Ceylon Today Editorial

Sri Lanka – The Broad Picture

15 January 2017

The Joint Opposition could be forgiven for not knowing whether, along with Humpty-Dumpty, they are on the wall, clinging to it for dear life – or trying to clamber up its surface back to the top. The slither on both sides of the wall is caused by the US and India et al kicking up waves on the one side, with China, Russia etc following suit on the east side of the wall. Survival for the government and the Joint Opposition comes as a 'Hobson's Choice' because both are equally committed to the forces which sustain them, local and foreign.

The exception to this is that pro-democracy civil society organizations, which had the privilege of being led by the late Ven. Sobhitha Thera, have of late shown a rare depth of understanding and accommodation and show signs of perhaps putting its weight once again behind the government despite its reservations which were born out of what they perceived were signs of President Sirisena and Premier Wickremesinghe dawdling around with the pledges of Yahapalanaya instead of getting on with the work of bringing to book the swindlers of the nation's wealth and destroyers of the nation's ...and media's – democratic rights including the basic and holy right to life and freedom of peaceful, bona fide association for a just cause. The phrase 'just cause' is used here in the context of sincerity of purpose in an attempt to right a wrong that has deliberately and with mala fide intent been imposed on the people. Protest cannot be deemed to be just when it is against a measure implemented by the government for what is transparently meant to be for the good of the people and the country as a whole in an effort to turn the country around and away from the precipice of geopolitical oblivion, and global disgrace to a stature of honour in the comity of nations.

Not when it's intended to put the nation as a whole back on track towards economic emancipation. Not, we must emphasize here, for the vainglorious extension and sustenance of those lusting for dictatorial power that had a kept Judiciary, and law enforcement forces. Not for a despotically controlled oligarchy that had a kept media in addition to a brow-beaten one that was crushed into servility by the murder of its practitioners such as Lasantha Wickrematunge. Not when dissent is stoked against a regime that has restored all of these values and is gradually, in the face of destabilization attempts, creating an ambiance in which marginalized people can have a shot at a better quality of life as a people free of rampant crime under State impunity which in itself was no different – as a weapon of social tyranny – as that of Velupillai Prabhakaran and the equally subtle tyranny of a TNA that's exploiting for extremist ends any understanding it had with the UNP and pro-Sirisena SLFP to help vote them into power. The TNA sadly lacks the understanding one sees manifested in the patient and mature approaches of the civil society groups which helped vote the government into power. The TNA' stances will only serve as grist for the Opposition mill.

If there is one singular factor that can derail attempts at introducing a new Constitution under which all races can live as equal citizens without privileged regional homeland rights which detract from the spirit of social equity, that factor is the TNA, or at least, the TNA's political sham in claiming to desire reconciliation while in the same breath demanding a geophysical ambiance in which the North and East can in time be subtly translated into an effectively exclusive Tamil-Muslim region. And that approximates the Eelam dream that apparently was not interred wherever Prabhakaran's remains were. It's amazing that a man of Wigneswaran's stature must lend his once honoured objectivity and sense of justice at the Supreme Court to a terrorist objective couched in secular political words and phrases: Most disappointing, to say the least, when a giant falls off his pedestal.

Perhaps for the first time in the annals of diplomacy in this country, the Chinese envoy in Colombo, for obviously parochial reasons, paid an otherwise innocuous looking visit to Mahinda Rajapaksa after JO MPs led a mob in an effort to apparently disrupt the ceremony at which the Chinese Investment project at Mirijjawila was launched.

Rajapaksa was nowhere in the South when the mob invasion took place in an obvious bid to provoke government into a reaction that could be politically exploited among those susceptible to the subculture of mob violence that can be brought about by politicians adept at the art of de-individuation, making mobs obedient to a call to social violence. These are the emerging factors on today's canvass of Lanka's socio-political scenario.

Weekend Nation Editorial

Conspiracy against renewable energy

15 January 2017

The story of a severe drought in the year is much in news these days. Ours is a country too dependent on hydropower and the next immediate possible problem is a shortage of electricity. Some of the coal power projects that had been planned had to be shelved in the face of mounting opposition from environmentalists and other interested groups. These are practical problems that any country will face, but then, what is the solution to our energy problem?

