Sajith sees start of exodus from govt.

By Saman Indrajith

Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa told Parliament yesterday that an exodus from government ranks to the Opposition had just started.

Speaking after SLPP Chairman Prof. G.L. Peiris announced his defection to the Opposition, from the government ranks, with 12 other SLPP MPs, the Opposition Leader said that it was only the beginning and some more MPs would leave the government in the coming days.

Premadasa said that many opposition parties had expressed their readiness to join and support an all-party mechanism to save the country from its present plight. “Yet we are not ready to obtain ministerial posts for giving our support. Those ministerial posts are nothing but antler crowns,” Premadasa said.

He said that suppression of dissent continues making use of all available coercive means by the government. “Can the government give this House an assurance that 25 undergraduates that were taken into custody during a protest on Tuesday would not be detained under the provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act?” the opposition leader demanded to know.

“The government has unleashed state terrorism against the protesters. Have people been stripped of their political rights? They have a right to dissent.”

He said that capitalizing on draconian provisions of the PTA to suppress the voice of people suffering from hardships will bring this country to further disrepute and diminish the chances of securing the international community’s assistance to find solutions for the prevailing crises.

Responding to the Opposition Leader’s query, Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the group of university students who had been taken into custody during a protest on Tuesday would not be dealt with under the provisions of the PTA.

The Prime Minister said the government was not hoping to take action against the arrested students under PTA and that action would be taken against them under the general laws.