Daily News Editorial

MR’s doosra

24 January 2017

That the six Chief Ministers who met former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a possible rapprochement, failed in their bid to iron out differences, may not have been a surprise to many. Rajapaksa is obviously is still smarting at being denied an opportunity at a fling at the Premiership, the grass cut from, under his feet by President Sirisena. He certainly would have been miffed at the idea of some second tier politicians, such as Chief Ministers, coming to meet him.

According to former Minister Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, who was a participant at the meeting, the Chief Ministers were not well received by Rajapaksa. The MP pointed out that any attempt to work together must be reciprocal. Rajapaksa, for his part, insisted that “peace talks” of this nature were futile at a time leading political figures of his camp were being subjected to a “political witch-hunt” and “revenge taking”.

Is Rajapaksa’s consent for a unifying the two camps contingent on wrongdoers of previous government being let off scott free? True, one could appreciate the concerns entertained by the SLFP faction in the Unity Government about the consequences of a split in the party. Not only Local Government elections but even two crucial Provincial Council elections too have to be held within this year. It is also understandable why Chief Minister Mahipala Herath was entrusted the task of belling the cat- that is making the initial approach to MR-since Sabaragamuwa is one of the two provinces that will go to the polls. The fears of a certain defeat for the SLFP, entertained by other party stalwarts, resulting from a split, is also understandable.

But on no account should they compromise on the Yahapalanaya government’s pledge to bring to book all crooked elements of the last government. Is Rajapaksa suggesting that all cases against the corrupt elements of the former regime be withdrawn, as a condition for coalescing with the rival faction? Is MR also insisting that the implementation of the law be held in abeyance just for the sake of political expediency?

MP Abeywardena who communicated the former President’s views in this regard to the Daily News could not be unaware that two junior Rajapaksas are already facing serious cases of money laundering. Does he want these cases to be thrown out, all for the sake of reuniting estranged political factions? Does the MP once again desire a government who pays scant regard to the law where its head even instructed the Attorney General to terminate cases against rapists and murderers? Does Abeywardena want the country to be ruled with impunity once again where the terms accountability and transparency were alien to its rulers?

President Sirisena who gave his blessings for this meeting should have no misgivings as to Rajapaksa’s true intentions. The JO is waiting for an opportunity to get its members, now being paraded before the various commissions off the hook. The public is watching as to how the government, nay the President, is going to act in this matter. Will the President compromise on the firm pledge given to the public on eradicating corruption from the body politic, and what is more, bring the crooks to book? Reneging on a vital pledge to the public, just for the sake of winning a Local Government election, could only act to the detriment of the SLFP in the government fold. The President should say a firm no to the conditions insisted on by MR for a thaw on the latter’s part.

Wimal, the true patriot

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has declared Wimal Weerawansa a true patriot adding that placing the National Freedom Front Leader behind bars could not stop him from giving leadership to the patriotic forces of the country. Speaking at the 22nd anniversary of the NFF at the Sugathadasa’s Stadium, Rajapaksa also said that imprisoning WW could not hinder his political activity, adding that it was WW who stood for the true principles of the JVP, which he quit.

Weerawansa was taken into custody following investigations into charges that he misappropriated government vehicles for the personal use of relatives and associates. Hence, there no doubt would have been a prima facie case against the MP. There were also charges that he allocated housing units constructed under his ministry, similarly, to relatives and friends for little or no returns. WW also once staged a fast opposite the UN compound in Colombo but was shown in the media to be taking refreshments during the ‘fast’. He was also seen leading a mob opposite the UN compound where, following a telephone call, allegedly from Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the police guarding the compound were humiliated, with some of the officers’ hats snatched away by the Weerawansa led mob, as per video footage of the incident. So much for patriotism.

Ceylon Today Editorial

Will the public put the RTI Act to good use?

24 January 2017

After what seems like ages, Sri Lanka is finally witnessing the arrival of the Right to Information (RTI) Act into action.

Earlier this week, the government issued a Gazette Notification announcing that the RTI Act will be enacted from 3 February, 2017. According to the Gazette issued by the Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Gayantha Karunathileka, the information officers are currently being trained and after they are stationed in government institutions, the general public will be able to access important information that affects their daily lives.

But the question remains whether the general public will put this controversial, yet essentially useful, piece of legislation to good use.

Other than the ministers and the other public representatives of the government using the RTI Act as one of their many buzzwords, they have rarely done anything to inform the public on how to use the RTI in their daily lives. Yes, the current government laid the initial foundation in drafting the Act which was in the end drafted by social activists and a wide variety of journalists, lawyers and other media personnel. Yes, those who drafted the Act had every now and then had organized workshops to inform the public on how the Act could be put to use. Yet, the government itself has not taken any considerable steps in informing the populace of the Information Act.

Furthermore, there are several impending issues regarding the RTI that are yet to be resolved. Government has maintained a rather ominous silence with regard to the type of information that will be available through the Act and what grounds a government institution could refuse to provide requested information.

This is one of the most obvious drawbacks of this wonderful piece of legislation. For example, can the government refuse to provide a request on the basis of risking national security? If so, what kind of information could be defined as national security?

