Ceylon Today Editorial

TALL STORIES AND HALLUCINATIONS

01 February 2017

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne is on record as having said that the probe into the MIG deal during the tenure of the previous government will reveal many truths. But before we come to that, can we at least have some truths about what's happening about the dozens of yet unsolved cases before the FCID, CIABOC and Courts?

If the Minister expects us to tremulously hold our breaths until then, he's on another planet. The reality on planet Earth is that the FCID and CIABOC have proved themselves as incompetent as a scout cub on a game hunt in the wilds of Africa. In this case however, the analogy is used not too accurately because at least the Boy Scout can stake a rightful claim to not being bribed by the men in the Wild Life Department to let the animals escape which is more or less the story down here in Colombo.

A weekend paper said recently that it's been seven long years, since Lasantha Wickrematunga was done to death by elements in the former regime, that MPs and other journalists were killed, maimed or euphemistically said to have disappeared." Billions of rupees have been spirited out of the country by top men of the former regime but these two bribery and fraud agencies now say those embezzled monies cannot be traced – FULL STOP!

Drug Lords have comfy rooms in Welikada, continuing their drug peddling by mobile phones.

Former rogues of the then regime hold high ministry secretarial positions with pending fraud cases still on file in Courts against them. So much for Yahapalanaya! Last week the Chairman of a State Corporation was kicked out because he dared to make his voice heard about fraud and irregularities in a coal tender bid in which the lowest tenders were thrown out.

Maithri Gunaratne, former Chairman of the Lanka Coal (Pvt.) Ltd told this paper last week that "Just a week ago Lanka Coal (PVT) Ltd (LCL) floated the tender to purchase 2.2 million tons of coal for 2017. It was obvious that keeping me in the position would cause a serious effect on their income. So I was sacked.There were serious allegations in connection with the purchase of coal during the Mahinda Rajapaksa Regime. The election manifesto of President Maithripala Sirisena pledged to streamline the purchasing mechanism of the government, especially of coal, to make it more transparent than it had hitherto been. For some reason or the other the President chose me as the Chairman and Minister Champika Ranawaka appointed me to the post. He said it was the President who insisted that he should stay on as the Chairman of LCL. "From the time I started my work, I had to clean the stables. There were no proper regulations or procedures in place for purchasing coal. I adopted a 360° approach in my duties. I had discussions with my staff as well as suppliers. I considered all their comments and feedback to set the procedures right to achieve our organizational objectives. I suggested that we should go for 'pre-bid' meetings, so that it would give an opportunity for suppliers to raise all their concerns before they furnish the bid documents. The recent tender too was processed in the same manner. Eight parties were competing in the tender, out of which four suppliers were rejected by the Technical Evaluation Committee.

Note this now: I wrote a letter to the Treasury to draw attention to the fact that this should be an inclusive tender. I got approval to include two more contenders and increased the number of bidders to six. Tenders should always be open to many. Under normal circumstances the competition tends to bring tender price quotations down.

However, I have observed that there were manipulations to limit the number of bidders. The process needed overhauling. I took drastic action to rectify it".

He was then shown the door!!

Must we ask why Minister Senaratne's statement raises laugh in the real world of dirty politics in this country? What of the murders and disappearances ? What of the illegal land alienation? The villagers of Keppapilavu are being kicked around instead of being given back their own homesteads which have come down to them from earlier generations. This is despite the SLAS sending a report to President Sirisena proposing relocation of the Mullaitive Army Headquarters to an adjoining village!
Can the people have an official list issued by the government, of all the cases of fraud and corruption filed with them and successfully prosecuted in Court, to date? It's a long litany of woes, of injustice and the law being reduced to a plaything of the government, as well as of the former government's insiders lurking within its domain.

Daily News Editorial

PM’s clarion call

01 February 2017

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has once again emphasized on the need for the continuation of the UNP-SLFP unity government, if the economy is to move forward. Speaking at a public function in Bandaragama, the Premier said it is essential for the UNP and SLFP to stay together so that there will be a powerful government to see the economy through.

A united front, no doubt, can overcome any obstacles, and what is more, is a sign of stability so important to inspire investor confidence. It is political acrimony down the years that has stifled development and undermined progress. It has been Sri Lanka's experience that the Opposition had always opposed ambitious government's programmes merely for the sake of opposing. Had J.R Jayewardene not had the steamroller majority he commanded it is doubtful if development programmes such as the Mahaweli would have got off the ground. Now, with the Unity Government enjoying a two thirds majority in parliament it is hoped that development projects in the pipeline would be pursued with unhindered. It is because both the UNP and SLFP collectively stood its ground that the Hambantota port project was flagged off despite opposition. Hence, the Premier's emphasis for a continuation of the present arrangement between the two parties.

In the past there were a few occasions where the two major parties could have coalesced for the well being of the country. But these opportunities were squandered due to partisan politics. One recalls Opposition Leader J.R. Jayewardene during the 1970-77 unity government extending his support to the Sirimavo Bandaranaike administration. But the Left leaders in that alliance, due to their prejudice against JR, would have none of it. More recently, there was the ideal opportunity presented by the Tsunami catastrophe for both parties to unite during a national tragedy. But, like before, those who should have known better let slip this golden opportunity too for selfish political reasons. Even the three decades long terrorist war failed to bring the parties together due to the failure of political party leaders to act as statesmen. As a result the country had to suffer dire consequences by way of retarded growth and economic decline.

Hence, the Premier's view that both parties should join forces to lift the country from its present morass should be heeded by all. It is time for all political leaders, at least now, to act with maturity and foresight setting aside all selfish motives and parochial considerations. Hitherto, it was the practise that with every change of government the incoming regime dispensed with all the development programmes undertaken by its predecessor. The vicious cycle continued, with the end result that the country was bogged down without moving ahead. The contentious and divisive nature of the politics, practiced, was the sole reason for this.

The status quo is bound to continue far into the future if at some point this retrograde politics is not called to a halt. The country can no longer afford the luxury of divisive party politics, with the economy burdened as it is by a mountainous debt. There should be a collective effort to resurrect the country from the depths it had fallen into socially, culturally and economically. The country's future cannot be surrendered at the altar of vituperative, contentious party politics. This is the long and short of the Premier's appeal, which is more or less a clarion call for unity.

The SLFP need not have any misgivings in working with the UNP. It has today many things in common with the Greens. The differences between the parties on economic policy no longer exist. The SLFP has already shed its inward looking, indigenous economic concepts and embraced the UNP's market economy. Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga of course should be credited for this transformation in the SLFP thinking. Both parties are also on the same wavelength even on the ethnic issue, another laurel that should go to CBK.

Investors, hitherto, had misgivings, coming to Sri Lanka, due to policy changes with the change of governments. Investors fear that their ventures would be nationalised with the arrival of socialist governments. Many had this bitter experience during the 70-77 period which saw the flight of foreign investments from the country. On the other hand, an inclusive government would not create such doubts in the minds of investors.

President Sirisena, like the Premier, does not lose an opportunity to emphasize the need for the continuation of the present arrangement for the benefit of all. Although the UNP is in the driving seat, by virtue of its majority in parliament, the SLFP need not feel inferior or have misgivings in cooperating with the Grand Old Party. In fact some vociferous SLFPers in government have shown their independence by expressing their views openly at what they see as infringements by their senior coalition partner. However they should desist in creating fissures in the alliance that would be exploited by the MR faction of the SLFP, giving it an opportunity to undermine the cohabitation arrangement.