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Opposition seeks COPA, COPE chairs at maiden National Council session

30 Sep 2022

BY Mirudhula Thambiah and Buddhika Samaraweera   Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Opposition MP and Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Leader Mano Ganesan, participating in the inaugural National Council meeting held yesterday (29), proposed and urged that the chairs of two watchdog Parliamentary Committees, namely the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) and the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), should be appointed from among the Opposition. Speaking to The Morning yesterday (28), he noted that Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena almost looked convinced by this suggestion.  Ganesan noted that extending the chairs of both these committees related to aspects of finance to the Opposition would strengthen Parliamentary democracy.  “We want to ensure the financial powers of the Parliament by obtaining the Chairs of the COPE and COPA. We have been saying this all along for the last two years, when Gotabaya Rajapaksa was President,” he added.  Ganesan noted that the current Government, for reasons best known to them or the public, has however continuously refused it.  “We have seen ministers coming to Parliament and saying that they have enough funds, that the financial situation is good, and that they have enough US dollars, until the country became totally bankrupt and the people were in the dark. Their supportive officials, especially starting from the former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, produced total lies to Parliament,” he added. Ganesan pointed out that: “If only Rajapaksa had listened to us and appointed Opposition members as the chairpersons of these two committees, we would have brought out the truth to the people.” He made it clear that this demand does not apply only to the current Opposition, but to future Opposition parties as well. Therefore, future Opposition parties should also be given the chairs of the COPE and COPA, he explained.  “We would like to clearly say that this demand just does not apply only to the current Opposition parties, as tomorrow, we would take up the Government and the current Government will become the Opposition, and they would then become the chairs of these financial committees. This will strengthen Parliamentary democracy,” he added. “We said that in order to protect the spirit of the council, we must respect party identity. Whether you are Government or Opposition, the parties should have the right to nominate their own members. The TPA nominated two members, namely myself and our Deputy Leader Palani Digambaram,” he added.  He also noted that in certain parties, the members have joined the Government, but that just because they are a part of the Government, they cannot be brought in as substitutes for other parties.   He also noted that the council will convene on Thursdays during the days of the Parliamentary sittings. Meanwhile, at yesterday’s council meeting, it was decided to appoint two sub-committees related to national policies and economic stabilisation. The sub-committee on national policies is to be set up for the common priorities of the Parliament to guide the formulation of medium- and long-term national policies, while the purpose of establishing the sub-committee on economic stabilisation is to reach an agreement on the short and medium term programmes related to economic stabilisation. Speaking to The Morning yesterday, a member of the group of MPs including Dullas Alahapperuma and Prof. G.L. Peiris that recently left the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), and since declared themselves as “independent” MPs in the Opposition, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa said that the MPs and political parties would think twice before joining the National Council, as it will not be delivering the expected objectives.  “Discussions regarding the formation of a National Council began when there were discussions to form an all-party Government. The initial plan was to establish the National Council, and appoint the Premier and the Cabinet of Ministers on its recommendation. However, all those appointments have been made now. So, what is the purpose of having a National Council now? That is why we, as a group of independent MPs, said at the very beginning that we will not join it. Other parties will also think twice before joining it as this council will not deliver the expected objectives,” he said. The Council meeting was Chaired by Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana, while Premier Gunawardena, Leader of the House Susil Premajayantha, Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga, Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella, Minister Tiran Alles, State Ministers Sisira Jayakody and Sivanesathurai Santhirakanthan, MPs Asanka Navarathna, Rauff Hakeem, Rishad Bathiudeen, Ganesan, Digambaram, Jeevan Thondaman, Namal Rajapaksa, Johnston Fernando, Sagara Kariyawasam, Ali Sabri Raheem, Rohitha Abeygunawardana, Wajira Abeywardena, Patali Champika Ranawaka, and several other MPs were present. Secretary General of Parliament Dhammika Dasanayake was also present at this meeting. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Prime Minister Gunawardena said that the ruling party, as well as the Opposition, had attended the meeting of the National Council. He said that this “auspicious message” is a new door that has been opened for further strengthening Parliamentary programmes and the trust between the people and Parliament. On 23 September, Speaker Abeywardana announced to Parliament the list of MPs who have been nominated for the National Council which was established as per the proposal by Gunawardena. Nominated members included Gunawardena, Premajayantha, Opposition and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa, Ranatunga, Kiriella, Ministers Douglas Devananda, Naseer Ahamed and Alles, State Ministers Jayakody and Santhirakaanthan, and MPs Fernando, Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Abeywardana, A.L.M. Athaullah, Prof. Tissa Vitarana, Bathiudeen, Wimal Weerawansa, Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Digambaram, Ganesan, Udaya Gammanpila, Abegunawardana, Rajapaksa, Thondaman, G.G. Ponnambalam, Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thera, Navarathna, Ali Sabri Raheem, C.V. Wigneswaran, Weerasumana Weerasinghe, and Kariyawasam. Meanwhile, emphasising that the National Council should have been appointed before the appointment of the Premier and the Cabinet, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party announced on Wednesday (28) that it has decided not to join the council.  


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