By Kusal Perera –
Kusal Perara
Open Appeal To Compassionate Rulers
Presidential poll concluded over a fortnight ago, witnessed the opposition campaign especially in the South focusing heavily on corruption and fraud allegedly committed by the Rajapaksa regime. Media is now reporting on massive corruption that had gone extensively viral than even the opposition campaigners ever imagined. What would come of them will only be seen in time to come.
This new government under the presidency of Maithripala Sirisena most fervently promised the people of this country of a clean, corruption free, compassionate rule. Most concerned citizens now expect this government to deliver such clean and accountable rule. It is first the President, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and State Ministers along with their Deputy Ministers who would have to bear total responsibility for a clean and accountable governance. Next is the National Executive Council that had virtually taken over policy making, though without constitutional validity.
I firmly believe the promise for clean and accountable governance can be best achieved by those responsible publicly declaring their and their family assets and liabilities. Therefore I call upon, the President, the PM and all ministers and deputy ministers in this government to declare their own and their family assets and liabilities under the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Act No. 01 of 1975 amended as Act no. 84 of 1988, before 04 February next, the day of Independence. I would also request them to have the declarations published in their official websites; President and PM in their official websites and all other ministers and deputy ministers in their relevant official ministry websites.
Also those individuals who sit in the National Executive Committee are called upon here to declare their own assets and liabilities and of their families, in the official website of HE the President.
I may not be wrong in believing no person who promised a clean and accountable, compassionate rule will ignore this call for open politics.
Sgd / Kusal Perera
Journalist / Sri Lankan Citizen
Uthungan / January 23, 2015
The whole country would support this call for declaration of assets.
If that materialises by the date mentioned by the author in his article, then surely that would indicate the type of parliament which would become operational in the country following the elections after April 2015.
I think AKD of the JVP should make this an election issue.
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Amarasiri / January 23, 2015
Kusal Perera –
RE: National Executive Committee Must Declare Their Own Assets
Very Good Idea. You can include that as a Chapter rin the Sri Lanka Common Sense Phamplet.
Common Sense (pamphlet)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_%28pamphlet%29
Common Sense[1] is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–76 that inspired people in the Thirteen Colonies to declare and fight for independence from Great Britain in the summer of 1776. The pamphlet explained the advantages of and the need for immediate independence in clear, simple language. It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution and became an immediate sensation. It was sold and distributed widely and read aloud at taverns and meeting places.
Washington had it read to all his troops, which at the time had surrounded the British army in Boston. In proportion to the population of the colonies at that time (2.5 million), it had the largest sale and circulation of any book published in American history.[2] As of 2006, it remains the all-time best selling American title.[3]
Common Sense presented the American colonists with an argument for freedom from British rule at a time when the question of whether or not to seek independence was the central issue of the day. Paine wrote and reasoned in a style that common people understood. Forgoing the philosophical and Latin references used by Enlightenment era writers, he structured Common Sense as if it were a sermon, and relied on Biblical references to make his case to the people.[4] He connected independence with common dissenting Protestant beliefs as a means to present a distinctly American political identity.[5] Historian Gordon S. Wood described Common Sense as “the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era”.[6]
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Native Vedda / January 23, 2015
Kusal writes
“I may not be wrong in believing no person who promised a clean and accountable, compassionate rule will ignore this call for open politics.”
Kusal would you now demand all former and present state employees including security forces and policemen the same kind of detailed declaration of their assets before they were employed and at present and explain as to how had they managed to increase their wealth over their period of employment with state or semi state institutions?
The chairmans, directors,advisers, ……….. who were well fed by the state just because they were connected to the centre of power.
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Paul / January 23, 2015
When I read the title ‘National Executive Committee Must Declare Their Own Assets’ I mistakenly and delightedly thought a new policy was being announced. Alas, that day may never come.
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Ambedkhar Reborn / January 23, 2015
I fully agree with Kusal it should start with the top first and percolating down.
Native Vedda has added value. So I fully agree with him too.
Hope these demands spread very fast and each and every citizen who are concerned about the future of SL , PUT ENOUGH PRESSURE ON THEIR LOCAL PARLIAMENTARIANS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Also use local media to express their views / demands. Hope civic and religious organisations also make these demands on their own. Let’s make “Pivithuru Heta ” a reality .
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sinhala_voice / January 23, 2015
Totally agree 100%.
1. ALL politician MUST declare their assets.
2. They MUST declare their business interest and share holdings’
3. They MUST declare their positions in any government funded or non-government sector positions. THEY MUST RESIGN FROM THESE POSITIONS if they want to be in parliament. Definitely IF THEY WANT TO BE MINISTERS or in the cabinet.
4.ALL parties MUST declare their sources of election funding and any activities with external or internal lobby groups.
IF YOU WANT TO GET rid of corruption in the country for ever these are the things that MUST be done NOW. These are proven to work in other countries and definitely work in our country.
PUBLIC service : Is the custodian of Public interest and this MUST be made apolitical and independent SELECTED on predefined MERIT. NO POLITICAL INTERFERENCE. IF you have FEARLESS PUBLIC SERVANT THEN PUBLIC INTEREST WILL BE SERVED OTHERWISE SELF-SERVICING POLITICIAN belonging to ALL ethnic groups , religious groups , caste groups, ideological groups WILL SERVE THEMSELVES AND LEAVE THE CITIZEN THAT MUCH POORER.
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Hinnibanda / January 23, 2015
This should be made clear with election laws. That should not be the job of the rulers. In coming days, with few more days to go to have the respective AMDs passed. Then all that will get elected to the next parliament after general election, things will see clean to everyone then. If they start at these levels,
those who work in public severice or prt sector, they will get shaped to the very same manner going through lotus effect.
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Upul / January 23, 2015
Why has EC not released MR’s declaration yet? Is he waiting for the Nekatha?
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S.Mahendra (in Swiss) / January 24, 2015
The Assets of the new CAC Members if declared is welcome, however it
must be the forerunner to all local members of Committees and Commisions that their appointments will be subject to Declaration of Assets, including that of family Members, as per regulations that are due to be framed in this connection.
In the case of the Inquiry by new PM and his CAC, which will include Experts from International Institutes, will invole a very long
process and Foreign Governments will also come into the picture.
Therefore I venture to suggest that all those who volunteer to come before this COI, before a given date, will be granted up to a 5 to 15%
retention of the sums involved at the discretion of the COI and gravity
of the Offence/s. The suggestion is to expedite the formidable number of
persons and time to go out to capture them one by one?
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colin / January 25, 2015
The National Eexecutive Council should call upon the newly appointed Cabinet to declare thwir qualifications and if some of the seniors lack this they must come out with their experience and achievements in the political field. The qualifications exposure will ensure to the public that Ministerial tasks are being handled by educated and knowledgable personnel and not nincompoops
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