{"id":227591,"date":"2022-06-07T03:37:24","date_gmt":"2022-06-06T22:07:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=227591"},"modified":"2022-06-14T02:38:45","modified_gmt":"2022-06-13T21:08:45","slug":"ranils-mythical-access-to-global-finance-political-longevity-is-media-creation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/ranils-mythical-access-to-global-finance-political-longevity-is-media-creation\/","title":{"rendered":"Ranil\u2019s Mythical Access To Global Finance & Political Longevity Is Media Creation"},"content":{"rendered":"

By <\/strong>Amrit Muttukumaru<\/a> –<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Amrit Muttukumaru<\/p><\/div>\n

We Sri Lankans are born suckers due to our gullibility worsened by a\u00a0short attention span.\u00a0How else could one explain how the beleaguered <\/em>Gotabaya Rajapaksa struggling to hang on to his presidency would have dared to appoint the hugely unpopular <\/em>Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister? Wickremesinghe along with the Rajapaksas would most likely be the most unpopular\/disliked politicians in Sri Lanka. There is considerable print media hype that Wickremesinghe has accumulated considerable experience as a five-time Prime Minister with access to global funding and investments. What the media fail to mention is (i) only in one instance was he able to complete even 3 years in a 5 year term for a PM (ii) during his five-time tenure as PM, his United National Party never had a majority in Parliament (iii) his record in getting FDIs is dismal. Does anyone recall the dubious <\/strong>\u201c$ 3.85 billion oil refinery in Hambantota\u201d and the 2017 Volkswagen vehicle assembly plant in Kuliyapitiya which turned out to be a hoax<\/strong>? There was even a\u00a0\u201cground breaking ceremony\u201d<\/a><\/span> for the Volkswagen plant!<\/p>\n

At the most recent August 2020 General Election, the UNP \u2018led\u2019 by Wickremesinghe for almost 27 years was electorally decimated<\/strong> by not winning even a single seat. He himself lost the Colombo District which has always been a bastion of the UNP. He has clung on as UNP leader despite the party under him losing a record number of nationwide elections and thousands of exasperated party faithful by tinkering with the already authoritarian UNP constitution. It is widely believed that his inability to have popular appeal is largely due to his inability to connect with the masses.<\/p>\n

Ranil\u2019s Saviours<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Ranil Wickremesinghe\u2019s fairy-tale entry into the world of politics at the age of 28 was after his uncle J. R.<\/em>\u00a0Jayewardene led the UNP to a landslide victory at the General Election held in 1977 where the UNP obtained an unprecedented five<\/em>–\u00a0sixth majority<\/em> in parliament. In this landslide victory, Wickremesinghe effortlessly won his Biyagama electorate under the then \u2018first-past-the-post\u2019 system. Jayewardene lost no time in appointing his nephew as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and later as the youngest Cabinet rank minister.<\/p>\n

One may well ask how was Wickremesinghe time after time able to pull<\/em>\u00a0a\u00a0rabbit out of the hat to be Prime Minister five times? The simple answer is the obsession of dynastic interests<\/strong> in control of the mainstream media not to let go of dynastic influence of politics in this country. <\/em>Wickremesinghe and the UNP are the conduit to continue with the political influence of the Senanayake\/<\/em>Wijewardene\/Jayewardene\/Bandaranaike clans through Wickremesinghe\u2019s laid-back first-cousin Ruwan Wijewardene whose father Ranjit Wijewardene is the feared Czar of the print media in this country.<\/p>\n

There is something about the\u00a0printed<\/strong>\u00a0word that makes it more credible and hence more influential to condition the human mind<\/strong> in a manner that the social and visual media can never match. It is in this context that the antics of Sri Lanka\u2019s most influential print media company \u2013\u00a0Wijeya Newspapers Limited (WNL) owned by\u00a0Wickremesinghe\u2019s uncle\u00a0Ranjit Wijewardene and the next in line Upali Newspapers Limited (UNL) founded by Wijewardene\u2019s late <\/em>cousin Upali\u00a0Wijewardene must be viewed. UNL is now controlled by Upali\u2019s widow <\/em>Lakmani who is the daughter of Sirimavo<\/em>\u00a0Bandaranaike\u2019s late brother Dr.\u00a0Seevali<\/em>\u00a0Ratwatte. Both WNL Chairman Ranjit and UNL founder Upali are cousins of J. R.<\/em>\u00a0Jayewardene who brought his nephew Wickremesinghe into politics.<\/p>\n

