PARLIAMENT

PM initiates motion to extend State of Emergency by another month

Sandasen MARASINGHE and Irangika RANGE

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa presided when Parliament met at 1 pm yesterday.

After presentation of papers and oral questions, Prime Minister D M Jayaratne moved the motion to extend the State of Emergency by another one month.

Prime Minister D M Jayaratne: The government has already taken measures to repeal the State of Emergency with the instruction of the Security Council.

The motion will be moved in Parliament soon. But still LTTE friendly groups were functioning overseas to give a new life to the LTTE. Hauls of weapons are being recovered by the Security Forces. Under various reasons, I request the House to extend the State of Emergency by another one month.

Lakshman Kiriella (UNP): The government uses Emergency Regulations to suppress the ordinary people, especially the youth. It also uses the Emergency Regulations to suppress protests and strikes launched by the people.

The government has failed in bringing a political solution for the ethnic conflict though two years have elapsed since the end of war.

There was no media-freedom in the country. The News Editor of the ‘Udayan’ newspaper had been attacked. Nearly 30 journalists have been assassinated, while several media institutions have been attacked and destroyed.

The government was still unable to find those responsible for these incidents.

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinghe (UPFA): Today we are moving towards the correct and right directions. The benefits of ending terrorism should reach all citizens in Sri Lanka. Still, some spoilers and betrayers are trying to destroy the country.

It was the government’s responsibility to prevent the raising of ugly heads of terrorism once again. That is why the state of Emergency was being extended month after month.

The UNP was trying to destabilize the country. Some foreign elements too were working with the UNP in this direction.

Mavai S Senathirajah (TNA): Community and ethnicity were being decimated in the North. Democratic rights of the people should be ensured by the government. High security zones were still existing. More than 50 percent of the lands belonging to the Tamil people were still under control of the security forces.

We received the biggest mandate from the people in the North at the previous local government elections.

We are committed to fulfilling their needs and serve them to our maximum capacity. First of all, forces must be withdrawn from the lands belonging to the people. Then the Emergency Regulations should be lifted.

Vijitha Herath (DNA): Though the government had promised the people that the state of Emergency would be lifted, still month after month, it was being debated in Parliament. The government has deceived the people.

Today we do not know what was the actual reason for the extending of Emergency Regulations after two years of ending the war.

The normal law was more than sufficient to control the country. Though the government proclaimed that democracy had been established in the North, the News Editor of the ‘Udayan’ newspaper had been brutally assaulted within the high security zone.

Arundika Fernando (UPFA): We were acting in a democratic manner. Terrorism had been eliminated. Peace had been restored. Several foreign elements who were against our military victory, were trying to destabilize the country. They were trying to create havoc in the country. They insist that sanctions be imposed on Sri Lanka.

Dayasiri Jayasekara (UNP): The News Editor of ‘Udayan’ newspaper had been criticizing the activities of the government. He had been brutally attacked within the High Security Zone. Though the war had been over and peace has been restored, journalists were still attacked. The government had still failed in conducting proper investigations and taking steps to bring the culprits responsible for killings and harassing and threatening journalists to book.

Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen: Government officials who handled the resettlement process, should have been more caring towards resettlers.

They should look into the difficulties of the resettlers and give them proper solutions. Nobody has shown any concern towards the problems faced by the Muslims.

Though India shows concern for the Tamils, noone considers the requirements of the Muslims in the North and East. Lands belonging to the Muslims, should be given back to them. All Muslims should be allowed to live with dignity.

Harin Fernando (UNP): There was no law prevailing in the country. The country has incurred huge losses due to the hedging deal. But there was nobody to take the responsibility for this.

Due to the lack of teachers, schools have been closed down. Patients faced many untold difficulties due to lack of doctors in hospitals islandwide. Sri Lanka has now lost face in the world.

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka: We must mention the biased conduct of USA and UK. Several LTTE leaders have been given refugee status by these two countries.

It had been proved that UK and the USA were responsible for war crimes by assassinating thousands of people.

So we regret that such countries talk of war crimes against Sri Lanka.

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody takes the Chair.

Democracy had been suppressed due to the war for the past 30 years in the North and East. Now the entire region was free.

Ranjan Ramanayake (UNP): The real hero of the war has been imprisoned. General Sarath Fonseka played a crucial role in defeating terrorism.

Actually, he was the real hero behind the great victory. But he was imprisoned by the government under false allegations and complaints.

V S Radhakrishnan (UPFA): Several innocent youth in the plantation sector have been arrested without proper reasons. They must be released. Many teachers in several schools in the plantation sector have been transferred. This could not be justified.

R Yogeswaran (TNA): The people in Mulliwaikkal have been chased away. The government must take all possible steps to resettle them in their own lands by giving them all required facilities.

P H Piyasena (UPFA): Sinhala and Tamil should be made compulsory for schoolchildren.

There should not be any difference between the Sinhalese and Tamils.

The Emergency was very important and should be continued since it would be a barrier for terrorism.

Palitha Thewarpperuma (UNP): We are not in an environment to engage in politics. Very recently at night when I stopped my car near a hotel to have a cup of tea, a police officer from the Mathugama Police who was in civils and under the influence of liquor, took away the keys of my vehicle.

Murugesu Chandrakumar (UPFA): Certain media institutions mislead the readers. After the elimination of terrorism, the media should direct the public along the correct path without misleading them.

The behaviour of certain media personnel was also responsible for the continuance of the extension of emergency regulation.

