East Container Terminal, Colombo port
Posted on November 16th, 2020
RANJITH SOYSA
Recently , the Minister Sarath Weersekera clarified the present Government’s position about the a rumour regarding the future of ECT which is being given prominence in social media criticising the President and the cabinet. The Minister should be thanked as his response was timely and it quashed the one -sided anti -Government propaganda by interested parties,
He said that the Memorandum of Corporation was signed by Yahaplanaya government with India and Japan in 2019 when Sagala Ratanayake was the minister in charge of ports. The origin of the present issue of the 49% of the ownership of the ECT will with India and Japan and the management of the ECT to be handed over to a well known Indian company can be traced to the MOC signed by the previous government in 2019. Minister Weerasekera in his clarification also discusses the mishandling and the mismanagement of the ECT project by the previous government which caused the delays of completing the ECT.
The Minister explains the difficulties involved in changing the conditions in the MOC which had been signed and clearly states that the present government does not see eye to eye with the agreement and is considering to change some aspects which are disadvantageous to the country. He also mentions the fact that the President was forthright in conveying to US Secretary of State when he was in Sri Lanka that the country will never accept agreements which are inimical to the interest of the country with special reference to the MCC.
The Sri Lankans who voted the President and the present Government are confident that the President and the decision makers such as the Minister Sarath Weeraskera will do their best to protect the sovereignty and the independence of the country.
RANJITH SOYSA
November 16th, 2020 at 7:39 pm
The apt Sinhala saying “kanna ona unama kabara goyath thalagya” comes to mind.
Taking over a port little by little is the start of taking over a country. In our case this has happened throughout our history. Ports are the nerve center of a nation, as such no foreigner should be allowed to meddle in their affair.
Even Elara had come to the country for trade and entered the port first then he took it over. Gradually he had taken over the entire country beyond Mahaweli and without the knowledge of Sinhalese had become a ‘just king’. He had taken away the wealth of the country without laying a single brick for its development.
In last night’s episode of Prof. Raj Somadeva’s dialog with Sinhalese world over, he explained what is happening in our country today was a power struggle between world powers then and not just a war between Elara and Dutugemunu.
The likes of Weerasekaras have to say a thing like what Ranjith says to stay in a government that is trying to sell a nerve center of a nation; there is no other way.
No wonder Sinhalaya is called ‘modaya’. “Angillen annath penne ne”.
November 16th, 2020 at 7:50 pm
Sorry please read as:
“…… what is happening in our country today is a power struggle between world powers and is similar to the war between Elara and Dutugemunu which was not just a war between two people.