Changing the Pillow for the Headache?
By Faraz Shauketally
Power, greed, avarice have all conspired to make Sri Lanka what it is today. To put it simply, it’s hard work being a Sri Lankan. The rot though began way back in time.
DS Senanayaka, was the master of all manoeuverers. Forging links between himself and the British Governor, he ensured that his son succeeded him to the exclusion of Sir John Kotelawala, who had every right to expect to be the Prime Minister in succession to DS. Since then, the country has gone downhill politically, with little resurgence.
The quest for power and fame, over and above one’s own station in life, has led to an appalling dereliction of public service on the part of elected and appointed officers. Persons entrusted by elected leaders to carry out public duties are, either, routinely corrupt or become corrupted once in office. And, their corruption manifests itself in very many forms – and always with impunity, sticking a finger up at the judiciary as they do. Some who are elected somehow hoodwink and weasel their way through the people’s hearts and minds, to reach elected office and once there, carry out the most unimaginable evasion of obligation. Article 28(D) of the constitution is only but a distant sound which they may or may not have heard of.
It is the people of this country who vote them in. The Sri Lankan voter has for long been the recipient of their own decisions, in electing poorly educated, unprincipled and ill-prepared politicians who consider that politics is in the main, their principal business. But the people themselves are a paradox.
Take for instance the scenes in parts of the country when news of President Ranasingha Premadasa’s murder was announced. They celebrated with firecrackers to the cries of Dushanaya and Bishanaya. This for a man who had given up his life in the service of his people – whether or not one agreed with his policies. As we noted in this newspaper, no man deserves to be murdered.
Successive governments have pursued poorly strategized policies and pogroms, which had little chance of success, compounded by the fact that the politicians strategizing these policies were also doing so with a kaleidoscope of vested interests. The population was clearly aghast at the fate that had befallen Sri Lanka by the end of Mrs. Bandaranaike’s reign: the economy was in tatters. The renaissance and resurgence of politics, the UNP and of the economy too, was made eminently possible thanks to the bizarre mismanagement and short-termist policies pursued by Mrs. Bandaranaike’s government. The politics of having elected an inexperienced personality could not have been better epitomized than by her. JR Jayawardena, as we all know now, romped home in that famous of election victories.
Interventionist policies, unparalleled bureaucracy and red-tape, all contribute and fan the flames of corruption. Sri Lanka has become a fertile ground for corrupt practices precisely because of these. And there is no sign of it abating in the short term.
Take for instance, the search that was carried out on the premises of this newspaper’s print room. All very legally done complete with court orders – but who will believe in all that when, Leader Publications have for long been the target of the government? A forced closure, burning of the presses, attacks on its Chief Editor and his wife and of course the as-yet unresolved murder of its Chief Editor. Death threats, repeatedly made and brazenly repeated, displays does it not, a remarkable fortitude when it comes to disregarding laws and the constitution?
Not merely disregarding but taking the law into the morass of being labeled an ass; Presidential candidate Sarath Kohngahge going for the long shot, claiming in a petition filed with the Supreme Court, that Sarath Fonseka is a US Citizen and therefore ineligible for this Presidential election. Candidate Fonseka has openly admitted to being a ‘green card’ holder; he is not a citizen of the United States but a permanent resident under that country’s Diversity Visa programme. Whilst the Permanent Residency is a step towards obtaining US Citizenship, the granting of that status by the US does not entail the retired General from having taken an oath of allegiance to the United States – notwithstanding the fact that the specific laws governing the maintenance of a ‘Green card’ includes the requirement of complying with US laws and taxes on worldwide income. There is a subtle difference between taking an oath – swearing allegiance – and complying with specific laws – and if not for the fact that we are in an election period, it would be difficult in the extreme to understand candidate Kohngahge’s Supreme Court petition against Sarath Fonseka.
