The Hon. R.M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, the President has issued a Gazette to extend the emergency by a month, through the Minister of Defence. Why was emergency declared? Due to the recent disaster. As the Leader of the Opposition stated, the Defence Secretary issued a circular saying the widespread disaster declared on 21 November 2025 had ended on 15 December 2025. In fact, the emergency was declared on 27 November, not the 21st. If the disaster has ended, why is the emergency still needed? The Defence Secretary says one thing; the Defence Minister another.

¶ 02 In our history, emergency was brought to suppress the JVP insurrection, during the 30-year war, during the Aragalaya, and after the Easter bombings—all to suppress. What is there to suppress today? In this disaster, officials went beyond duty, volunteering. People, across party, ethnic and religious lines, helped before the Government even mobilized. So why this emergency?

¶ 03 We suspect it is to suppress public protests against the Grade 6 education module reforms, or to silence media like “Hiru” that criticize Government actions. We recall how “Dinamina” and Lake House were taken over under emergency and “Davasa” was sealed. Are you going to do the same? There is no ongoing disaster. Those providing relief are not obstructed. Extending this another month looks like an attempt to suppress emerging dissent.

¶ 04 The Meteorology Department DG who first warned of the cyclone is now reportedly an officer under the Defence Secretary and no longer appears before the media. The Government ignored early warnings—reservoir levels were not lowered. People who lost homes and livelihoods are told to leave camps but have nowhere to go; landlords demand advances and key money they cannot afford. In Badulla—particularly in Welimada and Bogahakumbura—people were sent out and returned to the same schools for shelter. In Matale, at Baptist and Mattihakka schools, people are told to leave but have nowhere to go; only Rs. 25,000 has been given to some. Farmers whose fields were destroyed have not received even fertilizer concessions; many are indebted.

¶ 05 We say: you cannot address disaster relief through emergency powers aimed at suppressing protests. Withdraw the emergency. We will support all measures to grant genuine relief to those affected.