President to stand firm - Chief Govt Whip

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will not resign from the office of the President since there is no need to do so as he was elected with a mandate of 6.9 million people, Highways Minister and Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando told Parliament yesterday.

© Thomson Reuters FILE - Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa gestures during the country's 74th Independence Day celebrations in Colombo, Sri Lanka February 4, 2022. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

He added that the Government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has the confidence to face the challenges and address most of the burning issues of the people. He requested the Opposition not to mislead the youth.

He made these observations in response to Jathika Jana Balawegaya (NPP) Parliamentarian Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s statement that he made in response to Minister Fernando’s Privilege matter.

Minister Fernando said that there is an inimical move by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to create another insurrection similar to the one they triggered in the 1988/89 era.

Referring to video footage in the media on MP Dissanayake’s dialogue with the protestors that surrounded the Parliament, Minister Fernando said that the man with a helmet who got onto NPP MP Dissanayake’s vehicle while he was returning from Parliament on Tuesday is a member of this armed group that is planning unrest.

He added that all saw in the videos that Dissanayake was urging protesters near the Parliamentary complex to attack Government MPs on Tuesday evening.

All these incidents point to a sinister move to shed blood in a manner similar to 1988-89.

He said sittings were adjourned on Tuesday by the Speaker for the protection of the lives of MPs. However, MP Dissanayake who had promised not to repeat the 88/89 insurrection urged the protesters to attack the MPs and Parliament. He added that however so far other MPs in Opposition or Government had never attempted to kill each other.

He said that they were pleased that the JVP had resumed democratic means to engage in politics. He said that in 88/89 the JVP attempted to kill him and added that JVPers fired 293 bullets at his house. He added that even then they did not fear JVPers and they struggled against the JVPers. “Even Rajitha Senaratne stood against the JVP then,” Minister Fernando said.

“The JVP attempted to point out that those voted for the SLPP are among the protestors, which is not correct. The protestors have reversed the economic revival of the country. Even tourists are not coming to Sri Lanka.”

He added that due to the wrong leadership of the JVP leaders in the 88/89 era more than 60,000 youth died.

He said that although the Opposition has the right to protest, they must not drive the country towards violence. He added that he thanked the President for imposing a curfew and declaring the Emergency Law and preventing the catastrophe that could have resulted.

However, the Emergency has now been revoked. Even MP Sumanthiran is talking of the Emergency Law and he should recall that the emergency law was in effect for many years due to LTTE terrorism. He added even Sumanthiran should take the responsibility for the deaths of Tamil youth in the 30-year war.

He said the Government was ready to face any challenge but the Opposition should do everything democratically and according to the legal framework.

He added that the Opposition Leader spoke of Army motorcycle squad members. But their bikes all had number plates on the side. They never killed any person even under the Emergency Law or the curfew. The Government knows the youth are innocent and have been misled. “So we request you, do not mislead the youth again and act within the democratic framework,” Minister Fernando said.