SLPP national list MPs ready to give up seat for Basil, says party secretary
COLOMBO – A majority of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) National List MPs are ready to sacrifice their seat to make way for Basil Rajapaksa, party secretary MP Sagara Kariyawasam said on Monday (28). He was commenting on speculations that Basil, the younger Rajapaksa sibling, would be sworn in as a Member of Parliament on July 6, and later appointed as the Minister of Finance and Economic Development.
Kariyawasam, who was in some hot water over his comments on the recent fuel price hike demands for the subject minister to resign, told reporters on Monday, there was no need for a special campaign to bring Rajapaksa in, as he is the founder of the SLPP. “He is a real talent who founded a party, created a president, and established a government [led by that party] within four and a half years, by defeating major parties in the country,” Kariyawasam explained.
Political analysts have indeed attributed much of the SLPP’s electoral successes to the organizing skills of Basil Rajapaksa, who is the younger brother of President Gotabaya and Prime Minister Mahinda.
Kariyawasam claimed there have been many requests from SLPP MPs, local councillors, former provincial councillors and affiliated organizations urging Basil Rajapaksa to play a significant role in handling the economy since the day the current Parliament commenced.
Local media reports said d SLPP National List MP, Prof, Ranjith Bandara will vacate his seat to make way for Rajapaksa.
A number of government MPs, including Nimal Lansa, have claimed that if Rajapaksa had been in the country, he would’ve prevented the recent fuel price hike. Basil was away in the United States, where he is a dual citizen, for some weeks until his return to the island last week.
“But until now, he did not agree to [play a more active role],” said Kariyawasam, noting that the former Mahinda Rajapaksa government was able to maintain economic growth at 7% because of Basil’s skill in handling the economy.
“Through projects such as ‘Uthuru Wasanthaya’ and ‘Nagenahira Nawodaya’ people saw how he did extraordinary things,” he claimed, acknowledging Sri Lanka was facing a disaster that had swallowed the entire world, and many countries were facing economic difficulties.
Kariyawasam said Basil Rajapaksa hasn’t rejected the plea to enter Parliament, pointing out a lot has happened to make that possible. “A parliament seat should be vacant for him to come and he should be appointed to fill that seat,” he said, adding such a thing, if it were to happen, would not be done in secret, but would be done openly in a more celebratory manner.
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