The Hon. Dilip Wedaarachchi

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for allowing me to speak on the Vote on Account. I thank the Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim people of Hambantota who sent me here for the seventh time.

¶ 02 The JVP produced a President and 159 MPs forming a government. In Hambantota, although there was a people’s mandate for them, there was massive fraud and malpractice. I visited many polling stations where SPOs and Grama Niladharis brought two local assistants—this is not in the law—to the booths, stood at the doors with dark glasses, and intimidated voters. I lodged written complaints with the Election Commission and the Assistant Commissioner for Hambantota. I table those reports in the Library.

¶ 03 You claimed you do not cheat, but you did—using fraud, corruption, and by inciting hatred against all 225 MPs. I have served eight years as Mayor, one year in the Provincial Council, and this is my 24th year in Parliament. My father served 30 years in the Urban Council, my son as Mayor, my brother as Opposition Leader of the Council. We have not stolen; we have served.

¶ 04 On Rohana Wijeweera, your late leader and my relative, who lived in Tangalle near my home from 1970, was imprisoned in 1971, released in 1977, and resumed politics there. My father, then Mayor, helped at times. Chitra Wijeweera started a batik enterprise with 100–150 workers; police visits lessened because of that. Today, Rohana’s house is in ruins; Chithrangani Wijeweera lives in a rented room on Tissa Road. I request you to repair his house and assist her.

¶ 05 I also express condolences to families of those killed in Hambantota and elsewhere—our relatives and friends—many innocent, killed publicly by the JVP without charges for two years. I request the President and this Government to pay Rs. 5 million each as compensation to their families.