By Amrit Muttukumaru –
Amrit Muttukumaru
From a realpolitik perspective although the defeat of the no confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is not electorally significant, it has the POTENTIAL to turn things around for the beleaguered UNP, its leader and the country if there is GENUINE course correction to implement what was promised in the run-up to the 8 January 2015 presidential election.
Whether due to strategy unleashed by the Mahinda Rajapaksa led Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) or fortuitously, the upshot is that RW remaining as PM and UNP leader prima facie further weakens the UNP vote base and strengthens the electoral prospects of MR. This is particularly so if it is business as usual with mere cosmetic changes in the UNP.
It is nothing short of tragic that RW who has the capacity to stand tall in a largely sea of mediocrity and corruption in the present day politics of Sri Lanka has been a major disappointment by his several acts of omission and commission which has now projected him as presiding over an inept and corrupt Yahapalana government these past three years. It was mainly the RW led UNP together with Maithripala Sirisena who were the beacon of hope that led to the 8 January 2015 watershed event for course correction after the traumatic Rajapaksa led years.
The UNP without REAL reforms to re-capture its once formidable vote base will not have a snowball’s chance in hell to succeed in an electoral contest with a MR led formation if it is business as usual. It is CRUCIAL inter alia to give its members at the grassroots a real say in decision making. This does not appear to be even on the radar!
Compared to the material NOW available in the UNP, Ranil is still its best bet IF only he has the guts and wisdom to undertake within a specific time frame inter alia the following:
1) Forthwith commence implementing credible time bound measures for democratic governance in the UNP which include giving members at the grassroots a real say in decision making. A template with suitable modifications could be based on the UK Conservative Party.
2) Getting rid from the party and government persons widely considered to be allegedly inept and tainted with corruption – particularly those in the ROYAL brigade and other CRONIES.
3) Forthwith come clean on those really responsible for and who facilitated the egregious bond scam and make those concerned truly accountable in the public domain.
4) Credibility quantify the real losses due to the bond scam and ensure the monies are paid to the consolidated fund.
5) Forthwith initiate credible time bound die process for alleged corruption and abuse of power widely perceived to have been perpetrated under the Rajapaksa and Yahapalanaya administrations. Merely cherry-picking on the Rajapaksa years will be counterproductive. It is CRUCIAL for the democratic governance of Sri Lanka to have a strong, principled and accountable UNP and SLFP/SLPP.
6) Forthwith initiate time bound constitutional measures to ensure equality to all citizens devoid of any implicit or explicit discrimination.
7) Zero tolerance of hate speech by all entities including individuals and media particularly on ethnic, religious, language grounds and hold those concerned guilty after due process liable for jail terms and fines.
8) Initiate time bound constitutional reforms for good governance in a transparent manner subject to public consultation. A long overdue reform is for a ‘Constitutional Council’ driven solely by none-political members appointed through a transparent process.
9) Not to ever again carry out grossly inappropriate measures such as removing the subjects of Central Bank and Securities and Exchange Commission from the purview of the Finance ministry and lumping Higher Education and Highways in one ministry.
10) Meritocracy to be the only benchmark for public office and doing away with multiple responsibilities for any individual. An example is the farce of one individual currently holding the position of (i) Senior Adviser to the Ministry of Finance and Mass Media (ii) Chairman, Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (iii) Board Director, SriLankan Airlines (iv) Secretary General of the Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms (SCRM). Until recently he was Chairman of the beleaguered EAP Group of Companies.
Alleged Rajapaksa Corruption
The Yahapalana government has only itself to blame for keeping the door wide open to give the Rajapaksas another shot at leading this country prior to any credible investigation of allegations of egregious corruption, violence and abuse of power hurled in the run-up to the January and August 2015 Presidential and General Elections respectively.
A sampling of this is the strident press conference of 17 December 2014 where influential ministers close to PM Wickremesinghe – Dr Harsha de Silva and Eran Wickramaratne with a slew of FILES in tow made reference inter alia to casino, drug, ethanol mafias and money laundering in locations such as St. Nevis & Kitts, Seychelles and Dubai. After assuming office all concerned are maintaining radio silence.
