Our country’s image
Posted on January 20th, 2018
S. Akurugoda
As per the news items appearing in the media, almost daily, it is apparent that our country has earned notoriety as a rogues’ paradise. Both the Country’s President Sirisena and the Parliamentarians of the same ruling gang such as MP Marikar pointing each other as “pick-pocketer” while no legal action has been taken up to now against the well-known crooks of the country’s biggest financial robbery which have caused colossal losses to some state banks and the Employees’ Provident Fund.
Looking at the way things are going on and considering the fate of the previous Presidential Reports on various issues, it is very unlikely that culprits responsible for the ‘Central Bank Bond Scams’ will be produced before courts and any action will be taken to recover the lost money from the bond racketeers. Instead, the rulers of the current regime are trying to divert the attention of the public, talking about alleged impropriety in the issue of bonds during the period 2008-2014 and alleged corruption issues of Sri Lankan Air Line and Mihin Air Line etc. in the past.
The bare truth about the policies of the both UNP and the SLFP of the current regime is that neither of the leaders of the day represents the interest of the country, but standing for their own self interest of either hanging onto power or to grab power by hook or crook. Both leaders need each other’s support for survival.
The country’s rulers have been elected by the people and hence those who voted and those who promoted the voters to choose the rulers are also at fault to some extent to the current situation.
After the introduction of the so-called free economy and the preferential voting system in 1977, the priorities of some of the population and those of politicians have changed drastically during the last few decades and their needs are self-centred and not the country first. They too do not hesitate to involve in insider-dealings, malpractices, bribery (taking or giving) etc to achieve their own needs.
It is also a well known fact that most of these people have voted, during the last presidential and general elections, expecting to buy cheaper cars, to have free Wi-Fi etc , expecting whatever more than they were receiving before. Most of the politicians preferred by them , too, play the same game and do anything to be elected or to enter parliament (even though the backdoor, as nominated MPs, if they were not elected by the people) and to achieve whatever comforts to their maximum.
The entire country is now aware who appointed the leader of the UNP as the country’s PM within minutes after taking oath as the country’s President, who appointed Ravi Karunanayake as the Minister of Finance and Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran, who recommended the racketeers to those positions, who attempted to cover-up the bond racket by appointing a fake investigating committee comprising party lawyers, who dissolved the Parliament preventing the tabling of the COPE report in order to protect the crooks and who are responsible for letting the crooks moving around freely without any charges are being laid up to now.
As per a news item appeared in local media, few weeks ago, former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal requested the President to initiate a serious and independent investigation so as to ascertain whether there is any truth in the allegation made in Australian press reports against bribery citing the name of a senior minister of the previous government of Sri Lanka and his advisor with a political “donation”.
Although Mr Cabraal had not mentioned the name of the Senior Minister, the following news item appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald identifies the name of Mr. Maithripala Sirisena when he was a cabinet minister in 2009.
It is reported that Mr Sirisena said he had “no knowledge of the incident” and requested further information to “ascertain the involvement of any of his office staff”.
Since all most all printed media in Australia (where a sizable Sri Lankan community is living) were giving wide publicity over the outcome of Investigation of the SMEC corruption charges citing the name of our country’s current President, it would be better to initiate an investigation in line with the proposed ones for Sri Lankan Air Line and Mihin Air Line to clear the image of our country.
S. Akurugoda