Courtesy Lanka-e-News

(Lanka-e-News -11.Dec.2015, 8.45AM)  The falsehoods and uncalled for un –diplomatic utterances of Minister Rajitha Senaratne , the cabinet spokesman of the Sri Lanka (SL) government , has driven  the government of good governance  into a grave predicament and diplomatic faux pas internationally.

Lanka e news inside information division is in receipt of two such incidents  whose architect is no less a person than Rajitha Senaratne , who is also an important health  minister under the government of good governance .

The Diplomatic ties with  Nigeria at snapping point owing to Rajitha !

The first untwoward incident relates to the diplomatic agreement signed between Sri Lanka (SL) and Nigeria under the last government. Rajitha stated at a cabinet  media briefing that it pertains to the supply of arms to Bokoharam terrorists.

This  statement of the  cabinet spokesman was unfortunately  not contradicted  by the leader of the cabinet, president Maithripala Sirisena . Consequently , Nigeria had addressed a strong  letter contained in 6 pages expressing its disappointment on a diplomatic level . Later  an individual of the government of the highest echelons was met  by  an official representative of that country , who had also verbally condemned the SL cabinet spokesman’s utterances roundly when he met the government higher ups.

While the  country is fighting a war against the Bokoharam terrorists , the mendacious and misleading statement made by no less a person than a cabinet spokesman of SL himself has plunged the government into a huge embarrassment not only within  Sri Lanka   but even internationally, the Nigerian government  had pointed out. ( a statement made by a spokesman of the cabinet is construed as that country’s official statement )

Perhaps , Minister Rajitha and  president Maithripala are  thinking the diplomatic ties between SL and Nigeria are what were established during the Rajapakse era, but truly , these ties began in January 1970 towards the end of Dudley Senanayake era. Besides Nigeria is a commonwealth country. It is lamentable that minister Rajitha  made this rash statement , while president Maithripala Sirisena is the chairman of the commonwealth. If the ‘manjang’ (mendacious)  cabinet spokesman noted for his recklessness has no grey matter to  understand  that only  an ignorant  frog in the well would croak over the  agreement signed with that country , whether during the Rajapakse era or any other ,  at least the leader of the cabinet  , president Maithripala ought to have known better.  Sadly ,president too is   ignorant .

We are using the word ‘ mendacious’ on purpose, for this cabinet spokesman who is the epicenter of the diplomatic faux pas  , has on as many as 14 occasions lied brazenly. Yet President has failed to dismiss Rajitha from the position of cabinet spokesman and replace him with a suitable individual .( it is to be noted that president Maithripala has created an inglorious record as the president who appointed the most misfits to high ranking posts during the last ten months.)

Rajitha casts media freedom into dust bin and dumps journalists on the CID  fourth floor- whither good governance ?

While the government of good governance is plunged deeply in despair internationally owing to the cavernous mouth of reckless Rajitha , nationally too  the country is driven into chaos owing to  the statement made by him to the CID against the media.

Following the report in last weekend Sinhala newspaper regarding an interview relating to another individual , Rajitha has lodged a complaint with the CID headquarters  against the reporter who wrote the article and the editor of the newspaper . Based on the complaint the CID summoned the reporter and the editor.

It is very evident that these actions are reminiscent of the media freedom erosion and suppression during the Rajapakse era , and an index that same despotic  trend  is rearing its ugly head again.

Full Report…….