Local government polls policed by greens

therefore a very strong constituency for the MEP.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) had its nomination papers rejected in respect of the Urban Councils of Maharagama, Panadura and Weligama. Also rejected were its nomination papers for the Pradeshiya Sabhas in Badulla, Agalawatte and Mahiyangana. These would, therefore, see a straight forward UNP-SLFP contest. The SLFP also had its nomination papers rejected for the Pradeshiya Sabhas in Padiyathalawa and Dehiattakandiya. The same fate befell the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) in the Trincomalee Town Gravets Council and the Pradeshiya Sabha in Valachchenai. The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi had two of its nomination lists rejected in the Pradeshiya Sabhas of Alawediwembu and Sammanthurai.

“Admittedly, there were errors in a few nomination papers. However, some of the rejections raise questions. We are moving to courts to seek redress,” Dinesh Gunawardena, leader in Parliament for the ‘Joint Opposition’ told the Sunday Times. He said their campaign would centre on many issues including the Government’s incompetence in managing the economy, not delivering on the promises made to the people and the soaring cost of living.

Gunawardena said, “We (Joint Opposition) are the only ones who can publicly criticise this Government. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have become appendages of the Government,” he charged. He also said that the Government was facing a financial crisis, a fact admitted by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is extending piecemeal support. “People are helpless and corruption is at unprecedented levels,” he added.

The United National Front (UNF), the umbrella organisation of the UNP which is fielding candidates together with its allies under the elephant symbol, has also had its share of issues. This week, UNF leader Premier Wickremesinghe insisted that the prospective mayoral candidate for Colombo Rosie Senanayake should contest a ward. She had been exploring the possibility of being nominated from the proportional representation list after the elections are concluded.

Mano Ganesan’s United Progressive Alliance (UPA), sought the office of Deputy Mayor and found the request rejected. The party has now declared it will field its own candidates. Ganesan told the Sunday Times ; “The coalition of political parties representing Up Country, Tamil community and Colombo based minority communities have decided to field candidates in selected areas including for the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). The decision to go it alone in some areas came after extensive discussions with the UNP to contest under their alliance United National Front (UNF) were not successful. The UNP is not willing to allocate more seats to our party candidates where multi-member wards now exist.

“Therefore we have decided to contest under our own United Progressive Alliance (UPA) under ladder symbol. “This doesn't mean we won’t work with other major parties in future. We are of the view that we will face the election in certain areas alone. We will extend our support to other parties to form the majority in local authorities after polls. We will bargain with them on the basis of the number of seats we win.”

Barring two, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will contest local authorities throughout the country, JVP frontliner Vijitha Herath said yesterday. In the Bandarawela Urban Council and the Pradeshiya Sabha, we have formed a united front with a group which has been campaigning against the huge environmental damage caused by the Uma Oya Project. The JVP has invited non-political interest groups in various towns and vil- lages to join it in the elections.

Herath told the Sunday Times, “Our campaign slogan will be ‘Gama Godanagana, Dushanaya Paradana Jawaya (The force that defeats corruption and builds the village). We have a mixture of candidates including professionals such as doctors, artistes and also those representing the village level such as farmers. We will be telling the voters that the main parties have failed to uplift the standards of villages and therefore give an opportunity for our party to serve the villages. Our campaigns have already started at village level and we have had several major meetings. The campaign will be stepped up in the next few weeks.”

After the parliamentary elections in August 2015, this is the first time that countrywide polls are taking place to elect members to local bodies. That again is after more than two years during which councils have been run by Special Commissioners, causing immense hardship to the public. Local bodies are regarded as nurseries for politicians who aspire for greater heights leading to their becoming Members of Parliament. But with the advent of Provincial Councils these local bodies have become a third tier and not the second tier of political leaders of the future. However, the upcoming local polls, now likely on February 10, has other manifold ramifications. It is the first popularity test for the SLFP-UNP coalition, the ‘JO’ and other opposition parties. More importantly, the sequence of political events that preceded the local polls, particularly the inordinate delays in conducting them, has placed President Sirisena’s own popularity to the test. A win, no doubt, will bolster his position and consolidate his leadership of the SLFP. A loss, on the other hand, will become a serious challenge which portends many ramifications.

Malaysian PM’s visit and projects

The local polls are not the only issues for Sirisena. The Government has been forced this week to take off from the agenda three different foreign investment projects totalling US$ 350 million (over Rs 5.3 billion) from Malaysia. The Foreign Ministry in Colombo and its counterparts in Kuala Lumpur had worked assiduously in the past many weeks and listed them on the agenda for talks between President Sirisena and Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohamed Najib bin Tuan Abdul Razak.

