Curious happenings in a thrice blessed land

What unfolded in parliament,  however, is no laughing matter. Someone, somewhere, deliberately handed over to the Prime Minister of the country false information and details –a deliberate act of sabotage.

Just over a dozen years ago, we had the whole country laughing due to claims that an infamous son of a well-known father  had a hand in putting a satellite into space via a company –Supreme SAT. Sadly, this satellite went missing, quite like various items of expenditure during that era. Opposition parties in parliament, including the present governing political party claimed this little-known son had used state funds to the tune of over US $320 million for this purpose.

Thirteen years later, much to the surprise of the nation, no lesser a person than our present Prime Minister (PM), stands up in parliament to enlighten us all that ‘canards’ spread regarding the use of state funds in that project to set up the company ‘Supreme SAT’ around thirteen years earlier, were in fact not true! Making an even more interesting disclosure, the PM added the company had over the years contributed to state coffers.

Reading figures provided by the Board of Investment (BOI), the premier read out in detail the millions of rupees brought into the country by the said company -Supreme SAT.

The Government was eating its words by admitting its mistakes. Oh, we thought this is definitely a sign of the new culture of transparency this government was promoting,  even to the extent of admitting its mistakes. What a change from a political culture which earlier claimed ‘a single civilian was not killed when state forces defeated the LTTE at the Nanthikadal’… where thousands were held hostage on a tiny sliver of land. During that battle, state forces used multi-barreled weapons and aircraft bombed that area!

Right thinking people rejoiced. The country, it seemed, had turned a new leaf. State leaders were saying ‘mia culpa’ and admitting mistakes –bravo.

But this was not to be, shortly thereafter,  our joy soon turned to misery.    Another minister corrected his prime minister. Apparently, according to the minister concerned, the Board of Investment had provided the premier with wrong information.

Members of the Opposition, smarting under government action against political crooks, among whom were past ministers defeated at the recent general elections and taken into custody, pounced on the PM’s error. She is being held up as a court jester (a fool kept to entertain guests at the household of a nobleman or a monarch).

What unfolded in parliament,  however, is no laughing matter. Someone, somewhere, deliberately handed over to the Prime Minister of the country false information and details –a deliberate act of sabotage.

As an MP said in parliament, oral answers in the House entail lengthy processes. Details are vetted by both the PM’s personal staff as well as by parliamentary staff. Whether the PM simply read out details handed over to her by the BOI without following protocol we do not know. 

Whatever the case, if the figures handed to the PM by the BOI are false, the government needs to get to the bottom of this problem immediately. Stern action needs be taken against the officials concerned. There is a definite need to separate the wheat from the chaff. 

As a result, the PM has become a laughing stock not only in the eyes of our countrymen and women but to the international community as well. 

The incident stinks of intrigue and political back stabbing.