SLFP hails GSP+

By Chathuri Dissanayake 

Hailing the decision to re-engage with the western power block, the SLFP yesterday claimed that the political willingness displayed by the Government was a key factor in the success made in the GSP+ application process.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing, senior SLFP member and Minister of Skills and Development, Mahinda Samarasinghe, claimed that the current Government had been able to win back the confidence of the Western power block as the country, through its foreign policy approach, had “decided to engage and seek foreign relations with more than one or two countries” while making a political commitment to improve the human rights situation in the country and further reconciliation efforts.

“Because we follow a balanced foreign policy now foreign powers have come forward to help us,” Samarasinghe said.

He also highlighted that the previous regime did not utilise opportunities to improve foreign relations, which led to disengagement with many western countries. Instead the conduct of the former regime demonstrated that there was no political will to improve the country’s human rights situation or facilitate reconciliation efforts, he claimed.

“That is why they made the decision. Now we have regained that confidence. That is why I emphasise that this Government’s commitment to the convention is not limited to words. We have a responsibility to implement these conventions.”

Speaking on a retrospective note, he stated that the foreign policy followed by the former regime led to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat at the 2015 presidential elections. Samarasinghe claimed that it was the undesirable outcome of the administration’s foreign policy which prompted former president Mahinda Rajapaksa to call for an early election.

“The former president knew that the UNHCR in March 2015 was ready to present a strong negative report and he knew that based on the report there were countries ready to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka. He made the decision to go for early elections after taking all these into account,” he claimed.

However, Samarasinghe said that Rajapaksa should not have lost the elections. Drawing from history, he said that no candidate has ever lost an election while in power. Outlining the reasons behind the defeat, Samarasinghe claimed that Rajapaksa’s dictatorial approach and the sidelining of the rights of minority communities contributed immensely to the former president’s defeat.

“People voted against him because of his dictatorial approach. They thought that if he was given a third term it would be a blow to democracy and the Aluthgama incident sent a message to the entire country that the Government did not look after the rights of minority communities. So people who never voted before obtained their identity cards for the sole purpose of voting. If not, considering the service he has delivered, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa should not have lost,” Samarasinghe highlighted.

Samarasinghe also stated that despite the commitments given to the international community and at UNHRC meetings, the previous Government had no political will to carry out meaningful work.

Deputy Minister Arundika Fernando, a former confidant of Rajapaksa, also blamed the former president’s foreign policy approach for his downfall, claiming that this prompted foreign powers to interfere in the 2016 presidential elections.