(Follow full debate SatanaSirasaTV on 3rd July 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oco3ZKh5bsQ)
During 'Satana' political debate of Sirasa TV (03rd July 2014) JVP candidate slammed govt representative for bringing up fake statistics and misinterpreting figures to general public to cover up bad governance and lawlessness of the country.
The Gvt politician Eirk Weerawardana claimed that after war Sri Lanka is a country where people can protest and discuss problems, issues with rulers and that shows restore of democracy. The road networks are being expanded, schools are being building, schools are being upgraded, more expenditure on education sector, health sector etc. So development under President Mahinda Rajapaksa's govt is visible to people.
The JVP member of Provincial Council Wasantha Samarasinghe responding to him said that he was wondering where such a country exist? If govt says people's issues and problems are solved through discussions, then why fishermen who protested in Chilaw die by gunshots; if govt solve matters through discussions, why labourers are being shot dead for protesting EPF ETF fraud. After a laborer was killed, the chief of police who ordered to shoot the laborer dead was sent to Brazil as Ambassador. That is how law and order is being maintained in the country. At Rathupaswala protest for clean water the officer who shot at people was once suspended, later he was given back the job.
About current educational policies he said that investment on education has drastically decreased. The expenditure of 2.8% GDP on education in 2006 is dropped now to 1.7% GDP according to Central Bank report in 2013 (see http://www.cbsl.gov.lk/pics_n_docs/10_pub/_docs/statistics/other/econ_&_ss_2013_e.pdf . See also World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/srilanka).
When 300,000 students sit and qualify for University only 20,000 is allowed to enter the university. When students chose boat to migrate to another country, the number of entrants to university increased to 21,000. Those university students, the cream of the society have to strike without studies protesting for free education and protest Govt's budget cut down on education. When national income increases, the expenditure too has to increase. But in reality the opposite happens.
Same applies to other sectors including healthcare and agriculture. Sri Lanka has free medical care, but no patient leaves dispensary or hospital without a prescription to buy drugs from pharmacy outside paying a lot of money.
The tax payers money has been utilized not to upheld public services but to upheld President's family. For example, the luxury vehicle bought for presidents son cost Rs 520m (US$ 4m) duty free. Same goes to luxury lives of ministers and their families. Duty free or tax free means a loss of income to the nation. Taxes are there to cover up expenses to maintain free services rendered to people. The loss of taxes to maintain few families means people have to pay taxes in high prices for commodities, drugs, school fees, fertilizer. The expenditure of the govt has grown more than the income. They say country is developing but the truth is one family (President Rajapaksa's family) is developing and people are watching...
