Lamenting legislator joins JO

Lawmaker Arundika Fernando, who was removed from his ministerial portfolio last week, joined the ranks of the UPFA Joint Opposition yesterday after swearing to topple the Unitary Government by working for the victory of MP Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Fernando was the former Deputy Minister of Tourism and Christian Affairs before President Maithripala Sirisena removed him from office by virtue of the powers vested in him as President under Article 46 (3) of the Constitution. 

However, before crossing over to the Opposition, MP Fernando directed a tirade at the Government. 

“I obtained a deputy minister post in the current Government with the intention of developing the country and taking it forward from the point our leader had stopped. But I regret to say that there was no such development. I was in the Ministry of Tourism. Even though I was the Deputy Minister I was not even invited to the ceremony to appoint a new Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. When Minister Sagala Ratnayaka’s brother was appointed to that post I was not invited,” complained Fernando.

Accusing the Government of not allowing him to get involved in the development drive, Fernando stated: “A Colombo-centered capitalist clique is running this Government. The Government is on the verge of collapse because of fraud and corruption. There is no economic plan for this Government. The SAITM issue could have been sorted out but the Government waited till it became a crisis. Those of us from the SLFP have been derogated and humiliated at the Government group meetings by UNPers. In the end, they threw me out of my portfolio. I join the Opposition today and will continue my work till this Government is toppled.”

Revealing his desire to bring back former President Rajapaksa to rule the country once again, Fernando said: “During my parliamentary career I gave the fullest support to the leader who liberated the country from terrorism. I also gave my assistance to him in rural development projects. While we were developing the country, there came a presidential election. When our leader lost that election, I joined a group of MPs to make him the Prime Minister. We lost the election because of some influence. There was a force blocking him becoming the Prime Minister. Thereafter, we tried to make him the Leader of the Opposition. He has the majority of the Opposition seats under his command. But we lost that opportunity too.” 

(AH)