Hon. Mujibur Rahuman

¶ 01 Thank you, Hon. Presiding Member.

¶ 02 Yes, we urged an emergency when Cyclone Ditva hit—to manage the disaster. But you delayed declaring it and even the formal disaster declaration under Section 11 of the Disaster Management Act was made by the Defence Secretary, not the President, which is improper. Now you claim management is complete and compensation is largely paid—so why extend the emergency?

¶ 03 You seek it to suppress growing protests by the very groups that helped bring you to power—development officers, doctors, fishers, and others who now question you.

¶ 04 On the “No Confidence” matter against the Prime Minister: it is moot. The President himself halted her program, appointing an experts’ committee. It is the President who lacked confidence, not us. So ask the President why it was stopped.

¶ 05 On the Easter Sunday bombings: this is a unique, complex case. There are 23,269 charges, 2,190 witnesses, and 24 accused; hearings have begun, but without the mastermind identified in court. Police leadership previously claimed the mastermind was known—former DIG (now Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security) Ravi Seneviratne told the Commission he had named the mastermind. If so, why hasn’t he been arrested and produced? Instead, the court is sitting daily from 9.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m., seemingly rushing to conclude before April 21 without the mastermind—raising suspicion of burying the truth.

¶ 06 Senior lawyers have withdrawn because daily hearings are impractical given other cases and preparation needs (review of Evidence Ordinance, CPC, compilation of materials). The right to a fair trial and to counsel of choice (Article 13(3) of the Constitution and Section 40 of the Judicature Act) is undermined by such scheduling.

¶ 07 Moreover, the case is being heard not in open High Court, but at a Minister’s residence on Bullers Road, with doors closed and media and family excluded—contrary to the principle of open justice. If this is truly for justice, televise the proceedings live so the nation can see.

¶ 08 We also know the case was manipulated during the Gotabaya regime—witness lists engineered; Prof. Rohan Gunaratna, with no direct relevance and a record of inaccuracies, is the first witness; “Saleh” is second—yet CID sources under your Government had indicated “Saleh” as the mastermind. Why keep the same manipulated structure?

¶ 09 There is even a call from the Trial-at-Bar inviting junior attorneys to appear in this highest-stakes matter—a mockery. Where is judicial independence if such signals are sent?

¶ 10 I ask former DIG Ravi Seneviratne, now Secretary of Public Security: if you know the mastermind, why the silence and delay? Mr. President, you vowed not to allow the masterminds to be buried in the sands of time; then ensure their arrest and a fair, open trial.

¶ 11 With 159 Government MPs, we demand: immediately produce the Easter Sunday mastermind, and conduct the trial in open court with transparency and fairness. Thank you.