Senior party members want LG polls soon
Senior political party members, including President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of the two main parties decided to hold the Local Government Election soon at a meeting held on Monday, Leader of the House and Highways and Higher Education Minister Lakshman Kiriella said.
The minister made this observation in Parliament yesterday in response to a query made by Joint Opposition Parliamentary Group Leader Dinesh Gunawardena on the delay of the Local Government Election.
Minister Kiriella said the government wants to hold the election without delay.
Dengue death rate down though number of patients up: Rajitha
The World Health Organisation appreciates Sri Lanka for reducing the dengue death ratio to 0.3 percent which is the lowest rate in the region, Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Rajitha Senarathne said.
He said the dengue ratio was one percent earlier. The death rate was reduced although the number of the patients has been increased. He said although dengue has been spreading due to the weather change, the government has taken measures to reduce the death rate. In 2009, there was a similar climate pattern. There had been 304 deaths. One of every 100 infected died then, he said.
Minister Senarathne made these observations yesterday in response to a special statement by Joint Opposition Parliamentary Group Leader and MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena under standing orders 23 (2).
The minister said he was not aware that he had to respond to a question of the Opposition.
“I had answered to a similar question by Dinesh Gunawardena earlier. He is questioning again. However, I was at a meeting with officials and chief ministers of provinces where the disease is prevalent when I was informed of this situation. I have to attend the meeting again,” he said.
The minister said President Maithripala Sirisena instructed officials to take maximum action to solve the critical situation.
“We are planning to shift some patients from Colombo hospitals to hospitals in peripheries so that the problem of space could be solved,” Minister Senaratne said. “We have taken action to increase the number of beds in hospitals,” he said.
The minister said a special training is provided for doctors and nurses to treat dengue patients. Two batches are to be passed out after completion of the course. He said the government brought down the prices of blood tests and dengue blood test reports done by private laboratories to Rs. 750.
“People have been instructed to clear their environs from 9.30 am to 10.30 am to prevent further breeding of mosquitoes,” Minister Senaratne said.
“Consultant Hasitha Thisera went to Australia find out about the bacteria they had found to control dengue larva. The Australian team had agreed to come to Sri Lanka to introduce the method to Sri Lanka. We would be able to control the dengue with its support,” he said.
The minister said the inspection of the houses for mosquito breeding places is conducted by the tri-forces. He said machines for fumigation were imported from Germany. Fifty lorries have been made available to transport the machines.
Harbouring Gnanasara Thera
Minister Wijayedasa Rajapakshe refutes allegations
Justice and Buddhasasana Minister Wijayedasa Rajapakshe refuted the allegation that he was harbouring Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Ven. Galaboda Atte Gnanasara Thera, in Parliament yesterday.
Minister Rajapakshe made this observation while making a ministerial statement.
“I am saddened by false allegations made by some Muslim extremists,” Minister Rajapakshe said.
“They said that I am harbouring the Thera, but I have nothing to do with the Thera,” he said.
He said the Bodu Bala Sena was engaged in various activities in 2014. Ven. Ganasara Thera should have been arrested after the clashes in Alutgama, he said.
Researchers studying method to eliminate dengue mosquito larva
The Medical Research Institute of Sri Lanka is studying of a special mosquito larva that eats up the dengue mosquito larva, Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Rajitha Senarathne said.
The minister said those special mosquito larva could consume dengue mosquito larva when they were introduced. He said the research is in progress.
He made these observations yesterday in response to a special statement made by Joint Opposition Parliamentary Group Leader and MEP Leader Dinesh Gunawardena under the standing orders 23 (2). Responding to Joint Opposition MP Chandrasiri Gajadeera, the minister said there is an indigenous medicine treatment for dengue, which increases the blood count. “However, it acts as a treatment to some patients whereas it is not answerable to critical patients,” Minister Senaratne said.
“However, this medicine has been directed to the Navinna Ayurvedic hospital and would be introduced to the market in future,” he said.
UN Special Rapporteur’s observations on Judiciary are incorrect: Justice Minister
Justice Minister Wijayedasa Rajapakshe rejecting the report of Mónica Pinto, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Sri Lankan Judiciary and Lawyers, said allegations in the report are incorrect.
Minister Rajapakshe was making a special ministerial statement in Parliament yesterday to express the government’s stance on the report released on March 23.
“Pinto was in Sri Lanka only for seven days from April 29 to May 7, 2016. If she was to produce this report, she should have got the wisdom of God Shakra. Beyond doubt, this report was compiled not by Pinto, but by certain parasite NGO men who depend on dollars,” the minister said.
He said the government’s observations on the report were sent to the diplomatic mission of Sri Lanka via the Foreign Ministry to communicate to the United Nations.
“The report does not reflect the ground situation. Its content is out-dated. It has distorted facts and damaged the dignity and good name of the country. It affects our sovereignty,” he said.
The minister questioned the objectivity in observations made by Pinto in her report.
“She has insisted on amending the Prevention of Terrorism Act, but a trend of introducing draconian laws worse than ours is taking place in the world, in the wake of recent brutal terrorist attacks in some western countries that championed human rights and democracy. Japanese Parliament passed the ‘Criminal Conspiracy Law’ five days ago.
