Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Harsha de Silva has rejected reports circulating in the media that he is preparing to cross over to the government, while saying he was pleased the government would want someone like him.
“There is rumour that I am to cross over to the government. This is far from being the truth,” de Silva said in a special statement. “However I am happy that the government has wanted people such as myself.”
The MP, who chairs Parliament’s Committee on Public Finance, framed his position as a matter of method rather than allegiance.
“The politics I follow is different. I don’t hesitate to praise good things and to oppose bad ones,” he said. “As the Chairman of Committee on Public Finance (COPF) I always try to maintain its dignity. I am aware that there are some who do not like the way I work.”
Where the speculation came from
The reports followed de Silva appearing alongside Health Minister Nalinda Jayatissa at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Suwa Seriya ambulance service, an event attended by figures from both government and opposition.
De Silva’s role as COPF chairman places him in regular working contact with government ministers and Treasury officials on fiscal matters, a position that has repeatedly drawn him into cooperation with the administration on technical questions while his party remains in opposition.
The Samagi Jana Balawegaya is the principal opposition party in the current Parliament, led by Sajith Premadasa.
