The Island Editorial

Moment of truth for JVP

05 September 2016

 

The ruling pigs—in the Orwellian sense—under any government are more equal than other animals in kapati suit in this country. They enjoy legal impunity.

The present administration consists of self-proclaimed messiahs who secured a popular mandate to savour power again by promising to eliminate bribery and corruption and restore the rule of law and democracy among other things. But, the special police units and the obnoxiously politicised CID are not called in to probe the corrupt deals of the government grandees close to the powers that be. Instead, committees of pro-government elements are appointed to investigate allegations against them. Committees for government crooks and Gestapo for their Opposition counterparts!

When the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), under the chairmanship of JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti, undertook to probe the bond scams involving the then Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran it was thought that the watch dog committee would get to the bottom of it. But, sadly, the government is making a despicable attempt to muddy the water and frighten the officials who have the courage to reveal the truth into submission. We are informed that it has decided to prevent the independent Central Bank officials from being summoned before the COPE again to clear the air vis-à-vis attempts at obfuscation; only the newly appointed incumbent CB Governor, who is not quite au fait with how the bond heist, as it were, was carried out, will be summoned hereafter, we are told. This is tantamount to the suppression of evidence!

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya is reported to have said he would open COPE proceedings to the media. If that pledge is honoured the press should be able to hear not only the CB Governor’s version of the bond scam at issue but also the testimonies of other officials who have said and are willing to say again what the government does not want to hear. Besides, the onus is on the Speaker to ensure that the officials who testify before the COPE are not insulted by its members. When the then Chief Justice Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake had to suffer indignities at the hands of some arrogant UPFA members of the Parliamentary Select Committee which prepared the grounds for her ‘impeachment’ the UNP raised hell—and rightly so. Regrettably, those who pretended to be great democrats at that time are resorting to the same despicable strong arm tactics today to cover up a mega racket.

As for the bond scams the COPE is only scratching the surface of the problem. There is evidence that many questionable bond deals have been carried out since this government came to power promising good governance last year. Strangely, the Joint Opposition (JO) does not flog this issue the way it should. It is running around like a headless chicken instead of educating the public on the corrupt practices of the present government. It has also failed to remain argus-eyed to prevent Bills inimical to the national interest being brought in and call for judicial review thereof. JO members are only adept at staging what may be described as kindergarten protests in the well of Parliament and dog and pony shows elsewhere.

It is popularly believed that one can cleanse oneself of all the sins committed throughout one’s life by worshiping at the Kelaniya temple once. Similarly, the Rathu Sahodarayas will be able to absolve themselves of all their political sins, which have been dogging them for decades, if they defy political pressure from the highest echelons of government in probing the bond scams.

A rare opportunity has presented itself for the JVP to shore up its crumbling image and regain lost ground. It must ensure that the racketeers who caused a loss of billions of rupees to the state coffers through bond rackets won’t go scot free. Will it take the tide at the flood or let its political voyage be bound in shallows and miseries?