The Hon. (Dr.) (Ms.) Harini Amarasuriya - Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education

¶ 01 Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees, thank you very much for granting me the opportunity.

¶ 02 From the day this Parliament convened, I reflected on the role of the Opposition — what they speak for and what their plan is. It is now very clear to me: their purpose here is to provide comedy to the people. Without any substance, gravity, or facts, they just shout. They do not understand the dignity of this Parliament or how to conduct a debate; they just say whatever comes to their mouths. We are truly saddened that the Opposition has become such.

¶ 03 Madam Deputy Chairperson of Committees, within the Clean Sri Lanka program, our main objective is how to involve the people of this country in the transformation our nation needs. When a country needs a transformation of this magnitude — a serious structural shift — you know well this cannot be done by a Government or public officials alone. It requires public participation and consent. There must be dialogue among the people on what this transformation is and how it should proceed. All this must happen through public participation. Our Government is a democratic Government, with a working culture of democracy, in which people participate. Those who were in anti-people Governments, who used the people for their personal agendas, will find this hard to understand. But the change happening today involves public participation.

¶ 04 The primary aim of Clean Sri Lanka is to engage the people in this social transformation. That is why, from January 1, we started a participatory program aligned with the three pillars — ethical, environmental, and social responsibility — to build a society with those values and to involve the entire society in this transformation. This is not something done from above or by force. It is a process done through public dialogue, where people understand the transformation and participate voluntarily.

¶ 05 Even during the festive period, on December 31 and January 1, people came forward voluntarily, and not only that, they spent their own money and did things willingly. These are things to appreciate; these are things that should happen. If philanthropists and businesspeople are willing to commit to society, to come forward for society, to spend their wealth for society, that must be appreciated. That is the kind of business community this country needs. That is the change we are attempting.

¶ 06 We understand that under the previous political culture, such businesspeople had no space. Those Governments engaged with businesspeople not to orient them to society, but to fill their private pockets. They went to them to figure out how to grab what they could for themselves, not to create a social dialogue on how businesses and philanthropists could fulfil social responsibility. Therefore, those who come from that political culture cannot comprehend today’s change. That is their world and their political vision. So we are not surprised that they cannot understand Clean Sri Lanka.

¶ 07 Let me remind you of something else we learned in childhood: the story of sour grapes. The fox, unable to eat the grapes, said they were sour. I think a few in the Opposition are going through the same. What they could not do, we are doing now. A change is taking place. The political culture is changing. Public officials are working independently; the rule of law is becoming visible. The country is changing. Yet what do we hear from the Opposition? They say they too intended to do these things, that they started them in their time, while criticizing Clean Sri Lanka and those participating, and then claiming they agree if good things happen. What is this? They cannot hold a consistent position. They cannot bear to see what they could not accomplish being achieved. It is unfortunate. Words claiming they want the country to improve mean nothing unless shown through actions and conduct here.

¶ 08 We had an era where teachers were humiliated, forced to kneel, and MPs interfered to appoint teachers. We ended that era. We are building an environment where teachers can work freely and independently in schools. Those who did those things cannot stop this project or what we are implementing by shouting here. I do not even understand their objective. Perhaps it is to get a two-minute news clip on the nightly news.