Here is the link to the 17 December 2014 press conference (watch from 10:41 onwards)
Conclusion
UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has over the years reneged with impunity on many promises for the democratic governance of the United National Party. It will be detrimental for the governance of the country if there is a repetition. As stated earlier a strong, principled and accountable UNP and SLFP/SLPP are crucial for the country.
To demonstrate his BONA FIDES will the PM forthwith:
1) Publicly apologize to the 6.2 million voters who were duped by reneging on the promises given in the run-up to the 8 January 2015 presidential elections?
2) Initiate TRANSPARENT measures to bring Arjuna Mahendran to Sri Lanka to face due process for his role in the Bond Scam which will include communicating with Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong? RW has a moral OBLIGATION to do so since he has consistently defended him no matter what at every turn.
3) Ensure that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka initiates a transparent investigation into alleged instances of blatant tax evasion and money laundering identified by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) probing the issuance of Treasury Bonds? This is in the context of the European Union designating Sri Lanka as a ‘high risk country for money laundering’ subsequent to the ‘Financial Action Task Force’ (FATF) placing the country on its ‘grey list’.
Namal Perera / April 10, 2018
Mahinda Rajapakse will go down to any low level to create Political unrest in the Country with the Political crooks in and out of the Parliament fooling the unsuspecting voters of the Country with the intention of returning to power. Those who have not forgotten the recent past will understand what they are up to. Those who are not please understand that all they want is to return to power to escape punishment for the atrocities committed while they were in power.
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Damayanthi / April 10, 2018
One is innocent till proven guilty, stop crying wolf wolf.
Such a boring story for the last three years ,
Better do something good for this country.
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K.Pillai / April 11, 2018
Damayanthi ~ “………stop crying wolf wolf……..”.
Instead shout “..whitevan whitevan…” ?
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Jim softy / April 10, 2018
Ranil was the instigator of the Bond scam. Supremem court judges said that RAVI Karunanayake is acused of so many financial frauds includeing foreign Exchange. they acquitted him by changing the legislation. Do you Thinak Ranil with a questionable past will change ? th msot recent ones are bond scam and NCM. that is only a few.
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Jim softy / April 10, 2018
did Mahinda Rajapaske do it or something else. Embassies of the European Union and the United States are permanently mobilized and maneuvered. They give their instructions and recommendations to the government with a neo-colonial condescension. Organizations such as “Crisis Group, HRW, Amnesty” and a large number of NGOs heavily funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and European or American foundations such as the “Open Society” are already accusing former regime of President Mahinda Rajapaksa to be the instigator of this violence.
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Mallaiyuran / April 10, 2018
Ranil gave his promise to save Old King in the Temple Tree House. It is said to be on bases: one Old King let Ranil go out Batalanda Commission accusation. Two, Ranil want the name of having saved the Hero and the Rapist Army. He refused to sign ICC accord. Irrelevant of the $18B swindling and Lasantha to Thajudeen murders, which the crimes of Old Royals, everyone else who are forcefully turned into as a looter, corrupted, swindler, Con Artist, Grand larcenist are also cannot be prosecuted because these crimes are interconnected. Snowballing of mass producing criminals did not happened only not today or yesterday, though fostered and flourished in Chitanta era. This is a 70 years deep rooted culture. Ranil came to power promising cleaning this 70 years quagmire, which is sucking in citizen after citizen. Ranil proposed to fix it, but not to touch 300,000 defense force employees and Extended Old Royals on any of their crimes. For Example, during Old Royals’ time the country was labeled as the one, where Sex Trade was the fastest growing Industry. Even Chinese, Thailand & Western girls came to the country to practice it. That trade was managed by influential heads of Chitanta Government. Now the country is conferred with a new title. “The miracle drug trafficking hub of SEA!”. Those are not simply crimes like corruption, murder or looting but destroying the society as a whole for someone’s wealth accumulating greed. The sole proprietor of drug tariffing is army, using the released rebels and school children. Because it is army doing, Ranil is not ready to investigate and stop it. Further as army is using Tamils, government simply whitewashing it as Aava Kuzhu’s crimes. Ranil promised to chase for and catch the thief. But, when he was coming, he voluntarily wore his Shackles on his legs. Ranil came to power promising cleaning.