In case the drought continues and the weather gods are not in our favour, food shortages will be the first thing to hit us followed by the energy shortage. Where the power issue is concerned we have been talking too long about inadvisability of continuing to depend on hydropower and the need for going into other sources of energy.

Many researchers have, with scientific data and statistics pointed out clearly and well in time, the country’s future requirements of energy as the economy grows and how to meet that. All calculations on the right mix of various energy sources such as hydro, thermal, coal and renewable energy had been done several years ago, but the question remains whether proper attention has been given to these suggestions and proposals.

Hydro electricity is weather-dependent while both thermal and coal power are expensive and also not environmental-friendly. And in this situation, the virtues of renewable energy are many and especially in a country where sunshine and wind are abundant, it is one of the most viable forms of energy. However, why no concerted effort has been made to use renewable energy, more specifically solar power despite sunshine throughout the year, is a question that begs an answer.

Even in countries like the US there have been arguments to say that there is a national conspiracy to prevent renewable energy from becoming the primary source of energy. In the US the conspirators are said to be the fossil fuel industry which continues to rake in exorbitant profits on oil and gas while it refuses to make any significant investment in renewable energy.

Mainstream news media too has been accused of being subservient to the corporate interests and abstaining from doing any serious coverage on the viability of renewable energy. The members of the Congress have been accused of being addicted to the big buck they receive from big oil and other traditional oil sources to make any worthwhile renewable energy legislation for the good of the country.

According to the US Department of energy, the amount of solar energy that hits the surface of the earth every hour is greater than the total amount of energy that the entire human population requires in a year. While the facts remain so, if we know that it works why don’t we use renewable energy in place of heavily polluting oil, gas or coal?

The primary reason is that the cost of renewable energy is still relatively high compared to fossil fuels although the gap is closing as the cost of natural gas and oil continue to rise. The price to install photovoltaic panels on the average home is quite high and affordable only for those who are well off.

But the common experience is when some product is mass-produced its price per unit should plummet. The one million dollar question is why solar power and wind power products are not promoted in a serious manner with appropriate duty concessions and mass produced.

With diesel mafia and connected interest groups being powerful in the energy sector the situation in Sri Lanka cannot be much different from the US and it’s time for us to have a fresh look at this energy issue and formulate a stronger national policy on renewable energy and promote specifically solar and wind power. With impending drought and energy issues at the door step there cannot be a better time to do so.

Sunday Times Editorial

Sirisena, Yes or No

15 January 2017

‘Muddling through’ is a phrase familiar to Constitutional studies pundits. It is mostly associated with the unwritten Constitution of the United Kingdom and how for years, the British political system has generally conducted its business by ‘muddling through’.

In more recent times, the phrase has been used to describe the UK’s muddling through on the road to devolution, particularly in respect of autonomy for Scotland. The once unitary state of the UK began devolving power for fear of separation and Independence by nationalist forces in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They even established a ‘Parliament’ in Scotland, began devolving more and more power from London’s Westminster Parliament, and now, Scotland is just one Referendum away from Independence anyway.

In a Sri Lankan context, the ‘muddling through’ seems inherent in our political culture as well, despite having a written Constitution. With 19 Amendments to the 1978Constitution, this fact hits one starkly, nowadays even more with one section of the Government of National Unity trying to run with the ball but being tackled by their own team-mates, while their opponents are trying to trip both of them on their way to the goal-line. It is rather bizarre.

Last week’s exclusive story in this newspaper was the epitome of this ‘muddling through’. The news story said that the President’s party, or at least a group in it headed by the influential General Secretary has formally proposed – to the President himself, that the Executive Presidency which they so virulently and vehemently opposed and swore to abolish, be continued. If that took the cake, it was also topped with icing. They wanted this President, who not only promised to abolish the Executive Presidency if elected, but even once ensconced in office swore at the bier of the late Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera (who led the then Opposition campaign which became the platform for the ouster of then President Mahinda Rajapaksa) that he would abolish the Executive Presidency – to be the candidate for the next Presidential election.