We have spoken of greed and avarice and bureaucracy and corruption and even nepotism but what of professionalism. During the final fortnight of the war against the LTTE, General Sarath Fonseka was in China on a long standing invitation. Upon his return he was made aware of the incident relating to the killing of persons in the process of surrendering by “a journalist”. Surely, Sarath Fonseka realized that these charges were of the most extraordinarily serious nature possible. As a professional man of war what is it exactly that he did at that time? Precisely zilch is what he did. General Fonseka of course remembered the event pretty well: he repeated it almost as though it was militaristic flourish, in July 2009 in Ambalangoda where he was addressing his alma mater. However, he did not launch an enquiry, he did not pursue these allegations or if he did he did not make it known. Until just this week. Significantly after the cover was blown so to speak. His explosive revelations to this Newspaper, never retracted or challenged by Fonseka, has had the most serious impact on his campaign and may well be a great event in case his campaign fails.
Yet with predictable opprobrium, General Fonseka was silent when he was in the hot seat; no sooner than he sits elsewhere, the story rears its head and venom sprouts all over the place. And this particular action of his, must surely be seen as to what Fonseka is fully capable of: flexing with the times. He clearly was adept at being economical with the truth at all times and therefore, exposing him to charges of opportunistic politics with no place for inclusive democracy.
Opportunistic politics as we keep saying is not the monopoly of the crossover politicians in Sri Lanka. In Britain, we have seen a defiant Alistair Campbell, Tony Blair’s right hand mandarin, defend to the tooth Tony Blair’s decision to take Britain to war in Iraq and depose Saddam Husain. Astonishingly and by British standards, candidly, he admitted that Tony Blair had, almost presidential like, written to President Bush, a whole year before the invasion, and had assured Mr. Bush of Britain’s support militarily. Mr. Blair must have thought that with the huge vote base he had received, he was not Prime Minister Blair but more President Blair and had ignored the time honored tradition of collective responsibility at Cabinet level.
Now that the cat is out of the bag, the British government and especially Tony Blair’s backers, have sought to legitimize the unlawful invasion by justifying their action by citing that Iraq has a form of democracy now; conveniently forgotten amongst this argument is the number of people killed on all sides during the currency of the troubles in Iraq, that the British Cabinet was not told and that in essence the British Prime Minister had lied to his flock at the time.
Also in Britain, further evidence of the low depth democracy has sunk all over the world – it is not so much as a global credit crisis – but rather a global democratic breakdown. In Northern Ireland, the First Minister of the Irish Assembly, was forced to announce that his wife, also a member of the Assembly, had engaged in an extra marital affair. That it self was not the startling news: it was more to do with the fact that she had single handedly persuaded 2 persons known to her within the ambit of her work, to provide financial donations totaling GBP 50,000 to her lover. Even that might not have made the banner headlines. What made the public revel in revulsion were Mrs. Robinson’s remarks on homosexuality, she having quoted from Levictus saying she found it an “abomination”. This from a woman whose lover was merely 19 years old. The Irish First Minister stepped aside ostensibly for six months whilst the matter was being investigated. The damage though to democracy, standards and aspirations had been done.
And in Sri Lanka, come a fortnights’ time, there is an urgent and essential need for a strong victory at the polls come January 26th. Mahinda Rajapaksa, as the experienced politician and incumbent President, if he is to seek victory, must campaign not just for victory but for an effective working majority where he can truly champion the aspirations of the people at large. It is only with such a mandate that he can hope to engage Sri Lanka’s economy on a medium and long term renaissance. That in turn will create the fertility required for all communities to be able to cast aside the shackles of racism and embrace the future of strategic and democratic governance as aspired to by the people of Sri Lanka.
Failure by either of the candidates to ensure a decisive victory, will only further fuel charges that politics is the game of deceit – carried out by proxy for and on behalf of Democracy.
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Ever since Independence, we have had politicians whose only interests were to come to power by hook or by crook & deceive the people with their lies. Except for one or two of them, all the remaining were corrupt, arrogant and promoted violence to achieve their ambitions. The current regime is by far the worst SL has had. In reality SL is a dictatorship where there is media bashing, extra-judicial killings, disapearances, genocide and corruption at very high levels of government. I hope that the voters will get rid of this cursed regime of MR brothers.
