MPs fiddle with Constitution-making while fuel prices burn the populace

The Constitution-making process in the country, like most other things, is off track. While the Government began its Constitutional process in January 2016, a move which hasn’t made much headway, the JVP introduced the 20th Amendment to the Constitution to Parliament last month, only to have most of its clauses shot down by the Supreme Court (SC) this week.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced the SC’s determination to Parliament on Tuesday, in which the 3-member Bench of the SC said that, much of the Bill would need to be approved by a special majority in the House, as well as by the people, at a Referendum, to become Law. As to why the introduction of an Amendment to the Constitution is needed, at a time when the Government is looking to bring about a brand-new Constitution, begs the question behind the real motive for such a move, which, if enacted, would have given more power to the Prime Minister, while taking away some of the President's powers.

While amending and making new Constitutions maybe the fancy of politicians, it is the last thing in the minds of the people these days, given the economic hardship they are facing, brought on by 3 consecutive monthly hikes in fuel prices, based on a mysterious pricing formula.

JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake raised the issue of the fuel pricing formula in Parliament, asking the Government to make public the methodology used when revising fuel prices.

“We have asked several times to table that elusive formula in Parliament. We used the provisions of the Right to Information Act as well, to obtain it but, we have not been given it. Nobody knows what this formula is. Even the Finance Minister of the country says this formula is prepared by a 'formula gang' and he does not know of it,” the JVP MP said.

He asked Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to either table the formula or explain it to this House.

However, the Prime Minister himself seemed to be in the dark on how the fuel pricing formula works and said he did not have the workings.

“Price increase of fuel is inevitable in the current global context, be there a pricing formula or not. Whatever the methodology used to calculate the pricing formula, the impact of the highly volatile global situation will be felt,” the Prime Minister said.

He also warned that difficult days are ahead for the economy, if the US imposes sanctions on Iran in November, thus deepening the global crisis. “World oil consumption usually increases from November to April because of the winter season. Some even predicted that the price of a barrel of crude oil, which is at US$ 80, could rise to even US$ 90. On the other hand, the US$ is getting stronger and, as a result, the currencies of many developing countries have depreciated. As a Government, we are ready to deal with these twin crises, while giving the necessary relief to the people,” the Prime Minister said.

He added that India revises the oil prices daily while some other countries revise the oil prices weekly, but Sri Lanka does not have the technical expertise to make daily adjustment to the oil prices and hence, the monthly adjustments.

“Oil price revisions were an administrative decision of the Government until 2015, when we proposed to go by world market prices and hence, give the benefit to the people by reducing the prices. I can only explain the policy decisions. You have to sort out any technical matters with (Finance) Minister Mangala Samaraweera,” he said.

Meanwhile, the media came under the spotlight in Parliament this week, with both Development Strategies & International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrama and MP Hirunika Premachandra claiming that, certain media organizations were on a personal vendetta against them.

Minister Samarawickrama was angry about media reports that alleged a sum of Rs 150 million had been credited to his Bank account and the Central Bank had frozen the funds.

“This is a totally false allegation. I have checked with the Central Bank and I am informed that no such funds had been received to be credited to anyone of the Cabinet Minister’s accounts,” he said, adding that, the Speaker must take necessary steps to prevent MPs being insulted and defamed by the irresponsible media, coming out with fake news. “If not, no decent person will want to enter Parliament,” he said.

Colombo District MP Hirunika Premachandra too made a hard hitting speech against some media institutions that were engaged in mudslinging campaigns against her, and demanded that the Government and the Speaker take action against these organizations.