Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri

¶ 01 Why? Because the JVP crowd knows these things well. They say back then someone was a thief, and now what does the President say? He tells the nation: oil tankers are not arriving, but we are ready to take any ship on the high seas. Now they are negotiating prices for that. So let your party’s little minds understand what the people of this country grasp.

¶ 02 Wasn’t the theft from 323 containers a robbery? Today it has been proven that coal was stolen, fraud committed. By now, all the institutions have revealed that fraud. The Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises is a medical professional. The NPP comes and tries to assassinate his character. I regret that. All the institutions have proved this was theft, fraud, and corruption.

¶ 03 Now they speak of the Chinese fertilizer vessel. At that time, that fertilizer shipment had its procurement process properly done. The procurement was right. Prices were called for the fertilizer ship. That’s fine. If, as you say, the coal procurement was proper, and the fertilizer procurement was proper, then that cannot be theft, can it? If the procurement is 100 percent correct, prices were properly called, and the lowest responsive bidder selected, you cannot call it spoiled or dirty. If procurement was right, then on what basis do you call coal a fraud and fertilizer a fraud? That is your doctrine of turning a water monitor into a crocodile. Remember, such tales have no life. The people today ask what we are doing. What are we to do? We brought a motion of no confidence against the Minister of Power over the coal scandal. But we cannot win it. Why? Because your 159 members will defeat it.

¶ 04 But we will show the country that those who claim to be learned and intelligent within the NPP—those who came saying they would rebuild the nation—shamelessly raise their hands for the coal robbery. Showing that is our victory, Hon. Presiding Member. We cannot win the no-confidence vote, but we can show that the NPP’s scholars, doctors, professors—sitting behind the Opposition and in the front benches of the Government—shamelessly raised their hands for theft and fraud. That is our victory. We do not have the arithmetic in this Parliament to defeat those 159. But our Leader did not seek power in times of crises just to grab it. He did not take power when urged during the Yahapalana government’s crisis, due to his humility.

¶ 05 Next, when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resigned and there were talks of handing over power, why didn’t our Leader take it? I know, I was there. At that time SLPP MPs asked for a big compensation, saying “our houses were burned; give us compensation and we’ll vote for you.” But our Leader did not agree. Because our leadership did not agree, he did not become President. We ask whether those who took the Presidency then did any better. We will show what we and our party can do. Starting from our back benches to the front, whether given Foreign Affairs, Finance, or any other ministry, the SJB has the capacity and strength to deliver. Why can’t Hon. Harsha de Silva? Why can’t Eran Wickramaratne? Why can’t our Ranjith Madduma Bandara? Why can’t our J.C. Alawathuwala? Can’t our SJB team? Are we thieves? You yourselves have proven we are not. Among the 159 in government today, none from SJB has been proven a thief, fraudster, or corrupt. Why? Because you have been unable to file cases or present charges against us.

¶ 06 Let the people understand: our Opposition’s duty is not to cause anarchy like the JVP/NPP did—setting houses on fire, killing, and creating an economic crisis to come to power. We will not seek power that way. You will end up handing over power. You will be compelled to do so—just as leaders who failed their responsibilities were removed then. When that time comes, I tell the NPP’s so-called intellectuals: do not pander to the JVP and demean your offices and honor. With that reminder, I conclude.

¶ 07 Thank you.