The Hon. Chaminda Wijesiri

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, Hon. Mahinda Jayasinghe, who left the teaching profession 25 years ago for street agitation, now speaks without knowing what he says—throwing accusations at the Rajapaksas. But it was you who built and created Mahinda Rajapaksa; you must now deal with it. You brought in the “Rajapaksa dictatorship,” benefited from it, and now try to save yourselves by going after them.

¶ 02 Why do you need emergency for months? The President first promised Rs. 1 million per house, then Rs. 2.5 million—then cheques bounced. Now you say Rs. 5 million per house. If so, why didn’t you pay the remaining Rs. 2.5 million after the first? The Deputy Minister of Public Security, a junior lawyer by profession, said even holding a stick allows arrest under emergency. Yes—because people will come to the streets against your broken promises. You keep extending emergency to suppress the protests of Development Officers, doctors, and soon everyone else.

¶ 03 You boasted that within 24 hours, helicopters would deliver and all would be done. Now you say more time is needed. The people will give you what you deserve soon.

¶ 04 On education reforms: it was the President—not us—who paused them because of the obscenity embedded therein. We opposed not comprehensive reform, but the objectionable elements. Go ask your President why he stopped it.

¶ 05 The Opposition Leader went to every province and, from his personal funds, supported those affected by “Ditva,” addressing people’s issues better than you. You mock his “writing in blood,” but people know he has the heart to act.

¶ 06 On abolishing MPs’ pensions: you say there was a mandate. True—but that mandate also hinged on promises to reject salaries and vehicles. Honour those too. We also know that while abolishing pensions in Parliament, members of the ruling party are channeling their salaries into the NPP fund and then drawing pay from that fund, with plans to pay themselves pensions later from it. The people will understand and respond.

¶ 07 Parliament is not only the Speaker and Leaders. The daily agenda seems tailored to them; backbenchers rarely get time. Also, when your Chief Government Whip insulted teachers—especially women teachers—claiming they were dismissed in hotel rooms, which Government MP stood up to say “do not say that”? None. Those with such precedents are now silent.

¶ 08 Thank you.