The Hon. Chamara Sampath Dasanayake

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, today’s subject on foreign affairs is important. Former Minister Ali Sabry handled it commendably and with dignity. Our Hon. Minister Vijitha Herath is also working likewise. However, I must say to the Hon. Vijitha Herath that his Private Secretary, Mr. Sunil de Silva, earlier worked at our Embassy in Kenya during President Maithripala Sirisena’s time as Ambassador, then served on the Airport Board under our Hon. Premalal Jayasekara, and now is the Minister’s Private Secretary. An officer of the Foreign Ministry who worked in our Embassy in Kenya, Ms. Anshul Jaan, returned to Sri Lanka due to issues and complained against him, but the then government suppressed it and took no action. I did not expect a Minister like Vijitha Herath to have such a person serving with him. People who damage the country’s name creep in close to leaders. He has now crept in near our Hon. Minister as well. I remind the Minister to look into this.

¶ 02 Next, there is a course conducted by a hotel school for driver-tour guide lecturers. Those individuals have paid about Rs. 100,000, completed the course, but the Tourism Ministry is delaying issuing licences. Driver-guides transport tourists; if they have completed training and paid, licences should be granted. Such small issues occur within the Tourism Board and Ministry. Please look into this; relevant officers should provide answers.

¶ 03 Regarding Korean employment, there are serious complaints that some on the list are being bypassed and others sent instead. I believe such bypassing should not happen. Those on the list should be sent fairly.

¶ 04 Yesterday, our Leader of the House tabled the Batalanda Commission Report. Along with that, there are other commission reports, including the Presidential Commission Report on the assassination of Vijaya Kumaratunga, which should be tabled. In 1989, 16 of our SLFP organizers were killed and 6,300 SLFP members were murdered. We say commissions must look into those as well. In the 1989 Presidential Election contested by Madam Bandaranaike and Mr. Premadasa, in Monaragala District, 42 ballot boxes had not a single vote cast. Had those votes been used, a second preference count would have been necessary, given Mr. Premadasa’s win was by about 50-point-something percent. O.C. Abeygunasekara polled 280,000 votes, and most of those second preferences were for Madam Bandaranaike. Since 42 boxes had no votes, we were disadvantaged in 1989.