News

SJB flays Prez for proroguing during worst-ever crisis

Published

4 years ago

2021/12/16

By Saman Indrajith

The President should not have prorogued Parliament and left the country, which is faced with the biggest ever economic crisis since independence, the main opposition SJB says.

Addressing the media at the Opposition Leader’s Office, in Colombo, yesterday, Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella said the President had been given powers by the Constitution to prorogue Parliament, but he should not have done so when the country was confronted with a crisis of this enormity.

“Given the severity of the crisis, the number of days of Parliament meeting should have been increased so that the MPs could discuss means and ways out of resolving this crisis. Parliament prorogation comes to us from the British Westminster tradition. During the period between 1940 and 1945 while World War II was prevailing, the British parliament was bombed 40 times by the Germans. Yet the British did not close their parliament. On some occasions during that period the British parliament met in a church nearby, because they needed to meet so often to discuss solutions for the crisis.

“When Parliament is prorogued, all committees stand dissolved except for three. Important committees including the COPE and COPA are dissolved. When the House meets again, we have to reappoint them anew and the government could delay that process too. This government has delayed for two years appointing a Sectoral Oversight committee introduced by the 19th Amendment. Whenever the matter is raised at the party leaders’ meeting, the Speaker does not respond.

“The COPA and COPE had been functioning well, exposing massive waste and corruption. For example, when the recent sugar scam had been exposed, the COPA asked for a report on the matter from the Treasury which duly submitted it to the committee so that everybody could learn that the loss of the scam was Rs 150,000 million. The committee chairman asked for a forensic audit report on the matter but even after months that report was not submitted. Now that investigation process would have to be started all over again.

“There is another issue of bringing a fertiliser ship from China. There is neither fertilizer nor money at the end of that deal. There is no committee to discuss this issue. The matter could be raised in the House but the government could evade it without giving a proper response. During the budget debate we raised many questions but none of them was answered by the government properly.

“There are reports that the government has commenced talks with New Delhi to obtain a loan of USD 1.4 billion to buy food, medicine and fuel. In return the government is going to give remaining oil tanks and some islands in the northern sea to India.

“Because of the prorogation around 1,500 motions and questions included in the Order Book would be dumped.

“The country is in a crisis. There is no collective responsibility in the Cabinet itself. We see ministers making their own statements and some have even opposed the government’s deals with foreign companies. Some Ministers even have issued affidavits against them. How a government could move forward in this manner?

“This government has no vision. For example, they created the fertilizer issue by expediting organic fertilizer use in the country which was promised in their manifesto to be done in 10 years. Later they attributed the failure to Covid-19. But everybody knows that the Covid-19 is not the cause of shortage of food, medicine, rising of the prices of essential goods, gas leak explosions etc.

“There is no price control. The rice prices are decided by the miller mafia. The government’s control of prices is the best indicator to show that it has lost control of the country.

“We think that the government should go for an election so that it could test the public opinion. Every democratic country holds an election every two years. We urge the government to hold the local government or provincial election soon.

“The media too should be blamed for the present crisis. It was the media that projected Gotabaya Rajapaksa as a super hero during the election campaign. For example, there was a press conference after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was named the SLPP Presidential candidate. He could not even answer some questions including those about the economy. He dodged and referred them to Mahinda Rajapaksa. The media should have highlighted that. They did not do so. If that happened in a presidential campaign in another country that candidate would have been forced to resign by people. How could one who cannot answer a question on the economy can run a country? What happened here is that the candidate got the chance to answer the question from someone else. That is similar to a contestant of the Sirasa Lakshapathi getting a lifeline. Now everybody sees the results and the media who covered that up too should be responsible for the present predicament the county is faced with,” Kiriella said.

Puttalam District SJB MP Hector Appuhamy also addressed the press.

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Sun directly overhead Pomparippu, Anuradhapura, Mihinthale, Galenbindunuwewa, Agbopura and Serunuwara about 12:11 noon today (11)

Published

6 hours ago

2026/04/11

Priyan

On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 05th to 15th of April in this year.

The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (11th) are Pomparippu, Anuradhapura, Mihinthale, Galenbindunuwewa, Agbopura and Serunuwara about 12:11 noon.

