Govt failed to keep election pledges – SJB

The government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has failed to achieve National Security, Political Stability nor System Change as pledged during the election,  Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Tissa Attanayake said yesterday.

He made this observation joining the Committee Stage Debate on the Budget Proposal for 2022.

He said that the promises in the “Vistas of Prosperity and Splendour” have not been kept and the confidence is breached. He said that basically the election promises were to strengthen national security, political stability and system change to bring about efficiency to public service and other sectors of which none has been achieved.

He said that as promised to bring the culprits of the bond scam into book has not been fulfilled. The government retained Rs. 12 billion related to the bond scam and said that out of that Rs. 8 billion is used to gap the budget deficit. He added however the government has not been able to trace the similar sum said to be around Rs. 15 billion in the sugar import scam.

He said that according to Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa the loan installment is 115 percent of the GDP which is an alarming rate and seems the country is to be identified as bankrupt.

He added however the budget proposal has no proposals to address these issues.

He said with regard to the Easter Sunday attacks the Government promised to punish the culprits. “But it is too late to fulfill the promise. The government is attempting to establish a military rule. Hence democracy is infringed.

He suggested that the Election Commission should be vested with powers to study the election promises and make recommendations as the parties would make impractical pledges.