SLPP urged to help torpedo ‘Economic Transformation Bill’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

President Ranil Wickremesinghe cannot under any circumstances compel other political parties to adopt and continue with his economic policies, says Dissident SLPP MP Charitha Herath.

Herath alleged that the ‘Economic Transformation Bill’ submitted to parliament on Wednesday (22) along with ‘Public Financial Management Bill’ was meant to transform Wickremesinghe’s political manifesto for the forthcoming presidential poll into a far reaching law.

Having secured cabinet approval pronto for the contentious Bill, President Wickremesinghe seemed to be quite confident in SLPP’s support in parliament to carry it through, the National List MP told The Island.

Ardent Wickremesinghe backer Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, who is also the Chief Government Whip presented the two Bills on behalf of the President.

MP Herath said that if President Wickremesinghe succeeded in his endeavour, it could have a detrimental effect on the political party system. Actually, the new law would make the election process a farce. In fact, such a law or system could exist only in a country ruled by hardline communists, MP Herath emphasised.

Addressing the media at the Nawala Office of Nidahasa Janatha Sabhawa earlier this week, the first time entrant to parliament pointed out that in the absence of a mandate the Cabinet of Ministers couldn’t give President Wickremesinghe the go ahead.

UNP leader Wickremesinghe has conveniently forgotten that the ruling SLPP had him elected in July 2022 to complete the remainder of ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, MP Herath said, alleging the President obviously abused office. How could Wickremesinghe enact a law that could subject all other political parties to his style of economic strategy when he lacked public authorisation at all, MP Herath asked.

Herath urged the SLPP not to allow Wickremesinghe to succeed in his latest endeavour. Referring to SLPP Chairman Mahinda Rajapaksa’s recent request to Wickremesinghe to put off major policy decisions as the country was heading for presidential poll in Sept/Oct this year, MP Herath declared the President seemed to confident of the support of over 100 SLPPers to enact the new law.

Wickremesinghe depends entirely on the SLPP as the UNP has been reduced to just one National List MP in parliament.

The rebel MP said perhaps Wickremesinghe had an assurance from the SLPP parliamentary group that it would back him regardless of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s stand. The MP noted that since July 2020 about 75 new laws had been enacted and a slew of new laws was on the verge of being moved during the next couple of months.

MP Herath pointed out that the UNP leader had been able to enact laws and achieve political targets that weren’t possible when he served as the Premier on several occasions. The ‘Economic Transformation Bill’ was so controversial the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government shouldn’t seek to enact such a law in the run-up presidential poll.

MP Herath again urged the SLPP to thwart Wickremesinghe’s calculated move not only to test the SLPP parliamentary group but cause a sharp split in that party.

The SLPP won 145 seats, including 17 National List slots at the last general election conducted in August 2020. Herath is among nearly 30 MPs who distanced from the SLPP, though they were in different groups.

MP Herath said that the SLPPers wouldn’t support the divisive Bill if they understood the Wickremesinghe strategy. Pointing out that the monetary policy was handled by the Central Bank, MP Herath stressed that whatever the party elected by the people decided the fiscal policy. “Now, Wickremesinghe wants his proposed fiscal policy to be made into law. In a way, the UNP leader’s move can be described as an instance of a manifesto of a particular person/political party enacted as a law,” MP Herath said.

Referring to some sections of the proposed law, MP Herath claimed that whoever prepared the Bill simply accommodated Wickremesinghe’s proposals which didn’t reflect ground realities. “The bottom line is that proposals acceptable as part of election manifestos cannot be enacted as laws.”

The rebel MP warned his former colleagues that they would lose respect if they gave into Wickremesinghe.

MP Herath said that there was ambiguity regarding the ownership of the operation carried out in terms of the proposed law. Would it be under President Wickremesinghe who also serves as the Finance Minister or could it be assigned to another minister, thereby creating an all-powerful ministry.

Commenting on glaring shortcomings in the proposed law, MP Herath said that the Colombo Port City had been declared outside the purview of this particular law. Alleging that the current dispensation was bending backwards to appease China, the SLPPer asked whether the powers that be really considered Port City territory not part of Sri Lanka.

According to MP Herath the ‘Economic Transformation Bill’ revealed that the government couldn’t be trusted at all and the electorate should respond fittingly at the next presidential poll.

President Wickremesinghe on Wednesday declared that the presidential poll would be held first in terms of constitutional provisions.

MP Herath also expressed serious concern over the role of the Auditor General in case Wickremesinghe won parliamentary approval for what the academic called a flawed piece of legislation. Referring to the significant role currently played by the Auditor General both in and outside parliament, MP Herath said that the proposed law seemed to be a super legislation that overrode all existing laws. “Where are we heading for,” the MP asked, alleging that Wickremesinghe was hell-bent on subjecting a bankrupt country to his deadly experiments.

The MP said that the people never accepted Wickremesinghe’s projects. The SLPP should realise that the electorate at the last general election delivered a knockout punch to the UNP as they didn’t accept his strategies. “I sincerely hope they haven’t forgotten what happened to Yali Pupudamu Sri Lanka,” the MP said.

He found fault with the SLPP for electing Wickremesinghe to complete the remainder of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s five-year term. Herath was among 82 MPs who voted for Dallas Alahapperuma whereas Wickremesinghe received 134 votes, including his.Lawmaker Herath stressed that only the SLPP had the wherewithal to halt Wickremesinghe’s latest project and reverse his strategy.