JVP lawyers oppose Colombo Port City Bill

By Saman Indrajith

Sri Lanka will become a victim of the ongoing power struggle between China and the US and India for supremacy in the Indian ocean region if the proposed Colombo Port City went ahead as planned, says the JVP’s lawyers wing.

Addressing the media at the Centre for Society and Religion in Colombo, Attorney-at-Law Sunil Watagala said that the proposed Port City was a threat to national security as it would certainly raise security concerns for India, too. “What will happen to this country when such an extent of land is given to China?” Watagala queried.

Watagala alleged that the provisions envisaged by the Draft Bill were inconsistent with the provisions of Articles 1, 2,3,4, 12,75 and 76 of the Constitution. “The Port City will not come under the administrative purview of any local government body, any provincial council or Parliament of this country,” he said.

Attorney-at-Law Harshana Nanayakkara said that the Colombo Port City Special Economic Commission Bill had no provisions for safeguarding the interests of the middle and low-level members of the local business community. They would not stand a chance before the foreign businessmen in the Port City, he said. “The government says that it brought the new Bill to provide tax exemptions for the foreign investors to incentivise them. That could have been easily done through the Board of Investment Act and the Strategic Development Act. No new laws are required for that purpose.”

Attorney-at-Law Charith Galhena said that people should oppose the Bill.

Attorneys-at-Law Upul Kumarapperuma, Nirmala Siriwardena, Thushara Ranatunga and Rexy Piyadasa also addressed the press.