Originally scheduled to arrive tonight, Premier Abdul Razak will now arrive in Colombo by private jet this morning. The first visit by a Malaysian Premier in 33 years, it marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

The Malaysian Prime Minister will be received with a guard of honour opposite the Presidential Secretariat tomorrow ahead of talks. The three collaboration projects listed for signing and unceremoniously pulled out from the agenda are: 1 Supplementary Agreement for an additional investment in the cellular mobile telephone network in Sri Lanka such as mobile data, coverage enhancements, digital services and analytics, charging and customer agreement network, monitoring, quality of service enhancement and others. The project to be undertaken by Dialog PLC (whose parent company Axiata is Malaysian) with the Board of Investment. The cost of the project is US$ 196 million. Memorandum of Understanding to obtain approval/authorisation to operate as an independent company in Sri Lanka. Agreement to be signed between Edotco Services Lanka (Pvt.) and the Telecom Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL). The cost is US$ 150 million. Supplementary Agreement for an additional investment and project expansion in Television Network Equipment in Sri Lanka. Agreement was to be signed between Dialog Television (Pvt.) Ltd and the Board of Investment. The cost of the project is US$ 4 million. As a result of the exclusion of these three projects, the official statement from the Foreign Ministry issued on Friday spoke only of “talks covering a wide range of subjects” and declared that only “Three MoUs will be signed in Science, Technology and Innovation; Bio Economy Development Co-operation; and Training for Diplomatic Personnel.” These do not involve any direct investment of funds.

The Sunday Times learnt that the exclusion of the three projects came on the strong protests raised by Sri Lanka Telecom reportedly on the claim that it would lead to a monopoly by one single service provider. Whether this is unfounded or not remains unclear. However, a source at Dialog PLC said there was no barrier whatsoever for any other entity, foreign or local, to invest in their own projects if they so wish. “After all, we have obtained prior approval,” the source added. Raising alarm over the matter are reports that the Board of Directors of the People’s Bank approved a temporary overdraft of Rs 500 million to Sri Lanka Telecom for payment of yearend bonus to employees. Is the SLT now cash strapped? Attempts to reach SLT Chairman P.G. Kumarasinghe to obtain his response were not successful. Telephone calls and SMS messages went unanswered.

The three projects in question were the ones which were to draw foreign investment from Malaysia. The MoU for Science, Technology and Innovation, Foreign Ministry sources said, was between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT). Their objectives are (1) the Parties shall encourage and support cooperation between the two countries in the fields of Foresight and S2A in accordance with the provisions of this MoU and in accordance to the prevailing laws and regulations of each country. (2) The parties shall promote the development co-operation in Foresight and S2A between the Parties on the basis of equality, mutual advantage and mutual consent. (3) The Implementing Agencies of this MoU will be COSTI (and its successorss) and 2 3 MIGHT (and its successorss).”

The MoU for the Bioeconomy Development Cooperation will be a tieup between the Malaysian Bioeconomy Development Corporation and the Coconut Development Authority, Foreign Ministry sources said. The Malaysian company is entrusted to identify value propositions for the bio-based and bio technology ventures via financial support, development and facilitation services

he training of Sri Lankan diplomatic personnel will be a Government to Government MoU. For the Government of Sri Lanka, it will be through the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Training for diplomats will be in the fields of international relations, international organisations, international law, international economic relations, regional issues, consular issues and political science.

According to a Foreign Ministry source, Dialog PLC had obtained Board of Investment approval on November 24 this year to undertake Network Expansion Project as recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL). This is with an additional investment of US$ 196 million to include 3280 new sites within 24 months.

The Board of Investment had also given approval on November 28 for Dialog Television (Pvt) Ltd to undertake Network Expansion Project as recommended by the TRCSL. The additional envisaged investment is US$ 4 million. For this purpose too, an agreement was to be signed with the Board of Investment.

The third project between Edotco Services Lanka (Private) Ltd. and the Central Environmental Authority of Sri Lanka. Edotco Group Sdn Brhd (EGSB), is an investment holding company operating assets and overseeing the provision of infrastructure solutions for telecommunication and network operators across the Asian region.

The CEA will be the monitoring body for the TowerCo Project and will be responsible for the environmental assessment of the project.

The purpose of this MoU is to outline the roles and conditions of the Participants in promoting the overall Telecommunication and ICT growth in Sri Lanka. Among the arrangements made between the parties to this MoU are: Acquire existing tower (ground based, rooftops, street level coverage and camouflage structures) portfolios from other licensed operators. Build, own and operate new tower structures and related energy systems; and Encourage the commercial sharing of existing and new structures. ESELL and the EDOTCO Company will employ 1,000 persons directly and indirectly. The investment on the project over three years is US$ 150 million.

At a time when the Government is clamouring for foreign investment to shore up the balance of payments position, the urgent withdrawal from the agenda of projects involving US$ 350 million coming from Premier Abdul Razak’s visit within hours, to say the least, is highly deplorable.

