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Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa at a post-budget news conference on Saturday. Pic by Indika Handuwala

As Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa declared earlier, Budget 2022 was presented in the backdrop of an economy in serious decline, with a bleak future ahead and international credit agencies issuing warnings that Sri Lanka is on the ‘ticking bomb’ path towards default in-servicing on its overseas loans.

When Minister Rajapaksa began reading his inaugural budget on Friday, there were some notable instances in the House. Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa was absent. He was said to be overseas despite a Presidential order that all government MPs refrain from foreign travel during the Budget period. Former President Maithripala Sirisena came late and took his seat in the front row of the government benches. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe too were not in the House, when the Finance Minister started presenting the Budget.

By 3.25 pm, the Finance Minister was visibly tired and requested Speaker Mahinda Abeywardena to be allowed to be seated to continue presenting the Budget. Seated next to the Finance Minister was Transport Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi who was seen frequently removing her mask, blowing her nose and drinking water. Speaker Abeywardena took note of the difficulties experienced by the Finance Minister and declared a ten minute adjournment.

The Finance Minister’s Budget speech went on for more than two hours without the policy statement of the Government. The Minister said this would be submitted to the House later, due to time constraints on Friday.

All Parliamentary staff, senior government officials and journalists were told to take antigen tests before the beginning of the Budget speech. Only foreign diplomats were allowed to sit in the gallery, because of the current COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

On a positive note, it was the first time simultaneous sign language interpretation was provided during the Budget speech and debate in consideration of the hearing-impaired community, after the Cabinet recognised it as a means of communication back in January.

TNA delegation on invitation, leaves for US for talks on key issues

A Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation left for the United States yesterday morning at the invitation of the US State Department to drum up support for the party’s stand on political issues.

The three-member delegation consists of K. Kanag-isvaran PC, Dr. Nirmala Chandrahasan and M. A. Sumanthiran PC.

Following the US visit, Mr Sumanthiran is scheduled to visit Canada and the United Kingdom (UK). Another TNA Parliamentarian Shanakiyan Rasamanickam is also to join him in the UK.

Bandula’s Medamulana comment: Was it a joke?

Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardane lamented in Parliament yesterday over the many economic woes faced by the country and said it is important to manage public debt and find more revenue sources so people can be given more benefits. To illustrate his point he made a reference to the hometown of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s family.

“We would like to give public sector workers a Rs. 10,000 increment, but where can we get the money? Can we get the money from Medamulana and give them? No we can’t. We have to find other revenue sources,” he said.

The irony of his comment may not have gone down well with everyone.

Cricket diplomacy at Temple Trees

When the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-final match between Pakistan and Australia was underway on Thursday, the main hall at Temple Trees
was filled with carnival music and drum beats. The match was telecast on the big screen with selected attendees from the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo and the Prime Minister’s Office.

Those present were handed Pakistan flags and face masks with the country’s national flag to support the South Asian country.

By the time Pakistan lost the match and everyone was making an exit, one journalist who was invited to the event, inquired from the PM’s Office official who organised the event. The response came on the lines of; ‘sports diplomacy.’

INGOs keep Mohan Peiris out of International Law Commission

Sri Lanka lost a bid this week to get a seat at an influential UN body – the International Law Commission.

Sri Lanka’s nominee for the 2021 Election of the International Law Commission, the current UN Ambassador Mohan Peiris, failed to get elected to the 34 member UN body, partly due to active campaigns carried out against him by International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs). He received 112 votes from a total number of 191 ballot papers.

The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) led by Yasmin Sooka led the campaign against Ambassador Peiris detailing his previous track record as an Attorney General and Chief Justice, saying he should not be framing international law at the UN.

The outfit alleged Mr Pieris is compromised by his failure to hold accountable the perpetrators of enforced disappearance, execution, torture and rape during his tenure as the country’s chief law officer.

“From 2008-2011, he served as the Attorney General of Sri Lanka, failing to investigate or prosecute those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. In 2013 he was appointed to the post of Chief Justice, amidst a national and international outcry over the Government’s unlawful impeachment of his predecessor, Shirani Bandaranayake, which the UN Human Rights Council said was an assault on judicial independence and Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ruled as illegal,” according to a dossier circulated among the member countries urging them to oppose his election to the body.

Mr Pieris was not alone in the scrutiny of the INGOs this week and lost the election. Philipino Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque also failed to get a seat in the body.

In the case of Mr. Roque, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), a worldwide body of democratic lawyers and jurists from more than 90 countries opposed his nomination pointing out that Mr. Roque had “arrogantly” defended “even beyond the call of duty” the attacks of President Rodrigo Duterte on human rights, justice, due process and the rule of law.

In a show of women-power, female council members representing the UNP, JVP and SLFP, ganged up and protested the move of the Mayor

Joint show of women -power to politically cremate Kotte Mayor

Though more female representatives were elected to the local government bodies through election reforms, at times they are forced to agitate to make their voices heard.

The Kotte Municipal Council’s female representatives are among them.

The latest incident took place on Friday, when United National Party (UNP) member Harshani Sandaruwani said the Nawala-Koswatta crematorium needed repairs as bodies did not get properly burned due to poor maintenance of the furnace.

While she was expressing the inconvenience faced by people, Mayor K. M.V. Premalal said that he was limiting the Municipal Council meeting to one and a half hours, and that the matter expressed by Ms. Sandaruwani was not an important point.

However, six female members of the council, representing the UNP, JVP and SLFP, ganged up in a show of women-power. They sat on the auditorium floor and protested the move of the Mayor.

Meanwhile, JVP member Indra Malakanthi said the Mayor did not allow female members to talk at the meeting, and she said this was a form of harassment against female members.