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Did Maithripala Sirisena disappoint the 6.2 million voters by letting MR contest under the SLFP tag? Some call it a great betrayal; while others think it a democratic option or burying the hatchet for mutual survival. In the meantime, the government and PM makes a strenuous effort to brainwash citizens in a well calculated and masterly cover-up agenda to save offenders involved in CB Bond scam. Why are they doing this if the government politicos are not involved in the scandal? Can the PM assure the public that no such loss has taken place under the issue, or if there was a scam then who is responsible, instead of attempting to whitewash his nominee for the plum post?
‘Nahiverena Verani’
All the stakeholders of that great silent revolution of January 8; the politicians, Civil society men, clergy and other independent groups who teamed up with a section of SLFP stalwarts are expecting someone who believes in the famous Buddha word— the verse No. 5 in Dhammapadha, ‘Nahiverena Verani—Sammanti dha Kudacancam…’, mean:
“Hatred never ceases through hatred, but through love alone they cease”; an eternal law, on the day he announced his entry to the fray and repeated soon after taking oaths as the President, to deprive Mahinda Rajapaksa of nominations to contest the scheduled Parliamentary elections.
The anti-Rajapaksa clique is prompting vindictive reaction from the compassionate man reminding him of his fate, ‘six feet under…’, if his bête noire won on January 8.
Liu Xiaobo
What they fail to understand is that the President is not appointing the ‘deposed King’ as PM from the back door. Anybody who wants to become the next PM and form a government, (he or she) will have to seek a popular mandate from the people, and if the electors of this nation unwisely decide to bring back a team of corrupt men responsible for dragging the country to a virtual authoritarian state, and encouraged anti-social elements, including drug traffickers and ruffians to rule the roost, then they will be treated with what they deserve.
Both MR and MS have remained loyal and dedicated SLFPers but MS the only man with guts among spineless leaders that they approached; he sacrificed his political future in answering a clarion call by a ‘regime change assembly’— but today he is heading the SLFP, and in reality 70 percent of the party’s former legislators and 90 percent of village-level supporters are passionately urging a return of Rajapaksa. Can Maithri, as a democrat, ignore their desires? Especially in the circumstances of the UNP government’s utter failure to properly handle a single case of corruption charges levelled against them? If the rank and file demanded he would be compelled to campaign for the party’s victory. However, the best option for MS is to resign from SLFP/UPFA leadership and allow them to elect their leader.
Hopefully, I believe, insight would tell former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa that the best option available to him would be to call it a day and retire from politics. He could remain the Great Saviour of the Nation and win the hearts of all the people rather than losing a second successive battle. Let good sense prevail.
‘Let us never forget that government is ourselves, and not an alien power over us. The ultimate rulers of our democracy are not a President and senators and congressmen and government officials, but the voters of this country.’---Franklin D. Roosevelt
The state of the bond issue: PM exposed?
The Rs. 53 billion loss on CB Bond Scam, up to last Friday as reported, may be due to the higher interest offered on unwarranted increase in rates. But the real issue is why that the government is making a valiant effort to brainwash citizens in a well calculated masterly cover-up attempt to save offenders. They simultaneously planned a scrupulous programme to convince that no such loss has taken place under the issue. The course of action taken by UNP leadership itself speaks for their guilt. He and his knowledgeable Ministers like Ravi Karunanayake, Harsha de Silva, Eran Wickremeratne, Sujeewa Senasinghe, and even Rosy Senanayake are on a mission to deceive not only the parliamentarians but the entire nation on this fraud. By doing so they have left ample margin for anybody to speculate why they were in a mighty hurry to dissolve the Parliament before COPE presented its findings on this criminal mishandling of State funds, which easily amounts to double the Rajapaksa regime plundered in nine years.
Breach of privileges
Today the whole country knows who is behind the biggest CB Treasury Bond fraud. May be, DEW breached parliamentary privilege of people’s representatives, but he committed the ‘crime’ by letting the voter know the truth behind the ‘Great Bank Robbery’; undoubtedly, the foremost duty by a responsible people’s representative. There is no escape now making false interpretations of the tragedy: by trying to cover-up this massive scam, RW has left room for people to suspect his own credibility. Can one imagine what is going to be like under a UNP government? The Premier fails to realize that more you try to cover-up a scandal— more you fast reaching the cesspit.
President should intervene; call for explanations. 0
If proven, the Bond Scam of February 27, 2015, will be recorded in the history books as the biggest fiscal scandal ever carried out by a team of corrupt high officials aided and abetted by sections in the ruling party; operating from both in and out of Parliament. Basic investigative procedures have been completed by Parliamentary select committee COPE; it is now left to the analysts to go one step further and debate, comment and uncover the hidden aspects of this scandal. A competent team should be appointed by the President to carry out a comprehensive study; firstly, to work out the loss incurred to the economy, the people, the State, and the public; and next, proceed to investigate and prosecute the culprits irrespective of their positions.
kksperera1@gmail.com