The story was confirmed during the week by the SLFP General Secretary. The then humble General Secretary of the SLFP and Health Minister who rode to the highest office in the land on that very platform and solemn pledge does not seem to have dissented, even though he has not consented. There was no protest or a “what nonsense are you talking”. Everyone remained the whole week in animated suspension for a word. To consider that the suggestion was not inspired is unthinkable. The current Executive President who boasts that no other President in the world shed his powers voluntarily as he did through the 19th Amendment, it seems, is slowly, but surely entertaining visions of continuing with the constitutional monarchy the Sri Lankan Executive Presidency has all but become.

If this suggestion becomes rubber-stamped by the SLFP’s Central Committee, how much the move will cut across the UNP’s plans of strengthening Parliament, and consequently giving the Prime Minister more executive powers is fairly obvious. In his New Year message, the President asked that politics be cast aside and the country concentrate on development. That is not the message coming out from his party, though.

The SLFP’s intentions seem crystal clear. From this latest salvo from his party’s closest loyalists, the incumbent President is entertaining ideas of continuing beyond 2020 when his term ends, and that he wishes to be Head of State and Head of Government as he currently is; i.e. to be the jewel and the crown.

No secret deals, please

 

The Chinese dance sequence at what could be called the ‘soft opening’ of the ‘Sri Lanka-China Logistics and Industrial Zone’ in Hambantota was entertaining, but not as much as the local drama that was being enacted on the streets outside the VIP enclosure. Chinese theatre and opera are usually involved with happiness, but it was the violent theatrics by the local mob that grabbed the attention — worldwide.

Some felt the famous Chinese mask dance might have been more appropriate for the occasion. The Chinese ‘annexing’ of the Hambantota harbour and ‘colonising’ 15,000 acres surrounding it have their roots in the very Opposition that was the puppeteer behind the demonstration. If not for the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa bulldosing his way with an economic development plan for Hambantota — and getting sucked into unsolicited high interest projects offered by China, greased with palm oil, the Government of National Unity would not have been saddled with a debt crisis vis-a-vis an unprofitable port, and face its consequences. Having slammed the project in Opposition, they now have to defend it in Government.

The very UNP MPs who were critical of the nearby Mattala airport and were physically assaulted when they went there on an ‘inspection tour’ are now defending the assault on demonstrators outside the Hambantota port last week.

That is why this was not just a Chinese folk dance that was being performed in Sri Lanka’s politics, but a Sri Lankan ‘Kolama’, which is a traditional dance depicting high officials in a social satire. That is why politicians, MPs and Ministers cannot be given the sole privilege to enter into secretive agreements and barter away Sri Lanka’s real estate (read; sovereignty) to foreign Governments masquerading through companies.

If the Rajapaksas signed the loans that could not be repaid, they are the ones who are answerable for this debacle. Now, the present Government is preparing to sign a Concession Agreement where not only the people, but even the President was kept in the dark. This Agreement is to give a foreign company a 99-year lease on the property. It is so patently obvious that the Chinese have a global strategy and Hambantota fits in like a glove with that. They are spending billions of dollars to rule the waves expanding their ports network to secure sea lanes and establish themselves as a maritime power, and did we give Hambantotota for a pittance? How much this can be to the long-term detriment of stability not only in Sri Lanka, but the Indian Ocean are factors we do not even know were taken into consideration amidst the fog of corruption of the previous Government – and this Government.

The people, whose vote these leaders clamour for at every election, are the last to know what deals are going on behind closed doors. No one knows what the exit clauses are, if any. That is why a senior Cabinet minister who has a pulse on the people (though with his own skeletons in the cupboard), recognising the growing frustrations at the shenanigans of the political elite – on both sides, referred this week on a state television chat show to the ‘Kalakanni’ (despicable) politics that is prevalent today in this island-nation, part of which many fear, has been sold for a mess of pottage.

Sunday Observer Editorial

A ‘Birthday gift’

15 January 2017

It seems a veritable birthday gift - and one benefiting all of Sri Lanka! Last week’s decision by the EU Commission to restore the broad ‘GSP+’ trade support scheme to Sri Lanka came on the second anniversary of the National Unity government. The GSP+ will become operational over the next several months.

