajapaksas also resigned from their portfolios. We have listened to the demands put forward by the people. It is the responsibility of the Government to put things back on the correct track, and the people should give a chance to that. These are some of the issues pertaining to local and global scenarios which are out of our control.
Q: JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressing a press conference on Wednesday said that he is ready to accept the premiership if the President and the Prime Minister are willing to step down. Would you like to respond?
A: During these difficult circumstances, Ranil Wickremesinghe accepted the premiership. He is doing his best to put the country back on the correct track. As the JVP and others say, the President can’t step down. Whatever said and done, he has been given a mandate by 6.9 million people of the country.
That is a mandate given to the President. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake can’t unconstitutionally demand the President and the Prime Minister to resign in such a manner.
There is a Constitution in the country which should be safeguarded and upheld. They are trying out other different mechanisms, but whatever that happens in the country should happen as per the constitutional requirements.
Q: Investment Promotion Minister Dhammika Perera at a recent press conference urged Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to resign from his post immediately as he has no idea of the country’s cash-flow. Your comments?
A: I don’t understand the reason as to why he is saying so. The Premier has been holding the position for only five to six-weeks. Secondly, this may be due to his being new to politics and his ministerial portfolio. There is something called collective responsibility of the Government. He can’t just come out and make an allegation of such nature. I think that is mainly due to his political immaturity.
Q: Prime Minister Wickremesinghe addressing Parliament on Tuesday said Sri Lanka’s debt burden increased to Rs.21.6 trillion by March 2022. He said the economy is shrinking and they are trying to reverse it. What is the way out to rebuild the economy?
A: Our economy was shrinking from 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. People at that time demanded a lockdown of the country. At times, the President was not willing to go for a lockdown, but professionals including medical doctors demanded closure of the country. So, we had to close down the country. Its immediate impact was the economic recession.
Even without other economic issues such as fuel issue, the country’s economy was shrinking. Now, it has become more complex with the current fuel crisis. Without petrol and diesel, the economy is further going down. The cashflow should come in the form of rupees and also in the means of foreign currency. So, foreign currency wise, we have to look into general options including the IMF bailout package and also, we have to look forward to the investments and tourism. We have to ensure that foreign remittances are coming through proper channels. We have to encourage investors to come to Sri Lanka and invest. The country can’t go forward like this if the people are opposing everything.
The second thing is we will have to increase rupee income. That is what the IMF has also suggested. We will also have to increase different forms of taxes. We will have to increase taxes whether we are improving or not and that is the way out. It is not the best thing to do, because people will suffer more, but there is no other way out.
Q: The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal presented by the President to reappoint the Cabinet sub-committee on cost of living. What are the measures being taken to address the escalating cost of living issue?
A: The main thing is to increase production. Production will come back to normalcy by the end of this Maha season as we are getting fertiliser. As the prevailing climate is generally good for the cultivation and chemical fertiliser coming into the field, farmers will have more yield. The more yield means more production. It would be able to meet the demand. If there is more in the form of supply, this would lead to meet the demand. People should use whatever the money they have for some sort of a production and that is the way to reduce the escalating inflation and cost of living.
Q: In view of the recent conflicts between civilians and Police and military personnel at fuel stations, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, in a letter to the President, has warned of unprecedented turmoil if the unrest persists. Would you like to comment?
A: This civil uprising and lawlessness of the country was partly fuelled by lawyers. They intervened in everything and took everyone out of the jail and appeared for the protection of a significant numbers of those who breach the civil law of the country. However, a certain section of the lawyers didn’t appear for such culprits. When looking at the incidents occurring at fuel stations, it is obvious that those were manipulated by thugs.
The Police don’t come forward because they are afraid of these lawyers. They interfere in and safeguard the culprits who break the civil law of the country. So, the Police are also helpless because of the interference of these lawyers. Lawyers’ job is to ensure that they mediate to establish the law and order of the country. At present, they are the same people who encourage certain elements to break the law in the country.
Q: The country seems to be heading for an unofficial lockdown, with schools being closed and public transport being limited. What is the solution to overcome this critical situation?
A: Unfortunately, this is owing to the fuel shortage. It is mainly because of the lack of dollar supply and partly because of the depreciation of the rupee. So, we have to somehow bring back normalcy. Until such time, we will have to undergo some difficulties.