By Rusiripala Tennakoon –
Rusiripala Tennakoon
Many things are happening and many things are scheduled to happen. More revelations of corruptions and deals follow in rapid sequence of concurrence. Startling as they are one wonders whether such things can happen in an environment of a firm commitment to eradicate corruption and ensure good governance.
In the political front, within the government there are developing uncertainties. Both the main coalition partners appear to be in trouble due to mounting pressure from within. For the UNP the situation is aggravated due to the surfacing of corruption & malpractice related issues.
High way deals that the media expressed most recently has shattered the silence maintained within close doors. The contract is faulty and stinking with mis-representation of facts which now transpire to be untrue and concealed with dishonesty. Total value of the plunder is in the range of Rs. 1.5 Billion ($100 Mn) as alleged.
Individual corruption record of some highly placed UNP Ministers has made the situation worse. Minister Malik Samarawickrama’s name came out in connection with a corrupt land deal in the Kotte, Rajagiriya area which will certainly have to be investigated. A No Confidence against another vociferous Minister Rajitha Seneratne was ruled out but the allegations raised there will be in public circulation very soon. Some of these matters either remain suppressed in Bribery & Corruption inquiries and some others such as the Modera Fisheries Harbour deal are under investigation. Public statements coming from new comers to the UNP like Dr. Harsha De Silva expressing sheer disgust over the prevailing affairs have added to the confusion. What is going on is not mere corrupt activities but appear to be daring instances of callous disregard to principles of Good Governance and Public Opinion.
The other coalition partner is not placed any better. Due to some taken into the government to fill the gap through the National List submerging the pending corruption and abuse of authority allegations and some with pending investigations and inquiries, the SLFP in the Government too is under attack and slander. The SLFP’s. Anti-corruption commitment is tarnished to that extent and the UNP is well aware of this situation. Some Senior SLFP Ministers have started openly stating their dis-satisfaction about the current state of affairs. Labour Minister Seneviratne is in the fore-front and already has declared his position in no uncertain terms.
According to him they are continuing in the coalition with no desire but only owing to their party loyalty. They do not appear to be much concerned about punishing the bosses of the former regime. Instead they seem to be more inclined towards and unity in the party to enable them to stand alone abiding by the party principles. The developments taking shape towards the Local Government Elections will further influence the widening of differences in the coalition.
In the meantime after the forced resignation of Minster Ravi Karunanayake the UNP back benchers have come to the fore front up in arms against the slow moving action to prosecute the wrong doers of the former regime, mainly the Rajapaksha clan. With the change of the Justice Minister they expect a speeding up of the action plan to put as many as possible behind bars. Although such expectations are contrary to the modus operandi by their leader, who without the knowledge or approval from his back benchers is inclined in his own direction to maintain a balance of the counter forces to the advantage of the UNP in an amiable manner. But looking at the ongoing actions it appears that the process of hunting has been accelerated and many new court cases are reported daily.
The overall unity situation for both the coalition partners is also coming into controversial areas due to the termination of the Agreement under which they were working together, in August. There will definitely be a very strong public cry and a more serious concern by the civil society, clergy and such other organizations clamouring for a period of real good governance to pressurize both parties to agree on a public program oriented towards delivery rather than rhetorics. These bodies will also demand positive commitments towards solving of current priority social problems instead of long drawn utopian targets which was the escape life line for survival.
Impending financial crisis and the poor performance of the management of the economy as reflected in the international forum outlooks will make matters worse for those trying to proceed by passing the imminent risks in a climate of strong constraints.
Annesley Dias / September 2, 2017
Well.balanced comment!.
All corruption cases former and present has to be investigated speedily and wrong doers punished. Its good that dealdasa is no more. And that chap sunil handunetty is carrying out killi maharajas contract to destroy the unp leadership.
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Ajith / September 2, 2017
Corruption is part and partial of politics. Corrution is widely speaded from Top to bottom.You cannot differentiate which one is good or bad in corruption. We, people who elect these politicians are to blame for this. They are not their to serve the people. They are there to serve themselves. They became powerful even to rob and kill Lord Buddha. They are powerful enough to openly murder a person and charge another bypasser for that murder. Rule of law, justice, good governance, equal rights are good for speeaches and preaching but in reality we don’t take into account. Let it go!