I had great respect for MR (because of the war victory) when I visited SL for Holiday early December and I was talking to my friends/Relatives why we need to vote for MR again. Unexpectetely all of them except my Dad and few others were against MR. I was surprsed to hear that My own sister & brother (who have never voted against SLFP) are not going to vote any of them.
After seeing Mervin (Mera) Silvas speach and all thuggery work/attacking opposition offices and all corruptions done by Minsters, I was very dissapointed. Now my brother and sister decided to vote for SF. Most of my friends who voted for MR in 2005 have changed.
Therfore it will be a very close contest. If MR looses, MR himself should be responsible for not handling his Police/Ministers and thagas farely.
There is no doubt that the tide is with SF and if MR and the government do not maintain free and fare election for next 10 days 80-90 % of 25-30% of loating votes would go to SF.
Lalith, you’re not alone. Mahinda risked his entire political career and leadership to end the psycotic Prabha’s reign of terror. Sadly this end of terror is replaced with a different different kind of terror or the KKK -beeshanaya unleashed by his Hora javarum thukkadiya’s club made up of kudu, Kassipu, kakkussi -KKK mahath’thuru unleashing his/their terror on peace loving citizens who value a real democracy of this resplendent isle. This is a national tragedy under the clutches of Mahinda Beeshanaya, and not his humbug Chintanaya. My house hold comprised of several votes that would have gone to Mahinda are now going to SF because to us the known devil has already done his damage and now its time to invite the unknown devil….to be given his due share. May this election be peaceful with best wishes to both Mahinda and General Fonseka. I request our citizens to VOTE responsibly. May the best man win.
Q: What is the fear that you and your family lived with for the last 26 years.
A: The fear to go out of your home into the street, doubting whether you will come back alive.
Q: Who erased this fear from your mind.
A: The Mahinda Rajapaksa government.
We should use our vote wisely with gratitude.
Reality, your questions and answers are correct. problem is Mahinda & co think the same way as you do (vote with gratitude). You think that because of getting rid of LTTE, we should vote him. Mahinda thinks that he can do anything now, because he got rid of terrorism and he is the MAN/KING now. This made his company to do lot of looting. We always had corruption. But not to this extend. If you see what is happing around you (if you are livin in SL), you can see the danger.
MR or SF can tell that they will divide the country or what ever. That’s what they believe in and it is up to us whether we support it or not. But we can’t allow someone to loot the public wealth. That is sick. I think Mahinda could be a good man, but ppl around him are thiefs and MR is very reluclant to get rid of those.
As you suggested, we should vote wisely. So we can vote Mahinda and forgive all the lootings since he is the ‘KING’ or vote someone with fresh approach (But no prior political experience). I would go with latter, since political experience in SL means more experience in corruption, thats all. Good luck to both
The UNP invented corruption by forming Private companies within the Government structure such as Air Lanka Ltd etc etc, the list goes on and on. These companies are not accountable to the Auditing mechanism of the state. Corruption is an Art invented and mastered by them.
So let’s bring them back??
Was it not after the UNP reign of power that Dushanaya & Beshanaya became day-to-day household words? However, it does not give the incumbent regime the Right to follow suit. MR needed majority in Parliament to win the war that is why he had to give excessive concessions to the undeserving MPs. Arms, Ammunition and Soldiers only cannot win a war, finances and strategies too are required.
Tsunamoney Kohey giya, aney magey thathagey sakuwa giya, This is the same old rot of all nations governed by thieves and thugs, Robbing the rich may make some sense, ”BUT ROBBING THE POOR THIS IS OFF THE ALMA MATER OF ALI BABA AND HIS FORTY THIEVES” Whichever executive that reaches the winning post will have a nasty job of ridding the entire nation of Thugs and thieves. Give paradise a chance to a renaissance!
The Colombo white skin Rich crowd used native skin rural Singheela Youths to KILL the Tamileelam innocent people to make surrender LTTE.(and Killed the Surrnedering Cadres).
I agree with Lalith 100 percent!
Yes. Mr Kongahage is having a long shot, and he is obviously misinformed regarding Green Card and and US citizenship.
