How long are we going to continue to have two Governments (Central and Provincial) operating and have no Government or Governance at all in this country?
Posted on May 27th, 2016
Sudath Gunasekara 27.5.2016
The way we have experienced it since the establishment of the Provincial Councils in 1987 under the 13th A there appears to be already two Governments in this country; one central and the other Provincial. This is more so in the North and the East where separatist communal politics is active although in other parts of the country such trends are not yet perceptible.
In these two Provinces the Central Government has already virtually ceased to exist. In the South on the other hand they are more than happy with the windfall they are blessed with thanks to the system, for no work they have to do or nor qualification they need to have to enjoy such fabulous benefits and perks, which they would have never dreamt of in this life if these piggeries called Provincial Councils were not there. I do not propose to go in to details of the miseries of that system as you all know what they are and what a tragedy it had been over the past 30 years.
You just imagine as to what service people get from these Councils for the colossal amounts of public funds annually wasted and sent down the drain to maintain these white elephants on salaries of over 700 politicians and an army of superficial officials, palatial red carpeted buildings and other facilities like luxury vehicles, fuel, office equipments bla bla.
The 13th A imposed by the Indian Government with powers exceeding even the Indian system was invented by India to destabilize the Sri Lankan State and with the ulterior motive of uniting the NP, EP and the CP to carve out an independent Tamil State within Sri Lanka which they named as EELAM. That is a Tamil Kingdom within the Kingdom of the Sinhalese as 70 million Tamils in Tamilnadu in India failed to establish their Dravida Raj there.
Thanks God it has not happened so far in Sri Lanka as well. But the overlapping, duplication, District vs Provincial clashes and confusion that was brought about by the introduction of the Provincial Council system has resulted in no governance at all in the country. There is a serious brake down in Governance which has very badly affected the delivery of services to the masses. As a result the purpose of the State and the Government is totally lost. Service to people is almost a dead notion in Sri Lanka now. Today the Government in this country has got transformed in to a veritable self-service by the politicians, for the politicians and of the politicians of course at the expense of the people. My question is as to why we maintain these people and institutions by spending so much just to maintain a heard of ruffians and thugs like the Chief Minister EP and a traitor like Vignesvaran in the North who enjoy fabulous salaries and unlimited perks for doing nothing for the people. Other than in the North and East where they only set fire to communal politics in other areas they are a bunch of parasites who draw royal pinpadi for pimping their masters in Colombo.
Just think for a moment in retrospect as to how much the country has lost for 30 years on these disastrous and useless piggeries, from 1987 to date with zero benefit to the country. How many super highways, how many houses for the poor, how many hospitals and schools and how many jobs could have been provided for the jobless and how many development projects we would have completed with that money.
On the other hand more than this Augean mess they have created in Governance and colossal and criminal wastage of national resources this system has already done, they have already brought the danger of disintegration of the country almost to our doorstep. Rome is on fire. Our political Neros are playing the fiddle. They are drinking, dancing and singing at five star hotels. None of these idiots seems to have realized the gravity of this imminent disaster. As I said at the outset the government at the moment is having serious problem only in the north and the East. Troubles in the South are yet to come. Had Mahinda not blundered by handing over the SLFP leadership to Sirisena by now the yahapalanaya perhaps would have ended? But we cannot be complacent taking for grant that things will last long as the political atmosphere in the country is changing very fast. No one can predict as to what will happen tomorrow. THE DAY the prodigal sons come home due to frustration with the Yahapalanaya and the opposition capture power in the Provincial Councils, the Government will come to a standstill.
The clashes between the District Administration, which usually runs by the central Government in the periphery, and the Provincial Councils will increase by thousand fold in time to come. Though I concede the Kachcheri system had its weaknesses it did a wonderful job before the PCC came in to being. Even now in any emergency it is the District Administration that has to come to rescue the Government in all emergencies. Like an octopus it has the administrative hold over the entire country through the Divisions and Villages via Divisional Secretariats and Grama Niladharis. These are time tested age old institutions familiar and accessible to people. In my opinion as an officer with experience at all levels, that is Village, Divisional, District and National, the District Administration is far superior and effective in governance as well as in delivery of services to people than the superfluous and amorphous Provincial Council system which is only a recently introduced unfamiliar appendix to our Administrative system
So why have two institutions when you can do a better job with one at a lesser cost. This is utter idiocy in good governance on the part of our political ticks and disregard and disrespect for public good that has disappeared for good from politics in this country long time ago.
