GR presidency has made no real change in governance, economy: JVP

Claiming that shifting of presidency from Maithripala Sirisena to Gotabaya Rajapaksa made no change in the governance or the economy in the country, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said yesterday the Government has neither fulfilled any of its promises nor provided any concession to the people for the last three months.

Vijitha Herath

JVP MP Vijitha Herath told a news conference that the Government, which promised before the Presidential Election to discard the MCC pact, decided otherwise after the election, where they appointed a committee to look into the pact, which had given the green light to go ahead with the MCC.

“The Government and the US postponed the signing of the MCC pact for four months. It is going to sign it after the election,” he said, and added that the Government had also started selling State property to foreigners, where they sold a three-acre land near the Shangri La Hotel to a Singaporean company soon after it came to power.

He said the Government had also been unable to fulfil its pledges made to State employees and pensioners, where the issues related to retired/disabled soldiers and pensioners had not been addressed during the past three months.

“The retired/disabled soldiers are taking to streets again to win their demands. The Government has slashed the circular to increase pension payment. Though the Government had promised to provide fertiliser free of charge, fertiliser is not available in the market even for the cultivators to purchase. The low-income families were promised a Rs. 3,000 relief package, whereas the prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing,” he said.

Herath said the Government had been unable to provide the people with the benefit of the fuel price reduction in the world market.

“The crude oil prices in the world market are decreasing. A barrel of crude oil has come down to US$ 55. The Government is not giving its benefit to the people. The Government has abolished the fuel price formula introduced by the previous Government, which could have been able to pass the benefits of the fuel price reduction to the people,” he said.

He said the Government has started to whitewash criminals, instead of taking action against them as promised in the election campaign, in the case of Udayanga Weeratunga.