8/9/2019 PM Wickremesinghe Takes on the Opposition on Central Bank Issue

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PM Wickremesinghe Takes on theOpposition on Central Bank Issue

Prime Minister Ranil :-04/06/2015

I wish to reply in detail to the questions raised y MP !inesh "unawardene on theappointment o# $entral %an& "o'ernor (r)una Mahendra* I am pleased that this hadpro'ided the opportunity to e+plain the dar& ,hapter that had ta&en pla,e in the history

o# our ,ountry durin the pre'ious Ra)apa&sa reime*Ra)apa&sa reime and also the true situation with reard to the appointment o# (r)unaMahendra as $entral %an& "o'ernor* (r)una Mahendra was orn and edu,ated in .rian&a* e maintained hiher positions in the o'ernment se,tor as well as the pri'atese,tor in .ri an&a and is a well edu,ated and intelle,tual indi'idual who lo'es the,ountry* is #irst appointment was in the $entral %an& $% and he ser'ed the $% #orthe past ele'en years* e was appointed as a ,hairman o# the .ri an&a In'estment%oard in 2002* 3hen #ormer Minister "* * Peiris was the rele'ant minister he ser'edthe In'estment %oard until 2004*

e a'e up his position in 2004 when the P( "o'ernment ,ame into power* e hadto lea'e the ,ountry due to the Ra)apa&sa reime* In that sense #ormer PresidentMahinda Ra)apa&sa was also a uilty party with reard to this question*

ormer President Mahinda Ra)apa&sa had ,reated a situation where edu,ated peoplewho were not allied to the reime had to lea'e our shores* 7here was a #ear psy,hosisin the ,ountry where we lost 7amil politi,ians in the ,alier o# 8oseph Parara)asinhamRa'ira) and Maheshwaran* 7here was an era o# terror ,reated in the ,ountry* 7hat iswhy (r)una Mahendra too had to lea'e ,ountry in sear,h o# etter prospe,ts* I# (r)una

8/9/2019 PM Wickremesinghe Takes on the Opposition on Central Bank Issue

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Mahendran had not le#t .ri an&a the same #ate would ha'e e#allen him* e sa'edhis li#e y lea'in #or .inapore* ( numer o# )ournalists su,h as 9eeth oyar Poddala8ayantha and pali 7enna&oon le#t the ,ountry due to death threats while asantha3i,&ramatuna was assassinated*

7he people o# this ,ountry ended that dar& era in our history on 8anuary ; throuh an

ele,toral re'olution* <'er 6*= million people were in'ol'ed in this re'olution* 3henPresident Maithripala .irisena ,ame into power he re,ti#ied mista&es ,ommitted ythe pre'ious reime* ot only (r)una Mahendran ut many who le#t the ,ountry due todeath treats and #ear o# the Ra)apa&sa reime had returned to the ,ountry* ormerPoli,e .po&esman Prishantha 8aya&ody who le#t the ,ountry due to death threats wasrouht a,& to the ,ountry* Many (rmed or,es personnel who were in'ol'ed ineliminatin terrorism and ainin 'i,tory had to lea'e the ,ountry due to death threats#rom the Ra)apa&sa reime e,ause o# their alleian,e to #ormer (rmy $ommander.arath onse&a* Most o# them are presently a,& in the ,ountry* 7he Ra)apa&sareime harassed #ormer (rmy $ommander .arath onse&a and #ormer $hie# 8usti,e.hirani %andaranaya&e rutally*

%ut we ha'e een ale to estow )usti,e on #ormer (rmy $ommander .arath onse&ay promotin him to the ran& o# ield Marshal o# the .ri an&a (rmy*

7he entire e,onomy had ,ollapsed durin the rein o# the Ra)apa&sa reime* 7heRa)apa&sa reime appointed a person who was not an e+pert in the e,onomi, se,torto the post o# $entral %an& "o'ernor* 7hey did not e'en inquire into the #inan,ialirreularities le'elled aainst the #ormer $% "o'ernor*

