A news item appeared in Daily mirror says, ‘Speaker Karu Jayasuriya as requested by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued the notice of convening Parliament for a special sitting to debate the Bond Commission report and PRECIFAC report and that it will commence on Tuesday and the latest, to be continued on two more days after the local government elections. The total cost to taxpayer: Rs. 18 million.
Like the class of pavement-hawker, market-vender filmgoers of decades ago who restlessly waited for the ‘first-day-show’ of western ‘full-serials’ or local and South Indian films, which they described as, ‘istard eke indala ent ekatama pyte and komit’ [to readers of my vintage only], there are some voters who are not concerned of scams, scandals, pick-pocketing and daylight robberies by the previous and present regimes. We all appreciate the good deeds of Yahapalanaya but make constructive criticism where appropriate. There are some who believe that part of the 34 PRECIFAC files received months ago was deliberately kept waiting in the custody of ‘Pandara’ [Royal record-keeper] either expecting MR to join them or to be publicised along with the Bond scam report with the objective of diluting the injurious effects on Government’s Green partner. Asked by a scribe for his comments on the party’s idea to leave him out of action, Ravi K, the obvious scapegoat said, ‘things politicians say and do through election campaign must not be taken seriously!’
But that class of ‘crazy filmgoers’ think otherwise; “My party is…, I have been a …, I am a …, it’s a family tradition, our ancestors always voted for…it’s in my blood.” When the wrongdoers of all factions find it difficult to face the electorate, they leave the floating voter, who they think would boycott the polls, and will approach the former who are resolute, stubborn, unwavering, staunch, spirited fools whose emotions can be easily aroused through an advertising campaign designed to entice them.
President was elected by the people to bring the corrupt to jail; unfortunately, not a single from the previous lot has been sentenced in three years
They say the one-day Parliamentary debate [second episode] on the Bond Commission’s report and the PRECIFAC report scheduled on February 6 is not a ‘gimmick’ as described by President Maithripala Sirisena who earlier challenged his two rivals in the LG election campaign of ‘purposely postponing for fear of exposure,’ to have it before the 10th. Addressing an election rally he lamented, “I’m the one who told to hold the debate prior to February 10. My request grew into a public opinion. Therefore, they had to take this up for a debate before 10… For how long will a person talk? The debate had been arranged in a hurried manner merely
- Appreciate Yahapalanaya, but make constructive criticism when necessary
- If President had taken a firm stance, billions of public funds could have been spared
- Don’t need Parliamentary debate to sue perpetrators
- Prez can always act in the larger interest of the nation
to show the country only because I made a challenge.”
First, he confronted, when the challenge was accepted, President says it’s a gimmick. We have been hoodwinked, we fall for the gimmicks of all politicians, all three of them, in fact now four. Politicians have a habit of fooling the easy to fool voter during the run-up to elections. Once they get their votes, they will appoint losers on the national list and encourage crossovers from the other side to form a government, before they start stealing tax contributions of the same gullible voter. It’s so sad that we never learn. Why do they need to have a Parliamentary debate to take legal action against perpetrators? They say President Sirisena who reprimanded the Bribery Commissioner for filing an action against Rajapaksas and service personnel, coerced the Bribery Commissioner to resign.
The CB that has always been under the Finance Ministry was brought under the Prime Minister -- an act similar to Mahinda Rajapaksa keeping the Attorney General and Legal Draftsman under his purview
Can anyone believe that the President was unaware of the involvement of key members of his government in CB bond fraud and other mass scale corruption committed by his ministers over the three years under his leadership? The CB bond commission appointed by him is being challenged by the PM through a senior party lawyer whose brother appeared for one of the suspects named by the AG. Addressing an election rally, the President said the Central Bank was robbed within two months of January’s silent revolution, which position the report affirms. It is obvious why the AG’s Department intentionally avoided thorough cross-examination of two UNP ministers at the inquiry. Will the PM resign even temporarily? Will the President have guts to ask PM to vacate his post until AG’s Department that functions under the PM complete the prosecution process?
President was elected by the people to bring the corrupt to jail; unfortunately, not a single from the previous lot has been sentenced in three years. Are there any deals, games, dramas or coups and conspiracies among the three leaders or let us say among all four, against the nation?
The President opposed the appointment of Arjuna Mahendran as Governor, however he agreed to sanction the appointment after he was given an assurance by the Prime Minister. Though he recommended the removal of Mahendran after the impropriety was revealed after the first scam, he succumbed to the arrogance of Wickremesinghe. If he took a firm stance, or used the kaduwa, billions of public funds could have been spared. However, he did not give Arjuna Mahendran a second term despite the pressures. Maithri is also guilty of obliging to a request for dissolution of Parliament to prevent the DEW Gunasekara’s COPE report being presented to the House.
President can always act in the larger interest of the nation and the 6.2 million who placed their trust on him. Some are making pathetic efforts to whitewash the MPs who acted in support of those involved in the fraud.
The CB that has always been under the Finance Ministry was brought under the Prime Minister -- an act similar to Mahinda Rajapaksa keeping the Attorney General and Legal Draftsman under his purview. When the President advised his Secretary to appoint a commission to investigate the Bond scam; three lawyers linked to UNP headquarters were appointed. They had no qualifications to prove their capacity to investigate a Bond auction. UNP MP Velukumar was removed from COPE and filled the vacancy with Deputy Minister Sujeewa Senasinghe who was prejudiced in the investigation after writing a book to absolve DEALS, GAMES, DRAMAS.
When the wrongdoers of all factions find it difficult to face the electorate, they leave the floating voter, who they think would boycott
the polls
Mahendran and Aloysius on the issue. Mahendran’s statement to COPE says that it was he who ordered the direct placement method for Bond sales. The behaviour of some COPE members during the probe proved that they received instructions from a single source for addition of some facts which had no relevance to the report. Mahendran was kept in that position until the end of his term though the whole country was against it. After the release of the COPE report, Bhikkhu Front’s Thiniyawala Palitha Thera filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the report.
Is it an elite club, where the three leaders are sitting in a compromising stance, sipping their beers and bargaining for power-sharing arrangements, with the fourth one also making slow but smart moves—are all four dragging the nation to a treacherous territory?
The serial films we spoke of at the beginning consist of short subjects exhibited in successive order at one theatre, usually advancing weekly, until the series ends. Each chapter screened at a theatre for one week, that ends with a cliffhanger, [an unresolved ending in which characters found themselves in dangerous situations with little obvious chance of escape]. The crazy moviegoer had to return every week to observe the cliffhangers resolved and to follow the continuing saga. Those long waits in the queues at the city’s theatres for hours to watch the rash, inappropriate or extravagant heroics of actors like Jock Mahoney, Dickie Moore, Richard and Powers, usually end with exchange of knuckle-duster fisticuffs and Kris knife-stabbings as the doors of hall close leaving the majority disappointed; the brave, resolute, stubborn, unwavering, staunch, would courageously stand for the next show, while their heroes, Jock, Dickie and Richard who had already collected their fee for their roles, relax feasting at their abodes. Our crazy moviegoers, who fail to realise their demigods were only ‘acting,’ endure untold misery on Maradana pavements.
Are you among them?
It would be interesting to mention in French author Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 novel ‘Les Trois Mousquetaires’ –[the three musketeers], three of them, Porthos, Athos, & Aramis, are members of a contingent of soldiers guarding the King’s palace along with their young disciple d’Artagnan, all highly skilled at fighting with swords. They are remembered for their motto,“All for one and one for all,” meaning they will always support and protect one another.
The way of musketeers!
