Communist Party raises concerns over coal fraud

Colombo, Feb. 24 (Daily Mirror) - The Communist Party of Sri Lanka added its voice to the growing public outcry in response to the unfolding revelations surrounding the coal procurement scandal. These revelations have, once again, exposed the deep rooted corruption embedded within the neoliberal governance framework that has dominated the country’s economic management for decades, according to a statement from the party.

The CPSL condemns, in the strongest terms, the irregularities and manipulations that have allegedly taken place in the awarding of coal supply contracts. These actions represent not mere administrative lapses but a systematic betrayal of the public trust, carried out at the expense of the national economy and the working people who ultimately bear the burden of such misconduct.

The Party emphasises the following:

1. Corruption, in strategic sectors such as energy, threatens national sovereignty directly, as it compromises the stability of essential services and places the country at the mercy of private profiteers.
2. The scandal reflects the failure of successive governments to establish transparent, accountable, and socially responsible procurement systems, instead allowing political patronage networks and corporate interests to dominate public resources, which the National People’s Power government swore to eradicate.
3. The CPSL calls for a full, independent, and publicly accessible investigation, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of political affiliation or status, are held accountable if found guilty of wrongdoing.
4. The CPSL urges the government to immediately review procurement mechanisms across all state institutions, ensuring that national resources are managed in the interest of the people rather than of private intermediaries.

The Communist Party of Sri Lanka stands firmly with the working class and the broad masses in demanding justice and transparency. The coal procurement scandal must not be allowed to fade into yet another episode of unpunished corruption. It must become a turning point toward building a state apparatus that serves the people, not the profiteers.