7his ,reated many di##i,ulties on the administration o# the $% and the o'ernment hadto otain the ser'i,es o# a #orein e,onomi, e+pert resultin in the o'ernment

otainin the ser'i,es o# ren,h national !omini, 9han who was #a,in se+ual assault,hares*

is ser'i,e was otained on a ,ontra,t 'alue o# .> 500000* %ut the $% was notre'i'ed e'en thouh the pre'ious o'ernment spent su,h a lare amount o# money*7he entire e,onomy had ,ollapsed durin the tenure o# the #ormer $entral %an&"o'ernor who had no e+pertise in the e,onomi, #ield* $orruption and #raud wererampant*

7he $% otained loans at hiher ,ommer,ial interest rates #or the #ormer o'ernmentat the international trade mar&et #rom 200? onwards* 7hey otained .> 500 million in200? and another .> 500 million in 200@* 7here was no in'estment in the pri'atese,tor in the a#termath o# the war* Aarious malpra,ti,es were ,ommitted y the ,ronieso# the Ra)apa&sa reime y the use o# B7 #unds* In order to ,o'er theseshort,omins the o'ernment had otained loans to the 'alue o# .> 1 illion #rom2010 to 2012* 7his led to alan,e o# pay ,risis and the 'alue o# a . dollar whi,h hadone up to .> 1=0 #rom .>110*

7he international ratin aen,y .tandard and Poors had ad'ised the o'ernment toa'oid enain in this type o# transa,tions aain* 7he ratin aen,ies .tandard and

8/9/2019 PM Wickremesinghe Takes on the Opposition on Central Bank Issue

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Poors and Moodys were let down y our international ratins due to these reasons*3e had to pay .> 25 million to .tandard $harted %an& and .> 25 million to!euts,he %an& due to the ,orrupt hedin deal*

 (midst all these prolems the #ormer $% "o'ernor had pur,hased a hue sto,& o#old durin the pre'ious reime* e paid .> 1600 per one oun,e o# old* 7here

were a numer o# #inan,ial #rauds in many o'ernment institutions* 7he $% wasunale to maintain #inan,ial dis,ipline durin the past years* ( numer o# #rauds and,orruptions #rom this destru,tion had led to the massi'e loss in the ,ountry and weneeded the assistan,e o# a spe,ial e,onomi, e+pert to sa'e the ,ountry #romdestru,tion*

3e did not rin down .traus 9hans as the Ra)apa&sa reime did* 3e rouht downa spe,ialist orn in .ri an&a* owe'er you people are s,ared o# this spe,ialiste,ause lare s,ale ,orruption and #raud were ein re'ealed under him e,ause the,apitalist hen,hmen who were nourished under the Ra)apa&sa reime were nowdenied o# ways and means to earn throuh illeal means e,ause the e,onomy is

de'elopin*It is already re'ealed that those in the pre'ious o'ernment were responsile #or a real#raud with a mu,h hiher #inan,ial 'alue than the said amount in the #a&e ,hareaainst (r)una Mahendran* 7hat is why they are ostru,tin the pro,ess* 7hey only&nown how to rea& thins and not to mend them* istory has pro'en this* 3hen theyloo& a,& a#ter di'idin other politi,al parties their own politi,al party had ,ollapsed*7his is what is re#erred to as C!itta !hamma 3edaniya 9ammaD in %uddhism* 7hey arenow su##erin the ,onsequen,es* owe'er the pressure they a'e the people in this,ountry and the national wealth they roed #rom the people are enormous*

