Govt. may reduce petrol price to Rs. 100 and then raise it to 117 Rupees
By a Special Correspondent
Moves are afoot within Government circles to reduce the price of petrol to Rupees hundred per litre as stipulated in the Supreme courts ruling and then raise the price again within weeks to rupees 117 per litre.
According to reliably informed sources this idea has been mooted by several ministers after obtaining legal advice.
This temporary price reduction is expected to help greatly in moves iniated to counter the adventurist judicial activism of chief Justice Sarath Silva.
Such a reduction on a temporary basis would enable the newly appointed Attorney – General Mohan Peiris to draft a comprehensive report for filing before the Supreme courts it is learnt.
Meanwhile several ministers are on the warpath against the chief justice and are urging that he be impeached through Parliament.
Several senior ministers had urged the president to have an impeachment motion drawn up against the Chief Justice Silva. They stressed that parliament is superior to the judiciary and that the judiciary cannot interfere in local taxation and or fiscal policy, government sources revealed. One senior minister had reportedly complained that the chief justice is misusing his limited judicial power and that the time was right for an impeachment move against him.
The president’s economic advisors and other senior ministers such as Sarath Amunugama had highlighted the possible impact a tax reduction could have on the local economy. The president had advised all his cabinet ministers to launch an aggressive campaign to “educate the public on this issue.”
Port Development Minister Dilan Perera has publicly criticized the judiciary saying “the Supreme Court acts as a one man show today and parliament cannot be made a puppet”. He said parliament should be summoned immediately to decide if the powers of the legislature should be divested to others. He warned that parliament was in danger of being turned into a “rubber stamp” without any powers of its own. He added he was ready to go to jail over his comments
Minister of Youth Affairs Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Minister of Mass Media and Information Anura Priyadarshana Yapa have proposed to cabinet that “the government should not obey the Supreme Court’s writ.” They had reportedly said they did not “mind being imprisoned over this defiance."
The prime minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake has also been adamant, saying: “We need to decide here whether we will govern this country according to orders of the judiciary or to govern in keeping with public interest. You will recall that the judiciary has given several controversial decisions such as this in the recent past. But we need more money at this moment.”
Some ministers also feel that obeying the Supreme Court decision on the petrol price would be an embarrassment to the government. They also pressed for the assertive use of executive power.
The cabinet secretary had explained that the government had two options. Cabinet could either obey the Supreme Court or use the president’s executive power to overrule it.
While many ministers want an impeachment on the issue, Prof G L Peiris wants Parliament to summon the chief justice.He has proposed to cabinet that this problem be sorted out through parliament.
He explained that several chief justices in Sri Lanka’s history had been summoned before parliament. The best place to find a remedy was, therefore, parliament, he said.
Meanwhile, cabinet ministers and the president are waging a campaign to seek to educate the people about the repercussions of slashing taxes. They are using every public and political opportunity to emphasize that the government will have to immediately cut off several welfare programmes if they were forced to reduce taxes
5 Comments
This shows the utter disregard of the Government politicians to rule of law. They are willing to go to jail to keep their power against a clear judgement given for the benefit of the people and abuse of human rights for equal treatment. This is no surprise as these politicians have misused their office, used thuggery and intimidation using their paid criminals and would have been jailed a long time ago if natural justice prevailed in this country. Let us all get together and campaign and rally with the CJ to preserve democracy and basic human rights of the people of this country against power hungry, corrupt politicians. Lets fight for People Power before we are made another Zimbabwe or Burma by these uneducated, greedy, corrupt and criminal politicians in Power.
Why can't the allowances of the ministers be cut off on house rents, payments for parliament sittings,fuel, telephones and the unbelivable reduction of prices on foods at parliament canteen.
I think GOSL should obey the court order, without delay. then have the opportunity to appeal and also to summon the CJ to parliament, What the GOSL should be careful is not to run a campaign by saying that without petrol taxes they will have to cut all the developments and war efforts. This is not true. They can cut down most of the unnecessary expenses. Including duty free cars and perks to hundreds of ministers and make the government service more efficient departments with few qualified and capable service men and woman- quality rather than quantity.
I saw a news report (could have been at this site), that the JVP is planning protests on the govt's failure, so far, to comply with the Supreme Court's directive on this matter. Clearly, the JVP is attempting to capitalize on the anger of the ordinary man on this matter.
The GoSL seems to be unaware of the burdens placed on the man in the street when the govt attempts to make excessive profits on tha sale of an essential item. This is almost similar to a govt trying to make excessive profits on the sale of rice. Such a govt will not survive for long. The GoSL seems to be digging its own grave by trying to act like a greedy, unprincipled mudalali.
The Petroleum Minister Fowzie should be commended for his views on this matter. We hope that he and other sensible people in the GoSL will be able to drive some sense into this govt which seems unaware of the burdens it is placing on the man in the street.
Taking action against the Chief Justice in the form of impeachment etc will not only make us continue to be the laughing stock of the world but also take the Govt of the Triple Gem (i.e. Mahinda,
Goths and kid brer Basil)in the perilous path that brought
down Pakistan's Musharaff. Mahinda has already become the most unpopular President Sri Lankans have had the misfortune to beget - and yet even with his limited savvy he may not like this option. The best would be to bring down the price of Ordinary petrol to around Rs65/litre and win over at least part of the utterly disgruntled people.
ISS