That it sends a wrong signal to wouldbe investors is one thing. Worse is the fact that the taxpayer would be called upon to pay more taxes to settle foreign debts when a situation worsens.

There are more questions than answers over this week’s developments relating to Premier Abdul Razak’s agenda for talks. It is insulting a guest when he and his Foreign Ministry had been made to believe one thing and they learn it has been changed at the eleventh hour. The repercussions over such issues, like the outcome of the local polls, would reverberate for a long, long time and President Sirisena would have to take note of them. No country in the world bluntly rejects foreign investment but Sri Lanka seems an exception. My dear Long John, I thought I must write to you because you are in the news these days, simply because you told a green election rally that they need not worry about the local government elections as ‘the police now belonged to the Greens’. Honestly, John, I can’t understand what this fuss is all about.

We tend to always criticise our politicians and accuse them of being dishonest. And yet, every once in a while when we come across an honest politician like you who tells us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, we take them to task for that too. How unfair, you might rightly say!

Besides, you know what you are talking about, Long John, because you have been around for a long time. Without a single grey hair to be ashamed of, you still look young though - and try to act young too - but you are only a few years younger than Sampanthan seeya. Ah, who would have guessed?

In fact, next to the Green Man, you must be the most experienced person in Parliament right now because ever since you entered it almost forty years ago, you have remained there. Surely, that must mean that you are extremely popular with the voters - and what other endorsement could you ask for?

You should also know what you are talking about when you say that the police now belonged to the Greens, because you were once in charge of the police, when the Green Man appointed you as the ‘Interior Minister’. So, you must surely know how they work and who they take orders from.

You may not have very happy memories of that stint, though. That is because Satellite rather abruptly took over your portfolio and those of two others while the Green Man was away in Washington. Now that Satellite and the Green Man are the best of friends, maybe they have sorted out that little tiff !

Long John, although I totally agree with what you said about the ‘Police now belonging to the Greens’, we are not at all surprised that you said so openly. That is because we know that you are no stranger to controversy. It is almost as if you have taken over the role of being the ‘SB’ of the Greens!

There was that time when Mahinda maama was the boss and you, although you were with the Greens, joined him on overseas visits to several countries, including one to visit the pope. You had us all guessing and we thought you would jump ship. Some would say the Green’s loss was the Blues’ gain!

Then, more recently, you chased away journalists using language that would make Wimal sahodaraya blush, threatening to kill them too. Your critics talked about press freedom and demanded your resignation but being the big man that you are, you proudly stood by every word that you said.

That is why Long John, we admire you because with you, we know that what we see is what we get. Instead of pretending that the police are impartial and that it acts without political bias, you told us that it is now with the Greens and because of that, that they should not be afraid of any consequences.

Remember that little incident which was captured on camera where we heard the IGP assuring Sagala that someone will not be arrested? Everyone made a hue and cry about that then but that is surely proof that the Greens run the police the way they want to. So, why find fault with you for saying that?

It is not like when Mahinda maama was in charge. Then, ‘they’ were telling the police what to do and what not to do, instructing judges on how to deliver judgments but pretending that they were above board. At least, you are taking the country into confidence and being transparent in what you do.

Your critics claim that what you said is not in keeping with ‘yahapaalanaya’ which they say is all about clean government. What I cannot understand is why they are finding fault only with you for one remark you made - when nothing else they promised with ‘yahapaalanaya’ has been delivered.

They haven’t abolished the Executive Presidency, they haven’t caught the thieves of the previous era and put them behind bars, they keep postponing elections, some of the Greens are neck deep in scamming the big bank and some of the Blues want to get together with the people they ousted!

With all this, they pretend that they are engaging in ‘yahapaalanaya’. So, long may you live and prosper, Long John, for trying your best to tell us that the more things change, the more they stay the same. We can be happy that there is at least one person in the Cabinet who is telling us the truth! Yours truly, Punchi Putha PS: You shouldn’t worry about your future just because of these remarks, Long John. Even if they want to get rid of you, they can make you a ‘senior minister’ and ambassador or even an advisor to the President. So, there is a lot more you can do, especially if you get the last job on that list!

The Sunday Times learnt that the exclusion of the three projects came on the strong protests raised by Sri Lanka Telecom reportedly on the claim that it would lead to a monopoly by one single service provider. Whether this is unfounded or not remains unclear. However, a source at Dialog PLC said there was no barrier whatsoever for any other entity, foreign or local, to invest in their own projects if they so wish. “After all, we have obtained prior approval,” the source added. Raising alarm over the matter are reports that the Board of Directors of the People’s Bank approved a temporary overdraft of Rs 500 million to Sri Lanka Telecom for payment of yearend bonus to employees. Is the SLT now cash strapped? Attempts to reach SLT Chairman P.G. Kumarasinghe to obtain his response were not successful. Telephone calls and SMS messages went unanswered.

.