By S.K. Samaranayake

Tensions ran high yesterday (09) when shops located on the Mahaweli River reservation in the Thennekumbura area, within the Gangawata Korale Pradeshiya Sabha, were ordered to be removed.

Court officials, officers of the Mahaweli Authority and police arrived at the site to implement a court order directing the removal of the shops, prompting an angry reaction from the traders. State officials warned that, as the action was being carried out under a court order, anyone obstructing the execution of the order could be arrested for interfering with judicial duties.

The affected traders said they had been operating their businesses at the location for between 25 and 30 years, paying a monthly rent of Rs. 5,000 each to the Gangawata Korale Pradeshiya Sabha. They also said they had entered into agreements with the Mahaweli Authority, and described the sudden eviction as deeply unjust.

The traders claimed that although the court order required all the shops in the area to be demolished, a shop allegedly belonging to an NPP supporter had been spared.

An NPP member of the Gangawata Korale Pradeshiya Sabha, who arrived at the scene, was also met with strong protests from the agitated traders and members of the public.

Expressing their anger at both the Government and the visiting politician, the traders said they had already been left destitute by losses suffered during Cyclone Ditwah and that the eviction had plunged them into even greater hardship.

While saying they respected the court ruling, the traders voiced strong resentment over what they described as the selective enforcement of the law in favour of individuals linked to the ruling party. They lamented that families who had engaged in legitimate businesses and paid taxes under successive governments had now been driven onto the streets under the present administration.

Jaffna District independent MP Dr. Ramanathan Aarchuna was given a final warning in Parliament yesterday and told that he would be expelled from the House if he continued to engage in unruly conduct and disrupt proceedings.

Deputy Chairperson of Committees Hemali Weerasekera issued the warning after Aarchuna repeatedly interrupted NPP MP Dr. Najith Indika, who was speaking during a debate.

Indika accused Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and several other opposition MPs of misrepresenting a recent statement by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at an NPP rally.

He said opposition MPs had claimed that the President had advised people not to seek treatment at hospitals when they fell ill and instead drink koththamalli (coriander) as a remedy.

“This is a lie,” Indika said, accusing the opposition of taking a single sentence from the President’s speech and interpreting it out of context.

Indika said the President had been referring to a mismatch in the allocation of resources in the health sector and the need to overhaul the system so that patients requiring medical attention would receive treatment without unnecessary delays.

Aarchuna then raised a point of order, citing Standing Order 91E, and questioned the relevance of Indika’s remarks to the debate.

The Deputy Chairperson ruled that there was no point of order and directed Indika to continue his speech.

Aarchuna, however, continued shouting from his seat and disrupted Indika’s speech. He later raised another point of order and demanded that his microphone be switched on.

Government backbenchers called for action to be taken against Aarchuna and demanded that he be ejected from the Chamber.

Deputy Chairperson Weerasekera then issued the MP a final warning, saying disciplinary action would be taken under Standing Orders 77 and 79 if he continued to disrupt proceedings.

“I will have to take punitive action against you under Standing Orders 77 and 79 if you do not stop shouting and take your seat,” Weerasekera told Aarchuna.

By Saman Indrajith

Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne yesterday stopped Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa from raising in Parliament the spate of killings and shootings reported across the country. He that the matter could not be raised as a point of order.

At the conclusion of the question session, Premadasa rose on a point of order and said there was a serious threat to national security and law and order as people were being gunned down at various locations.

“There is a problem regarding law and order in the country today. Shootings are taking place across the country every day. Lives are being lost every day. People’s lives are unsafe. The Government is unable to control this situation,” Premadasa said.

Speaker Wickramaratne ruled that the matter raised by the Opposition Leader did not constitute a point of order and asked him to take his seat. Premadasa’s microphone was subsequently switched off.

SJB Kurunegala District MP Dayasiri Jayasekara intervened, demanding that the Opposition Leader be allowed to speak.

“There is a tradition here. Normally, when the Opposition Leader rises, he is given an opportunity to speak. What are you doing?” Jayasekara asked.

The Speaker, however, said the Opposition Leader had the opportunity to raise matters of national importance under Standing Order 27(2), and should not misuse the provision relating to points of order.

He said that points of order should be confined to matters concerning the proceedings of the House.

The exchange occurred as Premadasa sought to highlight what he described as a deteriorating law and order situation caused by the continuing shootings and killings across the country.