News
Dinesh seeks explanation from Tilvin and Nihal
Appointment of NPP MPs to next Parliament:
MEP leader and former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the electorate had a right to know how the NPP intended to appoint its MPs on the district basis under the Proportional Representation system and from the National List.
Gunawardena said so over the weekend in response to a query posed by The Island. He said the NPP and JVP could be taking contradictory positions on this issue as the latter repeatedly assured the electorate over the years that they wouldn’t promote preferential votes or manape.
Addressing an election rally in Matara, Dinesh Gunawardena asked whose methodology the NPP would adopt where the selection of the NPP MPs for the next Parliament was concerned. “Will it be JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva’s or NPP Secretary Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe’s?” he asked.
Gunawardena said Tilvin
Silva for the last 25 years had sent names chosen by the party as MPs, not necessarily on the basis of manape. That method had been extended to the National List too, Gunawardena said.
Dr. Abeysinghe is contesting from the Kalutara district on the NPP ticket. Addressing a public rally at Matara, Gunawardena said one-time Auditor General S.C. Mayadunne had once been compelled to
resign as a National List MP after being in parliament for a day or two to enable the JVP to appoint its stalwart Sunil Handunnetti to Parliament via the National List.
New Democratic Front (NDF) main rally held in Matara was also attended by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, former Minister Kanchana Wijesekara, former MP Yadamini Gunawardena, all candidates contesting under ‘Gas Cylinder’ symbol, former representatives of provincial council, local government institutions.
NDF contestants consist mainly of an influential breakaway faction of the SLPP and the UNP that supported Ranil Wickremesinghe’s candidature in the last presidential poll. Wickremesinghe polled 2.2 million votes and was placed.
The MEP leader, who heads the NDF’s NL, said that the NDF had the most experienced contestants and was confident that the electorate would consider them. (SF)
It has been reported that Attorney at Law Rakitha Rajapakshe, the son of former Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over alleged links with the underworld.
… alleges NPP trying to implement UPFA, UNP plan
Front-line Socialist Party (FSP) yesterday (24) alleged that the NPP government’s move to amalgamate the Employees’ Trust Fund (ETF) and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF), under a unified, tripartite governance framework, would be detrimental to the private sector workers.
Addressing the media at Melder Place, Nugegoda, FSP spokesman Duminda Nagamuwa said that the Cabinet of Ministers approved this proposal on 15 June.
Nagamuwa claimed that the NPP was trying to implement what President Mahinda Rajapaksa had sought to do, in 2011, causing the police to open fire on a group of the Export Processing Zone workers, protesting against the move to create a private pension scheme. A worker, identified as Roshen Chanaka, was shot by police on May 30, 2011, and he succumbed to his injuries.
Pointing out that the EPF and the ETF had been established for the benefit of private sector workers but with different objectives, Nagamuwa warned that amalgamation of the two funds could cause unnecessary complications.
The FSP spokesman said that Ravi Karunanayake, in his capacity as the Finance Minister of the Yahapalana government, in late November 2015 had declared their intention to amalgamate the ETF with the EPF.
FSP’s Pubudu Jayagoda told The Island that they expected all political parties, other than the NPP, to disclose their stand on the vital issue. Jayagoda urged the Opposition to take a stand on the vital issue .
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Opposition yesterday argued in Parliament that the National Environment Amendment Bill was unconstitutional. The Opposition said that it violated the 13th Amendment.
SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa argued that the approval of the Provincial Councils was required for the Bill to go ahead, as it was a subject in the Concurrent List of powers as per the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.
The MP also said that the clause which enables the Central Government to file legal actions against Local Government bodies was unconditional as well, since local bodies are included in the Provincial Councils list.
“How can you go ahead at a time when the Provincial Councils do not function properly,” Premadasa questioned.
ITAK MP P. Sathyalingam also raised the issue, but Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne, who responded, said the MPs could raise the relevant matters during the debate.
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