It must be flagged that the mainstream print media in this country also has its internet presence.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ruwan & Dynasty<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is apparent that the real motive<\/strong> of WNL to promote the disastrous political track record of its owner\u2019s nephew Ranil (sister\u2019s son) is to carve out a political future for Wijewardene\u2019s laid-back son Ruwan who despite WNL\u2019s cost free<\/strong> advertising blitz <\/em>could not get him elected at the August 2020 General Election from the Gampaha District even with its Biyagama pocket borough.<\/p>\n

Ruwan was catapulted to national politics virtually from obscurity by first cousin Ranil who lost no time in propelling him out of turn<\/em> to the position of UNP Deputy Leader<\/strong>. This is similar to the favour done by J. R.<\/em>\u00a0Jayewardene to his nephew Ranil in 1977. The country has paid dearly for this in the case of Wickremesinghe and is well on the way to a similar fate at the hands of Ruwan.<\/p>\n

Among many examples of the dynastic project<\/strong> is the \u2018Daily Mirror\u2019 <\/em>(7 September 2020) Op-Ed article in vivid colour<\/strong> <\/em>\u201cBack To Senanaiksm And Save The Party\u201d<\/a><\/span> directly <\/strong>promoting Ruwan whose mother Ranjani\u00a0<\/em>is a grand-daughter of the co-founder of the UNP and the country\u2019s first Prime Minister D.S.Senanayake: <\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cRanil who commands a majority in the decision-making Working Committee will never give in to rebels. Only with the emergence of a new leader with the blessing of clergy and rank and file can rescue the grand old party from the present disastrous situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA moderate, soft-spoken, patriotic young leadership is what the beleaguered party requires for the upliftment of the moral of membership and for its survival.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another example of the dynastic project is:<\/p>\n

\u201cPM to bring in political reforms, secure foreign assistance: Ruwan\u201d<\/a> – \u2018Daily Mirror\u2019 31 May 2022<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Fear of WNL<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

It is widely perceived that WNL has a dominant <\/strong>influence on the print media of this country \u2013 \u2018Irida Lankadeepa\u2019, \u2018Lankadeepa\u2019 (Daily), \u2018Sunday Times\u2019, \u2018Daily Mirror\u2019, \u2018Daily FT\u2019 and \u2018Tamil Mirror\u2019. The next in line UNL publications include \u2018Divaina\u2019, \u2018The Island\u2019 and \u2018Sunday Island\u2019.<\/p>\n

It is believed that the political establishment and the competing media in this country are averse to getting on the wrong side of WNL and its owner Ranjit Wijewardene. He is the driving force behind the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) under which falls the Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka (PCCSL) with its farcical \u2018self-regulation\u2019. Since its inception in 2003, the SLPI and PCCSL have had only two chairmen \u2013 Ranjit Wijewardene from 2003-2008 and \u2018outsider\u2019 Kumar Nadesan 2008 to date (14 years!). It is obvious that Nadesan would never have come anywhere close to being SLPI\/PCCSL chairman if not for the \u2018imprimatur\u2019 <\/em>of Wijewardene. Nadesan is the Managing Director of<\/em>\u00a0Express Newspapers Ceylon Ltd., who are the publishers of \u2018Virakesari\u2019<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Just one example is sufficient to showcase the farcical<\/strong> nature of the \u2018Self-Regulation\u2019<\/strong> practiced by the PCCSL and the dominance Wijewardene has on the print media of this country. The Editor of \u2018Sunday Times\u2019 (WNL publication) Sinha Ratnatunga is also Deputy Chairman of PCCSL. Hence, anyone having a complaint against the \u2018Sunday Times\u2019 has to complain to Ratnatunga about Ratnatunga! Fear <\/strong>of WNL is such that no media institution or even the reading public have dared to protest against this horrific \u2018conflict of interest\u2019<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The fear of WNL is such that the appointment of Wijewardene\u2019s son Ruwan as Minister of Mass Media<\/strong> by cousin Ranil (then PM) did not draw even a whimper<\/em> in\u00a0protest<\/em> from either the state or private media although he had access to information from competing<\/strong> media institutions.<\/p>\n

Ruwan & Easter Sunday<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Although Ruwan was State Minister of Defence during the entire period<\/strong> of the Yahapalana government, no one \u2013 not even the now unusually quiet Cardinal has demanded accountability from Ruwan for his share of responsibility for the Easter Sunday carnage. Even if he was kept away from some meetings of the National Security Council, are we expected to believe that Ruwan did not have knowledge of the attack even to the extent of Harin Fernando\u2019s hospitalized father?<\/p>\n

