News
Chief Whip asks Opposition to learn from other countries and cooperate with govt. in Easter Sunday probe
Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando yesterday said that the Opposition Leader and his group in the SJB should learn from the examples of their counterparts in other democracies and support the investigations into the Easter Sunday carnage instead of acting like a headless chicken.
Addressing the media after attending a meeting to review the measures in place against Covid-19 in the Kurunegala District at Wilgoda SLPP office, the Minister said that Opposition parties in other countries had placed the national interests above their petty party agendas and politics.
“This could be seen in all other democracies. But take a look at our Opposition; it only looks for opportunities to raise wild allegations as regards the ongoing investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks. They are now protesting against the arrest of Rishad Bathiudeen.”
Fernando asked people to recall how the same political leaders had scoffed at the military operations during the time of the war, thinking that the LTTE was invincible. It is the very same people now demanding the release of Bathiudeen. The Opposition Leader and his men should be ashamed of their behaviour. The Easter Sunday carnage happened due to their blunders, and now they are trying to derail the ongoing investigations. Recently, religious and civil organisations got exposed for trying to drag Catholic people into their protests. Don’t they have an iota of concern for the national security of this country?”
He had called on numerous occasions, both in and outside Parliament, on the Opposition to support the government at least in the Easter Sunday carnage investigations, Minister Fernando said. “We extended our hand in good faith, but there seems to be no way we can knock some sense into the Opposition.
“We have let the law take its own course. There could be more arrests. That is up to the law enforcing agencies and investigators to decide whom to be arrested. Those guilty and responsible for the heinous crime will have to be punished. The government does not operate on the laws of Ranjan Ramanayake or Sajith Premadasa. Investigations were never this fast. What happened to the commission reports on the killings of Lalith Athulathmudali and Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwa?” the Minister queried.
Fernando said that the yahapalana government had sacrificed the lives of people to maintain their electoral base. “It seems that our Opposition leader is ready to sacrifice even the lives of all the people in this country to get at the power to rule it.”
NPP Parliamentarian Asoka Ranwala who was appointed the 22nd Speaker of Sri Lanka’s Parliament, on 21st November has resigned from his position today [13], in the wake of the controversy surrounding his educational qualifications.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has officially appointed members to the Port City Economic Commission.
Accordingly Harsha Amarasekera, President’s Counsel, has been appointed as the Chairman while Damien Amal Cabraal, Mohan Ray Abeywardena, Sanjaya Kulatunga, and Dr. Harsha Subasinghe were appointed as members of the Port City Economic Commission
The official letters of appointment were handed over to the members by the Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake at the Presidential Secretariat today (13).
“We will not allow the trust the people have placed in us to be undermined in any way,” stated President Anura Kumara Dissanayake during a meeting with the heads of state media today (13).
He further emphasised, “Regardless of their status in government, if mistakes are made, we will not hesitate to take appropriate action.”
The President further explained:
“For more than seven decades, the people of this nation have built and dismantled various governments. For the first time, we stand with a profound understanding of the historic mandate entrusted to us and the National People’s Power on two occasions.
The people placed their faith in the National People’s Power (NPP) government, hoping for a standardised and stable country. We will not tarnish that extraordinary trust, even by the slightest misconduct.
Simply put, our government is not here to shield anyone who errs, for any reason. Be it within the broader framework of the country or within our administration, anyone found guilty of wrongdoing will face consequences. We will not hesitate to act decisively and at the right time. In essence, our government will not shield anyone who makes a mistake, regardless of the reason. Whether the mistake occurs within the country or at any level within our government, we will not hesitate to take decisive action. Every necessary step will be taken at the appropriate time without delay.”
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also reaffirmed his government’s unwavering commitment to upholding the trust placed in them by the people, who have endured decades of deception. He pledged to work tirelessly to build a better nation.
The Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr Nalinda Jayatissa, Director-General of Government Information, Harsha Bandara, and the heads of state media were present at the meeting.
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