A group of Opposition political parties have called for a unified national response to the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah, stating that failures in preparedness and response had worsened the disaster’s impact.
The remarks came during a meeting convened by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the United National Party (UNP) headquarters on Flower Road.
Participants criticized the government, calling it inexperienced and alleging that key provisions of the Disaster Management Act were not implemented on November 27 despite prior training.
They said the decision to declare a holiday on November 28 hindered emergency services and accused authorities of politicizing relief distribution and bypassing established institutions by creating a parallel relief fund.
Several leaders said the government had neither a clear disaster strategy nor a published plan for rehabilitation.
To address the lapses, the group proposed that Parliament immediately appoint an Oversight Committee on Disaster Management and Reconstruction, with equal representation from both government and opposition and chaired by an experienced MP.
They also suggested a separate Select Committee, to be led by an opposition member, to investigate failures on November 28 and report within six months.
Party leaders stressed that District Secretaries should guide local recovery work and report directly to the Disaster Management Centre, free from political interference.
They added that the current Budget was not relevant to immediate needs and said a Vote on Account should carry the government through until a new budget is presented in January 2026 once damage assessments are complete.
They also warned that foreign grants for reconstruction were unlikely in the near term due to global economic pressures.
Party leaders urged the government to seek long-term concessional financing from institutions including the ADB, AIIB, JBIC and KOICA, and recommended requesting India’s support for railway repairs.
They further called for reactivating the national climate change policy with a renewed focus on landslide risks.
Citing a recent Supreme Court judgment, they noted that government negligence amounted to a constitutional tort and breach of public trust.
They said restoring economic stability would require increasing state revenue above 15 percent of GDP and achieving medium-term annual growth of at least 6 percent.
The group also endorsed convening a national assembly of religious leaders, political representatives and prominent public figures to guide long-term rebuilding, initially chaired by the four Mahanayake Theras.
They proposed former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and a government-appointed representative as co-convenors.
Some leaders reiterated concerns that state authority was being exercised outside constitutional structures, alleging that the Pelawatte office of the ruling Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) had become a decision-making hub during the crisis.
They insisted that power must return to Parliament as mandated by the Constitution.
UNP Chairman Wajira Abeywardena said representatives from more than 35 registered political parties attended.
The session opened with several minutes of silence for Sri Lankans who died in the cyclone.
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