Corruption continues: P must reverse the trend
Bellanwila prelate bluntly tells Sirisena the people feel let down because of continuing fraud and other misdeeds Sirisena responds strongly, assures that all bond issues will be probed and those found guilty punished Cabinet reshuffle likely soon; four U
The many challenges for President Maithripala Sirisena, now in the early days of his third year in office, seem unprecedented if not too burdensome. Since assuming the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) leadership in 2015, his highest priority has been to reunify the party. That turned out to be a futile exercise. Thus, he urged SLFP Ministers who were summoned on January 3 to be told of his plans for 2017 to publicly “expose” the “misdeeds” of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and members of his family. He began to offer plum jobs to incompetent Rajapaksa loyalists saying they should be separated from the former President before “dealing a hard blow at him.” He offered diplomatic postings to those who were close to Rajapaksa. The reality that every such appointment angered hundreds of his own supporters, and his countrymen, to say the least, was lost on him.
Just 18 days after that meeting, it did not deter Sirisena from making another vain attempt for peace with the Rajapaksas. It came in the form of giving the green light to seven Provincial Chief Ministers to meet Rajapaksa last Sunday. Their main objective was to forge a united alliance of the two SLFP factions, one backing Sirisena and the other Rajapaksa, to contest the Provincial Council (PC) elections as one. Polls for the Eastern, Wayamba (North Central) and Sabaragamuwa Provincial Councils are due this year.
Interesting enough, those at the highest levels of the Government want to hold these elections first. As for the long overdue local council elections, they opine that there are more time-consuming procedural issues to overcome. In reality it was not so. Senior SLFPers backing Sirisena confess privately that such polls would end in certain defeat. If an alliance was forged, that would have paved the way for victory, said one of them. Another reason, they point out, is a decision first on the system of voting at the local council polls. As for the PCs, the existing proportional representation system is to be followed. Some Chief Ministers have been complaining to President Sirisena that the majorities in their respective councils were fragile. Those close to Sirisena felt that an accord of some sort with Rajapaksa would not only unify the party but would pave the way even for a future SLFP Government. For them, this patching up operation was a necessity, particularly in the light of irreconcilable issues that have cropped up with their United National Party (UNP) partner in the National Unity Government.
It was an odd combination that paved the way for the Chief Minister’s dialogue. Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Maheepala Herath’s son Kanaka Herath, an SLFP parliamentarian who supports Rajapaksa, was the conduit. The former President, who agreed to the meeting, ensured some of his strongmen who were not in the best of terms with the Chief Ministers were present. Former Western Province Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga is opposed to his successor Isuru Devapriya. Former Minister Johnston Fernando is opposed to Maheepala Herath (CM Sabaragamuwa). Other CMs present were Sarath Ekanayake (Central Province), Shan Wijayalal de Silva (Southern Province), Dharmasiri Dassanayake (North Western) and Chamara Sampath Dassanayake (Uva). Other Rajapaksa invitees were Gamini Lokuge, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene and Bandula Gunawardena. Dullas Allahapperuma who was due to attend was indisposed.
The Chief Ministers declared that they came at the request of President Sirisena to appeal to Rajapaksa not to break the SLFP. Rajapaksa first let his own invitees to speak but joined in later.
“You can meet me anytime. However, you all have joined our party’s enemy, the United National Party (UNP). As long as this arrangement continues, I cannot discuss anything,” declared Rajapaksa. He disclosed for the first time that he had been receiving offers that investigations against him and members of his family would be dropped if he chose to retire from politics. He said he was willing to discuss the demands of the Chief Ministers only if President Sirisena removes the UNP from his Government. He charged that the SLFP policies had been “sold” outright to the UNP. “How we can work with you all under these circumstances?” he asked.