News

Opposition NCM against Energy Minister defeated

Published

9 hours ago

2026/04/11

Thilina Walpola

A no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody was defeated in Parliament yesterday by a majority of 104 votes.At the end of the debate, 49 members voted in favour of the motion, while 153 voted against it.

The motion, submitted to the Speaker on 19 March, was signed by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, SJB MPs, and other Opposition members.

It accused Minister Jayakody of failing to ensure the procurement of adequate and quality coal for the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai, alleging that such negligence amounted to a breach of ministerial responsibility over a critical national energy asset.

The motion also cited ongoing legal proceedings against the Minister, noting that he has been indicted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and produced before the Colombo High Court under Section 70 of the Bribery Act, in connection with alleged acts of corruption during his tenure as Procurement Manager of the Ceylon Fertiliser Company Limited.

The motion read: Vote of No Confidence against Kumara Jayakody, Minister of Energy,— Whereas the Provision in Section 6 of the Part III of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament which states that: “The Members shall on all occasions act in accordance with the public trust entrusted with them and shall always behave with probity and integrity, including the use by them of any public resources.” has been violated; And whereas the following rules of conduct set out in Section 9 of the Part V of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament have prima facie been breached, namely:- “(a) to be conscience; (c) to act so as to merit the trust and respect of the people; (e) to hold themselves accountable for the conduct and duties for which they are responsible;” And whereas it is observed that the Minister has failed, in his capacity as a Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers, to discharge the fundamental duties incumbent upon him in accordance with Article 28 of the Constitution;

And whereas it is established that the Minister of Energy has failed to discharge his primary duty of ensuring the procurement of adequate and good quality coal for the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant;

And whereas such gross negligence in overseeing a critical national energy asset constitutes a fundamental breach of ministerial responsibility;

And whereas the Minister of Energy has failed to carry out the subjects and functions vested in him by the Notification of Gazette Extraordinary No. 2412/08 of 25th November 2024 of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, including taking necessary steps to reduce the losses at the institutional management level and technical damages that occur to the electricity generation and distribution system and reduction of costs for generating electricity and removal of uncertainties during generation;

And whereas the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has filed formal indictments before the Colombo High Court against the incumbent Minister of Energy under Section 70 of the Bribery Act (Chapter 26) for the offence of “corruption” in connection with acts of corruption allegedly committed while he was serving as the Procurement Manager of the Lanka Fertilizer Company;

And whereas, in light of the foregoing, the Minister of Energy has irretrievably forfeited the confidence of Parliament and the people of Sri Lanka by causing losses to public finances, endangering national energy security, corruptly mishandling the procurement process, being subjected to active judicial proceedings for the offence of “corruption”, and betraying the Government’s own “anti-corruption mandate”, and his continued tenure as the Minister of Energy is contrary to the public interest, the rule of law, and the principles of good governance;

That this Parliament resolves that it has no confidence in the competence of Kumara Jayakody, Minister of Energy to function as a Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers any longer.”

by Saman Indrajith

News

Chinese Ambassador assures Lanka China will not allow a fuel crisis to develop here

Published

9 hours ago

2026/04/11

Thilina Walpola

Qi Zhenhong

Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong yesterday assured that China would not allow a fuel crisis to arise in Sri Lanka, under any circumstances, reaffirming Beijing’s continued support to the country.

The Ambassador made these remarks addressing the media after attending a dry ration distribution programme for 350 low-income families at Sri Chandananda Buddhist College, at Asgiriya, in Kandy.

Highlighting the longstanding ties between the two countries, Ambassador Qi said China has consistently stood by Sri Lanka and remains ready to extend assistance whenever required.

Amid concerns over global energy disruptions, stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict, he noted that several countries are already facing difficulties, but stressed that China is prepared to support Sri Lanka at any time.

He said that any potential fuel shortage in Sri Lanka could be managed with the involvement of China’s Sinopec.

Reiterating Beijing’s commitment to Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and development, the Envoy also expressed hope that the current ceasefire in the Middle East would hold, while assuring that China stands ready to respond to any future developments and assist Sri Lanka as needed.

By SK Samaranayake