The SJB yesterday said that now the country and Parliament were being run by the JVP Headquarters in Pelawatte.
Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Colombo, Gampaha District SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna said that NPP members in Parliament had no say about their own freedom which was being controlled by the JVP headquarters.
“Parliament is the cornerstone of democracy. There are 159 NPP members in the 225 member House. The majority of them are elected representatives of the people. The Opposition consists of a small group of minority representatives. These minority MPs in Parliament are not being treated fairly. The Speaker repeatedly claims that the government operates democratically.
However, despite these claims, the Opposition is never given the representation it deserves,” Rajakaruna said.
“On public platforms, the NPP speaks loudly about democracy. But the true nature of the NPP is now being exposed to the country. The authoritarian tendencies of the JVP are coming to light.
Democracy means not only respecting the majority opinion but also ensuring that the minority is not unfairly treated. If the rights of the minority are being undermined, then democracy is not functioning there. The anti-democratic actions of the JVP are now being revealed.”
Rajakaruna said: “When these issues are brought to the government’s attention, it is the media organizations that are blamed. It is the journalists who are wrong. Threats against media organizations and journalists are delivering a severe blow to democracy in the country.”
