{"id":226559,"date":"2022-04-17T03:21:17","date_gmt":"2022-04-16T21:51:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=226559"},"modified":"2022-04-22T11:33:19","modified_gmt":"2022-04-22T06:03:19","slug":"will-dr-harsha-perform-a-political-bulti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/will-dr-harsha-perform-a-political-bulti\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Dr. Harsha Perform A \u201cPolitical Bulti\u201d?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Gamini Jayaweera<\/a> –<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Gamini Jayaweera<\/p><\/div>\n

Participating in a recent TV programme, opposition parliamentarian Dr. Harsha De Silva<\/a><\/span> said that the President was not wrong<\/strong>, and he felt sorry for the President\u2019s predicament. He did not believe that the President had ever thought of making such a wrongdoing. (\u201c\u0da2\u0db1\u0dcf\u0db0\u0dd2\u0db4\u0dad\u0dd2\u0dad\u0dd4\u0db8\u0dcf \u0dc0\u0dd0\u0dbb\u0daf\u0dd2 \u0db1\u0dd0\u0dc4\u0dd0………\u0d91\u0dba\u0dcf \u0d9c\u0dd0\u0db1 \u0db8\u0da7 \u0daf\u0dd4\u0d9a\u0dba\u0dd2……\u0db8\u0db8 \u0dc0\u0dd2\u0dc1\u0dca\u0dc0\u0dcf\u0dc3 \u0d9a\u0dbb\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1\u0dd9\u0dca \u0db1\u0dd0\u0dc4\u0dd0 \u0d9a\u0dd2\u0dc3\u0dd2\u0daf\u0dc0\u0dc3\u0d9a \u0db8\u0dda \u0dc0\u0d9c\u0dda \u0dc0\u0dd0\u0dbb\u0daf\u0dca\u0daf\u0d9a\u0dca \u0d9a\u0dbb\u0db1\u0dca\u0db1 \u0db6\u0dbd\u0dcf\u0db4\u0ddc\u0dbb\u0ddc\u0dad\u0dca\u0dad\u0dd4 \u0dc0\u0dd4\u0db1\u0dcf \u0d9a\u0dd2\u0dba\u0dbd\u0dcf. \u0d9a\u0dbd\u0dca\u0dbd\u0dd2\u0dba\u0d9a\u0dca \u0dc0\u0dd2\u0dc3\u0dd2\u0db1\u0dca \u0d94\u0dc4\u0dd4\u0dc0 \u0d9a\u0ddc\u0da7\u0dd4 \u0d9a\u0dbb\u0d9c\u0dd9\u0db1……….”)<\/p>\n

Dr. Harsha\u2019s statement implies that the President is a prisoner<\/strong> within his inner circle<\/strong> of advisers who are responsible for all the wrong decisions that have been taken by the President but not the President himself. Is it reasonable to assume that Dr. Harsha has made this statement because either he is preparing groundwork for a \u201cpolitical bulti\u201d<\/strong> which is like the one performed by Shantha Bandara or he is not fully aware<\/strong> of the wrong doings which have been carried out by the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his regime, since he became the President of Sri Lanka in November 2019? I have formulated the following information for the benefit of a wider audience to make up their own minds about the validity of Dr. Harsha\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n

Appointment of Criminals <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When Gotabhaya Rajapaksa became President of Sri Lanka he appointed Lalith Weerathunge who was a convicted criminal at the time, as his Senior Adviser. The President did not wait for the hearing and the judgement of the higher court for the appeal filed by the convicted criminals. When Lalith Weerathunge was serving as the Senior Adviser to the President<\/strong>, the Court of Appeal Discharged and Acquitted<\/strong> the previously convicted Lalith and Anusha Palpita for mis-using public funds for political activities. Anusha Palpita was appointed as the new Secretary to the Ministry of Industries from January 1, 2021, by President Gotabaya.<\/p>\n

Duminda Silva was convicted by the Supreme Court as a murderer for murdering Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra. President Gotabaya using his presidential executive powers, pardoned, and released Duminda from the prison. He then appointed Duminda Silva as the Chairman of the Urban Development Authority. I wonder whether Dr. Harsha believes<\/strong> that these are the work of the advisers in the inner circle of the president.<\/p>\n

Friends and Family for Top Positions <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as Gotabaya Rajapaksa became president he appointed some of his friends in America<\/strong> who used to have sing song parties with him, as Sri Lankan Ambassadors without any previous diplomatic and administrative experience.<\/p>\n

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed most of his close family members as Ministers and State Ministers. The dual citizenship law was changed to appoint one of his brothers, a citizen of America, as the finance minister. It has been reported that according to some estimates, about 75% of the budget is under the control of Rajapaksa ministers in government. Surely Dr. Harsha, do you believe that these decisions have been made by the advisers in the President\u2019s inner circle?<\/p>\n

Tax Concessions & Sudden Tax Changes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

A proposal made by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in November 2019, the Phottuwa caretaker government headed by Mahinda Rajapaksa, announced a heap of tax concessions<\/strong> which included the annulment of Nation Building Tax (NBT), Capital Gain Tax, Withholding Tax, and the reduction of VAT to 8 per cent from 15. At the time, Patali Champika Ranawaka<\/strong> MP stated that the government revenue had been reduced by 30 percent due to these tax concessions. He pointed out that the previous tax policy<\/strong> administered by the \u201cYahapalanaya\u201d government helped to keep the country from going bankrupt.<\/p>\n

Then the sudden Tax changes in importing sugar had allowed a few businessmen to pocket Rs. 15.95bn<\/strong> which had been classified as lost revenue to the government. No checks and balances were made when taking such drastic decisions, demonstrating the ugly side of the President and the members of the government who were opening doors to their supporters to earn unbelievable profits at the expense of government revenue.<\/p>\n

It appears that to payback their wealthy donors and supporters, the Gotabaya government ignore these dangers<\/strong> and allowed the treasury lose billions of rupees<\/strong> in revenue. We do not believe that these despotic actions<\/strong> have been taken by the advisers in the President\u2019s inner circle?<\/p>\n

Appointment of Retired Military Personnel<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

During the past two years, President Gotabaya has appointed some of the retired members of Armed Forces without sufficient qualifications and experience, as Secretaries to the Ministries<\/strong> destroying the independent status of these positions. During the same period, President Gotabaya has appointed retired members of armed forces as Chairmen of State enterprises<\/strong>. Most of these retired personnel have not got the required entrepreneurial experience to manage these institutions economically and efficiently, hence making substantial losses. One wonders whether these appointments have been made to run efficient and economic public service and state corporations or<\/strong> to payback friendly members of the armed forces to ensure that Command & Control<\/strong> type leadership would be in place to suppress<\/strong> the workforce and Trade Unions who may fight for their employment rights.<\/p>\n

I give below on point form the rest of the wrong doings during the last two years by the President Gotabaya and his regime otherwise this is going to be a very long article. Hope the learned Dr. will get a clearer picture of the reasons for President\u2019s self-made predicament.<\/p>\n