SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa yesterday (3 December) levelled strong accusations against the Government, alleging serious failures in managing the crisis caused by Cyclone Ditwah.
Speaking in Parliament, Rajapaksa claimed the Government was attempting to shift responsibility for the disaster onto public officials instead of accepting accountability for its own shortcomings. He called for a transparent investigation into lapses in the response.
“We need a Parliamentary Select Committee for this — not a committee formed just to cover things up, but one that can honestly investigate where things went wrong,” he said.
Rajapaksa stressed the importance of studying how the administration under former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had prepared for similar extreme-weather warnings, arguing that valuable lessons could have been applied.
He also questioned the validity of the Government’s budget in the context of a national crisis of this scale.
“Last year, only 20 to 30 per cent of your budget proposals were implemented. If this Government could not deliver at least 50 per cent of last year’s proposals, how can it face a disaster of this magnitude with this year’s budget?” he asked.
The MP emphasised the urgent need to provide relief for flood- and landslide-affected communities, as well as for businesses struggling under what he described as an “unlimited tax burden.” He warned that many people would face immense difficulties rebuilding their lives unless the Government addressed the economic strain compounded by the disaster.
Rajapaksa accused the Government’s disaster-management mechanism of collapsing during the crisis.
“State institutions and ministries are issuing contradictory messages. There is no unified plan,” he said.
He further criticised the administration for being unprepared even to coordinate the international organisations and countries arriving to assist Sri Lanka after the disaster.
Rajapaksa reiterated that the Government must take responsibility for its failures:
“This Government is trying to push the blame onto officials. The Government itself must also answer. That is why I urge the Speaker to appoint a proper Parliamentary Select Committee — one that can honestly examine where the system failed.”
He also urged the Government to brief the IMF on the current situation, warning that if the existing tax framework remains unchanged, people already affected by floods and landslides would face severe hardship rebuilding their livelihoods.
“The messages are not being communicated properly. Institutions are contradicting each other. At the very least, once a disaster happens, the system must be ready to guide affected people and assisting organisations. Even today, the Government machinery is not fully prepared,” he added.
