United National Party (UNP) General Secretary Thalatha Atukorale has accused the government’s Cabinet of failing to uphold collective responsibility, citing contradictory responses by Prime Minister Harini and Minister Wasanta Samarasinghe in Parliament regarding the SupremeSAT-1 satellite project.
Speaking at a media briefing at the UNP political office on Flower Road, Colombo, Atukorale said Article 43(2) of the Constitution clearly states that the Cabinet of Ministers is collectively responsible and accountable to Parliament. She alleged that this constitutional requirement has now been undermined by a member of the Cabinet itself.
“At one point, the President came to Parliament and spoke about conspiracies, even hinting at introducing laws to suppress them. The people of this country do not need to be reminded again of his conduct in the past,” Thalatha Atukorale said.
She pointed out that the Prime Minister, responding to a question about the SupremeSAT rocket in Parliament, stated that the matter fell under the Board of Investment (BOI), which operates under the Finance Ministry, and that the ministry’s secretary should prepare the response. “If there was an issue, it should have been discussed at the Cabinet level and a clear answer provided,” she noted.
SupremeSAT (Pvt) Ltd. has issued a statement saying the launch was entirely a private investment and that no state resources were used.
Thalatha Atukorale further highlighted that after the Prime Minister’s response, Minister Vasanta Samarasinghe gave a contradictory answer on the same matter. “What is the meaning of this inconsistency within the Cabinet? The Prime Minister says one thing, the Minister says another. Was this conflicting answer deliberately prepared to place the Prime Minister in difficulty? If so, is this the very conspiracy the President was talking about?” she questioned.
