Govt. using state funds to promote their Presidential candidate: SJB

By Sandun A Jayasekera   

Chief Opposition Whip and senior vice president of the SJB, parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella accused the government yesterday that it was using state funds to promote its candidate for the next Presidential election.   He also said the government is in a move to pool all its resources to make President Ranil Wickremesinghe a presidential candidate at the forthcoming election. He was referring to some of the decisions made recently by the government.  

 Amidst widespread talks about the possibility of a year end Presidential election, the government is in a doling out spree of freebies among vulnerable sections of the society with borrowed money from local and foreign sources.   

The government is to distribute money among low income, vulnerable and marginalized families, using a loan obtained from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to the tune of US$ 200 million (Rs. 65,400 million approximately) under the aegis of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) of the IMF. 

 
The cabinet approval has been granted on a proposal made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies to secure US$ 200 million from the ADB under the EFF of the International Monetary Fund.   

Government spokesman, Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardana confirmed at a news conference that the loan would be used to strengthen Social Security Net.   “The reliefs to targeted groups such as marginalized, vulnerable and low income families will be provided on a priority basis by distributing money and ensuring food security among them,” he said.   

The government is also in the process of distributing 20 kg of rice among 2.9 million families at a cost of Rs. 10 billion. This is in addition to the distribution of fertilizer TSP (Triple Super Phosphate) free among farmers. 

 
The government also got the approval from Parliament last week for a resolution to increase the borrowing limit to Rs.7 trillion from current 6 trillion in a controversial manner without the consent of the opposition.   

The resolution was passed amidst heavy protest and criticism from the combined opposition led by SJB and opposition leader Sajith Premadasa.   
The government also expects to grant a pay hike to public servants at the end of 2023.  

However, Kiriella said it is highly indecent, wrong and undemocratic to use state funds to promote one candidate in a country where bankruptcy has been officially declared. “The distribution of handouts are fully politicized and given away on a list prepared by political representatives of the UNP. I would like to know what the SLPP leaders have to say about this egocentric and unethical publicity campaign,’ he added.   

The government continues to reject the opposition’s nominee, Dr. Harsha De Silva’s appointment as the Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) as the government will not get the opportunity to misuse public funds in this manner if he is in charge of public finance, Kiriella emphasized.   

He added that President Wickremesinghe has said that the debt restructuring process will have to be extended from pre-scheduled 2026 to 2029 owing to the unrestricted borrowings.   
“The government has adopted these negative and destructive monetary policies to spend freely the state funds to promote one candidate while saying that there is no money to conduct local government polls. I don’t know whether people of this country must cry or laugh at these actions of the government leaders,” Kiriella noted. 

Pics: Kiriella.   
14.05.23