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Tuesday, 24 March 2015 00:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
criticism, dislike and opposition for his ministers and his administration. And now this Government has appointed those same politicians whom the people rejected on 8 January as Ministers. Therefore the new Government has trampled the expectations of the people, betrayed them and created another large set of ministers and an administration similar to that of the previous regime,” Dissanayake added.
He was particularly critical of the appointment of Minister of Rural Economic Affairs, S.B. Dissanayake, saying that it demonstrated how a Government which promised so many reforms and changes in the country was repeating the mistakes of the previous regime.
They stated that S.B. Dissanayake not only worked frantically to defeat President Maithripala Sirisena in the run-up to the Presidential Election but also sent many university students to prison during his tenure as the Minister of Higher Education besides threatening and insulting former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who greatly contributed to President Sirisena’s victory.
“These ministers have not been appointed through a sensible method as the President pledged during the election campaign and the United National Party (UNP) and the SLFP have not received a mandate to form a UNP-SLFP National Government as the people have not given them permission to do so. Therefore if they want to form a National Government then during the next election they should inform the public about their intentions and win a mandate for it,” Dissanayake added.
The JVP Leader also revealed that the hidden agenda behind the National Government drama and members of the former regime becoming partners of the current regime was to hide, protect and prevent corrupt politicians from being punished, as under a National Government umbrella these criminals would now be sheltered from punitive measures.
“The actions of the previous regime that were rejected by the people are now being repeated by the new Government. And the SLFP is having one foot in the Opposition and another foot in the Government because Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala is still holding the post of Opposition 
Leader without allowing space for a proper Opposition in Parliament. These actions are ridiculous and they are acting as if this is a playhouse. We will question him in Parliament whether he should now rightfully sit with the Opposition or the Government?” Dissanayake said.
He also called on the President and Prime Minister to dissolve Parliament after 23 April and have an election while giving the people an opportunity to appoint the Government they wished.
“If the Government had the same eagerness to implement constitutional and electoral reforms, to implement the RIT and punish corrupt politicians as they did to appoint these Ministers then none of these procedures would not take such a long time. They are ever ready to give away positions but unfortunately they do not do anything else. Therefore it is clear to us now that this group has ignored the needs of the people and is only focused on its personal political gains and needs,” he said.
Dissanayake also explained that they did not believe that the present Cabinet was a place where any productive or positive decisions concerning the people would be taken and that was why they were refusing to join it.
Commenting on the conduct of the SLFP and its leaders and advisers such as President Maithripala Sirisena and former Presidents Chandrika Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa, the JVP Leader said that they did not have a common ideology or agreement and they were all attacking and backstabbing each other.
“However, those are issues within their party. But to solve the issues within their party they should not involve the Government. Therefore if they are giving ministerial portfolios and other positions to prevent their party from getting divided that is unethical and very wrong,” Dissanayake explained. (JP)