The EU, being one of our top three trading partners, is vital for this country’s exports, the driver of much of the nation’s emerging prosperity. The restoration of the GSP+, on the one hand, gives the country a profile of political and social stability, and, on the other, hugely boosts an already burgeoning export economy.

The Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) had been in force for decades and is a developing country trade support scheme that enables sweeping duty and procedural exemptions for selected developing countries. Sri Lanka had been enjoying this ‘most favoured nation’ status for decades, until the EU lifted the GSP cover for this country in 2010 in response to falling social rights standards and decline of democratic governance, during the previous regime. President Maithripala Sirisena led the current National Unity government to power two years ago, promising rapid steps towards the recovery of systematic and democratic governance, ending of serious human rights and labour rights violations and, the restoration of inter-ethnic equality and harmony.

The decision by the EU Commission is to restore the ‘GSP+’ - that is, the GSP together with new additional arrangements for beneficiary countries. This is the acknowledgment by the EU, of the significant success of this government in, at least some, of the many crucial areas of national recovery facing this nation after a decade of Rajapaksa rule.

Under the EU’s criteria for GSP selection, a beneficiary country, while deserving support because of its basic underdeveloped status, must also demonstrate, through sustained democratic and rational government, its ability to ensure the fair distribution of the economic benefits deriving from GSP trade. The rapid degradation of democracy under Rajapaksa rule (or, misrule) and the displacing of systematically planned development with lavish, nepotistic and opportunistic schemes under the guise of ‘development’ had alarmed the EU.

During that decade, the EU repeatedly pointed out to Colombo that its policies, or lack of policies, were seeing serious violations of labour rights, basic human rights, media freedom, massive corruption, none of which are conducive to ensuring that the benefits of the GSP will accrue efficiently to all Lankans and to economic development. All these are part of the basic minimum criteria to qualify for continued GSP.

The current government has much more to do in the restoration of good governance, such as strengthening of government institutions, justice for victims of war and political violence, a long term settlement of the ethnic problem. But, numerous steps have been taken in many of these areas during the past two years, with growing positive trends, such as, the lack of serious political violence or intimidation, freer space for news media, labour unions, and business conditions free of nepotism. It is these successes that have been recognized by the European Union.

The GSP will enormously free up Sri Lanka’s trade with the EU at a time when the other major western market, the USA, is possibly moving towards a more protectionist trade posture under the forthcoming Donald Trump administration.

All of Sri Lanka – including both business and labour - will benefit from both, the expansive trade concessions as well as the careful monitoring by EU agencies, of Sri Lanka’s continued observance of the range of good governance criteria (as described above) that qualifies it for GSP.

Drought dangers

President Maithripala Sirisena’s quick convening of a special task force is a timely response to the emerging drought problem. The failure of the monsoon as well as inter-monsoonal rains has drastically undermined Sri Lanka’s agricultural capacities.

The drought presents two immediate challenges: the welfare of the farming and agro-industry populations on the one hand, and, on the other, supply stability for a whole range of food products.

The government of Tamil Nadu, one of three South Indian states affected by the same rainfall failure, has already declared a ‘drought contingency’ and has asked for special central government aid to help the poor and the farmer population.

It is up to the Government to work closely with the provincial administrations of the drought affected regions to ensure that the most affected social and economic groups are reached in the provision of crisis support. At the same time, the cooperation of the private sector, especially, the food processing and supply businesses, is essential if the population as a whole is to continue to benefit from regular food supplies and stable markets. And, it is up to citizens’ groups, especially, consumer organizations, to monitor such supply systems to ensure compliance with correct trade practices.

Any indications of market manipulators getting away with their fleecing of the public will only serve to remind the public of the days when the ruthless were shielded by the powers-that-be.

The Government must also, at the same time, deploy suitable planning efforts towards envisioning the long term solutions to both, food shortage risk as well as agricultural production in an era of climate change.

