Hon. Dammika Patabendige

¶ 01 Opposition MPs shouted that the National People’s Power came fifth and only talks about history and past mistakes, and only about 76 years, but not about what they are doing. Hon. Members of the Opposition, this Parliament was convened less than a month ago. However, within the people’s mandate given to the National People’s Power to reverse this destruction, we have already begun work. As the Ministry of Environment, our first action was to bring under one system the institutions that had been scattered and fragmented under the Ministry, which should have been working together. If you have not noticed it, please look: we have started the work to reverse this devastation.

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, as the National People’s Power we presented the programme “A Prosperous Country, a Beautiful Life.” Our environmental policy is set out on pages 48 to 56 of that policy statement. We have obtained a popular mandate for this programme. In our programme, we have identified three key initiatives: eliminating rural poverty; the digitalization process; and the “Clean Sri Lanka” programme. Two of these—digitalization and Clean Sri Lanka—are directly related to the environment. Therefore, as the National People’s Power, we have taken steps to restore the country’s environment—our seas, water, soil, wildlife, and the entire system including the atmosphere.

¶ 03 I wish to reiterate that we have received an exceptional popular mandate—one that contains the testimony of hundreds of thousands of people. We are not prepared to trifle with that conscience. Therefore, we reaffirm: we will reverse the destruction of this country; we will rebuild our environment. We will make Sri Lanka a place where it is easier to live, and where people can have a beautiful life. With that assurance, and thanking you again for the opportunity to address this Tenth Parliament, I conclude my speech.