You have kept on increasing allocation for post you promised to abolish - Rajitha

Parliament met at 9.30 a.m. Thursday, November 19, 1998 with Speaker K. B. Ratnayaka in the chair.

After presentation of petitions and reports and after Ministers answered oral questions, House sat in Committee to deliberate the votes of the Ministries and other Departments.

Rajitha Senaratne (UNP-National List) proposed a cut of Rs. 10 from the votes.

He said: This is an expenditure head which should be cut by a larger amount.

In 1994 when President D. B. Wijetunga was in office the allocation for the President was Rs. 164 million. This was gradually increased yearly. In 1995 it rose to Rs. 170 million, 1996 Rs. 182 million, 1997 Rs. 555 million, 1998 Rs. 3,338 million and in 1999 Rs. 3,963 million.

The allocations to the President has been increased by 20 percent. We are spending such a large amount on a post which the PA leadership pledged to abolish.

While you have kept on increasing the allocation for a post which you undertook to abolish you have progressively reduced allocation for all other officers.

Allocations for the Prime Minister has been reduced from Rs. 30 million to Rs 25 million. So are the votes of the Parliament, the Leader of the House, the Leader of the Opposition, the Government Chief Whip, the Auditor General and the Bribery Commission among others.

The President said emphatically that she would abolish the office of the President as soon as she came into power. She was the Chief Minister of the Western Province then. She said if everything failed she would abolish the Presidency by a referendum.

In the past liquor was never served in the abode of the President or the Prime Minister. Our former leaders had the Maha Sangha to chant Seth Pirith in their official residences. This practice has now been abandoned.

A sum of Rs. 10 million has been allocated for the food and refreshments of the President's office. You had been accusing President Premadasa of spending lavishly on food. The UNP had been accused of killings and abuse of power, but the conduct of our leaders had never been questioned at any time.

Lakshman Jayakody (Minister of Buddha Sasana, Cultural and Religious Affairs): I am not used to this kind of defaming. This is diswashing. I am not a washing machine to wash dirty linen. (Interruption. You are not capable of defending). Today there is more productivity in the hands of the President than there ever was from any of the presidents. Do you say she doesn't work harder?

(Interruptions)

SpeakerMrs. Herath, do you want to be the first woman member to be sent out? Continuing Mr. Jayakody said:

We will never receive any support from the UNP to solve the minority problems. She stopped state terrorism. She appointed a multiracial committee to combat harassment. She didn't give LRC lands to her own cronies. You are against because she is going to clean up corruption.

She always opposes racism. Today there is no racism in this country because she is not a racist. There are certain groups in the UNP trying to fan racism. These people will end up as facists.

We have given all our declarations. There is transparency. She never hides the Cabinet Paper. During the UNP it was not so. Transparency is a hall mark of her administration. She is honest enough to persue with longterm development.

I am happy that she has made provisions to provide concessions to bring in software and the necessary equipment to combat the Y2k bug. Administrative reform is necessary to upgrade public officers. There should be a database of government assets.

This budget is a plan to develop the economy keeping pace with global changes. Inspite of personal attacks on her she did not attack the free media. She has done a lot to culture.

A. C. S. Hameed (UNP-Kandy District) said: The country has a main issue. The future of executive system. You gave a promise to abolish the Executive Presidency. I have consistently raised this issue to find out the government's position on it.

A select committee was appointed to propose recommendations to resolve the ethnic crisis. It has nothing to do with the Executive Presidency.

When Minister Lakshman Jayakody's reference to Karu Jayasuriya as the possible UNP candidate for the Presidency in the case of an election, by such a reference you let your side down. Please note that Ranil Wickremasinghe will be the UNP's candidate in an election for the choice of a new President. You seem to be afraid of Ranil Wickremasinghe as a Presidential candidate.

Please let the country know your position with regard to the office of the Executive President. If you want to continue it we will support you. If you want to abolish it we will help you to do that too.

You cannot take up the position that you would hold Provincial Council election when you thought it fit. That is an affront to democracy. The Provincial Council election must be held.

I want to tell you that the present electoral system would remain unchanged. But I would like to suggest certain measures to ensure the rights of the minority within the existing frame work.

