Parliament

Lord Nesby said that development in SL was amazing- Prof Peiris

Sandasen MARASINGHE and Irangika RANGE

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa presided when Parliament met at 1 pm.

After presentation of papers and oral questions, the House took up the adjournment motion moved by the TNA Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sampanthan for debate.

R. Sampanthan (TNA): The joint statement issued by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on behalf of the government and the Secretary General on behalf of the United Nations on the conclusion of the Secretary General's visit to Sri Lanka on May 23, 2009 inter-alia states as follow:

Sri Lanka reiterated its strongest commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, in keeping with international human rights standards and Sri Lanka's international obligations. The Secretary General underlined the importance of an accountability process for addressing violations of International Humanitarian and Human Rights laws. The government will take measures to address those grievances. President Rajapaksa and the Secretary General agreed that addressing the aspirations and grievances of all communities and working towards a lasting political solution was fundamental to ensuring long term socio-economic development. President Rajapaksa expressed his firm resolve to proceed with the implementation of the 13th Amendment as well as to begin a broader dialogue with all parties, including the Tamil parties in the circumstances to further enhance this process to bring about lasting peace and development in Sri Lanka. More than 300,000 people became victims of the war which disregarded international norms by the warring parties. Indeed, the conduct of the war by them represented a grave assault on the entire regime of international law designed to protect individual dignity during both war and peace. The government has released a National Plan of Action to implement the recommendations of the LLRC. This Action Plan has not been formulated after due consultation with Parliament or the democratically elected representatives of the affected people.

Why aren't the recommendations in the LLRC implemented?

A.H.M. Azwer takes the chair:

S. Samanthiran (TNA): I second the motion. I will make my speech later.

External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris: Sampanthan talked emotionally about the past. We know that the present is built on the past. But to be captivated in the past is not a constructive approach to find solutions. More than 70 percent of his speech was quotations. He has an unrealistic approach. We are proud of the developments that have taken place in the country. In other countries it has taken over a decade to come back to normalcy after a war. But we have only passed three years. Lord Nesby says that no bombing has taken place since May 2009. We are immensely proud of this achievement. He told his peers in the House of Commons that the development infrastructure in Sri Lanka was truly amazing since 2009. He also said that the people in Jaffna are provided with clean and safe water. Lord Nesby said that life in Jaffna is bouncing back to normal. He said that the final part of the demining process is to be done to resettle the inmates and close-down the camp. Lord Nesby said that he visited the Boosa camp and the Manik Farm camp and inspected even the washing facilities and sleeping facilities. If he said something that pleased you, it would have been highlighted to the entire world. But when the judgment is on the other side you don't talk about it. This is not an isolated new event. Even the European Union, Britain and Germany held the same view. The Indian Foreign Minister Srathi Suslima Suraraj maintained the same view. Sampanthan is waiting for a foreign solution not a domestic one. The UN resolution caused some people to build castles in the air.

Deputy Chairman of Committees Murugesu Chandrakumar takes the Chair:

Nobody from outside is going to impose a solution for this country. Sri Lanka is peaceful. In other countries the situation is going from bad to worse and it in not a case for outsiders to step into their matters. The Opposition wants us to submit our response to the Universal Periodic Review. It is not only for us. 192 countries submit this report once in four years in rotation. Our turn comes in the first week of November. When we submit it, it will be translated into six languages and put on the website. The whole world will have access to it. Early next week it will be put on the web site. We invite all to visit our country. We have invited even the Human Rights Commissioner of the UN to visit our country. I categorically state on this floor that the South African delegation did not talk a single word on mediation facilitation as Sampanthan said. I catogoically reject the allegations made by Sampanthan that there is starvation and lack of drugs in Jaffna causing deaths. The political solution is a mistake attributed to others by Sampanthan. I say that Sampanthan has a great responsibility. He should not let this opportunity slip through his fingers. I request Sampanthan not resort to the blame game. In a spirit of freshness, come and give your thoughts to finalize a solution.

M.A. Samanthiran (TNA): The government has been repeatedly talking of a solution for the past three years. But there are no signs of a solution and no meaningful steps have been taken to deliver the promise of a permanent political solution.

Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Minister Douglas Devananda: If the TNA really wants to implement the 13th Amendment, it should come forward and co-operate with the government. If the TNA joins hands with the government to implement the 13th Amendment we too will co-operate.

As far as the Tamil People's land problems are concerned the TNA has not acted to solve the problems pertaining to Tamils. They have acted against Tamils. That is why Tamils reject TNA members. Tamil people in the North and East live peacefully and freely today. They need political solutions but, the TNA has not done anything to come up with any solution. The TNA has only focussed on their personnel benefits.

M. Swaminadan (UNP): This debate is very important. Even though three years have passed after elimination of terrorism, people in the North and East are still suffering. It is commendable that development activities are taking place in the North and East. But it is questionable, whether people in the North and East are really enjoying the benefits of the development activities. It is necessary for the government to come up with solutions to the ethnic conflict. Why has the government delayed in implementing the LLRC recommendations?

Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera: The government has already allocated Rs. 50.9 billion for development activities in the North. During my visit to the North recently, I met youth who were rehabilitated. They said that no TNA member visited their areas to listen to their problems except government members. The TNA always alleges the government with regard to the resettlement issue. I must say that people who were chased away by the LTTE in Anandapuram will be resettled shortly. Likewise, all IDPs will be resettled in their original lands after the land mining process in over.

Vijitha Herath (DNA): The government has the entire responsibility to come up with the political solution to end t he ethnic conflict. The government should understand the reality and gravity of the problem before coming up with solutions.

A.H.M. Azwer (UPFA): MP Sampanthan today made use of this Parliament as a propaganda campaign targeting the upcoming elections in the North. It is only under the Mahinda Rajapaksa era that the North and East witnessed a massive development drive.

People in the North and East never accepts the TNA as a leading party. They have not fulfilled a single pledge given to the Tamil people. It was only President Rajapaksa who brought peace and harmony to this country.

Irrigation and Water Resources Management Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva:

At this stage A.H.M. Azwer took the Chair: Vijitha Herath spoke about the Tamil people. Now the the JVP tries to find a solace at last from them as it has become a failure today. But the JVP declined to participate at the Parliamentary Select Committee meetings at the outset. They said they are against the devolution of power. However today they shed crocodile tears. In the government's endeavours do find a solution, the Opposition did not send their nominees to the Parliamentary Select Committee. Now six months have lapsed.

If they sent their nominees, solutions would have already been reached. The President and the government trust that solutions could only be reached by means of discussions. Why don't you join the discussions? We request you to come and join the Parliamentary Select Committee at least even after the elections.

Parliament adjourned until 1 p.m on September 18.

 'Errors in question papers blown out of proportion' - Education Minister

Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena found fault with teacher trade unions for blowing the issue of errors in question papers out of proportion with the intention of instigating public against government.

In a reply speech to a series of questions raised by JVP Parliamentary Group MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake during a special statement made to Parliament on Tuesday, the Minister yesterday said that there had been no series errors. A group of trade unionists with ulterior motives created a mountain out of a mole hill. He said that the government has instructed the Examinations Commissioner to create a bank of question papers so that next year papers would have errors less than zero point one percent. "The so-called errors in this year question papers were less than one percent. The percentage was zero point seven percent. This usually occurs in all the question papers. The issue had been blown out of proportions. There were 532 types of question papers prepared by a panel of over 300 professors and doctors. There had been several slight mistakes. The unionists with political agenda took the issue to the streets to set off public displeasure on incumbent government," he said.

Instant solutions to RDA job issues

On a directive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Ports and Highways Ministry has launched a mobile service programme to find instant solutions to job problems encountered by the staff of the Road Development Authority.

The first mobile service under this programme was held at the Nuwara Eliya Town hall on August 16 presided by Ports and Highways Deputy Minister Nirmala Kotalawela. Over 500 RDA staff representing Hanguranketha, Nuwara Eliya and Norwood Executive Engineers' Divisions attended the mobile service and obtained solutions to their problems. Ports and Highways Ministry Secretary R W R Premasiri, RDA Director General W A S Weerasinghe, Director (Administration) A A Ariyaratne and all institutional heads, Executives and chief engineers attended to representations made by the employees.