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Govt. rides rough shod over Opposition hot air
View(s):With two Provincial Council elections scheduled for late March, the main opposition United National Party (UNP) began to turn on the heat on the Government in Parliament, staging a poster-carrying protest on Friday, targeting the administration on corruption, waste and the rising cost of living. The protest caught the few Government members present in the Chamber off guard, and Deputy Speaker Chaminda Weerakkody who was chairing the day’s sittings, hurriedly adjourned the House for mid-February.
The protesting MPs called for the reduction of electricity tariff and decried the corruption within the Government. ‘Bribes for the king’, ‘bills for the public’ (Rajata commis, bill janathawata), “milk for the king’, ‘pumpkin for the public’ (rajata kiri, janathwata kekiri), some of the posters read.The protests began just before UNP Colombo District MP Ravi Karunanayaka was to move an adjournment motion on the repeated breakdown of the Norochcholai power plant.
The cost of living issue figured prominently earlier in the day, with Chief Opposition Whip MP John Amaratunga questioning the Government on the recent hike on milk powder prices. “The hike in the price of powdered milk has hit the poor the most,” Mr Amaratunga said. He also said along with this the price of potatoes too have been increased, even though the Government said it was reducing the price of dhal.Cooperatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando said milk powder importers have been allowed to raise prices after 20 months and the move is intended to help local milk producers. “The goal of this Government is to make the country self-sufficient in liquid milk. This we hope to achieve by 2020,” he said.
To boost local milk production, the minister revealed that 2,500 imported cattle will arrive in the country by April. This is in addition to the 2,000 cattle imported last year.As for the decision to reduce the price of dhal (parippu), the Minister explained the President had taken the decision because, “As we all eat parippu, whether we are in Government or Opposition, the President has decided to lower the tax.” The increase in the tax on imported potatoes, the Minister said, is intended to help local farmers.While the Government had an explanation for the potato and dhal issues, the explanation given as to why one investor is being allowed to build a US$ 1.3 billion Colombo Port City project lacked transparency.
The poster protest in full swing
On Wednesday Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe questioned if tenders were called before the project started, and what criteria was adopted before choosing a single investor for the project. Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, Leader of the House who replied on Friday to the query said there was no necessity to follow standard tender procedure in this instance, as the business proposal to develop the Port City came from one investor and hence, the company would develop this project.
“There was no need to follow tender procedures for such direct foreign investment projects. The UNP, when it was in power, allowed the development of the World Trade Centre and the Havelock City projects, without calling for tenders,” the Minister said. He added that the sea reclamation project would increase the land extent of Colombo city by 233 hectares, of which the investor would be given 20 hectares, while the rest will be acquired by the Government. This project was necessary due to the vast demand for land in Colombo for foreign investments, as well as for housing projects for the city residents.
The Minister wound up by thanking the Leader of the Opposition for raising the question on the Port City project, as it provided an opportunity to the Government to tell the country about the proposed project. The Minister’s closing remarks beg the question, “Does the Government have to wait till the Opposition Leader raises a question in Parliament to inform the tax paying public of this country about a billion dollar project it is contemplating?” And in the name of transparency and accountability, should not the Government be forthcoming about such massive investment projects without prodding by Opposition legislators?