• NCM against Govt. will only delay reforms needed to address the situation
• Says priority should be given to reforms not toppling governments 
• Wants Govt. to implement SFLP proposals 
• No party decision on NMC against Rishad either
  
   

By Chathuri Dissanayake

Sri Lanka Freedom Party yesterday said that the priority at present is to carry out the legal and educational reforms needed urgently to address the current security situation, not destabilise the Government. 

“The No-Confidence Motion may be in the agenda of other parties but not in the SLFP agenda,” said Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekara, noting that the move will only “delay the reforms needed” to address the current situation in the country. 

SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera  - Pic by Lasantha Kumara

The SFLP parliamentarian was speaking at a media briefing held at the party head office. 

Raising concerns over the possibility of holding an election in the event a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against the Government is successful, Jayasekara spoke strongly against the move, in what can be considered as an indication of the SLFP position regarding the move by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). 

The JVP yesterday handed over a No-Confidence Motion against the Government, for failure to take action to prevent the Easter Sunday bombings despite receiving prior warnings, and failing to ensure the security of the public in the aftermath. 

Noting that the responsibility of the Opposition right now is not to destabilise the Government, Jayasekara said that an elected government had “the right to govern till its term was complete.” “If the Government is ready to hold an election, then we are ready to work for it … no one will go home just because someone tells them to go home, the Government is also trying to fix the areas they have gone wrong and come back … But there is a serious opposition to the current Government.” 

Advocating working together with the Government to address the current situation, the MP said that his party has given a series of proposals to be implemented as a remedy. 

“We believe that we need to work together in implementing the proposals we have given to the Government … we have to take this situation when the Government has the support to carry out reforms and manage it now. If not, these reforms will not happen, as they will need to canvas for support again,” he said. 

Jayasekara said that the SLFP has given proposals to carry out reforms in the education system, addressing the issues in national security, dealing with madrasas, prohibiting formation of parties based on religion or ethnicity, and setting up one Ministry for Religious Affairs, and determining the age of eligibility for marriage. 

He also said that there have been requests from all religious leaders and other civil society groups to bring the entire country to one legal system. 

“I believe establishing these laws are a lot more important than pushing for a No-Confidence Motion right now,” he said. 

The Party is yet to take a decision on the No-Confidence Motion filed against Government Minister Rishad Bathiudeen by members of the Joint Opposition. “We are not sure which No-Confidence Motion will come first, we are yet to see the details of the JVP one, and we will decide when the right time comes,” Jayasekara said.

JVP wants support for NC