By Saman Indrajith Courtesy Island

September 13, 2015, 8:42 pm
The administration came to power promising good governance, but the reins of government has shifted from a family to a cabal of cronies, the JVP says.

Addressing the media at the JVP Headquarters in Pelawatte, Battaramulla, party Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath said those who had obtained a mandate by promising a 35-member cabinet, among other things, were now striving to break the record of the previous regime, which had 106 ministers.

“One of the main accusations against Mahinda Rajapaksa government was the high number of ministers maintained at a huge cost to the public purse. This government has already appointed 93 cabinet, state and deputy ministers. It is expected to have 22 district ministers and then we will have 115 ministers breaking the record of the previous regime.”

He said the election manifesto of the UNP had promised to appoint ministers on what it called a scientific basis. “There is no such basis as evident from the composition of the Cabinet. We have Higher Education and Highways under one minister. Then there is an environment minister who is responsible for the trees while there is another wildlife minister to protect animals. Three ministers have been appointed to look after provincial affairs but the provinces that need government attention most have been left without any minister.

The people did not vote for the UPFA to join a coalition government. “Those who vowed to rise with Mahinda now enjoy the perks with Ranil. They declared that there was no other leader but Mahinda and now most of them are going behind the new government to get their share from a pie they did not make.”

The JVP propaganda secretary said both sides were withdrawing the cases they had filed against each other. Dropping of the case against Avant Garde floating armoury, too, was also consequent to what was being flaunted as consensual governance. The UPFA owed Rs 14,000 million to the SLTB for hiring buses for election rallies during the previous regime. It was revealed by former transport minister of the 100-day government. Now, that ministry is under a UPFA minister. We can simply guess what would happen to that case too,” Herath said.

“They may call it whatever they like. But, what we have should be branded cartel democracy. The country is now run by a coalition cartel to safeguard its own interests rather than the people’s.”

Herath warned that the day may not be far off when the people at the end of their tether came out to get rid of those who had duped them.