News
SJB strengthened Podujana Peramuna and gave it two-thirds majority – John
Warns country heading towards unstable situation
by Zacki Jabbar
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) was Cock-A-Hoop about its performance at Wednesday’s General Election, but in reality it helped the Podujana Peramuna obtain a two-thirds majority, says veteran UNPer John Ameratunga who stayed with Ranil Wickremesinghe and the UNP.
Asked for his views on the outcome of the polls, Ameratunga said ” We respect the peoples’ wishes, but Sajith Premadasa in deciding to break away from the UNP, has failed to achieve what should have been his first objective – preventing the Podujana Peramuna from getting two-thirds of the seats in Parliament.”
He pointed out that history has proved the party winning the Presidential Election would go on to win the Parliamentary polls that followed.
” Sajith knew he cannot become the Prime Minister this time. So the next best thing he should have done was to ensure that the Rajapaksas did not get a majority that would enable them to reverse all the democratic gains achieved through the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The SJB was meant to be a UNP – led alliance with Sajith as its Prime Ministerial candidate, but he made it his alliance and in the process divided the UNP”, the veteran politician lamented.
He said that if the SJB had contested as a UNP-led alliance it would have secured more seats, which would have prevented the Podujana Peramuna from obtaining a two-thirds majority.
” It is evident that in this election, political parties based on policies have been overtaken by political movements”, Ameratunga noted, warning that it could lead to an unstable political situation in the years to come.
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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