Ceylon Today Editorial

Avant Garde throws UNP into confusion

Monday 09th November 2015

 
Today President Maithripala Sirisena and Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe will have one-on-one talks over the controversial Avant Garde Armoury deal under probe. These talks are crucial as it would decide the fate of ministerial portfolios of Ministers Tilak Marapana, Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and Vajira Abeywardena. The recent statements by Ministers Marapana and Rajapakshe supportive of Avant Garde created uproar in Parliament and political circles. The Government has received information about the support extended to Avant Garde by Minister Abeywardena behind the curtain. All three are UNP Ministers embroiled in the controversy. Avant Garde was the main slogan of the UNP Opposition during past elections to secure victory.

Health Minister, Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, disclosed to the media that Tilak Marapana had been made the Minister for Law and Order by the Prime Minister on the pledge that Marapana would not interfere in the Maritime Avant Garde case. However, Marapana had breached trust by making a statement in Parliament supportive of Avant Garde. Minister Rajapakshe disclosed the manner how he influenced the President and Prime Minister to prevent the arrest of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa stating there was no substantive evidence to arrest Gotabaya. Minister Abeywardena is reported to have taken Avant Garde Chief Nissanka Senadhipathy to meet the President on 10 January and had not introduced Senadhipathy by name to the President who was busy greeting well-wishers after his victory of 8 January.

Ministers Marapana, Rajapakshe and Abeywardena are covered by collective responsibility of the Cabinet. It is alleged that Marapana and Rajapakshe made those comments without the approval of the Cabinet. All Cabinet Ministers, by tradition, are required to discuss sensitive national issues at Cabinet to seek approval to make statements in Parliament and public. Other Cabinet Ministers have complained that the duo made those utterances without Cabinet approval. If that position is endorsed by the President and Prime Minister, the two ministers stand guilty of violating collective Cabinet responsibility. In such situations, the President is empowered to sack the two ministers. When former Industries Minister Cyril Mathew violated collective Cabinet responsibility by making adverse statements in Parliament on the ethnic issue, President J.R. Jayewardene sacked him from the Cabinet.

The UNP after languishing in the Opposition for 17 years managed to form a Government mainly due to the deep rift between Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena in the SLFP. Ranil quite correctly backed Maithri to make the latter the presidential candidate and offered his support to make him the President. The UNP managed to win the August General Elections as the rift between Mahinda and Maithri further deepened. The UNP voters have pinned hopes on Ranil and not on his ministers. Marapana is not an elected Member of Parliament. He has no vote base being a National List MP. The conduct of Marapana, Rajapakshe and Abeywardena has certainly embarrassed the UNP Leader and senior stalwarts in the party. Avant Garde is a money making business in millions of rupees. When ministers interfere and support such 'corrupt deals', the obvious belief is that they had succumbed to bribery. In the case of Marapana, he is the instructing Counsel for Avant Garde Chief Senadhipathy. Hence it is not ethical for Marapana to make statements supportive of Avant Garde.

The UNP accused the Rajapaksa regime of being corrupt. Therefore, Ranil is bound to keep his party and Government clean. The views expressed before Ranil at last Friday's UNP Group meet stunned Ranil. When ministers conduct themselves in this anti-social manner they should be sacked from Cabinet, Parliament and the Political Party they represent. Trimming Cabinet portfolios is not the remedy or answer to the crisis. Both Maithri and Ranil pledged Good Governance. Corrupt ministers cannot be given space again to continue under a Government of Good Governance. Other UNP ministers have urged Ranil to conduct a fresh probe into the Avant Garde controversy to clear all doubts and punish those guilty. Justice Minister Rajapakshe's statement that he prevented the arrest of Gotabaya is nothing but a direct interference in the matters concerning the judiciary. If the minister had truly committed that act, the people cannot place faith in such a minister and the judicial process in the country though Independent Commissions have been set up under Good Governance. The Nation awaits a just and fair decision today with regard to the future of these three ministers in the Cabinet. The Government cannot erode public trust.

Daily Mirror Editorial

Let Sobitha Hamuduruwo’s vision prevail

Monday 09th November 2015

 

In Sri Lanka’s modern history we believe it would be just and right to say that seldom or never before has any religious prelate done so much for so many. We carry this in our banner as we join a grateful country in saying a heartfelt thank you, hail and farewell, to the Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Nayaka Thera who passed away at a Singapore hospital early yesterday.

Soon after the death was announced Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe rushed to the Kotte Nagavihara to work out the funeral arrangements.

The prelate who played a pioneering and pivotal role in the people’s silent revolution of January 8 will be given unprecedented State honours. The body will lie in state at the Naga Vihara till it is taken to the Parliament grounds for cremation on Thursday-which has been declared as a day of national mourning.

The last two years of Sobitha Hamuduruwo’s life were the most noteworthy. What he did and spoke with courage and wisdom would be remembered and hopefully followed for generations. The Seventy-three-year old Sobitha Hamuduruwo emerged to play his highest and noblest role as the founder leader of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ).

Early last year when the visionary prelate saw Sri Lanka being dragged towards autocracy, he came to the centre stage. He believed that for his beloved Sri Lanka’s people, what hurt more was not the sword of the enemy, but the silence of the friends. The NMSJ spoke out strongly in the mainstream of politics though many religious leaders feel that politics and religion should not be mixed.

But Sobitha Hamuduruwo in his vision and mission for liberative spirituality believed that religious leaders—while not getting involved in party politics-have a responsibility and moral duty to get involved in politics because “Deshapalanaya” needs to be for the common good of all the people, especially the impoverished or marginalised and not for the rich and ruling elite, to get richer and more powerful. Unfortunately the English word ‘politics’ has often been wrongly interpreted and has bad connotations. Thus many religious leaders say they do not wish to get involved. But the Sinhala word, ‘Deshapalanaya’ gives the correct meaning—how the State should be justly governed for the common good of all.

Sobitha Hamuduruwo a committed follower of the noble Eight-fold Path preached by Gautama the Buddha was not just a promise-giver as are so many politicians and other leaders, but a promise keeper. Like his Master he practised what he preached and preached what he practised. As he often said he had no personal animosity or grudges against leaders but he challenged them on issues of principles especially when they involved important matters relating to the common good of the people. On this foundation of rock he built the common front for the battle against the former regime’s dictatorial policies which had led to a breakdown of the Rule of Law. On the foundation of rock Sobitha Hamuduruwo even offered to be the common candidate of the Joint Opposition for the Presidential election this year but only if another credible common candidate could not be found.

Dramatic, behind the scene political moves took place last late last year, before the November 20 proclamation was issued for an early Presidential election on January 8.

Sobitha Hamuduruwo joined the then Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in opening an unexpected door for Maithripala Sirisena to come out.  The rest is history.

Sobitha Hamuduruwo lived and died for good governance, democracy and social justice for accountability and transparency, for honesty and integrity, for the independence of the judiciary, the police and other vital issues.  Among other practical steps, he repeatedly called for the abolition of the Executive Presidential system or a significant dilution of its powers. He also insisted that the long delayed Right to Information Bill be implemented soon.

President Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and the National Unity Government must on Thursday need to go beyond a day of national mourning. They need to give a solemn and unbreakable pledge to the people that Sobitha Hamuduruwo did not die in vain.