Personal attacks mar 9th parliament's first day of business

A day after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa delivered the Government's policy statement, Friday's first debate of the ninth Parliament failed to make a mark, with MPs veering off topics and at times, launching personal attacks against each other.

There was, however, much back and forth over the President’s statement during his speech the day before that the Government intended to swiftly abolish the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The Opposition called on the Government to clarify these remarks as to whether they meant the Government intended to keep positive elements of 19A or whether it intended to do away with the amendment altogether.

In a significant move, the task of kicking off the debate fell on newly elected Matara district Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) MP Nipuna Ranawaka. Mr Ranawaka is the nephew of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda

Rajapaksa. He topped the preferential vote list from Matara at the August 5 Parliamentary election. The 29-year-old, one of the youngest MPs in the new legislature, used his speech to thank the voters of Matara for electing him to Parliament and extend his support to the objectives set out by President Rajapaksa in his Policy Statement, including strengthening local industries, providing more employment opportunities for youth and abolishing the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena pointed out that a large number of young MPs have been elected to the new legislature and added that both the President and Prime Minister were keen to see them develop as proficient lawmakers.

The Opposition meanwhile, demanded that the Government clarifies its stance with regard to the 19th Amendment. Chief Opposition Whip and Samagi Jana Balawegaya ( SJB) Kandy district MP Lakshman Kiriella, pointed out that many of those in the Government, who represented the Opposition then, voted in 2015 to approve the very amendment which they are now criticising with much vehemence.

“We only had about 45 MPs in the Government. The Opposition helped us to achieve the two-thirds majority required to approve the 19th Amendment. Why are they suddenly now trying to abolish it?”

Mr Kiriella further questioned whether the Government’s stance on abolishing 19A meant that it intended to also do away with the independent commissions established under it.

“The President also spoke about ‘one country, one law.’ How does he intend to go about doing that? Does that mean the Government will abolish the various personal laws such as Kandyan Law, Thesawalamai Law and Muslim Law? These laws are hundreds of years old. It is not practical to abolish them all,” he remarked.

Though elected by a sweeping majority last November, President Rajapaksa could not call an election to form a Government as 19A

tied his hands and prevented him from dissolving Parliament until it had completed 4 ½ years of its term, Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena said.

“The 19th Amendment left the country in a mess. It muzzled the President and tied his hands. The ridiculous Commissions appointed under 19A further muddled matters. The President will soon present a clear mechanism to abolish the 19th Amendment.”

Former President Maithripala Sirisena also spoke during the debate. However, Mr Sirisena, who was instrumental in ensuring the passage of 19A only to later become one of its most ardent critics, largely avoided the topic. Beyond stating that lawmakers have so far failed to approve a Constitution that was suitable to the country, the former President largely avoided the subject, preferring instead to speak about food security.

While the 1978 Constitution was outdated and a new Constitution was needed to better protect the rights of all communities, the Jathika Jana Balawegaya (JJB) will oppose any attempt to again centralise power in the hands of a single individual, JJB Gampaha district MP Vijitha Herath insisted. “It is true that 19A has its flaws, but it was thanks to the independent Election Commission that was established under it that recent elections have been largely peaceful and free of the violence,” Mr Herath noted, adding that they will staunchly oppose any attempt to do away with independent commissions.

Galle district SJB MP Manusha Nanayakkara meanwhile, told Parliament that as many as 126 government institutions out of 434, or 29 percent of all institutions, come under the purview of members of the Rajapaksa family.

“The President and Prime Minister are from the same family. Chamal and Namal Rajapaksa are Cabinet Ministers while Shashindra Rajapaksa is a State Minister. Nipuna Ranawaka is a District Coordinating Committee Chairman.”

Mr Nanayakkara pointed out that Mahinda Rajapaksa holds three different Cabinet portfolios - Buddha Sasana, Finance, Housing and Urban Development, with 66 different institutions coming under him. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa meanwhile, has 23 institutions under him as Minister of Defence, though the 19th Amendment prohibits the President from holding a ministerial portfolio. Chamal Rajapaksa holds 17 institutions in his capacity as a Cabinet Minister and State Minister while his son Shashindra holds six as a State Minister. Namal Rajapaksa also holds seven institutions.

The MP added that seven institutions such as the Board of Investment, Telecommunications Re gulatory Commission and Sri Lanka Telecom come under the COVID-19 Presidential Task Force headed by Basil Rajapaksa. In contrast, there is one State Minister for Ports and Shipping, who is not a Rajapaksa family member, who does not have a single institution gazetted under him, he further observed.

Mr Nanayakkara questioned whether the developments meant the “Sahodara Samagama” of the Rajapaksas was back in full force. The speech prompted State Minister Nimal Lanza to launch an ugly personal attack on Mr Nanayakkara, to which the latter replied with similar unseemly remarks, resulting in the first real heated exchange of the new Parliament.

The debate, which began at 9.30 a.m., concluded at 4.30 p.m. with the Statement of Government Policy being approved without a vote.