This is why I call upon every patriotic citizen to force the Government to scrap the Provincial Councils along with the 13th Amendment.
May 27th, 2016 at 5:55 pm
Dear Sudath,
Agree with you completely! The Provincial Councils constitute a REDUNDANT LAYER of misgovernance that only caters to the separatist and communal forces in the country who want to gain power at ANY COST claiming that it enhances democracy and diversity!
UTTER BS! PCs only burden the common people with a lavishly paid gang of ineffective communal bureaucrats who use those position to gain more wealth, power and independence from the National Government, even going so far as to conduct their own international diplomacy!
This agenda must be STOPPED NOW before it spirals out our control into SECESSION!
REPEAL the 13A and DISSOLVE the Provincial Councils now.
ENHANCE the existing DISTRICT system, appointing DISTRICT GOVERNORS APPOINTED by the National Government administering each District through a DISTRICT CABINET composed mostly of APPOINTED officials and COMPULSORY membership of the fewer Members of National Parliament elected by the voters of the District. Give the appointed members executive powers, while the elected MP members are only consultants. In this way, the MP’s are given local access to solve local problems at the DISTRICT level, but they themselves have no executive power to engage in communal separatist politics.
RETAIN and FURTHER strengthen the EXECUTIVE PRESIDENTIAL form of NATIONAL government as the most stable and effective form of government for a nation beset with internal and foreign threats.
RETAIN a Parliamentary Legislature with a Prime Minister directed by the President, an independent JUDICIARY, and an EXECUTIVE branch reporting to the President.
The armed forces, coast guard and police should report to the NATIONAL executive and the PRESIDENT who will be the Commander-in-Chief.
The District Governor’s can have some control over the police in their Districts whilet gaining their authority to do so from the NATIONAL EXECUTIVE.
All Taxes and Revenue should be collected by the NATIONAL Government and disbursed to meet the needs of the DISTRICTS.
Within each DISTRICT there will be INCORPORATED (Villages, Towns and Cities) and UNINCORPORATED areas which report to the DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION. In addition, each INCORPORATED entity will have the ELECTED Headmen/Chaimen/Mayors who will organizations and operate the various local institutions. With the approval of the District, they can raise limited local taxes for local improvements to facilities and services, but these must be sanctioned by the DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION and consistent with NATIONAL HOVERNMENT guidelines.
FINALLY ….. I EMPHASIZE: We DO NOT NEED to DEVOLVE POWER to any ELECTED sub-national entities. In particular we do not need any Elected Provincial Councils that basically burden the people with unnecessary bureaucracy and create centers of communal separatism.
May 27th, 2016 at 6:40 pm
Most crooks, rapists, thugs and rogues who should be in jail are in Pradhisya Sabhas , MCs, UCs and other important local government institutions required to run a proper government. These institution too shall be depoliticised and members shall be elected from a list of people qualified and with good characters ( need not be graduates or from LOW college).
What additional power need to be devolved ? How can you devolve power to Tamil Cheats and Muslim Cheats who robbed the land and wealth of people for generations ? Statistical figures shall be published and the word “Devolution” shall be erased from Sri Lankan vocabulary.
May 27th, 2016 at 10:13 pm
Sudath,
” Had Mahinda not blundered by handing over the SLFP leadership to Sirisena by now the yahapalanaya perhaps would have ended? ”
Is this part of a bring back Mahinda campaign?. You haven’t written a word about anti-corruption campaigns initiated by the civil society activist and demanded the current GOSL to do the needful. What you say about the provincial council system is correct as it will eventually lead to disintegration of the country. But the most important thing now is to demand the ruling and previous rogues to be tried and the guilty jailed. MS/RW/MR think that the resources of the country is for their party politics that can be distributed to their henchaiyas (stalwarts) through provincial councils or things like ‘samurdhi’. They should be told in uncertain terms to let the law takes its course and send the guilty to the jails. If not the Ranawiruwos (tri-forces personnel) who sacrificed their lives and limbs for the so called unity should let these guys go six feet under.
But what can we expect from a law minister whose hands appear to be already tainted with corruption as stated in parliament by some members there?.
May 28th, 2016 at 12:17 am
Sudath Gunasekara QUITE CORRECTLY highlights the lack of ORDERLY & EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE in Sri Lanka.
