The Hon. Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi

¶ 01 [4.19 p.m.]

¶ 02 Hon. Presiding Member, I am especially pleased to speak while you are in the Chair. The people of Colombo and across the country gave us a mandate to begin a social transformation. I thank them all.

¶ 03 I question whether the Opposition understands this transformation. Until now, power swung between Government and Opposition every five years, and each side then blamed the other. But this time it is not that one side crossed to the other; a new group has come. I think the Opposition does not understand this change.

¶ 04 We are governing for the first time. Yet the Opposition seems not to grasp this. They ask for coconuts from us. We will give coconuts, because we are in Government. But what have we inherited? A devastated coconut estate. If we had inherited a fertile estate, you could ask us to harvest. But we found a blighted plantation—and within 14 days you asked us to harvest. That is the crux of these four days of debate.

¶ 05 What is an Interim Appropriation? Why did we have to present it? This was explained by the Deputy Minister for Economic Development as well. Let me use a cricket example: the nightwatchman sent when a wicket falls with half an hour left, not a specialist batsman. An interim account is like that. It is not a full Appropriation; it is expenditure to keep the state functioning. Our state has three pillars: Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary. After the election, there was no time to present a full Budget for the year starting January 1. Therefore, whoever is in power must bring an interim account. You cannot do big things with it; it simply keeps the country and Government running. The Opposition did not understand this.

¶ 06 We know there are challenges. They accuse us of blaming 76 years. How can we not? We have to fix even city toilets and airport passenger terminals. If, over 70 years, at least toilets had been properly maintained, and basic infrastructure provided, there would be fewer issues. But we are left to fix those now. The experienced rulers on both sides should reflect on that.

¶ 07 I did not intend to say this, but I must: an Opposition MP dragged our beloved leader Rohana Wijeweera into this, and suggested paying Rs. 5 million as compensation for his death. Oscar Wilde said, “A cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” Valuing life in rupees is disgraceful. In earlier Parliaments, when you were in Government, we never demanded money for lives lost; if anything, we would ask you to return their lives—though we know you cannot. Do not demean Parliament this way.

¶ 08 After this Interim Appropriation, we will present the Budget to build the country and move to a production economy, in line with the President’s policy statement.

¶ 09 This morning I saw a verse on Facebook titled “Leaky Places”: “When it rained heavily at once, there was trouble; but I learned the places that leak.” I learned the leaky places in this Parliament when some got agitated about suspending Standing Orders on day one. I won’t say all, but there are several “leaky spots” on the front of the Opposition benches and at that far end—they leak every day. We are not worried; we have 159 MPs, and I believe even some on the Opposition side will act according to their conscience. We will press on to rebuild the country, ignoring the leaks.

¶ 10 Every morning, like heavy rain, those places will leak, but we will proceed to build the nation. Thank you for the opportunity to make my first speech.