PM leads House in a game of Dodgeball

The Parliamentary debate on the reports of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCI) to investigate and inquire into the issuance of Treasury Bonds and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into serious acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC), was held this week. Following are excerpts of speeches made by some of the MPs during the debate, which will continue for 2 more days in the coming week.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe:

The debate on the Bond Commission and on PRECIFAC had to be taken up today as the Election Commission's Chairman informed me that the Local Government (LG) elections would have to be postponed, if the debate was held on Feb.8. Hence, I informed the Speaker to convene the House on Feb.6, following a request made by Chief Opposition Whip MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who wanted the debate held before the LG elections. I will not delve into all of the contents of these reports but, I would like to ask from the parties in Parliament, whether they support amending Section 81 of the Constitution, to deprive a person found guilty of serious crimes, of his Civic rights? Are the party leaders ready to amend Section 81 of the Constitution or, are they scared to do so? Legislation to reorganise the Central Bank will be introduced to Parliament soon, as recommended by the PCI. We will also present Legislation to create a Budget office to Parliament soon.

Chief Opposition Whip & JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake:

The Prime Minister was very careful in his speech, in avoiding references to the Bond scam. There is a big debate in the country on this, which has created a serious impact on our lives. It has not been discussed as it should have been. These Commission reports show very clearly the serious loopholes in our laws that allow corruption to continue. Public money is pilfered by politicians, who assume power in this country, temporarily. Then they lose power and then, again return to rob some more. We are glad that, even belatedly, the culprits responsible for corruption have been identified and some apprehended. However they must be duly punished.

Minister of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources, Mahinda Amaraweera:

We had a bitter experience with stripping the Civic rights of late Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandanaike and therefore, we don't want to be involved in a similar exercise. The judiciary must deal on how to punish wrongdoers. The PCI on the Bond issue was not appointed targeting the UNP, but many in the UNP think it was appointed targeting that party. The Bond Commission has looked into the malpractices that took place in 2008 too, and those who robbed public funds, whoever they are, will be punished.

Deputy Minister of Finance & Mass Media, Lasantha Alagiyawanna:

Parliament is vested with the powers to debate issues that are of importance to the public, and expose those who act against the public interest. In 2015, most of us worked for the victory of Mahinda Rajapaksa. However, he was rejected by the people. We have done a self-assessment on why we lost and have humbly concluded that we are also stakeholders in this defeat. Under the leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena, we have embarked on a clean political path. Today, the whole country is working unitedly towards the eradication of corruption and fraud.

UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa:

Some are trying to highlight other cases of fraud and corruption and sweep the Treasury Bond scam under the carpet. But the Bond scam is worse than all the other frauds put together. This was an organised crime and, as a result, the whole economy of the country has been affected. The Central Bank was taken out of the Finance Ministry’s control and vested with the Prime Minister. Arjuna Mahendran, who is not a Sri Lankan, was appointed the Central Bank Governor. He is someone who funded the election campaign of this government. Had the previous mechanism been used to issue Bonds, this fraud could have been avoided.

UNP MP Ravi Karunanayaka:

I wholeheartedly agree with the President’s sentiments expressed in his Independence Day speech, that the need to fight corruption is the defence of a nation. During the past, corruption, wastefulness and brutality became norms accepted in society. The reason economic development could not be achieved in the country was due to the petty political agendas of a few. However, we laid the foundation needed to establish good governance on Jan.8, 2015. But, we must prove our good intentions through our deeds. Those who don’t even know how many zeros are there in a million or billion, are talking about the losses in the Bond issue. The Bond issue is not just an issue of the previous government or, this one, but corruption has become a culture in this country. Some elements are trying to portray me as the biggest sinner and culprit. This sinister move is still taking place. But no matter how much mudslinging or humiliation I am made to undergo, I can still be content with the fact that the efforts we made to establish good governance in this country, is bearing fruit.

Deputy Minister of National Policies & Economic Affairs Dr Harsha de Silva:

For the first time, a report of the Committee on Public Enterprise (COPE) has come this far. The CID and the Attorney General’s Department officers have had the freedom to carry out their investigations independently, without any political interference. Personally, I have engaged in ethical politics and I am not afraid to accept what is right and stand up against what is wrong.