All Presidential Commission of Inquiry reports will be submitted to Parliament for debate – Minister

by Saman Indrajith

Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando said that the government would submit all Presidential Commission of Inquiry reports to parliament soon and was ready to debate their contents with the opposition.

Speaking to the media at his ministry in Battaramulla on Friday, the minister said that the government was always ready to debate any issue.

“Many opposition party politicians including the JVP’s Anura Kumara Dissanayake are shouting that we are reluctant to table the Presidential Commission of Inquiry reports and debate them in parliament. They are also demanding that we should give a time frame for this. I like to remind those in the opposition that there had been many Presidential Commissions of Inquiry but only a handful of them had publicized their reports. We have nothing to hide and are also not afraid for debates”.

He further said: “We always act democratically by giving opportunities to all parties to express their views. We remember how the previous government violated human rights mainly of opposition members. Opposition members were politically victimized, harassed and sent to jail without any proved allegation during the past five years. However, we don’t want present opposition members to face such a miserable situation. That is why we are waiting until Commission reports are presented to Parliament”.

Minister Fernando said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a committee to study in depth the contents and recommendations of the report of the PCoI into the Easter Sunday attack and the report of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security submitted to Parliament.

“There are five other members in the committee including myself. The committee is headed by Irrigation Minister Chamal Rajapaksa. Ministers Udaya Gammanpila, Ramesh Pathirana, Prasanna Ranatunga and Rohitha Abeygunawardena are the other members. Director General (Legal) of the Presidential Secretariat Harigupta Rohanadheera has been appointed as Secretary of the Committee. We have been asked to submit our report by March 15,” he said.