By Saman Indrajith

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told Parliament yesterday that the executive decisions of the country were not taken by the Cabinet of Ministers but by President Ranil Wickremesinghe and UNP MP Wajira Abeywardena.

“What is the use of a Cabinet if these two persons take crucial decisions and make them out to be those of the Cabinet?” Dissanayake queried.

Referring to a recent directive issued by the Cabinet Secretary W. M. D.R. Fernando to the Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration, asking the latter to prevent the District Secretaries from accepting deposits from candidates for the local council poll, he said that decision was made by President Wickremesinghe and MP Abeywardena and then conveyed to the Cabinet Secretary. They got the Cabinet Secretary to inform Secretary to the Public Administration that a Cabinet decision had been made to suspend accepting deposits. Thereafter, Secretary to the Ministry of Public Administration Neil Hapuhuinne issued the directive to the Returning Officers appointed by the Elections Commission, asking them not to accept deposits. Fernando and Hapuhinne say that the suspension of accepting deposits was on the basis of a Cabinet decision. We want to know whether the Cabinet was aware of any such thing,” Dissanayake said.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the Cabinet had not made any decision to influence returning officers or to suspend accepting deposits. “Hapuhinne withdrew his directive on the same day,” he said.

Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa said that the directive was against all norms and values of democratic principles. “This is an attempt to disregard people’s right to vote. I do not think this action was taken by Hapuhinne on his own. When Hapuhinne was summoned by the Elections Commission, the two persons who hold the highest posts in this country instructed him not to appear before the commission.”

Prime Minister Gunawardena said that the Opposition Leader was uttering lies. “The top most post is held by the President. I hold the next highest post. I did not issue such instructions,” Premier Gunawardena said.

JVP leader Dissanayake said that it was difficult to accept that the Cabinet of ministers comprising several president’s counsels and senior lawyers such as Ali Sabry, Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Susil Premajayanth had made such an unconstitutional decision. Now, the Prime Minister says that the Cabinet did not take such a decision. Therefore, my information that the decision in question was made by the President and MP Wajira Abeywardena is accurate. This is a serious issue. Should we hereafter take the Cabinet decisions seriously?”