…demands explanation over fuel pricing formula, denial of relief to electricity consumers

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Former Communist Party lawmaker Weerasumana Weerasinghe warned the electorate not to expect the bungling National People’s Power (NPP) government to perform miracles.

Those who overwhelmingly voted for the NPP at the presidential and parliamentary elections must have realized their folly, the ex-Matara district parliamentarian said in a brief interview with The Island yesterday (03).

Having repeatedly promised a range of relief for those who had been struggling to make ends meet due to failures and shortcomings on the part of previous governments, the NPP was pursuing former President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s economic strategy to the letter.

Declaring that JVP and NPP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake accepted the IMF-led project that had been finalized during Ranil Wickremesinghe’s presidency, Weerasinghe said the country would be governed in terms of the Economic Transformation Bill endorsed by the previous Parliament.

Weerasinghe insisted that President Dissanayake, in his capacity as the Finance Minister, didn’t even bother to make a genuine effort to revisit the controversial IMF agenda.

Responding to another query, the CP representative said that the vast majority of those who had been elected to Parliament didn’t have any experience in Provincial Councils or Local Government administration. Therefore, in spite of excellent educational and professional qualifications, they may not be able to prudently address multiple and complex challenges faced by the country, Weerasinghe added.

The ex-parliamentarian cited the failure on the part of the NPP government to provide the much-anticipated relief to electricity consumers in terms of a Cabinet decision taken during the previous administration. “The government owes an explanation as to why the Cabinet decision to revise electricity tariff in this quarter didn’t materialize. The public aren’t worried about the ongoing dispute between the CEB and the Public Utilities Commission,” Weerasinghe said, adding that “NPP’s know all big talkers should be ashamed.”

Weerasinghe declared the recent decrease in the price of a litre of Octane 92 petrol from Rs. 311 to 309 exposed the duplicity of the NPP. Having vowed to bring down the price of petrol immediately after the change of government as the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa administration had been engaged in price manipulation for its benefit, the NPP continued with the same, Weerasinghe said. The bottom line is that the NPP was continuing with the same fuel pricing formula that had been practised by the previous government, Weerasinghe said, the way the government handled the issue at hand exposed its duplicitous conduct.

Weerasinghe entered Parliament for the first time at the 2020 General Election. The CP candidate contested the Matara district on the SLPP ticket. However, against the backdrop of the SLPP’s collapse, the CP fielded Weerasinghe on the Sarvajana Balaya ticket this time. That party had to be satisfied with one National List slot.

Weerasinghe said that the CP represented the people without interruption beginning with the State Council in 1931 and then Parliament. “We are out of Parliament for the first time,” Weerasinghe said, alleging that the NPP duped the electorate with what he called a web of lies.

Weerasinghe admitted that there had been a lot of mistakes and shortcomings on the part of previous governments. “There is no point in denying such accusations. But, the NPP exploited such shortcomings and weaknesses to their advantage. Having done so, the NPP is unable to push ahead with its plan because it didn’t have one,” Weerasinghe said.

Their recent declaration that 70,000 mt of naadu rice would be imported to meet the shortfall in the market exposed their duplicity, he said. In the run-up to both the presidential and parliamentary polls, the NPP vowed to cease rice imports except to meet requirements in the tourism sector, Weerasinghe said, noting that he had vast experience at Local Government level for over 20 years before he contested the parliamentary elections in 2024. But, the recent political tsunami had paved the way for newcomers without any experience at all at any level straight to the Cabinet of Ministers, Weerasinghe pointed out.

Commenting on perks and privileges afforded to members of Parliament as alleged by the NPP in the past, Weerasinghe said that the NPP parliamentary group contrary to much touted pledges would receive monthly salaries and whatever the other benefits previously provided.

Weerasinghe said that he honestly believed that the NPP lacked at least a basic plan as to how to overcome the challenge ahead. It wouldn’t be unfair to say the NPP was clueless and never actually contemplated nor realized the difficulties ahead when they promised to restore public faith in the political party system.

The former MP pointed out that praise heaped on President Dissanayake by UNP leader Wickremesinghe at a recent public function also attended by Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath and former Minister Sagala Ratnayake revealed the unholy alliance. That reflected the actual situation on the ground, Weerasinghe said.