The Island Editorial

MPs with guns

Thursday 05th November 2015

 

Only two ministers, Sajith Premadasa and Rajitha Senaratne, have had the courage to oppose the practice of arming MPs. Some of their ministerial colleagues have no qualms about obtaining firearms while pontificating on the virtues of nonviolence and claiming that ‘dhammo haave rakkathi dhammachari’ (one who lives according to dhamma is protected by dhamma).

Some MPs have recently been given weapons training at the Katukurunda STF base, we are told. This, we believe, is an exercise in futility. Is there any need for grandmas (or grandpas) to be taught to suck eggs? Most of our lawgivers and other politicians are capable of giving even the elite police commandos some lessons on weapons handling!

Former Tangalle PS Chairman Sampath Vidanapathirana, who was sentenced to prison for murdering a British tourist and harming the latter’s girlfriend, had been carrying an assault rifle as his personal weapon! His bodyguards were also armed to the teeth. When Hambantota Mayor (UPFA) Eraj Fernando, brandishing a small firearm pursued a group of MPs of the then Opposition in April 2014 the previous government claimed he had been carrying a toy pistol! Yes, firearms were like toys for the violent UPFA politicians, some of whom have sadly shifted their allegiance to the present government.

Minister Senaratne has said only the MPs from the northern and eastern parts of the country should be given firearms in view of threats to their lives. They, too, don’t need weapons. They have been campaigning for the withdrawal of security forces from the former war zone and the dismantlement of high security zones. They can’t be having any security concerns. So, it defies comprehension why they should be issued with firearms to protect themselves.

All the MPs are protected by armed policemen and if they can look after their own security they must be stripped of police protection forthwith. They can’t have it both ways. If they are stripped of both their security and personal weapons and made to live like the ordinary citizens troubled by criminals, they will feel the need to neutralise the underworld and ensure public safety.

Incurable diaria

Members of the Central Provincial Council have kicked up a row over a government decision to stop issuing free diaries for 2016. They made a song and dance about the issue at the last council meeting, claiming their rights had been violated, as we reported yesterday.

Public sector employees and people’s representatives in this country are said to be afflicted with some chronic, incurable diseases. They are rathagaaya (irresistible desire to misuse state-owned vehicles), telephomania (excessive use of official telephones), leavekaemia (absenteeism) and diaria (asking for diaries). Any strategy to render the state service efficient and cost effective has to consist in finding cures for the aforesaid ailments which unfortunately are contagious.

Successive governments have made the mistake of printing loads and loads of diaries, calendars and greeting cards for politicians and top bureaucrats. This practice amounts to a criminal waste of public funds which, if saved, can be put to a better use like providing stationery to the needy schoolchildren.

All state sector employees have mobile phones which have rendered diaries and calendars and even wristwatches and clocks redundant. Even those Sri Lankans who keep their parents in kennels and chicken coops and abandon their children nestle mobile phones in their arms. Provincial Councillors, parliamentarians and local government members have been provided with official mobile phones and they can store data in those devices instead of diaries.

If politicians want to give away diaries and calendars to impress their backers they had better spend own funds for that purpose. After all, they print millions of posters, booklets etc during elections besides truckloads of dry rations and the like distributed among the poor in return for votes, don’t they? So, the taxpayers’ money should not be wasted on diaries especially at a time when the country is in dire financial straits.