The Opposition Must Not Mislead the Public to Protect the Old Culture of Corrupted Politics
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya emphasised in Parliament that the Government has taken steps to amend the Anti-Corruption Act not to weaken its objectives, but to further strengthen the anti-corruption process by addressing practical, institutional and human resource challenges identified during its implementation.
The Prime Minister made these remarks during the parliamentary debate on the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill held on 8 October.
The Prime Minister pointed out that although discussions on anti-corruption laws and institutions had been ongoing since 1994, those institutions had existed largely in name only, without the necessary human resources, financial allocations, resources and infrastructure required for their effective functioning.
She further noted that although the new Anti-Corruption Act was introduced in 2023, the practical challenges associated with its implementation became apparent only after it began to be actively enforced in 2025.
Accordingly, the current amendments have been proposed to facilitate the recruitment of the required human resources, rectify inconsistencies between the Sinhala and English versions of the Act, and resolve practical difficulties encountered in its implementation.
She also noted that discussions had taken place regarding the need to consider the privacy of public officials and all other parties connected with the State in relation to asset and liability declarations made under the Anti-Corruption Act. However, neither the original Act nor the current amendments had, at any point, exempted elected representatives from these obligations.
“The Opposition’s statements clearly reveal its agitation and discomfort regarding the establishment of an anti-corruption culture in the country and its effective implementation,” the Prime Minister stated.
Recalling that one of the key demands of the people’s struggle was not merely to punish those who had misappropriated public funds, but also to recover those funds for the State, the Prime Minister stated that the current amendments also seek to strengthen mechanisms for achieving this objective.
She pointed out that, in addition to ensuring that individuals involved in corruption are brought to justice, another objective of the amendments is to strengthen the mechanisms necessary to recover losses incurred by the State.
“This is not an attempt to weaken the anti-corruption process. It is an effort to resolve the practical, institutional and human resource challenges that arise in its implementation. We have nothing to gain by abandoning the fight against corruption. If we were to abandon it, that would be our defeat,” the Prime Minister emphasised.
The Prime Minister further stated that it was deeply regrettable that, in a country where a significant protest of people had taken place against corruption, the Opposition was attempting to mislead the public by presenting false arguments. She noted that such actions only served to demonstrate that the Opposition was once again attempting to protect a corrupt political culture.
Prime Minister’s Media Division