Remove civic rights of those convicted - JVP

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) agrees that a person who is convicted of corruption charges should be banned for life from contesting at a Presidential election or a General election, Chief Opposition Whip and JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in Parliament yesterday.

He said that as the Bond Commission report recommends that the law should be amended preventing those convicted of corruption contesting at the Presidential Election or a General Election although the existing law prevents them only for seven years. “We agree that the law should be amended since it is a flaw,” MP Dissanayake said.

He made this observation joining the adjournment debate on the Bond Commission report and on the Presidential Commission report on Serious Crimes and Abuse of Power (PRECIFAC) moved by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

MP Dissanayake also pointed out that Parliament is not an organ that sentences people, and that the JVP objects to punishing someone by depriving him of his civic rights based on a political decision.

MP Dissanayake commencing the speech stated that the Premier did not speak of the real gravity of the Treasury Bond issue. He added that the previous government took over SriLankan Airlines and the loss from this is Rs 125 billion, cancellation of the four aircraft incurred a loss of Rs 18 billion. “Since the previous regime bought treasury bonds in Greece, the loss incurred was Rs 8 billion,” MP Dissanayake said. “The Avant Garde loss is Rs 11 billion.”

He also said that although the Good Governance government came to power to punish corrupt politicians, it delayed the investigations, and later protected them and attempted to share the misused money during the previous regime. Later the members of this government too engaged in corruption through this Bond issue.

He also said that the Commission report includes 34 frauds.He also said that former Minister Basil Rajapaksa had created a loss of Rs 1,100 million through his domestic air travel and for additional vehicles. During that period, money had been granted to allies of politicians indirectly. He added that the expenditure for the opening and water filling ceremony of the Hambantota Port was Rs 170 million.These should be changed.

He added that the loss incurred by the ITN through the advertisements during the previous regime at the Presidential Election was Rs 230 million and the sixth respondent of it is former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.There’s a dialogue to remove his civic rights. It should be done through proper legal channels and not based on a political decision.

Source : Daily News