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Mallaiyuran / April 10, 2018
But he did know he wouldn’t because of resoluteness to save the head criminals. Million Dollar crimes were allowed to go. Only Vehicle abused are charged. Million dollar bribery excused the Rs20, 000 prosecuted and put in for 25 years. The school girl stole coconut to pay school fee was charged, but the man threatened the School Principle to take his candidate in was allowed to go. There is nothing to hide within them the three, Ranil, New King, and Old Royals, knowingly brought in their friend Mahendran through Aloysius to loot CB. That minority government was planned only stay 100 days, but the CB looting was done in urgency within 30 days by the minority government. The ugly part of that looting was that Tamil Family was well acquainted with all three of them. They thought they were saving the broken government by helping to raise money. The government used the Tamil Family just like Rapist Army using the rehabilitated rebels to traffic Kerala Ganja. The only faulty part is that educated Demelo Pariah Family lowered them to the level of Rebels who are kept under the iron fist hand of Rapist Army. Now, to part take in this criminal administration, for all Tamils astonishments, TNA had signed second time a pact (Jan 2015 & March, 2018), but UNP and TNA are denying it. If Foreign Governments want to save UNP, Sampanthar should tell them to sign the pact with UNP and he vote for UNP based on the Foreign Government-UNP pact. It will be to those governments have the pact implemented. Is all other cases Sampanthar should let UNP to lose & Slap Party to come to power and thus Sinhalese realizing to whom they are voting. If Sampanthar keep repeating Jan, 2015 mistake, neither UNP nor SLFP/Slap party will fix anything, ever and that is pain for Tamils.
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Nosey Parker / April 10, 2018
The opportunity to rob and plunder the tax paying public will certainly not be squandered.
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nalmen / April 10, 2018
if yous think ranil will do all the things you mentioned you are dreaming
basil is waiting for him to be unp presidential candidate as he will get a sound thrashing from the slpp candidate
let him continue for the next year and stand down after to give a new candidate time to organise his campaign
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Thanga / April 10, 2018
Mallaiyuran is firing cylinders all over. He riling the Rajapaksas but at the same time says Sampanthar should not repeat the mistake of January 8, 2015.. For his information, there is no pact signed between the TNA and UNP. A pact requires the signatures of both the parties. No such pact was signed. The TNA got Wickremesinghe to sign a document contains demands to be met by the UNP.
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edwin rodrigo / April 10, 2018
Malleurine and hypertext: My analysis is that Malleurine was practicing the use of hypertext and got in to trouble with his italics. Anyone can make a mistake but the important thing is to know what to do if one makes a mistake. The problem is that all this needs a certain level of grey matter. Using does not require much but correcting does. Unfortunately, the number of neurons required for correction is higher than what MU possesses. Knowing this he stopped using HTML. That is why he is typing faster and typing more.
Good Luck. MU! – Nice guy we have there!
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Mallaiyuran / April 10, 2018
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/ranil-wins-the-day-jo-consolidates-maithri-slips-even-further-govt-loses-2-3rds-majority/comment-page-3/#comment-2177477
Front Admirable,
What happened here? Bahrain Ganja neutralized the grey matter’s neutron? This is saying you tried & failed thrice to fix Italics and Bold. But it is because you are a big mouthed, Bold Headed Propagandist, shamelessly, you trying to hide your failure. You thought others would not be able to see the game you played and failed, but would have missed it. I am not an empty vessel like you to put forward fake claim like that you are a “Front Admirable”.
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Mallaiyuran / April 10, 2018
Mr.Thanga,
What is the practical difference between two parties signed Banda –Chelva, Dudley-Chelva pacts and the current one Ranil just signed on a paper? Is that you explanation that it was show or TNA’s fraud to cheat Tamils before it raise hands and support Ranil, but Ranil is not expected not to implement it, unlike it was in the earlier two parties signed and sealed pacts?