7here#ore desperation amon the people aainst them are enormous* 7here#ore they,annot easily et away #rom this* owe'er it is the responsiility o# the o'ernment toprote,t the ordinary people who 'oted #or them e,ause they were ,arried away ytheir ries and de,eption* President Maithripala .irisena had ta&en upon thisresponsiility and we ha'e already de,ided to support him* 3e would e the #irst to,on#ront any atta,& aainst the President* President .irisena is a leader with amandate o# 6*= million people* 3e as& "ampola distri,t .Pers to &eep in mind thisreality* !e#endin the President is the #irst step to de#eat the attempts and to re'ersethe re'olution* Eou people are aainst your own leader* 3hi,h side do you elon toF3e are ready to de#end the President without any ,onditions linin up with the ma)orityo# people* ow the ,hant CPalayan MantraD had started e'en aainst President.irisena* 7he entire ,ountry saw how my #riend pump&in MP ,hant this Mantra at arally in Ratnapura* I# su,h was their rea,tion on the ,hairman o# their party and the #irst,itiGen o# the ,ountry the hidden aenda ehind the questions raised aainst (r)unMahendran who is an intelle,tual amon the minorities is ,lear to the ,ountry*

<n 8anuary ; we only de#eated a part o# that aenda* 7here are more elements thatshould e de#eated* 7hose who were in the Ra)apa&sa reime are tryin to instiate#ear amon people y threatenin and #or,in and they try to uy people y spendin

8/9/2019 PM Wickremesinghe Takes on the Opposition on Central Bank Issue

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la'ishly* 7his was how they ruled the ,ountry o'er the past years* .ri an&ans le#t the,ountry durin the Ra)apa&sa reime due to their ,ra'e #or li#e* .ome le#t the ,ountrydue to 'arious opportunities e#ore them in other ,ountries* Is it wron to et a,&their ser'i,es to reuild the ,ountry* ( ,itiGen o# any ,ountry has the opportunity andspa,e to ser'e in any other ,ountry* 7hat is a tradition a,,epted in the world* 3e too#ollow the same tradition #or a lon time now*

!urin the pre'ious o'ernment o##i,ials o# the (ttorney "eneralDs !epartment )udes in,ludin e'en .upreme $ourt )udes were deployed #or ser'i,e in i)i* 7hiswas done e,ause it was not aainst the poli,ies o# the .ri an&an "o'ernment*oody saw any #ault at that time* 7hey also too& the oath o# i)i* 3hy did you appro'eit thenF Eou were in the $ainet*

3e &now the pro,edure .ri an&a #ollows in reard to #orein ,itiGens* .ome whowere orn and red in .ri an&a ha'e later otained #orein ,itiGenship* 7here is noostru,tion #or #orein ,itiGens to do a )o or usiness in .ri an&a* 7he only restri,tionthey ha'e as o# the $onstitution is that they ,annot a,t as Puli, representati'es*

7he pre'ious o'ernment a'e asylum to 9P who was a #orein ,itiGen* 7he .rian&an "o'ernment prote,ted him when he was wanted y other ,ountries #orin'estiations on terrorism*

"otahaya Ra)apa&sa

3hen ,itiGenship is ranted ta&in an oath is a leal oliation* i&ewise "otahayaRa)apa&sa too& a similar oath to et . ,itiGenship and Palitha 9ohona too& a similaroath to et (ustralian ,itiGenship* It was )usti#iale i# these people raised thesequestions when a . ,itiGen was rouht to .ri an&a under the pre'ious reime and

handed o'er the !e#ense o# the ,ountry* 7he reason is the serious nature o# this oath*7he said oath is as #ollows:

“I herey de,lare on oath that I asolutely and entirely renoun,e and a)ure allalleian,e and #idelity to any #orein prin,e potentate state or so'ereinty o# whomor whi,h I ha'e hereto#ore een a su)e,t or ,itiGenH that I will support and de#end the$onstitution and laws o# the nited .tates o# (meri,a aainst all enemies #orein anddomesti,H that I will ear true #aith and alleian,e to the sameH that I will ear arms onehal# o# the nited .tates when required y the lawH that I will per#orm non,omatant

8/9/2019 PM Wickremesinghe Takes on the Opposition on Central Bank Issue

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ser'i,e in the (rmed or,es o# the nited .tates when required y the lawH and that Ita&e this oliation #reely without any mental reser'ation or purpose o# e'asionH sohelp me "od*

