The Hon. Dilith Jayaweera

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I hoped for a little more time, as I came in the spirit of offering constructive proposals to help the Government in every way possible.

¶ 02 Hon. Leader of the House, please do not leave; I must correct the record for the sake of democracy. The Minister said a “malevolent force” went to Kandy yesterday; if that force is malevolent, I was there too. In our discussion the day before yesterday, we requested that Parliament be convened for policy decisions; he told us to go to the ground and work. So, Members—across parties and ethnicities, from North and South, Muslims, Tamils, Sinhalese, sitting and former MPs—went to Kandy because we observed it suffered severe damage. We went as a duty, seeking accurate data, and went to the District Secretariat. The reason the Leader left the Chamber is that he knows his claim was false and fabricated. At the District Secretariat, we found a Government MP sitting in the District Secretary’s chair, while the District Secretary—an innocent officer, formerly a Divisional Secretary in Theldeniya—was seated aside. We only realized during the discussion that the person in the chair was an MP. Hon. Bimal Rathnayake should accept that this is wrong. They say they respect the public service; but here the Government MP sat in the Chief District Officer’s chair while the officer sat aside. When we asked for data, the officer said, “We are doing what we can within our capacity.” We said there is no water in Kandy and we wish to help—mobilize people, raise awareness, and provide what is needed. We came with love and respect, not to create commotion or belittle officials. Our proposals were constructive.

¶ 03 Only the wicked will portray this as the act of a “malevolent force.” Some media cut clips and sensationalized it. We are trying to unite and motivate people and give the Government respect; we did not criticize where it wasn’t warranted. I will not belabor, but the Opposition has acted with dignity in this tragedy.

¶ 04 I sympathize with the Kandy District Secretary. These Members should apologize for allowing an MP to sit in his chair and denying him the freedom to express his views. We have always had faith in, and loved, the public service.

¶ 05 We love this country and its people. We have worked on the ground, day and night, without seeking political mileage. I personally spend my own money, working spontaneously. Do not limit Parliamentary space to discuss the Opposition’s constructive proposals. This is a national tragedy; belittling it is a great disservice. We need a national strategy—bringing together capable people, regardless of party, ethnicity, or background—to devise short-, medium-, and long-term measures.

¶ 06 Please do not drag this to a petty place. We discussed how to send food, water, and clothing; some places where many bodies lie were not shown by the media. In Kandy District alone there are over eight such places; families told us their mothers, children, and wives are there, yet no backhoe had arrived; villagers pooled money for diesel. These are the gaps we must fix. Judge us not by your narrow politics; we extend a brotherly hand.

¶ 07 We must face the economic destruction together as a nation. To correct course, shed your arrogance and extend the hand of fraternity—we have extended ours. We seek participatory, democratic service to the people, not narrow aims. Create a national strategy now, with a forum to discuss and guide the path out of this crisis.

¶ 08 We do not need to beg from anyone. This country’s resources are abundant; the people’s spirit is immense. Let us all work to restore a positive mindset—lead with positive politics to rebuild a positive nation. Thank you.