“It has identified 277 crimes that incite terrorism and has made provision to arrest anybody found guilty of them. It has made provision to arrest anybody who publishes social media content that endangers national security. Anybody who reacts to such posts with ‘likes’ can also be arrested. The countries that championed human rights have realised that relaxing terrorism laws does not protect humans, but destroys them,” the minister said.
“Pinto in her report said suspects should be given access to a lawyer immediately after the arrest. The UK has the provision to delay legal access for criminals involved in serious crimes for 36 hours. Why doesn’t she make the same recommendation to the UK?” Rajapakshe questioned.
The minister slammed the UN stating that it did not support to prevent or ease the conflict when the war was ravaging in the country. “However, we are glad that former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon when he was retiring from his post owned up this fault,” he said.
The minister said Pinto, who raised concerns on the appointment of Supreme Court Judges by the President subject to the approval of the Constitutional Council (CC), does not make the same observation on the US system where a similar procedure is followed. “The US President appoints the Supreme Court Judges upon the approval of the Senate,” he said.
“Pinto criticises the fact that the majority of members in the CC are political representatives. However, the report does not state the fact that our original proposal was to appoint more civil society representatives to the CC, but that it had to be amended at the request of public representatives. Our laws are framed taking into account the welfare and aspirations of the people, not as of the desires of a foreign nation or institution. Though the majority in the CC are politicians, its conduct did not give rise to any controversy,” the minister said.
Minister Rajapakshe, commenting on Pinto’s observations on the Attorney General’s Department, said those were not fair.
“Pinto took 10 and a half months to submit the report following her visit to Sri Lanka. We have taken steps to minimise the delay of court cases. Those have not been included in the report,” he said.
Lacuna in Finance Ministry annual report: Anura Kumara
The annual report of the Finance Ministry for 2016 is incomplete without the Auditor General (AG)’s opinion, Chief Opposition Whip and JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in Parliament yesterday.
Chief Government Whip and Minister Gayantha Karunathilake presented the annual report to Parliament on behalf of the subject minister at the commencement of the sittings.
MP Dissanayake said Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe has mentioned in the report that he refrained from making an audit statement as he was not provided details required for audit purposes.
“As this is an incomplete report, Parliament should reject it and send it back to the ministry to include the AG’s opinion,” the MP said.
Leader of the House and Minister Lakshman Kiriella said if a ministry did not furnish required information, the AG should have informed Parliament about it. “The main fault lies with the AG. The report became incomplete because of him,” he said.
However, MP Dissanayake objecting to Kiriella said it was wrong to accuse the AG, adding that “the government should not expect the AG to give his nod without scrutiny to a document sent to him”.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said he would refer the report to the Public Finance Committee to take a decision, adding that he does not wish to comment as to ‘who is right and who is wrong’.
Opposition seeks immediate response from govt to curb dengue
Opposition MPs yesterday in Parliament demanded immediate response from the government on measures taken to curb the dengue epidemic in the country. Mahajana Eksath Peramuna Leader Dinesh Gunawardena raising a question under the Standing Order 23 (2) called for the setting up of a Standing Committee in Parliament to propose immediate action to control the dengue epidemic and accelerate relief measures to the people affected by recent natural disasters.
“The government should pay attention to the people affected by the prolonged dry spell in the North and East, Rajarata and several areas in the Kurunegala district. It should put in place a programme to provide relief promised by the government to flood and landslide affected people. The government should intervene to control the dengue epidemic as it has claimed over 200 lives, while the number of dengue patients have exceeded 65,000,” he said.
“Hospitals are overflowing with dengue patients. The situation is bad. The government does not pay heed to the opinions of doctors and professionals,” he said.
Chief Opposition Whip and JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the IDH has halted admitting patients, while Ragama and Jayewardenapura hospitals were also overflowing with patients.
Twenty five percent of dengue patients are schoolchildren. The Health Minister should have briefed the House on the situation. Instead, he had told a newspaper that the dengue spread was a result of development. For him, dengue is a criterion to gauge development,” MP Dissanayake said.
Leader of the House and Minister Lakshman Kiriella said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe would reply to the question next day.
Minister Daya Gamage brought the attention of the House that President Maithripala Sirisena was chairing a special meeting on dengue with relevant officials. “We have done everything in our capacity to curb dengue. Do not resort to take political mileage out of the issue. The contribution of all is needed to control dengue,” he said.
MP Dissanayake questioned why the President waited until the situation goes out of control to convene a meeting. “It was too late now. Was the government sleeping?” he asked.
Twenty seven Joint Opposition MPs stood up from their seats and protested at that stage.
Speaker Karu Jayasuriya had to suspend the sittings and convene a Party Leaders’ Meeting to discuss the situation. As the House resumed after about 20 minutes, the Speaker announced that Health Minister Dr Rajitha Senaratne would come to Parliament after the meeting with the President and brief the House on the situation.
The Speaker had to suspend the sittings again around 2.35 pm until the arrival of Minister Senaratne to make his reply before the commencement of the debate scheduled for yesterday.
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