PHI chief accuses Ministry of Health of taking Omicron threat lightly – The Island

“PM, the president of the SLPP needs an explanation”

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Sri Lanka’s ruling Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) was afraid to face the electorate, hence the decision to postpone local government elections scheduled for late March 2022, Samagi spokesman Jana Balavegaya said yesterday ( SJB), Mujibur Rahuman (17).

Lawmaker Rahuman said so in response to a statement by provincial councils and local government minister Roshan Ranasinghe released yesterday that elections for 341 local government bodies had been delayed by a year. Noting that the minister of state initially said provincial council polls would be postponed before correcting that the government intended to postpone local government polls for fear of the spread of Covid-19, lawmaker Rahuman said that people were getting the reminder.

Government officials and health ministry officials said the Covid-19 situation was under control, the former UNP lawmaker said. If the situation was under control and the government felt confident to further relax the health guidelines of Covid-19, there could be no justification for postponing scheduled polls based on the threat posed by the global epidemic.

MP Rahuman pointed out that the legislative elections took place in August 2020 despite the rapid spread of Covid-19 at that time. After repeatedly stating that the current immunization program has achieved the desired results, Minister of State Ranasinghe, now on the instructions of his political masters, announced the postponement.

The government owed an explanation without further ado, lawmaker Rahuman said. “Let Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is the leader of the SLPP and the chairman of the ruling party, Professor GL Peiris, explain the Minister of State’s assertion that the planned elections for local communities cannot take place. because of Covid-19, especially Omicron. “

Rahuman said the government recently authorized a four-nation football tournament and an IPL cricket.

Responding to questions, the SJB spokesperson stressed that the postponement of local government elections until the day after parliament was prorogued meant the SLPP was in serious trouble. The MP explained that the government had been beset by worsening unrest within the parliamentary group over a highly controversial deal on the Yugadanavi power plant.

MP Rahuman asked whether Foreign Minister Professor Peiris, who has now taken over the finance portfolio, will take responsibility for the deal currently being challenged in the Supreme Court. The MP insisted that the postponement of the local government elections was nothing more than political, as the SLPP was struggling to cope with the rapidly deteriorating situation on the political front.

MP Rahuman questioned why Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa left the country for the United States as the US energy deal now threatened the government. After swearing that a majority close to 2/3 in Parliament was obtained in the legislative elections of August 2020, the adoption of the 20th amendment to the Constitution in October 2020 and the adoption of the bill on the Economic Commission of the port city of Colombo in May 2021 would pave the way for an accelerated development agenda, the government was now backing down, lawmaker Rahuman said.

The crisis caused by the introduction of carbon dioxide agriculture without adequate preparation and the series of accidents caused by the explosions of LPG gas as well as the uncertainty about the fuel supply have had a devastating impact on the population, a declared the deputy of the Colombo district.

The SJB official attributed the current situation in Sri Lanka having had to settle more than 900 million US dollars in January 2022 to foreign lenders. Pointing out that foreign reserves had dramatically dwindled amid foolish attempts to bolster foreign reserves and attract foreign currency, MP Rahuman said the SLPP appeared to have decided not to take on the electorate. The same goes for the very late elections of the Provincial Council, said the deputy.

The Yahapalana government, too, delayed the local government elections and refrained from holding the provincial council polls because it feared the feelings of the public. MP Rahman represented the Yahapalana government.

He said the SLPP’s political project had gone awry and senior management was now reluctant to confront the electorate.