Harsha wishes more JVPers in legislature

The former Deputy Minister of Policy Planning who returned to the Parliament as a ruling party member, said he wished more Janatha Vimukthi Party (JVP) members were elected to the legislature to act as watchdogs. 

“I really wished that there were more JVP members elected because ideally they would sit in the oversight committees and make sure that the government functions the way they are supposed to,” Dr. Harsha de Silva  said at a recent forum.  

The three JVP members in the last Parliament played the role of an effective watch-dog by braving to voice malpractices and bringing the acts of bribery and corruption to the spotlight.

They even had representation in the national Executive Council established under the 100-day program to oversee and implementation of crucial constitutional reforms and bring those accused of fraud, mismanagement and corruption to justice swiftly.  

However, to the surprise of many, during the recently concluded general election, the JVP won just 6 parliamentary seats, which included two national list nominees, significantly below the expectations as they were predicted to win at least 15 seats in the new Parliament. 

Dr. de Silva said the national government would establish oversight committees in a more rigorous manner rather than sharing ministerial portfolios and engaging in petty politics.

“We are not here just for retail politics. We will share our responsibilities in the national government, not just ministries but also other oversight committees,” he stressed.