Samagi Jana Balawege MP Eran Wickremaratne stated in Parliament today that if the Prime Minister agrees to the proposal to abolish the executive Presidency, as intimated in Parliament, the main opposition is ready to join an interim government at the invitation of the government and take up the responsibility of reviving the economy tomorrow.
The Samagi Jana Balawewa not only criticizes the government but also wants to make positive proposals to the government. I would like to propose that no more than two members of the same family should be appointed to the Cabinet.
Mr Eran Wickramaratne was speaking today on the two-day debate on the current situation in the country in Parliament. The MP further speaking on the second day of the debate today (07) further said that Prior to the discussion of the proposed interim government, action should be taken to eliminate distrust of the Government as this government has lost its credibility nationally and internationally.
Mr. Wickremaratne urged that the Prime Minister, who applauded by knocking on his table when the Leader of the Opposition called for the abolition of the executive presidency, should submit a proposal immediately to get rid of the menace of executive President. The main problem of this government is the lack of trust in the government. If there is no international trust in the government for a financial or economic problem, that government will not be able to solve any issues that erupts in governance.
The Samagi Jana Balawega does not participate in all party conferences, but in Parliament, the SJB is ready to present solutions to the problems that have arisen in the country. When the President and the Prime Minister of the country do not have the necessary knowledge of economics and finance, at least a Minister of Finance with knowledge of economics and finance should be appointed.
“Moreover, there is no country in the world where three members of the same family have been appointed to the Cabinet. Therefore, the loss of confidence in this government is inevitable. We have a plan for the economy. We firmly believe that this plan will end the current era of queues in the country, ” said Wickremaratne.
Corruption is one of the main reasons for the loss of confidence in this government. It has been reported in a British court that the relevant company in Britain has given money to SriLankan Airlines to buy an air bus. It was reported that two million dollars had been credited to the account of the wife of the then CEO of SriLankan Airlines.
Central Bank of Sri Lanka in 2007 has paid $ 6.5 million and the person called Zuberi who received this money is in jail now on a 12 year imprisonment.
Jaliya Wickremasooriya, the then Sri Lankan Ambassador to US , has pleaded guilty in the US court for a fraud in 2013 for embezzling more than $ 300,000 in the acquisition of a new building for the Sri Lankan Embassy in the United States. , Although any official accused of financial misconduct should be suspended under normal disciplinary procedures. Mahinda Rajapaksa's attempt to appoint Jaliya Wickramasuriya, a relative of the Rajapaksa family, as Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Canada, was unsuccessful as the Canadian government rejected to accept a corrupt person as an envoy.
Sri Lanka is also a signatory to the United Nations Anti-Corruption Charter, which contains a chapter on the recovery of assets accumulated through corruption. When the foreign courts punish Sri Lankans for corruptions and accumulation of wealth , in Sri Lanka,no inquiry or case has been filed against such persons .
A Presidential Task Force on the Recovery of Assets accumulated from Corruption was appointed in 2018. The committee has drafted a bill for this purpose. Mr. Wickremaratne called on the government to present the anti-corruption bill to parliament and pass it into law.