The Joint Opposition yesterday urged the Government to publish the delimitation gazette within the next 48 hours to declare the Local Government polls as soon as possible. 

Speaking to the media, Joint Opposition MP Dullas Alahapperuma said Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Faizer Mustapha should keep the promise he made in Parliament about publishing the gazette two days after he received the delimitation report.

“Apparently the Delimitation Committee has submitted the report to Acting Provincial Council and Local Government Minister Priyankara Jayaratna. He has to gazette the report immediately but the authority to gazette the paper lies with the subject minister. He has neglected his duty, choosing to leave the country despite having a very urgent task to complete,” Alahapperuma alleged.

Alahapperuma accused the Minister of attempting to delay the gazette, claiming that Mustapha left the country fully aware that in a few days the delimitation report would be submitted. According to Alahapperuma, the Minister was acting on the advice given by the Government with the aim of postponing the Local Government election further. 

The move by the Government to seek feedback from political parties also faced criticism from the Joint Opposition, noting that the committee preparing the report was also comprised of representatives from every political party. Alahapperuma claimed this was yet another tactic employed by the Government to delay the process.

The Joint Opposition also called on the Election Commissioner to take necessary steps to hold the election as soon as possible. 

However, the Delimitation Committee has asked for a date from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to hand over its report. Wickremesinghe has informed the committee that he will allocate a date early in January when Parliament convenes so that the other party leaders could also participate.

Meanwhile, Joint Opposition MP Udaya Gammanpila claimed that the Joint Opposition would like to appreciate the courage shown by the Provincial Councillors who rejected the Development (Special Provisions) Act.

He claimed the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Ministers in Parliament were not brave enough to reject the Act when it was presented to the Cabinet.

Joint Opposition MP C.B. Ratnayake added that SLFP Ministers such as Minister Dilan Perera were trying to create bogus arguments against the Super Minister concept of the United National Party (UNP) while being part of the UNP-led Government. 

“Some SLFPers had voted for the Special Provisions Act without even properly reading the Bill but now they are trying to play the hero in public by saying they were really opposed to the Act,” he claimed.

                                                                      (CG)

GL says Sumanthiran insulted High Court 

Prof. G.L Peiris yesterday claimed that Tamil National Alliance Jaffna District MP M.A. Sumanthiran has insulted the country’s Judiciary by stating that he could not accept the verdict given by the special jury on the killing of TNA MP Nadarajah Raviraj.

Last Saturday, the Colombo High Court acquitted all suspects accused in Raviraj’s murder following a decision by a special jury appointed for the case. 

Prof. Peiris claimed that Opposition MP Sumanthiran refused to accept the decision as the determination was given by a group of Sinhalese judges. Prof. Peiris said such statements were being made by the Opposition due the weak action of the Government to ensure unity. 

Two more provinces reject Development (Special Provisions) Bill

The North Western and Central Provincial Councils voted against the Development (Special Provisions) draft Bill yesterday.

The Bill was defeated by a majority of 20 votes with 31 members in North Western Province voting for and 11 against it, while it was defeated by 32-0 votes, with the United National Party members of the Council abstaining from voting.

This week, the Southern Provincial Council and the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council also defeated the Development (Special Provisions) draft Bill.

Last week the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) and the North Central Provincial (NCP) Council also opposed the Development (Special Provisions) draft Bill. (Colombo Gazette)