And on what grounds can a request for information be denied? What kind of programme has the government implemented to stop institutions from continuous denial of public information?

These questions will eventually come to light and be answered once the RTI is enacted in the first week of February. However, it is the government's utmost responsibility that these miscarriages be resolved. Once enacted, the RTI will be an unstoppable force that brings together the government and its people. The RTI will force the government to be more transparent and the government's vox populi to be more vigilant and informed.

Freedom of information has paved the way for marvellous development in other countries. From India's water management details being revealed to the public to the United States Central Intelligence Agency releasing over 900,000 documents regarding certain bizarre experiments done in the 1960s, the right to information promises to create news with every single day.

There's only one catch. We, the people should feel the need to be informed.

The RTI would be yet another piece of legislation that exists just because it was drafted, passed in Parliament and came into effect; a meaningless document with no use. The only way to prove this legislative piece is a true power to the people is to use it wisely. Use it wisely and use it often.

Dear citizens, question the authority. It doesn't have to be the 'right' question. It doesn't have to be the 'most obvious' question.

You just have to ask the question. The first time you ask, you might not get the answer. The trick is to keep asking the question.

Keep asking the questions you want and keep asking the questions that matter. Keep on questioning until you get the answers.

The Island Editorial

Punish bond thieves, recover stolen funds

24 January 2017

 

Police and security officers are on high alert to prevent robbers, wearing full-face helmets from staging bank heists. But, those who robbed the bank of the banks came in, donning three-piece suits and walked away with billions of rupees richer. They made a killing for themselves as well as their political masters through several bond scams. They are currently seen in the exalted company of yahapalana leaders advocating the rule of law! A man is said to be known by the company he keeps.

Had the UNP been able to secure the presidency on its own and secure a parliamentary majority in 2015 what the situation would have been is not difficult to guess; a high-level investigation into the bond scams would have had the same chance as a cat in hell. The government would have bulldozed its way through as its predecessors had done.

President Sirisena, while in the presidential race, made a solemn vow to eliminate the culture of bribery and corruption, impunity, waste, the abuse of power, nepotism etc and usher in good governance. The time has now come for him to act decisively on the bond scams without dilly-dallying or trying to please those who helped him win the last presidential election. He has, to his credit, not yielded to coalitional pressure on the question of bond thefts. He prevented the reappointment of former Governor Arjuna Mahendran and allowed the SLFP MPs to work according to their conscience. It was also thanks to him that there has been a damning COPE report on the bond scams.

It is heartening that President Sirisena has at long last declared that he will appoint a Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry this week to investigate the Central Bank bond scams which have cost the state coffers and the Employees’ Trust funds billions of rupees.

The government’s battle plan is clear. It wants a very weak case filed against the bond thieves in courts after a parliamentary debate on the issue so that the culprits can go scot free. The Attorney General’s Department decided against filing a criminal case in 2015 and suggested civil action instead. This file has since been shelved. The UNP is determined to go the whole hog to prevent the offenders from being thrown behind bars because they belong to the UNP’s ruling cabal.

The Constitutional Council (CC), a mere rubber stamp of the government, bobs up and down, sways and gyrates like a marionette. Packed with politicians and others who share a common political agenda and how it appointed the Attorney General and the IGP has left a very bad taste in many a mouth. The most eligible candidates for those posts were overlooked and others appointed for obvious reasons. The state prosecutor and the police chief cannot, therefore, be expected to act fairly in situations where the government’s very survival is threatened. The whole country witnessed the IGP’s servility when he answered a call from a minister at a public rally some weeks ago. The Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID), the CID and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) have lost their credibility owing to unbridled politicisation, which has crept in through political appointments to high posts in those institutions.

What needs to be done is not to rush the bond matter to courts solely on the basis of the COPE report which has been considerably weakened by footnotes inserted by the champions of good governance in the UNP in defence of former Central Bank Governor Mahendran and his son-in-law.

A presidential inquiry is called for to re-examine the COPE report and the findings of other inquiries before the bond thieves are formerly arraigned before courts so that there will be no room left for them to get away with their serious offence. A botched attempt by a group of concerned citizens to bring them to justice has already enabled them to make a false claim that the Supreme Court has cleared them.

The outcome of the proposed presidential inquiry will reveal whether what we have witnessed since the 2015 is yahapalana or the same old kleptocracy disguised as good governance. Somebody has rightly likened inquiries conducted by various committees to the process of a person relieving himself. They sit, deliberate for a while and then the matter is dropped with a report. We have seen this happen on several previous occasions.

President Sirisena is now in a position to deliver a politically smothered mate with the UNP badly cornered. It is hoped that the promised presidential inquiry will not be a political move on the part of the SLFP (Maithri) faction to tame the UNP, which is growing abrasive by the day and coerce it into fielding a common candidate again at the next presidential election as well. The UNP will not recover in the foreseeable future if the bond thieves are made to pay for their crime because they are sure to spill the beans thus ruining its leaders’ chances of facing the people again. It is going to be a case of Hobson’s choice for the UNP. However, should the President ever try to make the most of the situation politically instead of punishing the bond thieves and recovering EPF money and everything the state has lost due to the bond scams he would commit political hara-kiri.