The Hon. Sajith Premadasa - Leader of the Opposition

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, recently, by Circular No. NYSC/2-11/25/01, the National Youth Services Council has nullified the legality of all Youth Clubs established before 23 May 2025 and commenced a process to establish new Youth Clubs or reorganize existing ones. There are many allegations that all Youth Clubs are being politicized through this process.

¶ 02 Specifically, credible evidence indicates that Executive Officers of Youth Clubs are being appointed on political preference across the country. This endangers the independence and democratic functioning of Youth Clubs and appears to advantage political loyalists through a new set of standing orders. Therefore, the Government should explain to this House. Accordingly, we seek clear and specific responses to the following:

¶ 03 01. Does the Government accept the allegation that actions to establish or reorganize Youth Clubs under Circular No. NYSC/2-11/25/01 amount to politicization of Youth Clubs?

¶ 04 02. If not, is not the process underway in many areas (including Kalutara, Polonnaruwa, Badulla, Kegalle, Gampaha, Hambantota, Nuwara Eliya, Colombo, etc.) to appoint only Government political loyalists to executive positions in Youth Clubs itself an act of politicization?

¶ 05 03. If not, what is the main objective of the Government in issuing the letter dated 2025.05.16 by the National Youth Services Council, which nullified the legality of all Youth Clubs established before 2025.05.23 and commenced establishing or reorganizing new Youth Clubs?

¶ 06 04. Has the National Youth Services Council presented a single set of standing orders applicable to all Youth Clubs? If so, will those standing orders be presented to this House?

¶ 07 05. Do the new standing orders require that to hold an executive position in a Youth Club, a person must have been an active member for at least two years or for a certain period? If so, isn’t this merely a mechanism to appoint political loyalists to executive positions? Does the Government accept that this contravenes the Youth Club constitution?

¶ 08 Hon. Speaker, due to politicization, documentation exists regarding these events. I now table relevant documents relating to specific areas including Narammala, Mawanella, Kegalle, Rambukkana and Udugama.

¶ 09 I expect specific answers from the relevant Minister and the opportunity to ask supplementaries thereafter.