Cabinet meeting in heated situation because of proposal by Mangala to bring in homosexuality ... to win hearts of Europeans

Cabinet meeting in heated situation because of proposal by Mangala to bring in homosexuality ... to win hearts of Europeans

Some days back reports were published that the GSP Plus facility was granted by the European Commission for exports of Sri Lanka. However, when granting this concession it was revealed at the cabinet meeting yesterday that some conditions in line with the Human Rights activity had been included in it.

It was Minister Mangala Samaraweera who has forwarded matters at the cabinet meeting that

approval should be in favour of 6-(1) and 6-(8) as denoted in that Action Plan saying that 'Homosexuality'  is one of those conditions which is by now legalised in some countries in Europe and that it be sustained in Sri Lanka too.

This proposal has resulted in the cabinet meeting taking a heated environment and a number of Ministers as well as the President have expressed their dissent in this connection. According to the Vagrant's Act of 1842, homosexuality has been interpreted as an abnormal form of behaviour in Sri Lanka. It has strongly been emphasised that amending that 175 years old statement and thus giving homosexual behaviour a fresh outlook by accepting that there is no dispute that it being legalised even with the motive of winning the favour of the European Commission cannot be sanctioned and the President has stated that that proposal be eliminated and the Action Plan       be forwarded once more.

Though State Minister of Finance Mr. Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena did not speak about this argy-bargy at the Finance Ministry auditorium explaining matters, what he said was that Sri Lanka managed to claim that tax concession not by bowing down to harmful conditions affecting Sri Lanka but based on democratic qualities prevalent in the country. "We are sensitive to matters influencing the society and matters that give rise to a social dialogue. As such, it is not possible to accede to matters which are harmful to the country and to which the state is not in a position to agree with. With regard to that we would be explaining matters to the European Commission", the Minister further said.