Apart from this, would not have investigative journalists from his father\u2019s media empire have tipped him off?<\/p>\n

Ruwan reportedly stating \u201cthere was no information to suggest that Zahran was engaged in terrorist activities\u201d (\u2018Daily Mirror\u2019 19 Aug 2020) is contradicted <\/strong>by SI Srimal Sanjeewa of the CID informing the Presidential Commission probing the Easter Sunday attacks that Zahran had been conducting a training camp<\/a><\/span> in the Puttalam area \u201cfrom 2015 to 2019\u201d on \u201cthe use of Type-56 firearms and hand grenades\u201d. (\u2018Daily Mirror\u2019 1 September 2020).<\/p>\n

Why does no one call out Ruwan<\/strong> for his share of responsibility for the Easter Sunday carnage? Is it the fear of WNL?<\/p>\n

\u201cRuwan vows to safeguard country\u2019s security\u201d<\/span><\/a> is the news item in WNL publication \u2018Daily FT\u2019 (12 September 2015) after he assumed office as State Minister of Defence. Given below is a picture of Ruwan signing documents after he assumed office. Also in the picture is his father Ranjit Wijewardene \u2013 Chairman and owner of WNL.<\/p>\n

Media Build-Up of Ranil<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1) \u201cPM confident of securing $6bn to boost economy\u201d<\/a> <\/span>– \u2018Daily Mirror\u2019 3 June 2022 (Front Page with RED<\/u><\/strong> Lettering)<\/p>\n

Reality: PM \u2013 \u201cany bridging finance to help alleviate the crisis is dependent on an agreement with the IMF being reached.\u201d<\/p>\n

2) \u201cNew PM could bring about political stability in SL: U.S. Ambassador\u201d<\/a><\/span> – \u2018Daily Mirror\u2019 28 May 2022\u00a0(Front Page)<\/p>\n

Reality: \u201cThe U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung expressed hope<\/u><\/strong> that the government, including the new Prime Minister, would be able to bring about political stability and overcome the current economic crisis.\u201d (emphasis mine)<\/p>\n

3) ADB, AIIB, WB in joint action plan to help Sri Lanka<\/a><\/span> – \u2018Daily FT\u2019 23 May 2022\u00a0(Front Page)<\/p>\n

Reality: \u201cWorld Bank Statement on Sri Lanka\u201d<\/a><\/span> – WASHINGTON, May 24, 2022\u2014 \u201cRecent media reports have\u00a0inaccurately\u00a0stated that the World Bank is planning support for Sri Lanka in the form of a bridge loan or new loan commitments, among other\u00a0incorrect\u00a0assertions.\u201d<\/p>\n

4) \u201cBoris Johnson pledges support for SRI LANKA\u201d<\/a><\/span> – \u2018Daily Mirror\u2019 31 May 2022\u00a0(Front Page)<\/p>\n

Reality: PM – \u201cHe pledged to support us especially in the fields of tackling climate change and assisting Sri Lanka in becoming an export oriented open economy\u201d<\/p>\n

5) PM holds phone conversation with USAID Administrator Samantha Power<\/a><\/span> – \u2018Daily FT\u2019 25 May 2022<\/p>\n

Reality: USAID Spokesperson Rebecca Chalif – <\/strong>\u201cneed to urgently undertake political and economic reforms to gain the trust of the Sri Lankan people.\u201d<\/p>\n

6) \u201cAt least someone, whether bravely or naively, took up the challenge of steering the ship of state that has hit an iceberg and is sinking\u201d<\/a><\/span> – \u2018Sunday Times\u2019 22 May 2022 (Editorial)<\/p>\n

7) \u201cThe daunting challenge before PM Ranil Wickremesinghe\u201d<\/a><\/span> – \u2018Sunday Island\u2019 29 May 2022 (Op-Ed)<\/p>\n

\u201cAt long last the nation has a new prime minister who has a unique record of having been PM of the country five times in the past. The wealth of experience such a person must have will be invaluable in the present context.\u201d \u2013 Columnist<\/p>\n

8) Letter to Editor: \u201cLee Kuan Yew of SL\u201d<\/strong> – \u2018Daily Mirror\u2019 24 May 2022 (Editorial Page)<\/p>\n

Ranil Wickremesinghe is said to have stated: \u201cWhen I end my political journey, I want the people of this country to remember me as the Lee Kuan Yew of Sri Lanka. My wish is to leave that legacy behind me. This is my message to the people of this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under Ranil\u2019s Watch<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