Mahinda did an exceptional job in tackling the international pressure to stop taming the Tigers. He finished the job he undertook by eliminating the world’s most ruthless terrorist organization. He must be rewarded for this by allowing him to continue with his Chintanaya.
Problem with his regime is the lack of transparency. I am sure that he will work towards improving that once he gets a majority in the Parliament.
He has a duty to fulfill the aspirations of all communities, although some people use the word ‘Aspirations” only with the Tamils. I am sure he will and we have a duty to give him a chance for that. Remember, he has had only four years as president yet.
Ruwan K.
Mr. Kongahage is lawyer, how can he know about US laws when he does not Sri Lankan laws. He should consult his wife who is better informed.
Ruwan your comment about the green card is right and Kongahage will find out soon.
Regarding MR and his ministers etc. too I am sure MR will have a very close fight and a scare with SF,UNP,JVP funded by the western powers buying members of the govt. and allies.
Yet one must not underestimate MR, he has said many an occassion that he knows those who are arround him and carry tales are the ones who are the corrupt but his hands are tied with a narrow margin in govt.
I wouldn’t doubt one bit that he will win this presidential election once again.
If he won last time because the Tamils did not vote…..well this time he will win because the Tamils will vote for him.
He will then go to the people asking for a majority in parliament for his alliance.
Rid the country of corruption and make Sri Lanka the country that he and it’s people can be proud of.
That is what I hope and wish for my motherland…..but on the otherhand if he chooses to turn a blind eye and let his goons rob the country then May God Bless Sri Lanka. We know MR throgh his track record and so far unproved allegations of corruption that he is clean….
The bane of our country are the public servants who rob the country and not the few ministers who make money to cover the election costs owing to the preferential voting system.
Will you and I spend our life savings to serve the country. The answer is nobody will….spend 10 to 30 million on propaganda needed as per the size of the electoral district. The answer to stopping corruption lies there. That is the cause and the reason…one must eliminate the preferential voting system to stop corruption…onl;y then will our country be ridden of this menace.
I am unable comprehend as to why some SriLankans have a very short memmory. Mahinda Rajapakse(MR) with all the difficulties managed to get rid off the terrists within a short period and the same time commenced development projects when western countries were struggling. Ranil and others on the other hand were responsible for killing of innocent civilians, selling government properties, corruptions and poor economic situation in the country. Our people have convenienty forgotten the mess UNP and others created. However, our general public is not ideots and they will use their vote wisely on the 26 January and bring back MR who deserve a second term as the Persident of SriLanka. The truth will at the end.
Lanka’s Rajapaksa set for easy win: Opinion poll
NEW DELHI: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa seems set for an easy victory over his rival and former army chief Sarath Fonseka in the Jan 26 presidential poll, according to an opinion survey.
Viplav Communications Pvt. Ltd., which has earlier been strategic advisors to numerous Indian politicians and conducted election surveys in India, conducted the survey in Sri Lanka. The findings of the survey were made available to IANS here.
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Mahinda Rajapaksa HELPED Indian Congress to Win the election. Now, the Very Gratitude Indian Coolies are Helping Rajapaksa Govt to win this False Propaganda.
The Coward Way Sonis Gandhi REVENGED LTTE using Mahinda, Sonali is using USA to win USA’s big spent, candidate Sarath Fonseka to Win the election to take REVENGE sweetly.
I wish to comment on just one thing in your article – the assertion that DS Senanayake connived with the GG to deny Sir John the premiership upon DS’ death and have it given to his son, Dudley. This is a common accusation that has never been substantiated. Some even accuse DS of conspiring to also exclude SWRD and JR, in favour of Dudley. If DS did indeed conspire to exclude these three – Sir John, SWRD and JR – you must compliment DS on his good judgement because all three of them went on to become Prime Ministers and all three made a great hash of it. DS was probably a fine judge of men.
This is the time for all patriotic citizens of our country to come forward and save our motherland, Sri Lanka from the traitors who will divide our country if given the opportunity. Please fall into the trap of the vicious schemers who working hand in hand with the LTTE supporters. God bless our beloved motherland.