Tough journey for Government: SB

Wednesday, 28 December 2016 08:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Hinting at a widening rift between the two parties in the coalition government, the SLFP yesterday labelled the progress made by the Government “as not completely satisfactory” as the journey forward faced a number of challenges.

“We are going forward with a number of serious issues. With some issues we cannot agree on how to go forward. They may be thinking their way is better and we may think that our way is better,” Social Empowerment and Welfare Minister S. B. Dissanayake claimed.

When asked if the Government was struggling to reach a consensus between the two governing political factions, Dissanayake accepted that the disagreements occurred due to the ideological differences between the parties.

However, the Minister insisted that remaining in the coalition was important to bring about the constitutional changes needed for reconciliation. Clarifying the stance taken by SLFP ministers in the coalition government, the Minister said that the Development (Special Provisions) Bill would not be presented in Parliament despite it being approved by the Cabinet.

Highlighting that the SLFP was only partial to creating a one stop shop for investors to address the constraints they currently faced in processing their investment proposals, Dissanayake said that such agencies existed in many other countries as well. However, he said that his party would not leave any room for the creation of “super ministers”.

“We have stopped that now,” he claimed when a reporter asked him about the stance taken by his party on the proposed act.

Two more provincial councils reject Development (Special Provisions) Bill

Two more provincial councils, the Southern and the Sabaragamuwa provincial councils, yesterday defeated the Development (Special Provisions) Bill.

Members of the Southern Provincial Council defeated the Bill with 19 voting against it and 14 members voting in its favour. During the voting at the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council, 20 members voted against the draft Bill while 13 members voted in its favour.