1) The egregious Central Bank Bond Scams<\/strong> of 27 February 2015 and March 2016 took place under the watch of then PM Wickremesinghe after he unprecedentedly removed the CBSL from the Finance Ministry and brought it under his Ministry of Policy Planning and Economics Affairs. The Deputy Minister was current SJB stalwart Dr. Harsha de Silva.<\/p>\n

2) Did not the Yahapalana government in which Wickremesinghe was PM in effect facilitate money laundering when it repealed the Exchange Control Act No. 24 of 1953 and brought into law the new Foreign Exchange Act No. 12 of 2017?\u00a0\u00a0The new law\u00a0certified on 28 July 2017 became effective\u00a0from 20 November 2017. Eran Wickramaratne current SJB stalwart was\u00a0State Minister of Finance\u00a0from\u00a0May 2017.<\/p>\n

3) A\u00a0precursor<\/strong>\u00a0to the controversial Yahapalana inspired Foreign Exchange Act was the \u2018invitation\u2019 issued by then Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake through India\u2019s\u00a0\u2018The Hindu\u2019 of 5 October 2015\u00a0to\u00a0\u201cSri Lankans and Indians who had to take back their deposits from banks in Switzerland to place their funds in Sri Lanka\u201d. \u00a0He had further assured \u201cNo questions would be asked\u201d<\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Did not the Yahapalana government in which Wickremesinghe was PM propose dubious FDI<\/strong>\u00a0projects such as the \u201c$ 3.85 billion oil refinery in Hambantota\u201d and the 2017 Volkswagen vehicle assembly plant in Kuliyapitiya which turned out to be a hoax? There was even a\u00a0\u201cground breaking ceremony\u201d<\/span><\/a> for the Volkswagen plant!<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Is it not dangerous to give the media both state\/private \u2013 a free pass to operate without \u2018independent\u2019 regulation? It is a myth that the privately owned media is superior to the state owned media.<\/p>\n

It is not for nothing that the media is referred to as the \u2018Fourth Estate\u2019<\/strong> after the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. Hence, in the context of the \u2018Constitutional Council\u2019<\/strong> and \u2018Independent Commissions\u2019 being proposed under the 21st<\/sup> Amendment<\/strong> to encompass the First, Second and Third Estates, is there any rationale to exclude the Fourth Estate? This by no means should be a mechanism to regulate media freedom. What needs to be regulated is any \u2018abuse\u2019 of the \u2018free\u2019 media by the owners who are invariably businessmen.<\/p>\n

Would the Print and TV media empires of\u00a0Wijeya Newspapers Limited (WNL) and\u00a0<\/em>the Capital Maharaja Group (CMG)\u00a0have reached their current status if not for state sponsored projects \u2013 chief among them being the\u00a0<\/em>\u2018Mahaweli Project\u2019 \u2013 Randenigala Dam (WNL) and Victoria Dam (CMG).<\/p>\n

There is documentary evidence of some media companies \u2018planting\u2019 non-existent<\/strong> stories falsely attributed to sources such as even the <\/em>\u2018London Times\u2019. At their own whim newspapers decide when or not to grant a \u2018Right of Reply\u2019. Alleged plagiarism<\/strong> by some columnists have never been transparently addressed. Is not the mainstream media selective<\/strong> in exposing corruption?\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

SJB MP S. M. Marikkar when <\/em>referring to the \u2018Pandora Papers\u2019 and the past employment of Thirukumar Nadesan avoided even naming<\/strong> the company where Nadesan<\/em> worked. He merely<\/p>\n

told Parliament \u201cNadesan was only an employee of a famous Company\u201d<\/span><\/a>. Is not this company Capital Maharaja Group, the owner of the Sirasa\/MTV\/Shakthi television empire?<\/p>\n

Apparently no one in parliament even asked for the identity of this \u201cfamous Company\u201d! This is the extent to which even politicians fear<\/strong> the media.<\/p>\n

Under the circumstances, is it not crucial to bring the \u2018Fourth Estate\u2019 (media) under the ambit of the \u2018Constitutional Council\u2019<\/strong>? Should this not be part of the \u2018systemic change\u2019<\/strong><\/em> being demanded?<\/em><\/p>\n

A word of caution on the <\/em>\u2018Constitutional Council\u2019 must be flagged. There does not appear to be clarity on its composition<\/strong> which is crucial to make it truly independent<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I urge any section of the media to refute<\/strong> any of this for which in the first instance the article must be published!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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