Ceylon Today Editorial

NEW YEAR WISHES AND PIPE DREAMS

01 January 2017

As this paper has foretold in advance, the Chinese factor breaks through as a decisive force in the fluctuating fortunes and misfortunes of the government as well as of the Joint Opposition. This motley collection of so-called politicians, have been drawn together by two common factors: Hatred for Maithripala Sirisena and hatred for Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Naturally, in their minds, it's always been an imperative that this government must be ousted and the sooner the better. There's no doubt about it that investigations into serious frauds and killings under the previous government are being from day one impeded by persons within the investigative bodies and perhaps also in the Judiciary with the sole intention of preventing any successful prosecutions. The President came down hard on these forces in disgust just a month ago with biting criticisms that led to the resignation of the CIABOC chief Dilrukshi Wickramasinghe. That resignation has not changed the pace of the process that could hopefully lead to prosecutions. In other words, the moles of the Rajapaksa era remain ensconced in the system, working from within to ensure that allegations are not proved.

It's therefore an angered and deeply frustrated President who's left to unravel a massive tangle of political perfidy operating right under his nose. The CB Bond Scam which casts government's partner – the UNP – in bad light, is spoken of in hushed tones behind the scenes as being used as a trade-off to indefinitely drag out all cases against members of the previous government in exchange for its silence on the Bond scam.

It is this that has angered hitherto pro-Sirisena SLFP ministers and MPs in the government to the extent that they have been bringing heavy pressure to bear on the President to 'Get things going' on prosecuting the culprits in the former Rajapaksa regime...many of whom are leading lights in the JO. It would appear that in a bid to push this vital issue into the background, the government and the JO/SLPP have conspired to rather blow out of all proportion the Draft Bill on Power Ministers and Draft Constitutional proposals, when there is absolutely no sense in raising this hue and cry about them, because any idiot knows that they will either never get through the House or will do so only...if only...the latter at least passes a referendum. The Draft Ministries Bill to my mind is all a load of hogwash not worthy of debate in a school debating society. A more appropriate title for that Bill would have been 'A Red Herring to cover up the Draft Constitution and Delimitation Issues.'

The UNP has some stupid people but none so stupid, as to not know that a super powered minister who would dwarf the powers of the President is completely out of the equation. I think it was Rajitha Senaratne who defined it well saying Meka Vihuluwak. Added fuel came by way of G.L. Peiris announcing that MR would lead the group, presumably meaning the JO cum SLPP, at the coming LG elections, while on the other hand the Prime Minister on 5 January will go public with his perceptions on where the government stands in the midst of all these developments. To sustain the tempo the story was leaked that ten SLFPers were to quit the government and interestingly neither the UNP, SLFP nor JO have said anything about whether their recent membership drives were fruitful or not.That could suggest that the status quo as far as the government is concerned is about the same as it was back on 8 January 2015 and August of that year too.

JO keeps making noises in an effort to make the people feel disgruntled but its ho-ha about the new Constitution simply won't hold any water, because the most imbecilic man in the village will know that it must get through a referendum. Besides which, all parties represented in Parliament have subscribed their proposals for inclusion and the final document will very likely embody all of these proposals. Even TNA leader R. Sampanthan is on record as having acknowledged the fact that the referendum is mandatory. So what's the big JO fuss about it all? Rajitha Senaratne and UPFA General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera have said that the JO hopes of the government falling...and soon at that! ...is just a pipe dream.

But lots of money, from China or elsewhere is dumped into the JO campaign talks. That money can at least get a lot of noise such as the hoarse yelling at Pada Yatras, Harbour and other strikes, bus strikes, GMOA walk-outs etc. But will it buy Tamil and Muslim votes for that wafer thin majority that's the vital factor?