Parliament

Power ministry battle: Little light, more heat
By Chandani Kirinde, Our Lobby Correspondent
The President's move to take over three key ministries, including Defence, continued to have its impact on politics of this country, as seen during the committee stage of the Budget that got under way in Parliament last Monday.

Eastern Province Muslim legislators asked Speaker Joseph Michael Perera to intervene to ensure their safety when they visited their electorates. Muslim Congress parliamentarian M.A.M. Maharoof told parliament that they were being prevented from going to their electorates and asked the Speaker to summon a meeting with the armed forces chiefs and the IGP to discuss the matter.

Mr. Maharoof's call had the support of members from both sides of the divide though PA and JVP members blamed the government for creating a tense situation in the east after the signing of the ceasefire agreement. "We sympathize with the Muslim legislators and agree they have a problem but the President cannot be blamed for it," said Kandy district member Thilina Bandara Tennakoon who was on his feet when the issue was raised.

On Tuesday, the Speaker arranged a meeting with the security top brass who briefed the MPs on the additional security measures taken in the wake of the killing of three Muslims in Kinniya a few days earlier. The Muslim MPs were also granted a meeting with the President but SLMC MPs could not attend it on time as the letter reached them late.

When the votes of the President were taken up as the first item for debate at the start of the committee stage of the Budget, speculation was rife that the government would move to cut the funds for the President in view of the ongoing crisis between the President and the UNF government. However, there was no such drama and the vote was approved unopposed.

But the bitterness among government members about the President's decision was quite evident as they continued to emphasize on the powers of the legislature, which they said the President could not usurp or undermine. House Leader W.J.M. Lokubandara dismissed claims by some PA legislators that the President was following a Supreme Court directive when she took over the three ministries, saying the President's action had come before the Court gave its ruling. "It was not the Supreme Court but the "Ira Handa" (astrological newspaper which predicted such a takeover) that prompted the President's action," he said.

Though most government members charged that the President was misusing her constitutional powers, surprisingly, there weren't many to respond to queries from the opposition why they were not taking steps to scrap the executive presidency. "We can bring amendments to the constitution but we need a two-thirds majority to do that," Constitutional Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris said.

"If you put forward reasonable reforms, we will get you the two-thirds majority," said PA Matara district MP Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, a vehement critic of the present constitution. Another highlight of the committee stage debate was the suspension of sittings for ten minutes when none of the listed PA members was present to move the customary ten-rupee cut in the Policy Development and Implementation Ministry budget.
Ratnapura district PA MP Pavithra Wanniarachchi was to do the honours for the PA, but in her absence, Kandy district PA MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage stood up to move the cut.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister A. H. M. Azwer who raised a point of order, protested saying that only a listed member could move the cut. Soon after the ten-minute suspension, Ms. Wanniarachchi made her entry amidst a loud welcome from members, including Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who is also the Minister of Policy Development and Implementation.

When sittings resumed, Ms. Wanniarachchi and her colleagues castigated the government for selling out all its decision-making powers to the World Bank and the IMF. "If you believe in transparency, table in the House the agreements you have singed with the lending institutions, so that we can see the conditions attached in granting aid," Monaragala district PA member Wijthamuni Zoysa said.

Milinda Moragoda, who is the Policy Planning deputy minister, winding up the debate summed up the government's response by saying that the UNF was on the right economic path. "You say we are puppets of the lending institutions. That is not correct. If we have faith in ourselves, we can use the aid to suit our need without listening to the dictates of anyone," he said.

Dwarfing these conventional clashes was a major duel between former Power and Energy Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte and the present Minister Karu Jayasuriya during the debate on the votes of this Ministry.

Mr. Ratwatte who wound up the debate on behalf of the opposition - his first speech in Parliament after he was released on bail in connection with the Udathalawinna massacre launched a scathing attack on Mr. Jayasuirya, accusing him of trying to take credit for many projects initiated by the previous regime.

"The Minister keeps on saying that during my time electricity was available only when there was rain. Fortunately for him, there has not been a drought this year so far to test his claim," Mr. Ratwatte said reading from a written text. The usually mild mannered Mr. Jayasuriya shot back, saying that he knew who had prepared the speech and urged Mr. Ratwatte to clarify his facts before making false claims.

"I am hurt by this personal attack on me as I have never accused my predecessors of any wrong-doing. I have not taken credit for what they have done. Neither will I do so in the future," a visibly upset Mr. Jayasuriya said. Mr. Ratwatte's attack on the present minister seems to have taken many of his colleagues in the PA by surprise as some of them who spoke on the Ministry's votes had a lot of praise for Mr. Jayasuriya though they did not approve of some of his projects.

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