‘There is no need for an Opposition in Parliament’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has declared that there is absolutely no need for a parliamentary Opposition.

Addressing the inaugural Gampaha District 2024 parliamentary election rally at the Dravinda Mendis playground at the 18th mile post, Katunayake, on Sunday (20), President Dissanayake emphasised the responsibility on the part of the electorate to ensure the elimination of the political Opposition.

Declaring that his party National People’s Power (NPP) would convincingly secure the majority of the 19 seats available in the Gampaha district, President Dissanayake stressed that the requirement was to install an overwhelmingly powerful government that could address domestic and external challenges.

President Dissanayake was echoing his Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath who is also the Gampaha district NPP leader. As a result of the Sept. 21 presidential election, 50 to 60 politicians, who had represented the previous Parliament, opted out of the parliamentary contest for obvious reasons, the JJB heavyweights declared. They urged the electorate to complete what they called the clean-up operation of Parliament by voting out the remnants of the corrupt lot as well as the newcomers contesting on the tickets of rival political parties.

Although Dissanayake and Herath refrained from asking for a 2/3 majority, they repeatedly stressed that they wanted the strongest possible parliamentary group in the 225-member Parliament.

President Dissanayake alleged that the Parliament without any doubt is the most hated institution in the country. Referring to often disparaging references to Parliament being made by the public, the President said that over the years the Parliament earned the wrath of the people as it never represented the interests of the public. The former MP said that the Parliament successfully defended Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake when no-confidence motions were moved against them.

Commenting on the Opposition expressing doubts about the NPP’s capacity to run the government, President Dissanayake and FM Herath emphasized that the NPP would prove them wrong. They would have to endure the NPP administration for quite some time. President Dissanayake assured that the number of Ministers would be 25. There would be an equal number of deputies in his administration, the President said.

President Dissanayake strongly criticized his predecessor Ranil Wickremesinghe’s efforts to undermine public confidence in the NPP in the run-up to the presidential election. Wickremesinghe’s camp speculated on the possible collapse of the economy in case the NPP won the Presidential Election but the three-member Cabinet was able to manage the situation prudently thereby restoring the confidence of all, including the international community.

The NPP leader said that a significant percentage of those who had voted for rival candidates at the Presidential Election and boycotted the election would exercise their franchise for NPP candidates.  Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) candidate Sajith Premadasa polled 4.3 mn votes whereas Ranil Wickremesinghe (Independent candidate) and Namal Rajapaksa (Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna) polled 2.2 mn and 340,000, respectively. Nearly one fifth of the 17.1 mn eligible to vote or over 3.5 mn voters boycotted the Presidential Election.

President Dissanayake reiterated the likelihood of his government reaching some sort of arrangement with the Tamil community, following the General Election. The President expressed a similar sentiment two weeks ago when he addressed NPP candidates at Monarch Imperial, Thalawathugoda. Dissanayake is on record as having said, at the Thalawathugoda meeting, that he discussed the developments with a politician representing the Northern Province.

 Referring to the Gampaha district presidential election result, lawmaker Herath said that the NPP was aiming for a much bigger victory in the district. “At the presidential poll, Dissanayake polled more than 460,000 votes more than Premadasa. We won all 13 electorates in the Gampaha district. That’ll be repeated but with bigger margins,” Herath said.

Declaring that winning the presidency was a tremendous achievement, lawmaker Herath insisted that the NPP couldn’t proceed with its planned agenda unless the electorate bestowed them with a massive parliamentary majority.

SJB leader Premadasa and his key candidates have repeatedly declared their readiness to work harmoniously with President Dissanayake. They have also warned that an unnecessary parliamentary majority for the NPP could pose a severe threat to democracy.

Former MP and SJB Chairman Imthiaz Bakeer Markar recently warned that President Dissanayake could end up being a dictator if his party received a massive majority at the parliamentary election.