The Hon. Sunil Watagala, Attorney-at-Law - Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, this Adjournment debate affords a serious discussion on human rights— distinct from fundamental rights in our Constitution. As the late Ran Banda Seneviratne explained succinctly, the attitude too often was, “My mother is mother; your mother is nothing,” capturing a lopsided view of rights.

¶ 02 Our system rests on three institutions: Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary. Historically, Executives abused power— one President sought to entrench himself indefinitely through the 18th Amendment. By contrast, the 9th President has demonstrated submission to the Constitution.

¶ 03 The Legislature once bent to the Executive— J.R. Jayewardene gathered letters of resignation from MPs, trampling their rights. As for the Judiciary, some who now lament judicial independence once stoned the homes of Supreme Court Justices and engineered the ouster of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake. They now posture as guardians of rights.

¶ 04 Our challenge in the National People’s Power Government is to honor the people’s mandate across the South, North, East, and the hills. To realize that mandate we must sometimes take difficult decisions. When institutions act independently, some say “give a little chance,” “wait a bit,” especially for the powerful. That era is over. Our aim is that what is due to Siripala, Husein, and Thangamani is due to everyone— equality under law.

¶ 05 We are amending hard laws, even those designed to protect past Presidents. Look at Article 36(2) as it has been used— to grant Presidents pensions and perks after as little as five years, while state workers labor decades for pensions. We have gazetted a Bill to repeal the Presidents’ Entitlements Act, No. 4 of 1986— undoing privileges entrenched since 1978. We will also move to abolish parliamentary pensions. These are difficult reforms.

¶ 06 Some try to derail us with theatrics— milk, sweetmeats, and noise— but this Government advances the people’s mandate. We are strengthening institutional independence and access to justice; recent events confirm this path.

¶ 07 Thank you.