Harsha de Silva brings Rajapakse deception to the light

Bringing to light Cabinet approval for the sale of a 40% stake in State-owned Yugadanavi to American firm New Fortress for $ 250 million, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian Dr. Harsha de Silva yesterday sought to unmask the deception of the current Rajapaksa regime, calling it out for not living up to the election promise of “not selling family silver to foreigners”.

Addressing journalists, the MP, who is attached to the Main Opposition SJB, said that after having demonised the US and its proposed Millennium Challenge Corporation agreement with Sri Lanka in the run up to the Presidential election, today the Rajapaksa regime was engaged in selling oil assets to American firms.

Along with the allegations surrounding the Yugadanavi power plant, De Silva also alleged that Energy Minister Udaya Gammanpila had invited Exxon Mobil to explore natural gas in Mannar Basin. The latter, de Silva said, had also invited Middle Eastern countries to tap Sri Lanka’s resources.

“Prior to elections, the Rajapaksa’s maintained an anti-Western stance and vehemently opposed the US’ MCC agreement, with blatant falsehoods. But today they are going behind US companies for help,” he charged. “We have always maintained that Sri Lanka needs to co-exist with globalisation, therefore the Government must face facts despite misleading the public at election time.”

De Silva also said that Sri Lanka needed to form joint ventures, if necessary, in order to develop local resources in the national interest and that it was the responsibility of the current Rajapaksa regime to be honest to the people and admit the reality, even though it was a departure from its election pledges.