The Hon. Rohana Bandara

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, after facing a great, challenging election representing the Ninth Parliament, I was again elected to the Tenth Parliament with enormous support from the people of Anuradhapura. I extend my respectful thanks to all. Of the nine former MPs of the Anuradhapura District, eight left politics; in that situation, as the only former MP returned from the Ninth Parliament, I thank all who gave me that strength—especially the people representing all seven seats of the district, including Medawachchiya and Kalawewa East. In the recent Presidential Election, the Medawachchiya seat—which for 68 years since the founding of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party we had never won—was won for the first time in history with the people’s great support. I thank all who helped in various ways.

¶ 02 We listened to the President’s Throne Speech. Recently, Parliament was dissolved within hours after the Presidential Election ended, without presenting a Throne Speech or a policy statement, and the country was taken to a General Election. Thereafter, we listened to the President’s Throne Speech. Today we speak while facing the proposal on the Vote on Account. This is a historic moment: the people demanded a system change; from 2014 they hoped for a great system change. They sought change and shifted the government then, making the General Secretary of the SLFP the President with the strength of the UNP. But due to sabotage by certain groups, that too failed, ending in great tragedy, and on a nationalist cry, in 2019 Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa became President claiming system change. He received 6.8 million votes and an almost two-thirds parliamentary majority, eventually cobbling together two-thirds. Those who got 6.8 million votes then, now governing, are down to around 3 percent in vote share; the party has fallen to around 3 percent, while those now governing have 6.8 million. The sides have clearly shifted.

¶ 03 Amid this, we MPs faced many challenges. All 225 MPs were lumped together, and we were made henchmen in the narrative created. We were vilified. Yet, when I first came to Parliament, I opposed the proposals and actions of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Government, voted against them, and raised my voice at every opportunity. No one listened then because the Government had overwhelming power. Even our backbench seats were filled with Government MPs who did not let us speak. The result of such power is that today that party, even attacked by the people, has been thrown out of Parliament.

¶ 04 Listening now, I hear the same old talk. Many new MPs are here who may never have even watched a past debate from the gallery. Yet they speak now with the same rhetoric of the past Gotabaya Government, in a very agitated tone. To them I say: remember the song you long listened to—your “national anthem” was Nanda Malini’s songs. Let me quote:

¶ 05 “On the altar we place you, This world we offer today, May rise against you tomorrow...”

¶ 06 Keep that in mind when you speak. After sixty years of longing, you have the chance to reach your goal. But many issues you criticize today were created here by your own actions. I listened to the Member from Kandy say factories were destroyed. I will not rake up the past.

¶ 07 If you travel from Kandy towards Nuwara Eliya, you will see how many factories were burned. Let’s set aside the past and listen to the system change the people demand. Your task is to move forward. Willingly or not, we wish you well. Your policy statement says “Prosperous Country - Beautiful Lives.” That is good.