UNP walks out in protest of alleged undemocratic conduct of Govt.

By Marianne David

The United National Party yesterday walked out of Parliament in protest of the Government’s “shameful” and “undemocratic” conduct whilst President Mahinda Rajapaksa was presenting the 2012 Budget.

UNP Chief Economist and MP Dr. Harsha de Silva, who was one of the first members to walk out, told the Daily FT that the party was protesting against the serious erosion of democracy in the country.

“We walked out in protest because this cannot be tolerated any longer. It seems as if the powers that the regime is using freely on the people on the streets and on the Judiciary has now come to Parliament. Parliament is a sacrosanct place where the elected representatives of the people are representing the people. It is supposed to be the seat of democracy,” he said.

Decrying the Rajapaksa administration’s recent actions, including the Expropriation Act and the action taken against former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, he said that when the UNP MPs entered Parliament this afternoon, the Police confiscated files belonging to some UNP MPs, including those of Dr. Jayalath Jayawardene.

“The Police had absolutely no right to do that. They said they did it under the orders of the Sergeant-at-Arms, who cannot order the Policemen inside Parliament to confiscate our material. They also attempted to enter the office of the Leader of the Opposition, which was prevented.”

Dr. de Silva said that thereafter, having entered the chambers, UNP MPs held up posters that read “shame,” asserting that the UNP believes that “the treatment being meted out to Fonseka is shameful, private property being seized is shameful, the way the EPF is being used on stock market scams is shameful and the way this country is being governed is shameful”.

Questioned as to why the UNP decided to walk out during the President’s speech, he said: “How can we be assaulted? What do you expect us to do if our women MPs are being physically assaulted? First there must be law and order. Outside Parliament some MPs have taken the law into their own hands and now they are trying to do it inside Parliament. There is a complete breakdown of democracy. Executive powers seem now to influence all aspects of Government, Judiciary and Parliament. It is our right to protest.”

The uproar in Parliament caused the President to stop reading the Budget speech for a few minutes, with Government and Opposition members trading charges. Rajapaksa resumed his speech after Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and the Sergeant-at-Arms brought the situation under control.

“When our MPs protested inside Parliament, which is our privilege and democratic right, we were assaulted. Our MPs were physically assaulted in front of the President. The UNP had no option but to get out of that place,” he added.

According to de Silva, some women MPs were pulled by their sarees, while other members were hit with water bottles. Documents had been thrown on UNP Co-Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya’s table, while UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was attacked with paraphernalia such as water bottles and files, he stated.

Defending the UNP’s action, the MP recalled that it was not the UNP which brought a funeral wreath into the Chambers and a coffin to Parliament. “We just held up some A4 sheets. The Opposition tries to do things in the best way it can. Even when it came to nationalisation, we took all action possible both inside and outside Parliament, through the business sector, religious leaders and the media. If the Government does not listen, what do you expect us to do?” he queried.