When a minority Tamil or Muslim Parliamentarian dies, resigns or is removed from his seat, the person appointed to that seat should be a Tamil or a Muslim.

This can be done through a simple amendment to the constitution to give effect to the same provisions in the Provincial Councils Act in the case of such situations to be incorporated into the Constitution.

The other suggestion I make is to do away with the three votes a voter is entitled to in general elections and to reintroduce in its place onevoteonevoter system. This will eliminatee the present clashes among candidates of the same party to obtain preferential votes.

The Attorney General should be made answerable to Parliament. The person holding the post should not be changed everytime a government changed.

Attorney General's should be a post similar to that of the Auditor General or the Commissioner of Elections.

Nimal Siripala de Silva (Minister of Health and Indigenous Medicine): Rajitha Senarathne attacked the President as if he has a personal issue to settle with her. Mr. Hameed made a more realistic contribution.

We invited the UNP to help formulate the political changes.

The transition in the political structure is too complex to take place overnight. We have to consider minority representation and take everything into consideration. The President allocates money for the relocation of refugees to find relief to the people who are suffering as a result of the war. This money is not spent on food and drink as the opposition tried to make it seem. Earlier 5 to 10 scholarships were given. The presidential scholarships have increased to 30 now. She doesn't engage in external Ô'shows'' of devotion offering flowers for the people to see but she has allocated millions more than the previous leaders for the benefit of temples.

John Amaratunga (UNP-Gampaha District) said: The racialist conduct of the People's Alliance is a fact proved by actions of the former leaders of the party in 1956, 1972 and in 1987.

In 1956 they created a crisis situation by their language policy. In 1972 they introduced the system of standardisation with regard to public sector appointment. Lastly in 1987 those in the present People's Alliance revolted against the UNP Government when it was trying to implement the IndoSri Lanka Accord.

You will never get competent persons to man any government bodies if you went on treating public officials and judges, in the same way you treated the Commissioners of the Bribery Commission.

Your leadership levelled various charges against them because they were digging into affairs of some of your Ministers.

The Consultative Committees of the Ministries are not meeting monthly despite the standing orders stipulations.

You have wasted public money by printing ballot papers, etc. for the Provincial Council elections which you cancelled.

You must hold the Provincial Council elections.

The Parliament is in possession of 13 buses. Yet transport company buses are being used by Parliament. This is a waste of public money.

Upali Guneratna (PA-Gampaha district): We have been able to achieve outstanding victories because of the president's statesmanship. J. R. Jayewardene's leadership was aptly defined as the ÔFox of Asia'. As a world statesman she is doing more than her duty. Our President is respected overseas. Do the people want foxes or Ôwetakolu and pathola? People to govern them? Who recommended Gonawala Sunil to be made a JP for the whole island?

Suranimala Rajapaksa (UNP, Gampaha District) said: Can we place any confidence and credibility in the President after leaving a trail of broken promises? She said she will abolish the executive presidency and change the constitution. She described the executive presidency as a ÒcurseÓ and promised to give priority to abolish it.

Why do they want to hold the presidential elections. The UNP will give their support to abolish it but she will never do it. She said 300,000 would be given employment, what about the promise to give bread at 3.50. She has totally lost her credibility because she has failed to fulfil any of the promises.

C. V. Gooneratna (Minister of Industrial Development) said: The UNP killed the Shipping Corporation by large scale frauds. During the UNP regime three ships were ordered from Argentina. Two ships came. The third one never came. The Argentinian ship building company went bankrupt and closed down.

The losses of the Shipping Corporation exceeded Rs. 4 billion. We are now paying the outstanding bills of the Shipping Corporation.

The President has now referred the whole issue to a presidential commission of inquiry. I thank her for this.

Minister of Posts, Telecommunication and Media Mangala Samaraweera said: The Asia week condemned the economy of the country in a cover story soon after the death of President Ranasinghe Premadasa.

The Asia Week said during the UNP period the gap between the rich and the poor widened. The Asia Week story was headlined ÒAn Economy in ShamblesÓ.

