Kiriella: What is the point in govt issuing gazettes to control price of rice when they are ignored?

By Saman Indrajith

Chief Opposition Whip Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament yesterday that the government had published more gazettes than the number of cassettes released by popular singer HR Jothipala.

Opening the third reading debate on the budget 2021 form the opposition, MP Kiriella said: “Although the government printed gazettes on price control, there is no price control in the market. During the time of our government we had a rice company, called Ape Shakthi, to control the rice market. This government dissolved it after coming to power. Now, the rice mafia of Polonnaruwa determines rice prices arbitrarily.”

 MP Kiriella said that the government was undoing democracy by implementing the provisions of the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. “Today, the separation of powers is not to be seen especially with regard to the list of institutions whose budgetary allocations are being debated today. The Supreme Court, the Appeal Court, the Human Rights Commission, the Police Commission, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and the Finance Commission were independent under the 19th Amendment. The Constitutional Council had the power to reject even a nomination by the President. Its successor the Parliament Council does not have that power. It has just to endorse the nominations made by the President. The President can make appointments to 75 top posts in key institutions. Even in the US, the Senate has the power to reject persons nominated by the President. Those nominated to top posts have to come before the Senate and respond to thousands of questions and those sessions are aired live on TV. Imagine what will happen under the present system here now. Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake gave a ruling on Divi Neguma Bill against the government wish, she was summoned to parliament and removed.

 Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando: We do not see anything wrong in that process. We stand by what we did because whatever we did we did so in accordance with the constitutional provisions. We followed the process outlined in the Constitution to remove her. But what you did when your government removed Shirani Bandaranayake’s successor Mohan Peiris. Soon after you formed the government Azath Sally went to his house and told him to resign within one hour and threatened to throw him out otherwise. That was the procedure you followed.

MP Kiriella: I am not aware of such a thing. There are many instances that could be taken from the Indian Supreme Court rulings. Now, laws could be passed to change the status quo of separation of powers. Today, there is no separation of powers here.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has stated that military men are not suitable to rule a country. It is there on the web. You can show a mountain to the military and order them to capture it. They would duly follow the order and capture it but they cannot rule. Because they do not know how to maintain a dialogue and discussion aimed at reaching an agreement. Unfortunately, today there is no dialogue. We are sliding towards the abyss of authoritarianism.