The big question remains as to when will urban intellectuals who still want this chaos of a Yahapalana Government, come back to intellectual sanity
The urban middle class “sanity” accepts such political insanity with applause for “corrective measures”
This Government is certainly more “transparent” than the Rajapaksa regime even on mega deals
Mega corruption is as high as or even higher with this Yahapalana Government than during the Rajapaksa regime
It is not just mega corruption that makes this hybrid Government another Rajapaksa regime sans Mahinda, but also its Sinhala Buddhist politics
The first few days of this week saw a political comedy unfolding hardly taken note of by the Sri Lankan Society. Not on the small screens in households, but on the larger political canvas that’s rolled around in Colombo.
Deputy Minister Arundhika Fernando -dubbed “rock star” for allegedly trying to rock the “Yahapalana” boat-was announced sacked from his post of Deputy Minister of Tourism Promotion and Christian Affairs.
No reasons given to the public. A news website said Arundhika Fernando demanded a pound of flesh and lost even the bones. The website claimed with much authority, that he demanded millions and contracts for his company to be with the Government. Following afternoon, the more credible DM Online said he was likely to be re-appointed a Deputy Minister once again.
trafficker, during the previous regime hovered around with former President Rajapaksa’s patronage, was appointed Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, by President Sirisena.
There is now the possibility that he would be further upgraded by President Sirisena as successor to deposed Arundhika Fernando.
The first episode of this political comedy was with Yahapalana cheer-leaders demanding the removal of Thilak Marapana from his post of Minister of Law and Order almost two years ago.
That was for his role as legal counsel for Avant Garde before he was nominated to Parliament.
The Yahapalana apologists pretended they meant business with this hybrid Government.
Marapana tendered his resignation on pressure in November 2015. But none protested when he was made Foreign Minister once again.
Instead they wanted Justice and Buddha Sasana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe removed. Not for his very racial politics aligning with Buddhist extremism, but for his alleged violation of Cabinet responsibility. For his critical remarks over the Hambantota Port agreement this Government entered into with a Chinese company. That deal anyway is called dubious, heavy with many allegations and criticism against it. He thus leaves his ministry after a few days of tantrums.
Next came the removal of Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake over the Penthouse fiasco related to the mega bond scam under investigations.
The bond scam was for well over two years kept under wraps.
Now Karunanayake is appointed to an equally powerful position under the PM, working from Temple Trees. For Yahapalana apologists and all other anti corruption brigades including the JVP living on media presence, that is no serious issue.
Next, facing the firing squad of Yahapalana racists is Minister Field Marshal Fonseka. That, for saying war crimes need to be investigated as there were a few who tarnished the image of war heroes; for saying he was willing to testify even in front of an international investigating panel. That, under this Government is anathema and unpatriotic.
The fact is, even if those who are held as unpatriotic and non co-operative are removed from their positions, they can still be accommodated with equal or more power in another capacity.
The urban middle class “sanity” accepts such political insanity with applause for “corrective measures”.
How stable and how far can a Government with no seriousness in what it does go with such sackings and censures against its leading Ministers and allies?
Far more serious is the question, can these arbitrary decisions of sacking Ministers and Deputy Ministers clean up the mess this Government is in, the very decisions to sack prove it is in?
In fact, as Arundhika said after he was deposed, sackings would not deter dissent within the SLFP, President Sirisena for the past two years and eight months struggle to take control of.
The crisis is screwing in and down the SLFP from Parliament to the Provincial Councils and to Local Government bodies too.
The Southern Province had one of its Ministers removed after he opposed the 20th Amendment. Western Province CM removed two over the same 20th Amendment.
This Government is certainly more “transparent” than the Rajapaksa regime even on mega deals.
An investigation into the Perpetual Treasuries’ hand in the bond scam still has not gone deep into the actual bond deal.
And this is only the first. The second that came around a year later is almost forgotten.
But figures on profits and losses are being calculated by different independent public interest activists.
The Central Expressway construction deal has most documents out in public domain, showing the PM’s explanation in Parliament quite poor. Documents say the cost of constructing a kilometre distance would now cost Rs.4.1 billion and no easy money. That cost in terms of 39 inches that make 01 metre distance is 4.1 million rupees as calculated by Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Sadly the PM can only make fun of such allegations by saying if the expressway is too costly, the option of flying to Kandy with an airport constructed can be thought of.
Mega corruption is as high as or even higher with this Yahapalana Government than during the Rajapaksa regime.
It is not just mega corruption that makes this hybrid Government another Rajapaksa regime sans Mahinda, but also its Sinhala Buddhist politics.
All things promised during the Presidential Election remain in cold storage with a label Mahinda may return stuck on them, if done.
This was aptly said by Northern Province CM, former Justice Wigneswaran at the book launch of the book titled Rajapaksa the Sinhala Selfie on September 12 at the SLFI in Colombo. He said, it was the minority vote, the Tamil and Muslim vote that brought the change the South wanted. But when it comes to the issues of North-East Tamils, the answer often is Mahinda may come back.
So to keep away Mahinda by placating the Sinhala Buddhists, the Tamil problems are not addressed.
This crazy run of things would only accelerate with the Elections Commissioner saying the LG elections could be held in January 2018.
That’s just three months and a little more from today. LGs in the Sinhala South were controlled by those ruffian type elements Rajapaksa brought into local politics.