The President regularised the President's Fund which during the UNP period had been abused. President J. R. Jayewardene paid out of the President's Fund Rs. 35 million to J. R. Jayewardene Library Fund. Is there a fund like that. This is how you have misused the President's Fund. A President pays out of the President's Fund Rs. 35 million to a fund of his own.

Such things are not happening now. After President Chandrika Kumaratunga assumed office she has given scholarships and assistance to kidney and heart patients. During your whole period you have given not more than ten scholarships.

In 1987 a sum of Rs. 239,000 has been paid to write a book on the life of the then President. Moneys have been paid to Studio Times for photographs of the President.

A certain Minister of the UNP government who is not living now obtained a loan of £ 500 from the Sri Lanka High Commission in London. This was refunded by the President's Fund.

Gamini Atukorala (UNP, Ratnapura district) said the previous speaker Mangala Samaraweera misled this House. They are throwing stones from glass houses. I request you to probe whether the President's fund has been misused from the time it was set up. This would put an end to some members resorting to baseless allegations about people who never misused the Presidents Fund.

P. D. Davaraj (CWC Colombo District) said: I agree with Gamini Athukorale that the House be informed of the expenditure made out of the President's Fund. Otherwise there may be various rumours about misuse of the moneys of the fund.

There were instances when the President's Fund paid only part of the expenses of surgical operations. As a result the moneys provided could not be used.

When we created the executive presidency, the post was given power which the holder of this post in any other part of the world enjoyed. This included the power to appoint ministers. These and other such areas could be rectified by amendments to the constitution.

India too had been considering whether it should revert to executive presidential form of government.

In Sri Lanka the executive presidential system has been politicised. There was a demand for its abolition. There was also pledges to do away with it.

UNP's Hameed said his party would support the government to abolish the post if they want to and to keep it, if they went to keep it.

The UNP is taking such a position because the ruling party pledged to abolish it. The UNP, although pressing the PA government to fulfil their pledge, there is, in my view, no difficulty to talk to the UNP and come into some form of conclusion with regard to the executive presidential system and to retain it with desirable amendments.

Kesaralal Gunasekara (NDUNLF National List) said: The government is receiving increased recognition abroad because of the efforts of the President.

S. Sivathasan (EPDP, Jaffna District) said much heat generated in the morning session. I would like to point out numerous issues that affect the Tamil people. Official languages policy leaves much to be desired. The candidates who applied to clerical service in parliament were sent letters calling for interviews in Sinhala. This is the situation in the highest legislative body. The Commissioner of Official Languages should be given the required cadre for translations. All departments should be able to carry out work in Tamil.

The Public Service Commission and the National Education Commission that comes under the President has many problems, specially problems affecting Tamils have to be given consideration. The rehabilitation and reconstruction, of the North which comes under the President has a vital role to perform in developing the North. Some arrangement has to be made about transport to the North that has suffered a severe setback. The replanting of palmyrah has to be undertaken early.

A. Adaikkalanadan (DPLF-Wanni district) said government must send a deligation of the Human Rights Commission to the Wanni to ascertain the problems facing the people. At present the figures of food requirements sent by Government Agents are disputed by the government.

People who come to Trincomalee from Jaffna have no way to go back. Some arrangements should be made to facilitate their return to Jaffna.

Fishing has come to a standstill due to security restrictions. The affected people should be given relief.

S. B. Dissanayake, Samurdhi, Youth Affairs and Sports said: President's vote has been increased by Rs. 635 million next year. I will tell you how this came about. Out of the increased allocations Rs. 95 million go to rehabilitation activities of the NorthEast.

These functions are now part of the President's functions and duties.

Palmyrah is a very important plant for the people of the North. We have set apart Rs. 7 million for replanting of palmyrah. A sum of Rs. 12 million has also been allocated for replanting Bamboo trees, because Bamboos too happen to be a vanishing species. So all these allocations are for development.

Rajitha Senaratne strongly criticised the President and the President's votes and asked why executive presidency is being retained.

But the UNP's idea of the executive presidency was not the same as Senaratne's. A. C. S. Hameed said his party would support the government either to retain the presidency or to do away with it.

