Talks to be held with other parties to defeat Counter Terrorism Bill : Opp. Leader

Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa today (Apr 02) said that talks will be held with other political parties regarding the implementation of the Counter Terrorism Bill which is to be presented in Parliament.

Speaking during a meeting with the heads of media institutions today, Mr. Rajapaksa insisted that it was the responsibility of the media to reflect the the public's protest against replacing the Prevention of Terrorism act with the proposed Counter Terrorism Bill.

During the meeting, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Chairman Professor G.L. Peris pointed out that the enactment of such a bill would mean that trade union actions, and protests would be deemed as an act of terrorism.

On the same lines, he claimed that individuals who engage in such protests will be subjected to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment. Further, Professor Peiris said that Ministers will be able to prevent protest demonstrations against their respective ministries if the counter-terrorism bill was passed in the House.

Mr. Peiris observed that media freedom would also be curbed if this bill was passed, since journalists would be barred from coverages. 

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Rajapaksa said that the seven days provided by the government to move court against such bills were insufficient since these proposals would be put forward before Parliament on Friday. Accordingly, he noted that this period would be extended after the next government comes into power.