The PRIMARY ISSUE I want to FOCUS ON are the CONFLICTS that this jury rigged power sharing arrangement will INEVITABLE CAUSE because the ULTIMATE GOALS of the Northern & Eastern Provinces are FUNDAMENTALLY COMMUNAL and are geared to the ULTIMATE AIM of gaining FULL SOVERIGNTY SECEDING from Sri Lanka.
To that end, Chief Minister of the Northern Province Wigneswaran colludes with the Tamil Diaspora, Western Powers who supported the EELAM Project, and the LTTE proxies within Sri Lanka. Chief Minister Nazeer Ahmed is following suit now to acquire a Muslims o Only homeland in the East for his community. To that end, he is flexing his muscles, appealing to his ELECTsition as a Chief Minister and is pushing the envelope for more and power.
Meanwhile, the armed forces that defeated the LTTE terrorists and reunified the SYSTEMATICALLY OUSTED from their bases under the pretext of returning land to refugee owners, while ethnically cleansing these areas of their Sinhala Buddhist residents and the are SYSTEMATICALLY DEMONIZED and hounded on War Crimes Allegations on the defensive.
All this time, the Yamapalana Government chants the MANTRA OF RECONCILIATION with unrepentant terrorists while DISMANTLING Sri Lanka’s defenses. Soon, Sri Lanka will be also be BANKRUPT and totally unable to resist the pressure from West Nations to accede to the demands of the SEPARATISTS and BALKANIZE our Motherland into a patchwork of WARRING COMMUNAL BANTUSTANS!
Make no mistake, if that happens ….. it is the Sinhala Buddhist majority of Sri Lanka that will be RE-ENSLAVED to a FOREIGN YOKE as we were in 1815 due the TREACHERY of our own GULLIBLE leaders!
PLEASE READ the article below that was published in the New Indian Express. Even this Indian author recognizes UNWORKABILITY of the system of the TWO SYSTEMS of GOVERNMENT, NATIONAL & PROVINCIAL, in Sri Lanka given the well established ULTIMATE AIM OF FULL AUTONOMY of the Tamils, and NOW the same EMERGING aim of MUSLIMS!
The SOLUTION IS OBVIOUS to ALL WHO ARE NOT DEAF, BLIND and DUMB!
POWER SHOULD NOT BE DEVOLVED ATT ALL to SUB-NATIONAL entities in Sri Lanka, because given the AIMS and COMMUNAL ATTITUDES of our ;peoples, it is TOO DANGEROUS to the INTEGRITY of our shared Motherland, and the SURVIVAL of our peoples, and the HOPE we have of REACHING PARITY with the DEVELOPED WORLD together!
Therefore, we MUST REPEAL the 13th Amendment, DISSOLVE the Provincial Councils, RETAIN & STRENGTHEN the EXECUTIVE PRESIDENTIAL FORM of Parliamentary Government, and to STREAMLINE GOVERNANCE EFFECTIVE CONTROL institute a DISTRICT system of ADMINISTRATION with Officers APPOINTED by the NATIONAL GOVERNMENT as I have elaborated on elsewhere, and FORGET ABOUT RECONCILIATION … it will NEVER HAPPEN as long as the SYSTEM in PLACE ENCOURAGES SEPARATISM & DIVISION!
We have LOST enough TIME already; DO IT NOW!
……………………….
Roots of Governor-Chief Minister conflict in eastern Sri Lanka
Fri, May 27, 2016, 08:51 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
May 27 (NIE) COLOMBO- The on-going conflict between Eastern Province Governor Austin Fernando and Chief Minister Naseer Ahamed, which has led to the Sri Lankan armed forces declaring an indefinite boycott of the Chief Minister, is rooted in the way Centre-Province relations have developed in Lanka and the nature of Muslim politics in the island nation.
According to sources in the East, last Friday’s spat in which CM Naseer Ahamed publicly accused Governor Austin Fernando of insulting him and “the entire province”, in cahoots with the Lankan navy, could not be seen as an isolated incident.
They say that it is a part of a larger problem, rooted in the nature of Muslim politics in Lanka and the way power is shared between the Sinhalese-dominated Central government in Colombo and the elected governments in the Northern and Eastern Provinces where the minority Muslims and Tamils are strong.
