The Hon. Mujibur Rahman

¶ 01 Then the President said we must end this distortion and bring the first Bill to Parliament to prohibit crossing over. What is happening now? Instead of a Bill to prevent crossovers, you are trying to poach members from other parties—not only independents, you have spoken to those elected from SJB and from the UNP as well. When you do it, it is “principle”; when we do it, it is a “perversion.” That cannot be.

¶ 02 Let me recall what you did to the Government formed in 2002 under Hon. Ranil Wickremesinghe. When that Government obtained a five-year mandate, you conspired with President Chandrika to form a caretaker government and broke that mandate. Your current President even took a portfolio in that administration. You set that precedent. Later you allied with Mahinda Rajapaksa to defeat Ranil Wickremesinghe, and through the government you helped install, this country saw rampant corruption. You brought them to power, not us; yet you now come here daily and sermonize about those very frauds.

¶ 03 We know the President won with 42% and on second preference—that is constitutional and we did not challenge it. But in local authorities, the law is clear: if no one has over 50%, you must have a vote in the council to elect the chairman or mayor. SJB will face such votes. What conspiracy is that? It is exactly what the Local Authorities Elections Ordinance provides.

¶ 04 You now talk of “collecting debris.” Who collected those very “pieces” and took them to the Presidential Secretariat and to houses, promising committee chairmanships in return for mayoral votes? Do not weep now because we accepted your challenge to form majorities in councils. You said independents were all thieves and told people not to vote for them; the people ignored you and elected them. Now you need them to form boards.

¶ 05 In 2017–18, the then Opposition Leader—today’s President—supported the committee that framed the current local authority system. Inside Government we opposed aspects as unworkable, but he favored it as it then advantaged the Opposition. Now in Government, finding it inconvenient, he wants it changed. For you, what is advantageous is “nature,” and what is adverse is “distortion.”

¶ 06 You also promised your first Bill would be against party crossovers—“those on this side must stay, those on that side must stay.” Today, instead, you are canvassing members from other parties.

¶ 07 You also claim the President is doing everything himself: he traveled the country to become President, to bring you to Parliament, to win local elections, and now to form local authority boards. If this continues, he will be on the road for cooperative, provincial, parliamentary—every election—while 159 MPs sit here of no use. To form boards, to line up councilors, he must make the calls; when you fall short, he comes here and delivers an hour-and-a-half lecture. That is not governance. We accepted your challenge to form majorities; do not cry now.

¶ 08 We are ready to face votes inside councils: whoever obtains the majority must form the administration. We agree. But do not use the weight of the President and 159 MPs to hound and coerce to “grab” power.

¶ 09 Within six months the Government’s popularity has collapsed by 2.3 million votes. Read that signal, stop the sophistry, and act accordingly.