Main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Eran Wickramaratne yesterday heavily criticised the Government for using emergency regulations to tackle the food crisis, saying the move was more about controlling the public than curbing the pandemic.

“At a time where governments across the world are grappling with the ongoing and proliferating pandemic, the Government of Sri Lanka remains more focused on stifling freedoms and rights of citizens than mitigating the pandemic,” Wickramaratne told Parliament during the debate on the declaration of a State Emergency and Regulations for the maintenance of essential supplies and services. 

“Can you say the emergency regulations prevent the death of around 200 citizens per day? If not, it is merely a manifestation of a power struggle where the President and Government are callously risking lives of citizens with the hope of consolidating power.” 

He said the President issued a proclamation by way of Gazette 2243/1 under Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance in relation to the supply of essential goods. 

“What is the correlation between maintaining supply of essential goods and a State of Emergency? There is none.” 

As it stands, 12 services sectors, including health services, petroleum services and customs have been declared essential services by the Secretary to the President P. B. Jayasundera upon the President›s advice. This step was taken in accordance with the Essential Public Services Act of 1979. 

“Further, in response to public outcry over the rising cost of living that profited a few friends of the Government, a maximum retail price was imposed on essential supplies such as rice, sugar and few other items.  This step was taken in accordance with the Consumer Affairs Authority Act No. 09 of 2003. 

“Then a few days back, we saw that the Consumer Affairs Authority seized and sealed goods that were hoarded. The new Commissioner General for Essential Services went along with officials of the Consumer Affairs Authority and seized the goods. Was that done under the emergency regulations? What are these theatrics? The seizing was done under existing laws by the Consumer Affairs Authority.”  

Wickramaratne also highlighted the unlimited powers of the President. 

“If gazetting essential services, imposing price controls and seizing goods illegally hoarded was done under the existing laws, what is the necessity for the President to proclaim a State of Emergency under the Public Security Ordinance to further consolidate his power? What purpose is he trying to accomplish? Through these emergency proclamations the President has the power to suspend civil liberties, arrest and detain any citizen without a court order, suspend laws of the country, enter any premises without a court order and seize privately owned property.”

The SJB MP asked the Government benches to clarify the correlation between mitigating the pandemic and the proclamation of emergency regulations.

“There is none,” Wickramaratne pointed out, answering his own rhetorical question. “If the Government’s intention was to ensure that the country faces the pandemic and the economic crisis successfully, what they should have done was to bring in the Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2005.

“Be advised, the Government in its short-sighted haphazard decision making is setting a dangerous precedent by weakening the democratic institutions that were established for these very functions, ignoring expert advice and vesting power on task forces with no relevant experience or understanding. 

“A Government has public institutions for a purpose and right now the Government’s actions are portraying them as obsolete, weakening the institutional structure of this country.” 

 

Parliament approves food-related emergency regulations

Marrikar pins blame on Govt. for food shortage