7he post o# !e#en,e .e,retary o# the ,ountry was i'en to a person who had ta&ensu,h an oath* e e,ame the !e#en,e .e,retary on o'emer 24 2005* e was

ranted dual ,itiGenship on o'emer =0 2005* e was in ,hared o# people whowere earin arms on ehal# o# the Repuli, o# .ri an&a while he under law wasolied to ear arms #or the nited .tates o# (meri,a* B'en thouh he had dual,itiGenship now he must still ear arms to the . and i# they de,lare .ri an&a to ean enemy he must side us* 7his &ind o# statement is not in the .inaporean oath*

 (#ter independen,e the #irst $entral %an& "o'ernor o# .ri an&a was a . ,itiGen* ewas 8ohn B+ter*

Eou did not spea& a word when the #orein ser'i,e was handed o'er to an (ustralian,itiGen* 7hose who were silent then are now questionin on the ,itiGenship o# (r)unaMahendran* I request you to e happy that you now ha'e the #reedom to question in

this manner* I# !inesh "unawardena questioned on . ,itiGenship durin that time hemiht ha'e een another 'i,tim o# the white 'an* ow there are no white 'ans* 3e arelad that the mouths on whi,h spider wes were made ha'e now sharpened at least inthis manner*

"otahaya Ra)apa&sa has done nothin to positi'ely renoun,e (meri,an ,itiGenship* (s o# the . law a . ,itiGen ,an et the ,itiGenship o# another ,ountry* owe'er i#that person etrays the . the . has the riht to #ile a ,ourt ,ase aainst thatperson* (t all times when there is dual ,itiGenship the . ,itiGenship is ,onsidered themain ,itiGenship* $itiGens has no #reedom to de,ide the main ,itiGenship* <nly the .,ould do so* !ue to these reasons we made a law under the 1@th (mendment that

the President and puli, representati'es should ,ompulsorily e .ri an&an ,itiGense+,ept that #orein ,itiGens ha'e no restri,tion to hold any other position in .ri an&a*

 ( list o# names in,ludin dayana 3eeratuna 8aliya 3i,&ramasuriya Palitha9ohona a&shman 8ayaweera et,* ,ould e mentioned here*

 (ll these people are #orein ,itiGenship holders and they held responsile o'ernmentposts* In addition I would li&e to in#orm the ouse that some o# those who weremo'ed y wealth and power under the Ra)apa&sa reime had otained #orein,itiGenship se,retly* 7here#ore I request those who are a,,usin us now to rin outin#ormation on them to the ouse e#ore they a,,use others* (renDt there peopleamon you who ha'e otained the ,itiGenship o# ,ountries su,h as .ey,helles$ayman Islands %ritish Airin Islands (ndorra Mona,o anda et,F 3e ha'e otsu,h reports and I ,hallene you to deny it i# this is wron* MP !inesh "unawardenais not an .P memer* I request them not to distur the endea'or o# President.irisena to reuild the .P* Eou are also disturin our attempts to reuild the,ountry*

Eou only &now how to distur us* I# you people want ministerial posts or otherpositions we will as& President .irisena to i'e them to you* It is no i deal #or us

8/9/2019 PM Wickremesinghe Takes on the Opposition on Central Bank Issue

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ut do not distur our )ourney in de'elopin the ,ountry* 7he people o# this ,ountryha'e already re)e,ted the di'isions ased on ethni,ity reliion and ,aste whi,h werepromoted y you* <n 8anuary ; people ,hased away those di'isions to Medamulanaand the people will not allow to re'erse that a,hie'ement* 7he sla'es o# the Ra)apa&sareime are pani,&in* 7hey want to re'erse the resolution whi,h too& pla,e on 8anuary;* owe'er people are ready more than e'er now to de#eat this ,onspira,y*

