A Transparency International report from London has placed Sri Lanka in the high risk category for corruption in the defence and security sector. Sri Lanka’s 2015 the Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index* (GI) ranking in Band E places it in the very high risk category for corruption in the defence and security sector.
Mahinda Rajapaksa
“The country scored Band E across four risk areas: Political, Finance, Operations and Procurement. Operations scored slightly higher in Band D. While newly elected President Maithipala Sririsena has overseen a series of anti-corruption reforms since his ascension to power in January 2015, it is unclear how these will remedy corruption vulnerabilities stemming from an absence of legislative scrutiny of defence issues, allegations of nepotism in the appointment of key military personnel, and a lack of formal regulations for defence procurement.” said the Transparency International.
Transparency International has suggested the following reforms of the security sector to minimize corruption risk.
Enhance Legislative Scrutiny
Under the previous administration, President Mahinda Rajapaksa oversaw the entire Defence Sector and faced little to no effective oversight and scrutiny by the legislature. After assuming power in January 2015, President Maithipala Sirisena’s government passed the 19th amendment to the constitution. In addition to replacing Sri Lanka’s executive presidential system with a more balanced parliamentary system, the amendment has sought to establish an independent National Audit Commission that will report directly to Parliament.
To build upon Rajapaksa’s reforms, TI recommended that the government establish a parliamentary committee tasked specifically with the oversight of defence and security activities, strategy and spending. This committee should have access to a fully detailed defence budget and internal audit reports, be able to call expert witnesses, scrutinise defence agencies and institutions; meet regularly and publish reports on its activity.
Increase Budget Transparency
The Ministry of Public Finance publishes a budget for security sector finances. However, few details aside from total revenue and total expenses are included. To increase transparency and civilian oversight TI has recommended that the government publish an annual defence budget that includes detailed information on expenditure across functions including research & design, training, salaries, acquisitions, disposal of assets, maintenance and personnel expenditures to help ensure that the budget is spent on equipment that meet Sri Lanka’s strategic priorities and needs.
Establish Clear Protocols for Promotions
Evidence suggests that political interference, nepotism and lack of objective criteria for appointments and promotions have been a consistent issue in military appointments. President Rajapaksa chose his brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa to be the Defence Secretary and his other brother Basil Rajapaksa to head the Finance Ministry.
TI recommended that formal written procedures establishing an independent, transparent, and objective appointment system for the selection and promotion of military personnel at all levels be established. This system should be published, and accompanied by the use of objective job descriptions, assessment processes for appointments, and independent oversight.
*The Government Defence Anti-Corruption Index (GI) assesses the existence and effectiveness of institutional and informal controls to manage the risk of corruption in defence and security institutions and of their enforcement. Transparency International’s team of experts draws together evidence from a wide variety of sources and interviewees across 77 indicators to provide the government with a detailed assessment of the integrity of their defence institutions.
Dinuk / November 5, 2015
This is all a good idea, but where to start is the question given the corruption embedded deep in the Ranil-Sirisena Ayahapalanaya government that is protecting all the corrupt politicians in the parliament of corrupt and criminal clowns?
In many ways corruption is worse today than with the Mahinda Jarapassa and brothers Inc. rule which did not try to pretend that it was not a military dictatorship dressed in primitive, Sinhala Buddhist nationalist racism.
The most scnadelous exposure has been made by JVP’s Anura Kumara that the so-called Minister of Law and order is a corrupt clown and the lawyer of the Avandt Gurad Scammer. There is a massive CONFLICT OF INTEREST and Marapana must be asked to resign. Meanwhile the Minister of justice is protecting Gota the Goon and Ranil is bailing out Wimal Weerawansa – to continue the circus in the Parliament of Modayas where Ranil like to play king of the court.
It is time now for the masses who were duped by the Ayahapalanaya Sirisena-Ranil circus of corrupt clowns to have a massive protest at the Parliament of corrupt modayas and ask for Marapana and Wijedasa and Ranil’s resignation.
Each session of the parliament of corrupt modayas, where Ranil Wickramsinghe plays king of the court, costs tax payers a hefty sum of 4 million plus. There is need for massive cuts in “parliamentary privileges” and luxurious living for corrupt politicians who are the biggest law breakers in the land.
We need a massive demonstration against corruption outside the parliament of corrupt modays.
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Dude / November 7, 2015
Right on Dinuk!
Civil society and yahapalanay activists need to hold a massive protest outside the parliament – against corruption within in. Both the UNP and SLFP which are in any case the same ugly business since they exchange members regularly are highly corrupt.
