By Shamindra Ferdinando

Former Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris says that whatever the political arrangement, envisaged by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, to address the developing political-economic-social crisis, the expansion of the Cabinet-of-Ministers wouldn’t be acceptable to the public, under any circumstances.

“It would be a grave mistake on the part of political parties represented in Parliament, even to consider a bigger Cabinet at a time, the vast majority of people are struggling to make ends meet,” the rebel SLPP National List MP said. The SLPP consists of 145 MPs but is largely divided into four groups, with the one backing former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa being the largest.

Those who accepted the need for a much-touted all-party government/arrangement, should be able to manage with 18 ministers, Prof. Peiris asserted.The SLPP Chairman said so when The Island asked for the status of their dialogue with President Wickremesinghe. The rebel group, including Dullas Alahapperuma, who challenged Wickremesinghe at the July 20 presidential contest, was among those present on the occasion. The meeting took place at the Presidential Secretariat, on July 04. The SLPP fielded Wickremesinghe as their candidate at the first such vote that was convincingly won by the UNP leader. Wickremesinghe secured 133 votes, in spite of the UNP having just one MP (UNP leader) in Parliament.

Prof. Peiris said that their position, on the current situation, was made clear to both the President and Premier Dinesh Gunawardena. Responding to another query, Prof. Peiris emphasized that those who formulated solutions should bear in mind Sri Lanka’s bankruptcy status and ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as the dialogue with other bilateral and multilateral creditors.Therefore, the proposed solutions shouldn’t be a further burden on the hapless public and unfavourable to talks on debt-restructuring, Prof. Peiris stressed.

The former top legal academic said that the government and the Opposition couldn’t turn a blind eye to a range of proposals made by the public protest movement that overthrew the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration. Appreciating President Wickremesinghe entering into a dialogue with the protest movement amidst the furor in some quarters over the declaration of Emergency, Prof. Peiris said tangible measures were necessary to regain public confidence.

He warned that an extra-large Cabinet-of-Ministers would cause dissent and further jeopardize relations between the Parliament and the irate public.

Prof. Peiris who had served the Cabinet-of-Ministers of Presidents, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, declared support for economic recovery measures taken by President Wickremesinghe to address, what the former Minister described as daunting challenges at a media briefing on July 05 at the Madiwela residence of rebel MP Wasantha Yapa Bandara.

Addressing the media, Prof. Peiris explained the urgent need for consensus among political parties represented in Parliament on an economic recovery plan to meet the basic needs of the people and then gradually re-build the national economy. Ensuring food security posed quite a formidable challenge with the disruption of fuel distribution affecting the entire country, he said.

The appointed National List MP pointed out that starved of inputs how dilapidated agriculture, fisheries and health sectors caused unbearable difficulties to those struggling to cope up with the runaway cost-of-living.While underscoring the need to address the contentious issue of the cost of living, without delay, Prof. Peiris emphasized the need for national understanding on key sectors such as economy, health and agriculture et al. Such an understanding was necessary to ensure continuity of key policies, regardless of change of governments, he said.

Commenting on the pivotal importance of parliamentary committees, including watchdogs, Prof. Peiris said their group assured President Wickremesinghe and Premier Gunawardena support for the overall national recovery plan though they didn’t want to accept ministerial responsibilities.Prof. Peiris stressed that they wouldn’t want to be part of the executive by accepting ministerial portfolios as ministers represented the executive in the Parliament.

He also asserted that the President should adhere to his maiden policy speech delivered in Parliament on August 03.In terms of the Constitution, the formation of a national government would automatically do away with the restrictions imposed on the size of the Cabinet-of-Ministers, he pointed out.Declaring that under normal circumstances, the incumbent government could have 30 ministers and 40 State/Deputy Ministers, Prof. Peiris said that formation of a national government, in terms of the constitution, would be a legitimate excuse to expand the cabinet.

Therefore, the decision-makers should realize ground realities before finalizing solutions acceptable to the public. The protest movement, whatever the shortcomings and violence associated with it, reflected the public suffering, Prof. Peiris said. “That is the undeniable truth. So, Parliament cannot ignore the post May 09 developments when responding to the emerging threats,” Prof. Peiris told The Island.