7he era that has dawned is not a period where people lea'e or #lee the ,ountry* 7his isalso not a period that ,hase away those who ,ould ser'e the ,ountry* 3e ha'e,reated an en'ironment that they ,ould return to their motherland* nder this situationnoody has the riht to hinder those s,holars ser'in the ,ountry y questionin their,itiGenship* 7hose who question the ,itiGenship o# (r)una Mahendran are unaware o#the inan,e (,t* 3hile in'itin the .ri an&ans who #led the ,ountry we question as towhy the money o# the Ra)apa&sa reime and P( that ha'e een deposited outsidethe ,ountry is not rouht to .ri an&a* I# it is rouht we ,ould sol'e most o# ourprolems* !urin the Ra)apa&sa reime the 7reasury onds were ranted on pri'atepla,ements #orein loans were ta&en at hih interest rates #inan,ial #rauds were,ommitted at the .to,& Mar&et* %ut noody spo&e aout them nor a sinlein'estiation initiated*

3hen there was an alleation o# a 7reasury ond issue we appointed a ,ommittee toin'estiate it allowed the same e in'estiated e#ore a Parliamentary .ele,t$ommittee and e#ore the inan,ial $rimes In'estiation !i'ision $I!* as theRa)apa&sa reime ,ommen,ed su,h in'estiations on an alleation not only aainst$entral %an& or any other institutionF

.e,tion 11 o# the inan,ial (,t ,learly shows the disquali#i,ations #or the hihestposition o# the Monetary %oard or the $entral %an&* (n MP a Pro'in,ial $oun,il

Memer or o,al "o'ernment Memer ,annot e appointed to these posts* Puli,.er'ants memers o# 8udi,ial .er'i,e a person who is paid y puli, #unds and arepresentati'e o# the puli, are disquali#ied #or this position* (n o##i,er o# a an& too,annot e appointed as the "o'ernor o# $entral %an&* I# does not point out non,itiGens o# .ri an&a ,annot e appointed as the "o'ernor o# $entral %an&* .o there isno leal o)e,tion #or (r)una Mahendran to hold this position*

ow some attempts to point out international issues ha'e een ,reated e,ause o# (r)una Mahendran* %ut hen,hmen o# the Ra)apa&sa reime ,annot in#luen,e the %an&o# $eylon or any other #inan,ial institute*

I rin aout two matters* 7he #irst you remained silent when the pre'ious reimeroed puli, property and enaed in ,orruption with the support o# #orein ,itiGens*%ut you stand aainst us when we end su,h ,orruptions with the support o# #orein,itiGens* I reret that this ouse had #allen to su,h a le'el* 7hose who remained in thisouse a #ull niht to prote,t su,h thie'es ,annot spea& a word aainst those ,ulprits*

7he se,ond #a,t is the ,atDs paw o# these mo'es are hen,hmen o# the ,apitalists*inan,ially I ha'e to point out that those days one #amily roed illions o# puli, #undse'en without the &nowlede o# the then $ainet Parliament and the people* 3e will

8/9/2019 PM Wickremesinghe Takes on the Opposition on Central Bank Issue

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try to i'e them a,& to the people* .o its your responsiility to support us*

7oday all ,ountries help us and we are not ,ornered internationally* (s we ha'einitiated a massi'e operation to #eed ea,h #amily rant a s,hool to ea,h student rantemployment to ea,h youth instead o# #eedin and enri,hin one #amily you shouldsupport your Party eader and President Maithripala .irisena* It is only then that you

,ould wash away your sins o# supportin a ,orrupt Ra)apa&sa reime* %ut what you dotoday is o aainst the peopleDs wish* 7he est e+ample is the newspaperannoun,ement o# P( .e,retary .usil Prema)ayantha* (,,ordin to it persons whoen'y the .P are attemptin to di'ide the .P y tal&in aainst its position* %ut.P politi,ians who ne'er le#t the party would remain with its memers*

!urin the last Presidential Ble,tions you wor&ed aainst Maithripala .irisena* 7hosewho attempted to ury him ten #eet under attempt to ury his poli,ies* 3e ne'er wouldallow that to happen* 3hy does the P( .e,retary do soF

3e prote,t President Maithripala .irisena his ood o'ernan,e his prorammeshisstand #or truth his stand aainst thie'es and ,reate a dis,iplined ,ountry* I as& willyou stand aainst President Maithripala .irisena*

.pee,h made at the Parliament on 04*06*2015

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