Govt. claims loss of vote not a defeat for regime but the people

• Ravi K says Treasury not short of funds; Harsha says motion was only to ensure better Treasury management

Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake addressing the media (second from left) from left: Deputy Minister of Policy Development and Economic Affairs Dr. Harsha de Silva, and Minister of Plantation Lakshman Kiriella are also present– Pic by Daminda Harsha Perera     By Jayashika Padmasiri The Government yesterday declared that the loss of votes in Parliament was not a defeat for the regime but for the people of this country. “The Government will not suffer in any way as a result of the defeat of the motion to increase the threshold of Treasury Bills in Parliament yesterday but this backstabbing move by the Opposition will only prevent the Government from giving additional relief to the public,” Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake told journalists at a late night media conference at the Treasury soon after this motion was defeated in Parliament earlier in the day. Karunanayake explained that contrary to claims made by Opposition Parliamentarians the motion to increase the threshold of Treasury Bills by 47% to Rs. 1.25 trillion from Rs. 850 billion was not brought with any intention to find money to pay salaries or allowances for Government workers. He said instead that the Government just tried to give more relief to the public with this money. “This move has not harmed the Government. We are not short of money or scared in any way and neither did we want that money to pay salaries. Instead we wanted to reduce the debt of Rs. 8,311 billion the previous regime put the country under and give additional relief to the public. However, because of what happened, we couldn’t allocate the money to give the Samurdhi allowance for the future or allocate money to buy paddy in the future. Therefore as a result of this malicious act of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his supporters in Parliament, they robbed the people of the relief we were trying to give them. What happened could affect the people and the economy and it is those Opposition MPs who voted against this motion who are responsible for it,” he said. However, Karunanayake added that no burden would be placed on the public as a result of this and he promised that the Government had enough money for its expenses. “Because of this act of Wimal Weerawansa, Dinesh Gunawardana and their clan, the Government couldn’t free the people from the maximum debt burden the Rajapaksa regime put them under. However, this will not give any burden to the public but has prevented us from trying to give them comfort,” Karunanayake explained. Deputy Minister of Policy Planning and Economic Affairs Dr. Harsha de Silva said that the Government only wanted to do a Treasury management exercise and tried to put a lower burden of debt on the public and that now as a result of what happened the Government would not be able to give this relief to the people. “This is only a vicious act that will give them a temporary moment of satisfaction and comfort,” Silva said. Minister of Plantation Industries and Chief Government Whip Lakshman Kiriella who was also present at this media conference said that the conduct of the Opposition regarding this motion was similar to backstabbing the Government as Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva initially said that a vote was not required and what happened in Parliament was against parliamentary procedures. Answering a question raised by the media about how the Government did not possess the two-thirds majority in Parliament, Karunanayake said that this minority Government succeeded in doing many things that the previous Government failed to do with a two-thirds majority. “We increased salaries and stopped corruption and many more things which the previous Government failed to do with the two-thirds majority in Parliament. We have 175 with us and it was proved today that Mahinda Rajapaksa has 52 in Parliament. However, as promised we will abolish the executive presidency and change the electoral system,” he said.