Conflicts shouldn’t be created continuously. The people should unite to bring relief to themselves. The political parties should find solutions that protect the public, but not the parties. The lives of the people in the North were becoming easier day by day. Their economic standards were developing. Some groups were not willing to observe these positive changes. If they create conflicts it was the common people who fall into trouble. The TNA was also responsible for the pains suffered by the people in Vavunia.

A H M Azwer takes the Chair

Ajith P Perera (UNP): Aftermath of the humanitarian operations, the UNP requested for the repeal of the State of Emergency. After 3 years of the elimination of terrorism, the government says, it would take measures to repeal the emergency law soon.

The government was using the State of Emergency to achieve their ends such as to postpone elections to strengthen its political stability.

Senior Minister DEW Gunasekara: The State of Emergency was first imposed in 1983 and then thereafter it was extended for 17 long years. But the State of Emergency was imposed by the UNP in 1983 and it was not imposed at the proper time, but later. If it was imposed at the correct time, there would not have been any war. Due to the war and the State of Emergency, only people of grass root levels suffer.

So we don’t need to extend the State of Emergency any more. But the State of Emergency with only a few necessary clauses was maintained and extended today.

We have to strengthen relationships with India. India and one of its states, Tamilnadu were also decisive factors to Sri Lanka.

Eran Wickramaratne (UNP): I too agree that our relationship with India should be further strengthened. I expect discussions between the Government and the TNA would continue.

The State of Emergency should only be imposed during times of emergency. So we oppose this motion since there was no such necessity created for an emergency law to be imposed.

Posts and Civil Aviation Deputy Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena: The opposition claimed that the State of Emergency was a threat to democracy.

Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody takes the Chair

They have forgotten that the State of Emergency was used to eliminate terrorism and reinforce democracy. The opposition said the Local Government elections was held under the State of Emergency. But the TNA had received a considerable number of votes. If we misused the State of Emergency at elections, how did they achieve this result? The election results state that the government had won the hearts of the people in the North.

Certain groups have attempted to destroy the peace in the North, which was achieved aftermath of elimination of terrorism.

The JVP speaks of “Greese Yakas” in Mahiyanganaya. But investigations have revealed the “4 Grease Yakas” that were arrested were JVP organizers. The JVP cannot gather 10 youth today for a rally held in a village.

We don’t need to extend the State of Emergency. But if we ask the public that we should extend the State of Emergency, they would say it should be extended to defeat the groups that support the LTTE friendly forces overseas, that attempts to give a new life to the LTTE.

Parliament adjourned until 1 pm today.

Speaker appeals to members in House:

Help make CPA confab a success

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa yesterday invited all the members in Parliament to join in making the next conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, which is to be held in Sri Lanka next year, for protecting the prestige of the country.

The Speaker extended this invitation in the Parliament when the members of the House congratulated and felicitated him for his being elected as President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

He also said that it was not his personal gain, but due to his position as the Speaker of Parliament in Sri Lanka.

He said that Sri Lanka has been selected as the next country for the next Commmonwealth Parliamentary Association to be held next year and the conference would be held from September 5 to September 12 in 2012. He added that this was a historic opportunity for the country and thanked all those who congratulated him.

Leader of the House and Irrigation and Water Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva: On behalf of the government, I congratulate Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa for his election as President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at its historic juncture of celebrating the 100th anniversary. The conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association was to be hosted by Sri Lanka, which was a great honour to our country. All should support to make the conference a success,” the Minister said.

John Amarathunga (UNP Chief Opposition Whip): Not only Sri Lanka, but the international community too were aware that our Speaker was just so that he has been elected to the honourable post of the President of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. This incident was an honour to the Opposition of Parliament. We too join to congratulate the Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa.

Prime Minister D M Jayaratne: Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa’s election to the post of President of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association was a prestige to our country.

When we consider his family, 9 members have been elected to Parliament and rendered services to develop this country since 1934.

Their family joined politics following in the footsteps of D M Rajapaksa and D A Rajapaksa. Their family’s contribution to bring development that was confined to Colombo was so massive.

The conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association that was to be held in Sri Lanka next year, would be of great benefit to dispel the distorted image among international communities about Sri Lanka, the Prime Minister said.

R Sampanthan (TNA): We too join in congratulating you on your being elected as President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The manner in which you discharged your function with distinction, have brought fame to this country. The conference to be held next year, would restore the image of this country.

Anura Kumara Dissanayake (DNA): We too join in congratulating the Speaker’s elections as President of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. He had been given one of the rarest opportunities to elevate our country to an upper stratum among other countries.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe: The first Commonwealth Parliamentary Association was held in 1911 at the Parliament of England and the 100th one was also held at the same place in line with tradition. The next conference was also a very important one and it has brought us prestige as it was to be held in Sri Lanka. The Charter of the Commonwealth was to be presented during next year’s conference.

However, this conference too was a matter that should have been considered as one of Parliaments.

Party leaders should be met and discussions held as how to make this conference a success. The Sri Lankans were reputed for their hospitality and many persons too had talked of it at the conference as well.

Senior Minister D E W Gunasekara: We are all aware that the Speaker gave us proper leadership, which had been accepted by the international community and he was also elected as the President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

I am happy of his success as an intimate friend was since childhood.

Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem: It was historic that we were given the opportunity of hosting the next conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

The CWPA believes of our ability to conduct large conferences of this nature.

National Languages and National Integration Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara: We have shown the world that we could protect democracy. I am proud of him as a schoolmate of Richmond College.

Water Supply and Drainage Minister Dinesh Gunawardena: The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association had been dramatically changed from its original stature that had been founded 100 years ago.

A large number of countries from other Continents were members of this Association. This has become a platform for various opinions of various countries.