The Hon. K. Sujith Sanjaya Perera

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, before speaking on today’s scheduled subject, I wish to first speak about a very tragic incident that took place today. The Minister in charge of the Police is also present in the House. The Chairman of the Chalagama Pradeshiya Sabha was murdered in broad daylight today. There is a serious question as to whether there is security in this country. Hon. Presiding Member, since this Government came to power, there have been around 100 shooting incidents and nearly 60 murders. We cannot take the assassination of that Chairman lightly.

¶ 02 We also saw that when he secured control of the Council and was appointed as Chairman, various pressures were exerted, including Government interferences. I recall that many Government supporters tried hard to prevent his appointment as Chairman. Amidst such influence and immense pressure, he became the Chairman, and the Samagi Jana Balawegaya secured that Council.

¶ 03 Now, whenever a murder happens, what does the Government do, Hon. Presiding Member? They immediately label it as linked to drugs or the underworld. But they cannot wash their hands of responsibility that way. I urge the Government to pay special attention to this matter. We have no issue with his political alignment; he became an elected representative because people voted for him. Therefore the Government has a responsibility to conduct an impartial investigation into how this incident took place, without spinning narratives. I request the responsible Minister to ensure an impartial investigation.

¶ 04 Further, the security of Members of Parliament has been withdrawn, creating a serious concern about MPs’ safety as well. With shootings happening daily, there is a grave concern about our security. Therefore, I request the Hon. Minister to immediately restore police protection to MPs as it existed earlier.

¶ 05 I also wish to raise another matter. You often say “the law is equal to all,” and that you will ensure national security and eradicate fraud and corruption; that was your pledge on coming to power.

¶ 06 At this point I table a letter from residents of Thummulla. They say that the Urban Development Authority has granted approval for a special apartment project in the Thummulla area. I have serious concerns about the manner in which approval was granted. According to the residents who have written this letter to me, years ago another company initiated this project, but did not receive approval because it did not comply with UDA criteria and regulations. Hon. Presiding Member, that company was not granted approval at the time.

¶ 07 The serious question is how the current company has received approval. We understand three land lots were amalgamated for the project. In addition, the required frontage (setback) in metres is below standard in this case. For such reasons, approval should never have been granted. Yet approval has been given—apparently for a 40-storey apartment project—in a residential zone where such a building is not permissible. Within two days of that approval, a foundation stone was laid. Now the Minister in charge has also been changed. Granting hurried approval and laying a foundation stone within two days raises serious suspicions about irregularities.