President Sirisena protects bond scam offenders – JO
Posted on January 30th, 2018
Sheain Fernandopulle Courtesy The Daily Mirror
President Maithripala Sirisena has been attempting to protect the major bond scam offenders since the beginning of the first bond scam on February 2015, Joint Opposition MP Prasanna Ranatunga said today.
Addressing a news conference, he said the bond scam should have been nipped in the bud if President Sirisena had not dissolved the parliament when the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) report in connection with the Central Bank bond issue was presented to parliament by its chairman D.E.W. Gunasekera, after the first bond fraud on February 2015.
President was well aware that the COPE report had envisaged the responsibility of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in relation with the bond scam. Having known that Premier was one of the major culprits of bonds fraud, President Sirisena dissolved parliament without debating the COPE report in order to protect the Premier,” MP Ranatunga said.
He further said that President Sirisena appointed Arjuna Mahendran as the Governor of the Central Bank knowing that he was not Sri Lankan citizen. Thus, he asked whether we need any evidence other than this to say that President Sirisena protects rouges. ()
January 30th, 2018 at 9:10 am
This is disgusting. Robbers should be brought to book.
January 30th, 2018 at 2:12 pm
JO should use this point in their campaign, in political meetings and rellies. Otherwise due to the way My3 is shouting from top of his voice about his Yahap plan, people will get fooled again.
These looters should not win.
In the mean time, JO should ensure their candidates declare their assets as per the law and take a strong stand and a promise not to do any corrupt acts. We had enough of these cheating politicians on both sides.
JVP will be the same when they have power. They will be even worst because they have not come from a different planet.. they are also a product of the same society.
January 30th, 2018 at 5:53 pm
Thinking through what a commentator mentioned, Sirisena may (for the fourth time) have a shrewed plan to enjoy the fruits of Mahinda’s labour without breaking a sweat. SLPP has no members in provincial councils and the parliament. SLPP leaders Basil and GL Pieris are not in any governance position. JO MPs that support SLPP are not SLPP members! They come under SLFP and/or UPFA Constitutions. If they violate these, they will be punished.
This may explain why Sirisena is not punishing JO MPs who are officially SLFP members. He lets them campaign against him. Once SLPP Councilors are elected, he will use coercion to get them into his fold. SLPP LG Councilors are orphans without their party members in higher places.
SLPP is unlikely to win rich Munucipal Councils. SLPP is strong in poor Pradeshiya Sabhas. These rely on Central Government financing and policy support. They are managed through Faizer Mustafa’s ministry of local government. But these people face the public everyday. They have no security or perks. If they are unable to carryout basic services, they will face the wrath of the people, literally. The only way they an avoid is by following the government line.
He tried this in 2004 but failed. After Mahinda tirelessly campaigned and UPFA won, Sirisena tried to become PM with JVP support. However, he succeeded twice in 2015.
I blame this on weak JO MPs who lack courage to leave the SLFP/UPFA and take up membership of SLPP. They must be willing to take that risk. Otherwise Sirisena will simply let SLPP win as many seats and then use his usual gimmicks to get them into his side. Those who resist will have the FCID and presidential commissions coming after them. Unlike parliamentarians, they have no privileges. Though peasents work very hard and achive success, the harvest belongs to the land owner – the party owner in this case.
Those who want SLPP to win must put pressure on Mahinda to resign from the SLFP and UPFA and become a fulltime member of the SLPP.