The Hon. Bimal Rathnayake - Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House of Parliament

¶ 01 Hon. Member, you were given extra time. Frankly, listening to you is saddening. Why did you engage in a transaction with that cheque? Anyway, time is short.

¶ 02 [Interjections – Hon. Chamara Sampath responds that the matter is sub judice.]

¶ 03 Hon. Presiding Member, today’s debate began as an economic discussion, but it has turned to current politics.

¶ 04 You know the Head of State, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has received significant diplomatic recognition in six months—from India, China, and many global leaders, and at the Dubai event. In Vietnam, our President was accorded the highest honors; the Vietnamese President spent substantial time with him, indicating not mere protocol but substance. We are a new government rapidly gaining global acceptance; unlike those who frequented state visits before, we are new. Our President’s parents were not presidents or PMs.

¶ 05 Recently, the World Bank President visited Sri Lanka. Historically, the World Bank never gave Sri Lanka USD 1 billion. We don’t do media campaigns, but you know this is a billion dollars—allocated for digitalization, tourism, Northern development, and we have sought funds for education as well. The WB’s basis is low corruption. If ministers steal and don’t care, officials will bend accordingly; but here, discipline enables such support.

¶ 06 Regarding the Vietnam trip and private jet: after discussions with the Vietnamese Ambassador, I asked for arrangements as the President needed to return to cast his vote; Vietnam facilitated a private jet. He returned, then met the World Bank President the next morning, serving the motherland’s good. The jealousy you see stems from this progress.

¶ 07 On the IMF: we are proceeding with an existing agreement signed before we came. We clearly said before the election: if there was no IMF agreement or lawful framework, we would go a different way—but it was signed and later made law by Ranil Wickremesinghe. The very economists who advised that are now in the Opposition complaining about IMF-driven tariff hikes.

¶ 08 About Maldives’ economic zone: Maldives faces a worse dollar crisis than Sri Lanka and has sought Sri Lankan help; we will not let down a neighbor. But creating free zones doesn’t automatically bring FDI; you need workers and a country that can absorb them. We are preparing properly and engaging diplomatically—not asking to bump into a U.S. Vice President in a corridor. We are Sri Lanka; we will engage heads properly, with dignity, not like before.

¶ 09 We hold executive presidency, two-thirds in Parliament, and about 79% of 341 local bodies’ power, along with strong union and village-level organization—yet we conduct ourselves humbly here.

¶ 10 On local bodies: out of 339 that concluded, we have won 267 majorities. That is democracy. If anyone tries horse-trading—buying members with money—we will stop it and jail those involved. In the past, Rajapaksas and Wickremesinghe bought members with tons of money; that is not a lie.

¶ 11 [Interruptions regarding remand matters; Chair cautions interjectors.]

¶ 12 Hon. Presiding Member, I request uninterrupted time. We are not disturbing anyone. We proceed by order.