• New committees in addition to COPE and COPA to be introduced 

By Yohan Perera   

Highlighting that a ‘Devani Aragalaya’ (A second struggle) will be launched for a systems change shortly, President Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said the parties will finalise an agreement on the proposed National Council.   

Speaking during a gathering held to mark the 76th anniversary of UNP, the President said Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena had informed him that parties will finalise an agreement on the National Council next week.   

“We will begin a ‘Devani Aragalaya’ to bring in vast reforms shortly. I won’t live to see the country reaping the harvest of these changes. However I intend to build a better nation for the future generations,” he said.   
The President said his intention is to go beyond the 22nd Amendment and introduce more reforms. “We intend to introduce new Parliamentary committees in addition to the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and Committee on Public Accounts (COPA). Accordingly, we will set up a committee on reforming state enterprises. The most important reform will be the Jana sabhas which will be non-political entities. People will be able to participate in decision-making through these entities,” he also said.   

He said Sri Lanka is left with the task of going in for talks with donors and private creditors for debt restructuring.   

“I am inviting all political parties to put in a collective effort to revive the crisis stricken nation and not to get any benefit from it,” he added.    UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene in his speech called all parties to get together. He said SLPP, SLFP and SJB are like rays of UNP. “SLFP, SLPP and SJB are rays of UNP that is why we invite all these parties to get together,” he said. UNP Assistant Leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Chairman Vajira Abeywardena and General Secretary Palitha Range Bandara also expressed similar sentiments.