House on fire Over Mahinda
Opposition MPs protesting the decision to summon former President Mahinda Rajapaksa before the Bribery Commission said they will call off their continuous fast only after Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa officially announces his ruling on the issue to the House this morning.
Ceylontoday, 2015-04-21 02:05:00
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House on fire Over Mahinda
By Gagani Weerakoon
Opposition MPs protesting the decision to summon former President Mahinda Rajapaksa before the Bribery Commission said they will call off their continuous fast only after Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa officially announces his ruling on the issue to the House this morning.
It is the first time in the history of Parliamentary democracy that a group of MPs is holding an overnight fasting protest in the chamber of the House.
President Maithripala Sirisena arrived in Parliament around 2:30 p.m. and held talks with various parties including the Speaker, UPFA and SLFP leaders and the Prime Minister to explore a solution but left shortly thereafter.
President Maithripala Sirisena arrived in Parliament around 2:30 p.m. and held talks with various parties including the Speaker, UPFA and SLFP leaders and the Prime Minister to explore a solution but left shortly thereafter.
Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkody said that even though the Speaker had intimated to him the outcome of the discussion held with the Chairman of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), they wanted to remain in the House overnight until the official announcement was made today.
The Deputy Speaker said that he will also remain in the complex to ensure the MPs are provided with medical and other facilities.
Over 50 Opposition legislators yesterday (20) launched a continuous fast in...
... the well of Parliament demanding an 'acceptable' written assurance from the President and the Prime Minister through the Speaker, against summoning former President Mahinda Rajapaksa before the Bribery Commission.
The protesting members also demanded that the government immediately put an end to 'witch hunting' Opposition politicians including former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and ex-Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
The continuous fast was begun, immediately before the House adjourned, by UPFA members who had previously protested against summoning the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, for appointing MP Tissa Attanayake as Minister of Health.
The protesting members also demanded that the government immediately put an end to 'witch hunting' Opposition politicians including former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and ex-Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
The continuous fast was begun, immediately before the House adjourned, by UPFA members who had previously protested against summoning the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, for appointing MP Tissa Attanayake as Minister of Health.
Later, addressing a press conference at the Parliamentary Complex, UPFA Colombo District MP Bandula Gunawardena said that the MPs would not give up their protest until an assurance was given by President Maithripala Sirisena that the harassing of the Former President will be stopped.
"This is the first time in our parliamentary history that MPs have staged a continuous fast in Parliament. We had to resort to this because there is unprecedented political revenge taking place today, on a scale hitherto never known in our political history" MP Gunawardena said.
He said that Chief Opposition Whip John Seneviratne had contacted President Maithripala Sirisena over the issue and the latter had responded that he was not aware of the issue. "The President has asked MP Seneviratne to submit to him a letter signed by MPs against this harassment. Already 56 MP's including UPFA ministers in the present government have signed it."
The letter handed over to President Sirisena said that summoning the former President to the CIABOC over the appointment of MP Attanayake as a minister was unconstitutional.
"According to the laws of the country, offering or accepting a ministerial position could never be interpreted as a bribe, whether giving or taking. If such an act becomes a bribe, an executive president would never be able to perform the duties expected of him or her. The explanation given by the Prime Minister over the issue in Parliament implied that this act of harassing the former President is a conspiracy by the UNP to place you and the incumbent government in the public displeasure. Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who rendered yeoman service to liberate the motherland from LTTE terrorism, has also been summoned to the CIABOC. We have also brought to the notice of this august assembly that a large number of MPs, their spouses and children, are being continuously harassed with no due recognition been paid to MPs' privileges in doing so. During a debate in the House today, the Prime Minister admitted that the Director General of the CIABOC and her husband were close friends of his.
In these cirecumstances, we seek your immediate intervention as the President of the country to stop the immoral and illegal conduct of the CIABOC. We further inform you that the campaign that we have begun this morning will be continued until you take necessary action to stop the illegal persecution of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa." Copies of this letter were circulated among journalists at the press conference.
Meanwhile, NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa said that former President Rajapaksa and Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa were being hunted by the government to please the international community and Tamil diaspora.
"The hunters of this game are the ones who opposed war and criticized the security forces. The hunted are the ones who waged the war against terrorists to a successful end. It's not only those who led the war winning campaign who are being targeted. Others who supported it too are being targeted," MP Weerawansa said.
MP Dallas Alahapperuma said that the CIABOC was merely carrying out a mala fide political objective.
"It cannot question a president for exercising his constitutional powers to appoint a minister. The CIABOC has summoned businessman A.S.P. Liyanage for making available to the former president a house for his personal use.
Now, 101 days have elapsed since this government took office but so far it has not been able to give an official residence to the former President who has no house to stay when he comes to Colombo.
Thus, Liyanage gave him a house. The CIABOC had questioned him as to how and why he gave the house to the former President. Isn't this political witch-hunting?" MP Alahapperuma asked.
MPs Rohitha Abygunawardena, Ranjithde Soyza and Mahindananada Aluthgamage addressed the press.
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