The Incident
The Colombo-based private company Richard Peiris, in collaboration with the Lankan navy, had organized a function at Sampoor last Friday, to gift a science and computer lab to the Sampoor Mahavidyalaya, and had invited the Governor to be the Chief Guest.
Thinking that it will be good to have the CM and the visiting US envoy Atul Keshap also at the function, the Governor, on his own, invited them. But when CM Naseer Ahamed asked the Governor if he could go with him in the helicopter provided by the organizers, Fernando said that there was no space and asked him to go by road. The slighted CM felt further insulted when a naval officer prevented him from mounting the stage at the function as he was not billed to be there. In a fit of anger, the CM called the naval officer an “idiot” and asked him to “get out”. The CM suspected that the Governor had instigated the naval officer and launched a tirade against him saying that he has been unnecessarily interfering in the functioning of an elected provincial government.
When the video of the spat went viral, the vast “pro-war heroes” segment in the majority Sinhalese community sought stern action against the CM for insulting a member of the heroic armed forces. The Defense Secretary felt compelled to order a Security Forces boycott of all meetings and functions of the CM and declare that the CM will not be allowed to enter any Security Forces camp. For further action, a detailed report is to be presented to President Maithripala Sirisena on his return from Japan.
The Governor denied the charges made by the CM. But he has been telling his confidantes privately that Naseer Ahamed is trying to run the administration as he pleases and that he has been telling him that he cannot do so. Sources in the East confirmed that the chemistry between Fernando and Ahamed has been bad for some time.
Power Rivalry
Under the 13 th.Amendment of the Lankan constitution, elected provincial governments have very little power. For example, the provincial public service is in the hands of the Governor. The elected Provincial administration has to get the sanction of the Governor before tabling a statute in the Provincial Council. Over the years, Provincial Governors, as representatives of the all-powerful Centre, have had their way vis-à-vis elected CMs.
While this has not been an issue in the Sinhalese-majority provinces, because there has been no thirst for autonomy in these provinces, it has been an issue in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, where the Tamils and Muslims are in a majority. The minorities have been demanding autonomy or asking for rights enshrined in the 13 th Constitutional Amendment. Naseer Ahamed, for example, has been asking for rights over land which is still vested with the Centre.
In the Tamil-majority Northern Province, Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran has been having a running battle with successive Governors. In the East , there was no problem to begin with because the first two CMs belonged to the party which was ruling the Center also. But problems began to crop up when a coalition comprising the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Tamil National Alliance (TMC) came to power in the East.
Though, unlike the Wigneswaran’s regime in the North, the SLMC-TNA alliance regime in the East is not asking for “self-determination” it is demanding freedom to act as an elected administration.
Muslim Politics
Further, the Muslims in Lanka have traditionally striven to make use of state power for the benefit of their community, and this has led to confrontations with the powers-that-be. In the East, Governor Fernando has stalled some of Naseer Ahamed’s schemes, including some which in his view needlessly discriminated against other communities. The Eastern Tamils charge that Muslim-led administrations have not been giving them their due and praise Governor Fernando for standing up for them.
Reluctance To Devolve Power
On their part, Lankan Central governments and their agents, the Provincial Governors, have been wary about yielding to the demands of the elected provincial administrations especially if they are in areas dominated by ethnic minorities.
Certain personal attributes of the main actors are also relevant for understanding the current scenario in the East. Governor Austin Fernando is an influential person enjoying the patronage of the Lankan President and Prime Minister. His challenger, CM Naseer Ahamed, is an ambitious go-getter, who will brook no interference.
Read More:: NIE (Source)
May 28th, 2016 at 12:49 am
CORRECTED VERSION (Editor, Please delete the previous version of this comment).
Sudath Gunasekara QUITE CORRECTLY highlights the lack of ORDERLY & EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE in Sri Lanka.
The PRIMARY ISSUE I want to FOCUS ON are the CONFLICTS that this jury-rigged power sharing arrangement will INEVITABLE CAUSE because the ULTIMATE GOALS of the Northern & Eastern Provincial Councils are FUNDAMENTALLY COMMUNAL and geared to the ULTIMATE AIM of gaining FULL SOVEREIGNTY and SECEDING from Sri Lanka.