Sunday Island Editorial

Weerawansa, sheep and goats

15 January 2017

 

It is not for us to judge whether former Minister Wimal Weerawansa is guilty or not of flagrant abuse of public property, as alleged in charges filed against him by investigatory authorities of the State in ongoing court proceedings. He has been remanded on these charges and will probably be bailed out as the long drawn legal procedure drags on as they always do in this country. The business of determining guilt or otherwise is not the task of the media or of public opinion. That is the job of the courts. But everybody in this country knows all too well that politicians of all hues, from the dawn of Independence up to the present day, have abused public property. This was not a problem that had assumed today’s gigantic proportions in the early post-Independence years when most politicians had a sense of right and wrong and public servants did their jobs without fear or favour. We need hardly labour the fact that this is no longer the case. Abuse of State-owned vehicles, particularly, by politicians as well as officials has grown unbelievably with each administration outdoing its predecessor.

It has been alleged that Weerawansa had caused a loss of Rs. 90 million to the State by hiring and releasing about 40 vehicles to various persons including his close relatives during the tenure of the previous regime. In its editorial yesterday, The Island commented that if the very serious charges preferred against the former minister are proved at a fair trial, deterrent punishment should certainly be imposed. Ninety million rupees is certainly not peanuts and the vast majority of Lankans will not see that kind of money in their lifetimes even though the rupee is no longer what it was and anybody who owns a motorbike is a laxapathiya. But compared to the alleged bond scam that ran into billions of rupees and profited a company controlled by the son-in-law of the then Governor of the Central Bank on a scale unseen in the commercial history of this country, the former minister’s vehicle abuse cost would be a mere bagatelle. While statements have been recorded over the bond matter, there have been no high profile arrests as in the case of Weerawansa. His party had last week tossed out the names two other vehicle beneficiaries serving as deputy minister in his ministry and the chairman of a corporation under it and dared the powers that are to probe them as well. Those worthies have now switched allegiance, like many others we might add, with one even securing admission to Parliament on the UNP National List! They now belong to the protected species.

While Wimal Weerawansa is being hauled over the coals, rampant vehicle abuse continues unchecked by those in political and official authority. It would be no exaggeration to say that many highways and even another Hambantota port could have been built with the price that the taxpayer have paid over the years on abused official transport. Instead of doing something about that, we are treated to hearing our leaders both in government and opposition justifying the duty free vehicle permits worth millions being issued to MPs. These are often flogged at mind-boggling prices no sooner they are issued and such brazen actions defended on the basis that the present system of elections require massive expenditure and costs incurred must be recouped. This implies, as we have said before in this space, that the taxpayers owe their lawmakers a living – not an ordinary living but lavish one with all the trimmings. When no less than the prime minister says that MPs must be paid a monthly allowance of Rs. 100,000 as they would otherwise have to find ‘sponsors’ to run their electoral offices, we can only resort to the pithy Sinhala idiom to ask karta kiyanneda?

It was reported that in the course of the investigation of the Weerawansa case it has been stated that officials must know their jobs. That suggests that political functionaries held to account for wrongdoing are taking recourse in the age old strategy of passing the buck. They may have ordered the release of a vehicle to so and so appears to have been the excuse, but the allocation is made by an official on whom it is incumbent to do only what is proper and legitimate. So the buck must lie at the official’s door. Given that one Ministry Secretary who recently held back on doing what he believed was illegal was told to "sign or resign," what are hapless officials expected to do? Unfortunately the fact is that many bureaucrats are anointed in high office by political patronage. Meritocracy has long flown out of the window and seniority too is not always respected. Patronage appointees bend over backwards to please their patrons and there are few with the backbone of the late IGP Cyril Herath to tender their resignation rather that fall in line with improper political demands. To his credit, Herath also declined a compensatory diplomatic appointment sop thrown in his direction. But most officials are compliant and do as bidden with a supplicatory ehei hamaduruwaney.

It is a long time since the late President J.R. Jayewardene pledged a dharmishta government. Yahapalanaya today is attracting as much derision as dharmishta did then. The present government was elected to office to change everything that was wrong in the way the previous administration conducted business. Progress of bringing the guilty to book is painfully slow and the foreign minister has spoken in London about special courts in the offing. There must be no selectivity between sheep and goats on who is being held to account. It was recently reported that a minister’s son without a Sri Lankan driving licence met with an accident and the matter was settled on a payment. That may be well and good if normal process regarding speeding or reckless driving is followed. But importantly, the minister also must be held to account for his son driving an official vehicle. That is what is expected of real yahaplanaya than the spurious product on offer today.