Kiriella says Port City Bill violates constitutional rights of Lankans

Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella yesterday said that the Bill that seeks to set up a special Economic Commission to govern the Colombo Port City had provisions for apponting non-Sri Lankans to the Commission.

Addressing the media after distributing relief items among flood victims in Suduhumpola, Kandy, yesterday, the Chief Opposition Whip said that the SJB had filed two petitions in the Supreme Court challenging the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill, one petition by the party’s General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara and the other by SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna.

MP Kiriella said that the party had decided to file those petitions following a thorough study of the Bill, which violated sovereignty, human rights and the Constitution of the country.

Kiriella said that the bill was loosely worded to allow the Commission wide discretion.

“If all foreigners are appointed to the commission, then they will completely control the port city through the

commission. If section 7 (1) of the draft bill is to be enacted then the area called the Colombo Port city will become a colony governed by foreigners according to their laws and regulations and not thos of Sri Lanka.