MEDIA RELEASE

Let the people’s sovereignty prevail

Text of the speech made by the Hon. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in
Parliament on Thursday the 15th November 2018.

Hon Speaker,

The President has explained why he dismissed the previous government and
appointed an interim government until the conclusion of the next general election.
By the 26th of October, the people of this country were living under enormous
pressure. The cost of living was increasing on a daily basis due to the fuel pricing
formula and the rapid depreciation of the Rupee. The unprecedented tax burden,
the doubling of interest rates as a result of the Central Bank bond scam, the
preparations being made to sell off harbour terminals, airports and profitable
government ventures to foreign parties, the laws being drafted to enable
foreigners to purchase freehold land in Sri Lanka, the signing of free trade
agreements against the advice of professionals and local businessmen, the
soliciting of bribes from potential investors were all weighing down on the people
and there was a great deal of popular resentment against the previous government
on that account.

We saw the President making some effort to mitigate the damage that was being
done to the country by taking steps such as dismissing the UNP’s economic
affairs committee. We heard that there had been sharp exchanges between the
President and the Prime Minister in cabinet over these issues. It was at this stage
that the media began to broadcast voice recordings relating to a conspiracy by
persons associated with the UNP to assassinate the president and the former
Defence Secretary with the involvement of certain elements in the police. It was
only after things reached such a pass that the President decided to take the UPFA
out of the coalition government. The withdrawal of the UPFA led to the
dissolution of that government and the President under the powers vested in him
by the Constitution, invited me to accept the Premiership and form a government.

I had the choice of either accepting that invitation or declining it. I could have
simply said that it was best to allow the UNP government to continue in office
for the remaining one year or so. However, we were the main opposition force
in the country. We are the largest political party in the country. When the
President hands the country over to us in order to prevent a major catastrophe
from taking place, it is our duty to accept that responsibility. I accepted the
responsibility of running the country on that basis. Another matter that I had to
take into consideration was what would have happened to the country if the UNP
had continued in power for another year. Since January 2015, that government
had borrowed more than USD 21 Billion in foreign currency loans.

This reckless borrowing spree was by far the most serious damage that was being
done to the country. What we formed was only an interim government until a
general election is held. That was why only a handful of Joint Opposition
members accepted portfolios in the new government. As the situation in the
country deteriorated, the Joint Opposition had been consistently calling for
Parliament to be dissolved and fresh elections held.

However the previous government had literally ‘rolled up the electoral map’. It
took nearly three years for elections to be held for the local government
institutions that had been dissolved in March 2015. They postponed elections on
the pretext of issues pertaining to the delimitation of wards. When that
government filed action in court and attempted to put off local government
elections indefinitely, the Chairman of the Elections Commission announced that
they would hold elections to the local government bodies that did not have any
delimitation issues. It was only then that the government finally agreed to hold
that long delayed election. For more than one year, there have been no functioning
Provincial Councils in the Sabaragamuwa, North Central and Eastern provinces.
Last month, three more provincial councils including the Northern PC stood
dissolved. But there have been no elections.

When the President dissolved Parliament and called a general election, for the
first time in the history of this country, the UNP and the JVP have petitioned
courts against the holding of a general election. These are the same parties that
shamelessly perverted the entire law making process by bringing in committee
stage amendments to change the entire system of elections to the local
government institutions and Provincial Councils to Bills that had been introduced
in parliament for completely different purposes in order to postpone elections to
those bodies. The same parties that have gone to courts against holding an
election, deprived the people of the right to vote at that time as well.

The Parliaments of 1947, 1951, 1956, and 1960 were all dissolved early to enable
the people to exercise their franchise and elect a government of their choice. That
was how the people’s sovereignty was safeguarded at that time. It was because
the President realised that the previous government was not able to solve the
problems of the country that he invited me to form a new government. There was
wave of relief throughout the entire country when I was sworn in as Prime
Minister.

Our Speaker who acts hand in glove with certain Western embassies and his
political party has in violation of the provisions in the Constitution and the
Standing Orders of Parliament, announced that a no confidence motion has been
passed against me in Parliament by a voice vote. Everyone saw that a proper vote
was never taken in Parliament. After the Speaker announced the purported result
of a no-confidence motion, former Ministers of the previous government had
gone to their previous ministries claiming that Mr Ranil Wickremasinghe was
now once again the Prime Minister. Only the President can appoint a Prime
Minister and a Cabinet. The Speaker and Parliament have no role in making such
appointments.

However, there is now a dispute in Parliament. I suggest that we take this matter
before the 15 million plus voters in the country instead of trying to resolve this
among the 225 persons sitting in this House. That is the parliamentary tradition.
We politicians must realize that according to our Constitution, sovereignty resides
in the people not in Parliament. I was pleased to hear the JVP stating at a press
conference yesterday that if someone brings a resolution to dissolve Parliament
and hold a general election, they would support that motion. I expect the UNP to
make their stand on this matter known today on the floor of this house. I invite
all 225 Members of this House to join me in paving the way for the sovereign
people to decide.

Thank you.