Are you officially announcing that TNA spoke person Sumanthiran’s denial is wrong, in fact but there is an agreement signed by Ranil? Are you officially certifying Chelvam that the TNA will vote against the next budget, if this new document is not implemented? (What all the TNA people doing is loosely talking with interwoven complex terminology, one in London, one in Toronto, one in Washington, one Geneva, one in Colombo and one in Jaffna +Batticaloa only to cheat the Tamils). Please accept the fact like a gentleman!
Sumanthiran said that he has the TNA’s 100 days’ agreement of 2015. Now, what is the need Ranil to sign another document? Is that your position that TNA and Yahapalanaya have abandoned the 2015 election agreement so they are making a new agreement with Ranil?(The sad part on that is, the new document is substantially watered down from what Sumanthiran released in December 2014.) If so, could you officially announce that all agreements with Yahapalanaya at election time and before this are, now, null and void? Can you include a reason, why, from the part of TNA, it has been concluded that it is no use to continue those agreements?
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Mallaiyuran / April 10, 2018
How do you weight on when you say that “it was just signed by Ranil on a piece of paper”? Do think when election comes TNA can claim that they did not ask from Ranil but he just wrote and gave them that is why they did not bother to get him to implement his promises?
Be realistic. Gentleman agreement, MOU, Pact none of them go up to court to have them enforced because they are not legally enforceable documents. Those documents are waste of time when one party is Sinhala Government. That is the position even when the other party is India, America, EU or UNHRC (other than China and Russia who know how to hold Lankawe to implement it). If not, why SJV did not take SWRD or Dudley to court? Or are you denying those pacts were not signed by the parties who tore it. How Lankawe did dodged implementing resolution 30/1? Can you explain that in detail please? (In Lankawe, Appe Aanduwa is saying that it will not appoint the foreign layers and judges. But in Geneva, it is refusing implement any clause in the resolution, but threating to withdraw from UNHRC) Then, why did TNA asks Ranil to sign anything?
Be honest. Can you officially write a transcribe here of what happened in the meetings that were convened to decide whether to support Ranil or not? The Media said the MPs did not agree with the leadership’s decision.
Keep your eyes open to witness this: After the next LG election, it is Deva, who going form the LG councils in the North, with or without the support of TNA. Not TNA going to do that with Deva!
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kolla / April 10, 2018
Opportunity ? You may say if a Sri Lankan is allowed to compete at the Olympics it is an opportunity to win a medal. But physically, mentally and historically his chances when competing with the rest of the world is near zero . With a lot of luck, may be a freak bronze.
Similarly this is also only an illusion of an opportunity. A man who has nothing to show in 40 years of politics is now asked to be a leader in a modern sense. To act with integrity, be straight -forward, unselfish, results oriented, unbiased is impossible for a man who has spent 70 years in this country and 40 years in our politics. ( same with MR and his gang-they are all products of a unwholesome culture and warped values)
We are only going to see another act of the comedy. Only one thing is certain. The comedy will end tragically for the UNP.
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The Sinopian / April 10, 2018
RW is butter fingered – he will drop the catch again
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Thondamany / April 10, 2018
The Sinopian ————-” Drop the balls again”
Several in the Yahapalanaya got slippery greasy ones……
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K.Pillai / April 10, 2018
The contribution made by UNFGG (How many MPs remember what this stands for?) are to whittle down the main players to three. Note that the three players do not talk about corruption at all although we, the silent majority know this to be our ailment. However the fact that we talk about corruption without fear, is an achievement. One of the players has this Weapon of Mass Destruction (of Minorities) – the infamous language/religion-divide. A mild version was used in the recent LG elections.
Amrit Muttukumaru: RW has just one weapon – expose the corrupt. He has to and let us hope he does.
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sacre blieu / April 15, 2018
One lot came and looted the economy and criminalised a good many in society. The other lot has come to vandalise it and has been caught sleeping with the enemy to eventually sell us down the river for their own safety , if by an ironic chance the former comes back again. The rape of paradise is continuing.
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