Ports and Shipping Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said the date for the debate of the Treasury Bond issue will be fixed today at the Party Leaders’ Meeting.
It has been scheduled to hold the Party Leaders’ Meeting today under the leadership of Speaker Karu Jayasuriya aiming to fix a date for the debate of the Treasury Bond issue.
The Minister was addressing media at SLFP Headquarters, yesterday.
He added that Parliament has received the full report of the Treasury Bond issue and there are no missing pages. The Parliament received the full report, which contains 963 pages, apart from several annexes. The entire report with all the annexes can be obtained through the mediation of the speaker if any parliamentarian wants to have it.
“All the annexes can be obtained by the Speaker if needed,” he added.
“Unlike during the previous regime, the judiciary of the country is now impartial. It is so powerful and strong,” the Minister said while speaking on the reason why the President called for the Supreme Courts determination on his term.
“Unlike during the last regime, President Maithripala Sirisena never threatens the Chief Justice after summoning him to Temple Trees. He never interferes with the judiciary,” Minister Samarasinghe alleged.
“The independence of the judiciary is evident when considering the Supreme Court’s decision on the President’s term.
The Minister further added that the judiciary has the freedom now unlike during the previous regime.
The Minister recalled how former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake was removed from her post by leveling baseless allegations and a case filed against her husband during the previous regime.
“The Supreme Court’s decision on the President’s term symbolizes that there is an independent judiciary in the country,” he noted.
Minister Samarasinghe said President Sirisena is enriched with diplomatic qualities than with those of a politician.
The Minister highly condemned the behavior of the former Uva Chief Minister in connection with allegations connected to the Principal of a girls school. “An impartial investigation in to this matter is ongoing,” he said.
Speaking on the Trade Union action of the Hambantota Port employees, who lost their jobs with the transshipment of management to a Chinese Company, the Minister said that of the 464 employees, 135 will be recruited to the Port Authority while the others will receive a compensation over Rs one million each.
“Each employee except the 135 persons, who are going to be recruited to the Ports Authority, will receive compensation amounting at least Rs 1 million. The 135 persons will be selected through an impartial, transparent interview process. Right after the election, measures will be taken to recruit those 135 persons,” he said.