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Opposition to Port City Bill continues on debate day

20 May 2021

  • Don’t give Prez sole power to appoint Commissioners: SJB

  • Bill undermines devolution: TNA

  • Elle Gunawansa Thera, Cardinal Ranjith query haste

  • Govt. betraying country on War Victory Day: JVP protest

  • 75% of jobs created by Port City reserved for Lankans: PM

By Pamodi Waravita   The Parliamentary Opposition and several prominent religious leaders yesterday (19) expressed their dissatisfaction with the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill, many clauses of which were recently declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (SC) and deemed to require a parliamentary super majority and a referendum or amendments to make them consistent with the Constitution. Speaking in Parliament, Samagi Jana Balawegeya (SJB) parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva said that their first request is to make the Commission a government institution. “Take the Commission under the Government. The initial fund of the Port City is $ 2 million. The original Bill said that a portion of the fund must receive parliamentary approval. However, this Bill that has been presented has completely erased that,” said Dr. de Silva. Dr. de Silva also pointed out that in the original Bill presented by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, he had agreed to seven members being appointed to the Commission with parliamentary approval. “However, the final Bill gives sole authority of the matter to the President. We do not know who the future presidents of this country could be. We must not give this kind of power to unknown persons,” said Dr. de Silva. According to Dr. de Silva, the SC’s special determination that the regulatory powers of finance should be given to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka is a win for the Opposition who fought in the SC for this resolution. “The SC has also called one part of this Bill ‘obnoxious’. The Bill allows businessmen who register with the Commission, tax reliefs in any other part of the country. The SC has rightfully called this obnoxious,” Dr. de Silva further said. Dr. de Silva also commented on the fact that the Bill prompts citizens of Sri Lanka to obtain permission from the Commission to enter the Port City. “Who would write a Bill which prohibits the country’s own citizens from entering a part of their own land?” questioned Dr. de Silva. Meanwhile, in a press conference held yesterday, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said that it would oppose the passing of the Bill, as it is a serious intrusion into the sovereignty of the country. “The foundational principles on which this Bill was drafted is to create a totally autonomous area outside of the juridical control of this country’s laws. It undermines the devolution to the provinces and is alien to the rest of the legal regime that we have in this country and therefore, we are opposed to this Bill being enacted in the law,” said TNA Spokesman and MP, President’s Counsel (PC) M.A. Sumanthiran. Elsewhere, Dharmayathanaya of Colombo Chief Incumbent Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera and Head of the Catholic Church Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith urged the Government to not rush to pass the Bill, as proper consultations with the public are needed prior to that. “How can the 25 amendments that the SC recommended be added in a hurry? Dual citizens must not be a part of the Commission. We have given this country to the Government only for five years. We are the owners of this country. We are asking the Government to not hurry this decision,” said the monk. Archbishop of Colombo Cardinal Ranjith also questioned as to why the Government is in such a hurry to pass this Bill and added that before the country’s resources are given to someone else, the public must be consulted. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) held a protest against the Bill on the Parliament Road yesterday, demanding that the Bill not be passed, as it is traitorous to do so. “In the backdrop of the War Victory Day, why is the Government betraying this country? The public is not able to give their opinions on this matter, nor engage in a discussion. Allow the public time to be engaged in this,” urged JVP MP Vijitha Herath at the protest yesterday. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa stated that he hopes to bring in a regulation where 75% of the jobs created in the Colombo Port City will be reserved for Sri Lankans. However, the Prime Minister also said that the Commission should be given space to relax the conditions when Sri Lankans do not have the required special skills. The Prime Minister made these remarks while making a special statement at the commencement of the parliamentary debate on the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill last morning. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister said that the proposal to have a majority of Sri Lankans in the Colombo Port City Economic Commission and that a Sri Lankan should be its chairman, should be confirmed by the Act itself. The Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill was presented to Parliament for a second reading yesterday. The vote is expected this evening (20).  


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