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President to make all government MPs ministers to all intents and purposes, says Prof. Herath

Published

2 years ago

2023/08/12

By Rathindra Kuruwita

President Ranil Wickremesinghe is trying to give portfolios of sorts to all MPs who support him in Parliament by establishing a committee to advice the Governors on administering the Provincial Councils, says dissident SLPP MP Prof. Charitha Herath.

Prof. Herath, who is a member of the Freedom People’s Congress (FPC), said the President had in his address to Parliament on Wednesday (09) that he intended to appoint the Chairman or Chief of the Provincial Supervisory Committee, the District Development Committee Chairman, and Members of Parliament representing political parties in the province.

The proposed Advisory Council was to be co-chaired by the Governor and a nominated Member of Parliament from the respective province, the President said. The Governor would oversee executive matters while the MP would take care of the legislative affairs, he added.

“Currently, there are 45 functioning Provincial Council Ministries. Oversight committees can be established for these ministries, with parliamentarians who have no other responsibilities being appointed as their heads,” the President mentioned.

Prof. Herath said that the MP who co-chaired the Advisory Council is like a chief minister.

“The Provincial Councils can have four ministers. The President wants to appoint 36 MPs to hold these portfolios. There are close to 70 ministers and state ministers already. He can appoint another 45 MPs as provincial chief ministers and ministers. This way, all MPs who support him in Parliament get perks and privileges,” he said.

Prof. Herath added that it was obvious that the President had no interest in reconciliation. “He is creating a network of patronage that would help him in the coming presidential election.

“This is an idea that the President presented during the All-Party Conference (APC) as well. He wants to establish district development councils, which allows him to appoint more of his supporters.”

Prof. Herath said the President’s proposals on devolution had many contradictions. “This can be explained by the fact that opportunitism and creating patronage networks are the building blocks of Wickremesinghe’s thinking.

“People ahould listen carefully to Wickremesinghe’s speech in Parliament on Wednesday. In the first half, he talks about implementing the 13A. In the second half he proposes certain things that would weaken Provincial Councils. His plan is to say certain things that could attract Tamil votes while providing job opportunities to Southern politician who had a hold on the Sinhala voters. His plan is to confuse and confound everyone. This is how he has always operated,” he said.

Wickremesinghe also told Parliament that the government allocates 550 billion rupees a year on Provincial Councils and that the councils do not use the money optimally. Then he proposes to cut 50 billion from the budget for the councils, Herath said.

“The President is implying that although they have held no elections and don’t want to, the councils spend money nonetheless. He suggests that the best way to spend the 550 billion is to appoint MPs to each district and spend the money through them. The is pork barrel politics at its best,” he said.

Another one of Wickremesinghe’s proposal is to allow MPs to contest Provincial Councils, Prof. Herath said.

“It is obvious to everyone that the President is acting in bad faith. I don’t think anyone came to the APC with great expectations and the President seems to now understand that most political parties are suspicious of his intentions. He has also asked us to send proposals on strengthening the 13A. However, most political parties clearly told the President that they would react when he presents them with the government’s proposals. What’s the point in us making suggestions when we don’t know what the SLPP thinks?” he asked.

The FPC MP said the 13A is a proposed solution to an important question. Sri Lanka, since independence, has not been able to figure out what kind of a country it wants to be, he said. There is no consensus between Sinhalese and Tamils about what the state should look like, he added.

“We are a small country. If 13A is an actual solution, we can explore it. But, everyone is using 13A to their own advantage, especially the President,” he said.

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US raid on Venezuela violation of UN Charter and intl. law: Govt.

Published

8 hours ago

2026/01/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

Herath

Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday (05) told a media conference at his Ministry that the UN should deal with the US for violating international law.

Herath, who is also a senior member of the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) party’s National Executive Council, in addition to being a member of the JVP politburo, emphasised that member states couldn’t violate UN Charter and international laws.

The Minister said so when The Island sought the government’s position on the abduction of legally elected Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a lightning raid carried out amidst heavy air strikes on that country. We raised the issue at hand pointing out that there were persistent allegations regarding US and Indian interventions in the 2022 regime change operation here and that the NPP finalised defence agreements with Washington and New Delhi.

Minister Herath said that Sri Lanka backed the ongoing UN Security Council bid to deal with the developing situation in Venezuela.

Herath was flanked by Deputy Foreign Minister Arun Hemachandra and Deputy Tourism Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe.

Minister Herath said that the UN Security Council was scheduled to take up this issue today. The US is one of the five members of the UN Security Council.

In terms of the UN Charter, UN members are to refrain from the “use of force” against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. Another permanent member of the UN Security Council, France, broke ranks with the Western block to condemn US action. France unequivocally declared that the US operation was a “violation of sovereignty.

Minister Herath didn’t respond to the query whether he discussed the issue at hand with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

While pointing out that Sri Lanka had been subjected to foreign interventions, The Island sought the position the JVP in respect of US President Donald Trump threatening to move against Mexico, Cuba and Colombia as the party always took a strong stand against US actions. Declaring that his response would be for the government and not the JVP, Minister Herath said that there was a way to deal with situations through the UN.

Minister Herath strongly defended recently signed agreements with India and US pertaining to defence. Stressing that both agreements were beneficial, Minister Herath pointed out that they weren’t defence agreements but security cooperation arrangements.

The US and Sri Lanka signed a Defence Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in November 2025, formalising defence cooperation under the State Partnership Programme (SPP) with the Montana National Guard. The MoU with India was signed in April, 2025. It was among seven MoUs.

Referring to devastating Cyclone Ditwah, the Minister said that India provided material support under the MoU signed in April whereas the US provided 10 helicopters to the SLAF recently.

Responding to a query on US-Sri Lanka tariff negotiations, Minister Herath said that about 95% of the negotiations have been finalised.

At the onset of the briefing, Minister Herath and Deputy Ministers Prof. Ranasinghe and Arun Hemachandra explained how the tourism sector and expatriate Sri Lanka work force contributed to the national economy.

Referring to Central Bank figures, they declared that tourism had brought in USD 3.2 bn whereas expatriate workers contributed USD 7.19 bn up to November last year. Once the Central Bank made available December figures it could reach USD 7.8 bn, they said. Tourism and expatriate work force together brought in as much as USD 11.6 bn, they declared, expressing hope 2026 would definitely be better.

Although the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah caused concerns that it may cause a significant drop in tourist arrivals, a steady flow of visitors paved the way for a comfortable 15% increase in arrivals by end of 2025, they said.

Minister Herath said that the government was happy that the country recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals this year.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

News

Ban on foreign research vessels: FM promises decision within two months

Published

9 hours ago

2026/01/6

Sahan Weerasooriya

Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday said that the government would announce its decision on the ban on foreign research vessels entering Sri Lankan waters.

Addressing the media at the Foreign Ministry, Minister Herath, in response to a query, said that they were in the process of addressing the issue.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a moratorium on the entry of foreign research vessels during 2004. Although the NPP government, in December, 2004, declared its position would be made known soon, the decision was not taken during last year. Wickremesinghe took that decision under intense Indian and US pressure to deny entry of Chinese research vessels (SF)