Rajapaksa said he had retired on January 9, 2015. “They attacked me and my family. I thought it would be for two or six months. I can understand that, for it happens in politics. Even after two years they are doing it. They are chasing behind political opponents. They took into custody Wimal Weerawansa,” he pointed out. “Weerawansa’s party convention was a greater success since he was kept in prison.” Rajapaksa said adding; “They want my support to win the elections. Once they win, who knows, they may ask me to retire.”
Once the meeting ended, Rajapaksa invited those present for breakfast. When one of them saw hoppers on the table, he remarked that there would now be media reports that they had come to eat hoppers. “Kamak Nehe. Aappa kaala giya ekkana ekka ney ogollo inney, or it does not matter, you are with the one who left after eating hoppers,” replied Rajapaksa alluding to the widely publicised instance when Sirisena partook of hoppers for dinner with the former President the night before he quit his government to contest him.
Although the Chief Ministers and Rajapaksa meeting ended on a sour note, there was still a ‘silver lining.’ That was certainly comforting news for Sirisena. There was heavy pressure on Rajapaksa this week to support Sirisena and his SLFP faction. That is even if they did not wish to forge unity for the time being. Last Tuesday, three of Weerawansa’s staunch backers -- Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera, Gunadasa Amerasekera and Nalin de Silva -- met Rajapaksa. They urged him to support Sirisena particularly with regard to constitutional matters and electoral reforms. However, Rajapaksa holds the view that the Executive Presidency should be abolished. The mood of the SLFP was reflected in the crowded ‘Joint Opposition’ rally in Nugegoda on Friday. Although crowds chanted derogatory anti-Sirisena slogans calling him an “Aappa Hora” (hopper thief), speakers directed their venomous criticism only against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the UNP. There was no pointed criticism on Sirisena or any personal attacks on him from the platform speakers. Mahinda Rajapaksa was to only repeat what he told Chief Ministers at last Sunday’s meeting – that Sirisena had driven him back to politics though he had chosen to retire. He also criticised the Central Bank bond scam. It is now becoming clear that the strategy of the pro-Rajapaksa SLFP group is to drive a wedge between the UNP and the Sirisena faction of the SLFP. The Central Bank bond scam and the controversial conduct of some UNP ministers, who are facing serious allegations of bribery and corruption, have come as grist to the mill for them.
Sirisena had another formidable task on hand -- conveying to Prime Minister - Wickremesinghe some important decisions he had made during the latter’s absence. Hardly a few hours after the Prime Minister’s return from Davos (Switzerland) where he attended the World Economic Forum, the duo met last Sunday night. Also present was Malik Samarawickrema, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade.
Sirisena declared that he would appoint a Commission of Inquiry to probe the Central Bank bond scam. He also said that he proposed to effect a re-shuffle of his Cabinet of Ministers. Sources close to the Presidency said Wickremesinghe, who had earlier resisted moves for a reshuffle, wanted a month’s time. However, Sirisena is learnt to have noted that a month’s time would be too long. The same sources said that Sirisena proposed to change the portfolios of at least four UNP ministers who have become the objects of severe criticism. However, new faces to fill such positions would also have to come from the UNP. Allegations against the ministers’ range from corruption, secret deals with Opposition personalities to fixing projects for financial considerations.
On Friday evening, Sirisena signed a proclamation appointing the Presidential Commission of Inquiry. It is headed by serving Supreme Court Justice K.T. Chitrasiri and includes Justice Prasanna Jayawardena and retired Deputy Auditor General Kandasamy Velupillai. The terms of reference, still being formulated, are to be gazetted next week. On January 22, Sirisena tweeted that he would appoint a Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry. However, he had changed his mind after legal advisors told him it would have to be a Commission of Inquiry.
The “Joint Opposition” leader Dinesh Gunawardena welcomed the appointment f a Commission of Inquiry to probe the Central Bank bond scam. Hel told the Sunday Times “The very fact that such a probe is being conducted is an acknowledgement that there have been serious irregularities and a colossal amount of public funds have been defrauded.”