You won’t believe the circus that broke out in Sri Lanka’s parliament recently! Picture this: lawmakers are shouting, tempers are flaring, and it all started because of a report on a controversial visa deal. The protagonist in this drama? Harsha de Silva, the Chair of the Committee on Public Finance, who last week dared to present a report on a dubious visa contract involving IVS-GBS-VFS Global.
Wijedasa Stands Up
Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa was quick to defend de Silva, questioning the sanity of challenging a Committee chairman acting under constitutional powers. It’s like questioning the Speaker himself, Rajapaksa argued. De Silva’s report had the audacity to suggest that the visa monopoly given to IVS-GBS-VFS Global, charging $25 per visa instead of the previous $1 by Mobitel, should be canned or revised.
Shean Accuses
Enter State Minister Shehan Semasinghe, who accused de Silva of misleading parliament with what he called a defective report. According to Semasinghe, de Silva had falsely claimed unanimous approval from the committee. He demanded de Silva be referred to the privileges committee, which is a fancy way of saying, “Let’s punish this guy.”
Harsha Jumps
But de Silva wasn’t about to take this lying down. He stood his ground, rejecting the charges and declaring that all committee members’ views were included in the final report. “This wasn’t some secret mission,” de Silva fired back. “We had three weeks for everyone to chime in. If you think I should be jailed, go ahead. I’m not scared. I’ll prove every word in that report is true.”
Lanza Pipes
Meanwhile, government member Nimal Lanza piped up, saying he initially thought tourist numbers had dropped because of the VFS deal but later realized they had actually increased. The drama continued with Public Security Minister Tiran Alles presenting data showing a boost in tourism arrivals and additional revenue.
Verbal Tenis
The whole affair became a verbal tennis match. Opposition leader Sajith Premadasa jumped in, arguing that competitive tenders could have prevented the $25 visa fee. He took a swipe at why his microphone was muted, hinting at some shady tactics.
What Next?
Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa wrapped up the show, warning that questioning a committee chairman over a privilege issue undermines the parliament itself. “What’s next? Are we going to drag committee chairmen to the punishment log every time someone’s feathers get ruffled?” he quipped.
So there you have it. A parliamentary showdown, over a visa deal that’s part soap opera, part courtroom drama, and all political theatre. Stay tuned for the next episode while the visa deal continues.