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Mallaiyuran / September 2, 2017
John Seneviratne wants to leave Yahapalanaya to save the party, not for not investigating his bosses’ crimes.- A well balanced it seems?
Do you know what crimes of John’s bosses this guy is talking? Do you know the entire world is there talking about one crime of his bosses? Does this guy knows that Jegath ran from Brasilia to Colombo with one leg shoe?
Impunity can be fixed when the hypocrite writers start to accuse Appe Aanduwa honestly, instead of accusing with a mind to hide their real crimes.
Yahapalanaya signed with UNHRC to investigate John’s bosses on war crimes. Then to negotiate on that with UNHRC, they proposed Secret Solution. They dodged on both now hoping the deal signed on Hangbangtota with China will save them from both. Is may enable China to send one million people as per a detailed reslesed by Udya Gaminpilla.
Can somebody balance this Sinhala Mass?
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somapala / September 2, 2017
Few weeks ago Sunday Times came out with a descriptive article and elaborated that the Central expressway phase 3 tender was given to a joint venture of two Japanese companies. It further stated that the agreed total price was around 10 billion rupees less than the price quoted by the successful tenderer. It further said that the loan was arranged through Japanese bank by the Japanese government…
Few days ago, I saw in TV news of Sirasa, the Rajapakse stooge Faraz uttering that the terrain of Stage 3 of Kandy expressway is not different to that of southern expressway to Matara and the price per km cannot be higher.. Highways ministry shall come out with a clear statement on the award of this tender, as otherwise it is very damaging to the government.
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Jagath Fernando / September 2, 2017
Can you kindly respond as a respected former chairman of BoC as to why the current board of directors and senior managemnt of BoC have not been called up to give evidence in the bond scam?
The bind scam would have never hapenned to this extent if BoC did not give a blank cheque for Rs 10 billion to perpetual Treasuries.
Under normal circumstances, it would take more than 1-2 months to approve a Rs 10 billion loan but in this instance done over a phone call. !!!!!
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Mallaiyuran / September 2, 2017
Jagath Jayasuriya ran from Brasilia to Colombo with one leg shoe. Ponny accused him of war crime. He has declared that he was not in the army as Ponny had released him out of duty. Ponny was in China when the war was brought to end. This was planned by Old Brother Prince to hide the final details from Ponny so that they can show them as the sole Heroes. Old King was not in Lankawe and he was in middle East rehearsing the kissing the Wild Life Sanctuary SinhaLE when he returns. New King was the one managed the war on. Can New King issue a public statement whether Jagath Jayasuriya was not in services during the period he was accused of war crime and explain why he was released and what was he doing at that time? Can New King further clarify that then who had been appointed after Jegath was released.
Why the balanced essay writers not ready to touch some unbalanced subjects? Hypocrites?
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Lankan No 03 / September 2, 2017
in Sri Lanka politics is different.
No worries of imoeaching government..But foxy Ranil knows how to deal with it..
but M&s need some more tough hold until 2020…otherwise life will be dangerous one for him and his parties..
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Dharshana / September 2, 2017
Whilst it is true that Sri Lanka is sailing through a period of political turmoil, the question that goes abegging is whether it is the country or the two main political parties who are at the crossroads.
We as the general public of Sri Lanka, will not cross the road of having the democratic option to change who governs us till the year 2020. Though there may be some local government and provincial elections in between, there will be no occasion to our political solidarity as a nation until 2020.
As of the present day, our franchise rights are limited to selecting between two major camps both of whom are brimming with corrupt individuals, and even cartels amongst them, with even that option not being available to the general pubic until 2020.
Accordingly, Whilst I agree that our country has been at the crossroads ever since independence, the limited cognisance of the majority of our voters , who have exercised their franchise rights during the last two elections are the key stakeholders that has led to the situation that we are in today.
My argument thenceforth is as follows:
1. Sri Lanka has been @ the crossroads ever since gaining independence from the British is 1948.
2. The situation the Country is in as of the present, is due to the limited cognisance of the practitioners of free franchise during the last two elections.
3. Pt 2, has been a continuation of the same pattern of voting of our general public, thus is nothing extraordinary.
4. There is no new definition to the word “crossroads”, which Sri lanka has been at for the last two franchise periods ( in 2009 and 2015) that the country has faced.
