President, PM...
PRESIDENT, PM MAY DECIDE ON RAVI’S FATE: SB
President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe may take a decision on Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayaka after he gives evidence before the Commission of Inquiry (COI) on bond scam on August 2, Social Empowerment and Welfare Minister S.b.dissanayaka said yesterday. I believe the President and PM will take a decision on him after he appears before the PCOI
Minister Dissanayaka admitted that certain information revealed during the COI proceedings the other day involving Minister Karunanayaka were extremely damaging to the government and to minister Karunanayaka himself.
“We must not discuss this issue in public until next Wednesday (August 2) as Minister Karunanayaka has given an undertaking that he would appear before the COI to give his side of story and answer any questions. Let’s wait until then. However, I believe President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe will take a decision on him after he appears before the COI,” Minister Dissanayaka said in response to a question raised by a journalist at yesterday’s weekly SLFP news briefing at the party office. Commenting on the strike launched by CEYPETCO employees against the Hambantota Port Development Agreement with China, Minister Dissanayaka said the SLFP hierarchy was unhappy over the support given to the trade union action by Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya of CEYPETCO. “President Sirisena was able to change the Hambantota Port Framework Agreement in favour of Sri Lanka after some tough negotiations with the Chinese. He has given a firm pledge that under no circumstances, the Yahapalana Government would sell an inch of land in the country outright to any foreigner like former President Mahinda Rajapaksa sold 6 acres of prime land in Colombo to Shangri-la hotel Project, 240 acres in Port City to Chinese.this government was able to change the agreement in favour of Sri Lanka and obtain US$ 1.4 billion to increase our foreign reserves. Besides, a trade union has no right whatsoever to oppose the government policy.when Rajapaksa sold Sri Lanka’s assets to foreigners not a single member in the cabinet opposed it and all transactions were hushed up.”
Science Technology and Research Minister Lakshman Seneviratne said it was after the intervention of President Sirisena, the CEYPETCO employees consented to call off the strike. ‘We are totally against the cooperation of the members of the Sri Lanka Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya to the strike. But under the SLFP current leadership, they are fully independent and free to decide on any matter without the pressure from the top,” Minister Seneviratne stressed.
Responding to a journalist, Minister Seneviratne said he was glad that a petition had been filed by Ven. Keeniyawala Palitha Thera against the Parliamentary oversight committee and its members including him had been summoned before the Supreme Court and added that findings of the COPE will be further established in the highest court. .