GL: Cost of living intolerable, street protests inevitable

SLPP MP Prof. G.L. Peiris says the government is planning to go ahead with the appointment of a jumbo Cabinet while millions of people are skipping meals.

The former Foreign Minister questioned the rationale behind appointing 30 Cabinet and 40 non-Cabinet ministers amidst the worst-ever economic crisis the country was facing.

Commenting on the government issuing triumphant statements in the wake of reaching a staff-level agreement with the IMF, Prof. Peiris said that the undeniable truth was that the administration had become an intolerable burden on the people.

Prof. Peiris said that the public couldn’t bear extreme difficulties. The government increased taxes, and prices of almost everything, as part of its overall response to the crisis, the former Minister said, warning that the situation would continue to deteriorate.

Referring to recent statements issued by different parties, including that of the UNICEF and World Food Programme, Prof. Peiris said that street protests were inevitable unless the government took tangible measures to arrest the situation.

Instead of addressing the issues at hand, the government seemed far more interested in appeasing a selected group of lawmakers, Prof. Peiris said. In addition to ministers and non-cabinet ministers, Chairmen of Parliamentary committees, too, were now entitled to perks and privileges enjoyed by ministers, Prof. Peiris alleged.

Responding to another query, Prof. Peiris reiterated that his group quite clearly informed President Ranil Wickremesinghe of their readiness to fully cooperate with the government. “We didn’t ask for ministerial portfolios. Instead, we offered our unconditional support,” prof. Peiris said.

Prof. Peiris warned appointment of a jumbo sized cabinet would further antagonize the public. The government seemed to be blind to the rapid developments taking place with the international community increasingly taking a hostile stand vis-a-vis suppression of legitimate protests, Prof. Peiris said.

The former minister roundly condemned the recent arrests made in terms of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

Acknowledging the responsibility on the part of the government to maintain law and order, Prof. Peiris said that the government had sought to terrorize those engaged in peaceful protests. The government owed a lucid explanation as to why Wasantha Mudalige, Convenor of the Inter-University Students Federation (IUSF) and two others, including a Buddhist monk, had to be detained under the PTA, Prof Peiris said.

In addition to past alleged accountability issues, Geneva may raise what he called the heavy-handed government’s response to the continuing public protest campaign.