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Government backbenchers tell Government seniors to ‘shut up’

06 Jan 2022

 
  • Kuttiarachchi advises seniors to raise concerns only internally
  • SLPP backbenchers launch ‘Voice of Backbenchers’
  • Blame current crisis on pandemic; praise vaccination programme
  BY Pamodi Waravita One day after State Minister of Education Reforms, Open Universities, and Distance Learning Promotion Susil Premajayantha was removed from his state ministerial portfolio, the “Pasupela Ape Handa (Voice of the Backbenchers)” organisation launched by three Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Government Parliamentarians, yesterday (5) warned senior politicians within the Government that it is best to keep their “mouths shut”. “It is best if senior politicians within the country keep their mouths shut, at least during this year. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said when this year started that he will take direct, difficult decisions this year for the sake of the country. If any senior politicians have problems, they must discuss them within the Cabinet of Ministers and within the internal meetings,” said SLPP MP Tissa Kuttiarachchi at the press briefing held yesterday. Premajayantha was removed from his state ministerial portfolio, two days after he said that the Government’s agricultural policies were a “failure”.  SLPP MP and former President Maithripala Sirisena said on Tuesday (4) that the 20th Amendment to the Constitution needs to be abolished and that the 19th Amendment to the Constitution needs to be reintroduced with some changes if the Government is to move in the right direction. When queried about his response to these comments yesterday, Kuttiarachchi said that he did not expect such statements from the former President. “This was the man who abandoned and destroyed the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in 2015 when he abandoned the party to run for presidency under the ‘Yahapalanaya (good governance)’ Government. Who removed Premajayantha from his party-related posts first? Sirisena also removed his own Prime Minister and Cabinet in 2018. Have you forgotten that?” charged Kuttiarachchi.  Furthermore, SLPP MP Milan Jayathilake claimed that the current crisis in the country is due to the Covid-19 pandemic and noted the “remarkable vaccination programme” conducted by President Rajapaksa and the Government in order to ensure the prosperity of the people. “What we launched will be joined by monks and experts in the future. We aim to provide the truth to the public. A total of 6.9 million people voted this President into power and he has had the toughest first two years in power. But he admirably started a strong vaccination programme for the people,” said Jayathilake. SLPP MP U.K. Sumith Udukumbura was also present at the press briefing yesterday.


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