Senaratne was a relentless critic of the President. I would remind him of the past. He and late Wijaya Kumaratunga jointly formed the United Socialist Alliance. Wijay and Rajitha were bosom friends. Their association is as old as 25 years. Rajitha resigned from the Alliance on a political issue. Today he is the most relentless critic of the President.

I want to give Rajitha a little bit of advice. The attitude of his towards the President is not good for his political life. If he talks of the president in this manner after his long association with Wijaya Kumaratunga and Chandrika Kumaratunga, what language will he use against the present Leader of the Opposition?

I would also touch upon the refurbishing of ÔTemple Trees' at a cost which has attracted criticism. All the original furniture that was in ÔTemple Trees' had disappeared during the rule of the UNP. A painting depicting the historic ÔSithulpawwa' belonging to Temple Trees was found at a Collectors House. When the Government tried to repurchase it Mr. Jayakody returned it free of charge.

Also the ebony ware that was at Temple Trees had all been sold to Houses of Antiques.

The President had to replace all these items lost during the UNP rule. The leaders of the last United National Party government are responsible for this sad state of affairs.

Sarath Kongahage (UNP National list) said: The President's Fund was created with the noble idea of providing financial assistance to persons, who need such assistance.

It is true the Presidents' Fund paid the present Leader of the Opposition medical expenses following injuries received in an accident.

I warn the business community against actions detrimental to the nation but which may be of benefit to their personal interests.

Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku (UNP Colombo district): The allocation for the Bribery and Corruption Commission has been reduced, although the money for the President has been increased. There is almost a ten fold increase for the present president's allocation when compared to other presidents. The Presidency today is a burden on the tax payers. When there are so many ministries and ministers why is she taking over the functions of many of these ministries? What is the need for a Presidential Palace?

Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Minister of Plan Implementation and Parliamentary Affairs said: Rajitha Senaratne this morning criticised the President in most indecent language. He said President's children are studying in England. He also mentioned about the sale of Airlanka and other public ventures and questioned where the commission received on these transactions went to.

This is a very indecent statement. You must understand that it is the third generation of President that is studying abroad. Her father studied in England. Her sister studied in England. She Studied in France and her children are studying in England. She does not want others money to educate her children abroad.

It is wrong to say that a sum of Rs. 3963 million has been allocated. The amount allocated to her is Rs. 172 million. Rs. 1318 million goes for rehabilitation work in the North. Another Rs. 28 million is for replanting palmyra trees and Rs. 60 million for shipping.

The figures quoted by Rajitha Senaratne were all wrong. Allocations for 1999 have been increased for all the Departments contrary to what Rajitha Senaratne said. He has misled the House by reading wrong figures.

We are ready to abolish the Executive Presidency but we will do it whenever we want. Tell the House whether you would abolish it when you return to power.

Now a Select Committee is inquiring into this. The Committee sat today too. The opposition members are not attending the committee meeting.

W. J. M. Lokubandara (UNP Badulla district): I regret that the previous member Jeyaraj Fernandopulle spoke in that manner. Today the members on that side have to create a furore against us to get a good appointment. You got the vote from the people to abolish the executive presidency. I condemn your attempt to defame us for your benefit.

Richard Pathirana, Minister of Education and Higher Education: Rs. 10 million has been allocated to the President for consumption. This is not for food. There are President's Houses, in Colombo, Kandy and NuwaraEliya. The allocation is for water and electricity. The term consumption has been misunderstood perhaps due to lack of knowledge of terms used in economics by the opposition speakers.

Renuka Herath (UNP-Nuwara Eliya District) said: Richard Pathirana mentioned about the Up Country Peasants' Commission. I want to tell the House that out of the allocations for Padiyatalawa amounting to Rs. 54 million a large portion has been taken away for development of the Southern Province.

Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka (Minister of Public Administration and Plantation Industries: Distorted facts were used throughout the debate by the opposition. The opposition stretched the figurtry. I have never seen posters being displayed in the Parliament. No prices of bread were thrown in the Parliament I had seen. There was no improper instruction.

The votes were passed at the Committee Stage.