In conclusion, your argument about Sri Lanka being @ the crossroads, be it politically, socially or internationally, has been continuation from the year 2009 ( or may be argued to be even before that).
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Jimsofty / September 2, 2017
soem where I read Duminda Dissanayake has started his own scheme stealing money through a contract of Bying Corn for chicken feed. HE has given it to his frined and it is a monopoly. He is getting his share.
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Jimsofty / September 2, 2017
People should have understood this govt when Ranil Wickramsinghe appointed a Minister on nationalist – Rajaitha Senarathne – who lost the seat during the last govt, as I heard because of some corruption. It is the same thing with Maithripala sirisena who appointed SB dissanayake who lost the seat. That is no point of elections as the president and prime minister can reappoint them. then there are anti-Sinhala people who still prefers this govt because this gives the opportunity for them to destroy the country.
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K.Pillai / September 2, 2017
Seventy years we were on the road to prosperity but politicians created the language/religion divide and forced us to travel a different road. The ride is bumpy and went through a war zone. The road is corrupt.
We reached a cross road and on 8 January 2015, we told the driver to take a different road. We, the passengers mandated a different path. This is not to be.
Pst……we need a new driver but we cannot find any.
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Non PhD / September 2, 2017
Interesting analysis but not targetting the problems at hand to find lasting solutions.
In difficult times Maha Sangha must protect the soverignity of Srilankans, the language, religion and race.
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Rajash / September 3, 2017
The country has been at cross roads since independence.
Thanks to SWRD the country never crossed the racial divide but instead drew boundaries.
Traffic jams in Colombo and high rise luxury flats and hotels in Colombo…is not representative of Sri Lanka’s disastrous economic, political and racial reality. The rest of the world is advancing in real terms.
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N Wimaladasa / September 3, 2017
The Global political – Economy at crossed roads by USA debts has rise to US $ 127 trillion dollars. The US War mongering politics has undermined Economy r of world development and growth. The very an engine of US is NOT that moving forwarded.
The lack of production & Capital and by an investments has gone worst direction by easy money Printing currency in USA-dollars, UK-Pounds Japan-Yen and Euro has created unprecedented recession through out the Globe.The World debt has pile up.
The governments intervenes in every nation by Developed Countries, an Economy of printing more money, Manipulating interest rates ,while cash in hand outs that every things seems to be fine ,but in this phase to leads to a Crash of Market, Sovereign Bonds of that segments of many sectors of that will impacts to global governances of democracy and its economy at risk?
The UNP -Corruption of politics-has bad to worse by misruled of 32 months of tsunami by MS and UNP cohabitation of “good governances and rule of law” that present regime has undermined national growth an Economally as whole.
We are an uncertainties than any other nations, why is that? We have fully deviated from path of development .Our GDP is closed to US$ Billion 85 dollars, that growth has stagnant nation economy.
By and large UNP way of manipulated higher interest Rate and block of Capital flow of FDI almost less than 20% of compares with 2014 ; Oversees remittances for foreign employees has lost 16% present last two years. The business medium and small close-down by Economic disasters .The current UNP financial policies just keeping printing money forever keeping risky of Economy?
An unfortunately USA national calamities has cover that Texas State the fourth largest city of Houston impact for 40 million people.The Lost of damages billion of dollars many be cover US $ one trillion dollars. It is unbearable flood damages that effects to growth US economy in that suffering of US long-depression since 2008?
USA debt ceiling of 19 Trillion limits has exceed. Replace of US Capitalism may be failed state .
No surprise 2008 deep and uninterrupted great depression stock market will lost over 40% to 50% of its values, while ushering in a long period of stagflation?
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Non PhD / September 3, 2017
Sudden new developmwnt has taken over the earlier arrangement after this post hasHow can the country be at cross roads when US citizen and SL citizen GoRa is forming a new party to over throw MS–RW coalition ? Further he GoRa has the covert support of the China through his bro MaRa ?
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thondamannay / September 3, 2017
Yes Mr.Tennakoon.
The Country has arrived at a Junction Handiya. Its chaos there. No Cop in sight.
Some Yahapalanaya young Turk is held up getting late to get to the Diyawanna.
His body guard and security scrambling all over to no avail.
Horns blaring and nothing is moving everything is at a standstill.
Non PhD is again hissing…………..Quantitative easing taking place elsewhere.
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