Ranil Wickramasinghe is the premier Court Jester in the the Parliamentary Circus of Sri Lanka.
Ranil Wickramasinghe has singularly bad judgement and has hand picked the worst crooks to be Minister of Law and Order – Marapana, Minister of Justice – Wijedasa who is known to tango with Rajapaksa brothers when it suits him.
Ranil also has hand picked an insider trader run the Central Bank and ruin the economy. Arjuna Mahendran is issuing debt and depreciating the rupee and will cause economic disaster similar to what happened in Greece soon.
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SIRI / November 7, 2015
My questions are why Mahinda risked all these
a) Is that lack of knowledge ?
b) Only because he thought allowing his men to grabe their portions- without the knowledge of general public ?
c) Just because the man though elected by people is a born moron ?
d) Or he thought one way or other everyone is corrupted in a developing country, so that should be the way for him to survive politically – this is again most stupdiest by a head of state
e) Or the mans pathological reasons were not clear ot the nation ?
Else, I have no proper reasons to feel as to why a head of state allow any of his kith and kin, supportive generations to loot the tax payers funds.
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Analyst / November 5, 2015
Can anyone give the name of a squeaky clean SL Politician.
We have been duped by the so called Modapalanaya. Until we pick the right politicians the search must go on for the sake of the country for the sake of our children Grandchildren.
The Present regime is no better than the last Regime. There should be no come back for the past and present INEFFICIENT GOVT,
This cancerous disease of this kind of dishonesty was allowed to grow and flourish in the country by the people and the Politicians.
The Tamil problem BLINDED THE WHOLE NATION. The dishonest Politicians , the Health Professionals, The Jurisdiction/ Lawmakers, Even the Venerables , every one turned Corrupt and plundererd the country UNDER THE PRETEXT OF TERRORISM.
The people should take the blame. On a recently published research paper Srilanka had been well placed far higher in corruption ,tackling law and order including the judiciary ‘s efficiency has been questioned. Even after the change of government the problems had not been addressed.
We are a nation of Losers and its proved. That’s the curse of PRINCESS KUWENI.
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Shrikharan / November 9, 2015
Analyst
“Can anyone give the name of a squeaky clean SL Politician.”
Sorry to say there are no clean politicians as there are no clean people! We have become corrupt to the core. We all can talk nice and clean as you see in Colombo Telegraph. We all are big talkers. That is the trouble, we talk simply to replace one crook by another.
Who said My3 was clean he never was. President Sirisena is not a man above board. He did a dirty thing to stab his boss Rajapakse in his back. Had he was truly driven by conviction that Rajapakse was a cruel man he should have left him long ago and not at the last moment as how he did, when Rajapakse announced holding early Presidential elections. It was his greed for power not the conviction Rajapakse was bad that played.
Sad to say, the only solution is to go back to ‘colonial rule’ and get rehabilitated and then we MAY have a better chance.
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gamini / November 5, 2015
It is absolutely comic to see those who supported MR and his cronies now blaming RW for not taking action against the corrupt Rajapaksa family, merely to hammer RW. What a set of Jokers?
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Boom Boom / November 6, 2015
Gamini (gandaya?)
So we all become supporters of MR and his cronies if we question the corruption of this yamapalanaya regime?
What about TI opening up an inquiry on its Sri Lankan agent J.C. Weliamuna who is gathering millions of rupees of poor Sri Lankan tax payers’ money by doing the laundry for Maithripala?
We know you haven’t got a conscience gandaya, but try and find one in your last few years at least.
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Neville Sen / November 6, 2015
Gamini – We are all aware of your love and loyalty to RW, but it is even more “comic” to listen to your “support” for those who are blatantly disregarding the law to protect their vested interests! You sound like those “supporters of MR and his cronies” that you were referring to.
Why don’t you respond to the comments by Dinuk and Analyst instead of making your idiotic comment? Maybe then we could take you more seriously.
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Shrikharan / November 9, 2015
Neville Sen
“Why don’t you respond to the comments by Dinuk and Analyst Instead of making your idiotic comment?”
I am pretty sure a large percentage of parliamentarians do read Colombo Telegraph and especially viewers comments. I am sure the revelation by the Colombo Telegraph of the Avant Garde scandal and controversy and more specially our comments did play a significant part for Tilak Marapone’s resignation.
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vas / November 10, 2015
The problem with Sri Lankans is sycophants. They are not able to call a spade a spade. The comments in this site confirms it.
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