To that end, Chief Minister of the Northern Province Wigneswaran colludes with the Tamil Diaspora, Western Powers who supported the EELAM Project, and the LTTE proxies within Sri Lanka. Chief Minister Nazeer Ahmed is following suit now to acquire a Muslims-Only homeland in the East for his community. To that end, he is flexing his muscles, appealing to his ELECTED status as a Chief Minister as justification, and is pushing the envelope for more and more power.
Meanwhile, the armed forces that defeated the LTTE terrorists and reunified the nation are being SYSTEMATICALLY OUSTED from their bases under the pretext of returning land to refugee owners, while ethnically cleansing these areas of their Sinhala Buddhist residents. The armed forces are being SYSTEMATICALLY DEMONIZED and THREATENED with War Crimes Allegations to force them on the defensive.
All this time, the Yamapalana Government chants the MANTRA OF RECONCILIATION with unrepentant terrorists while DISMANTLING Sri Lanka’s defenses, and allowing the GRADUAL ACCRETION of POWER into SEPARATISTS hands.
Soon, with the BUNGLERS at the HELM & THEIVES LOOTING the Treasury, Sri Lanka will be also be BANKRUPT and totally unable to resist the pressure from Western Nations. Sri Lanka will be so helpless and dependent on handouts from Western Powers that it will be forced to accede to the demands of the SEPARATISTS, and commit suicide by BALKANIZING our Motherland into a patchwork of WARRING COMMUNAL BANTUSTANS!
Make no mistake, if that happens ….. it is the Sinhala Buddhist majority of Sri Lanka that will be RE-ENSLAVED to a FOREIGN YOKE as we were in 1815 due the TREACHERY of our own GULLIBLE leaders!
PLEASE READ the article below that was published in the New Indian Express. Even this Indian author recognizes UNWORKABILITY of our jury-rigged dual system of GOVERNMENT, NATIONAL & PROVINCIAL, given the well established ULTIMATE AIM OF FULL AUTONOMY of the Tamils, and NOW the SAME EMERGING AIM of the MUSLIMS!
The SOLUTION IS OBVIOUS to ALL WHO ARE NOT DEAF, BLIND and DUMB!
POWER SHOULD NOT BE DEVOLVED AT ALL to SUB-NATIONAL entities in Sri Lanka, because given the AIMS and COMMUNAL ATTITUDES of our peoples, it is TOO DANGEROUS to the INTEGRITY of our shared Motherland, the SURVIVAL of our peoples, and the HOPE we nurse of REACHING PARITY with the DEVELOPED WORLD in the future!
Therefore, we MUST REPEAL the 13th Amendment, DISSOLVE the Provincial Councils, RETAIN & STRENGTHEN the EXECUTIVE PRESIDENTIAL FORM of Parliamentary Government, STREAMLINE GOVERNANCE EFFECTIVE CONTROL by instituting a DISTRICT system of ADMINISTRATION with Officers APPOINTED by the NATIONAL GOVERNMENT as I have elaborated on elsewhere, and FORGET ABOUT RECONCILIATION which will NEVER HAPPEN as long as the SYSTEM in PLACE ENCOURAGES SEPARATISM & DIVISION!
We have LOST enough TIME already; DO IT NOW!
……………………….
Roots of Governor-Chief Minister conflict in eastern Sri Lanka
Fri, May 27, 2016, 08:51 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
May 27 (NIE) COLOMBO- The on-going conflict between Eastern Province Governor Austin Fernando and Chief Minister Naseer Ahamed, which has led to the Sri Lankan armed forces declaring an indefinite boycott of the Chief Minister, is rooted in the way Centre-Province relations have developed in Lanka and the nature of Muslim politics in the island nation.
According to sources in the East, last Friday’s spat in which CM Naseer Ahamed publicly accused Governor Austin Fernando of insulting him and “the entire province”, in cahoots with the Lankan navy, could not be seen as an isolated incident.
They say that it is a part of a larger problem, rooted in the nature of Muslim politics in Lanka and the way power is shared between the Sinhalese-dominated Central government in Colombo and the elected governments in the Northern and Eastern Provinces where the minority Muslims and Tamils are strong.
The Incident
The Colombo-based private company Richard Peiris, in collaboration with the Lankan navy, had organized a function at Sampoor last Friday, to gift a science and computer lab to the Sampoor Mahavidyalaya, and had invited the Governor to be the Chief Guest.
Thinking that it will be good to have the CM and the visiting US envoy Atul Keshap also at the function, the Governor, on his own, invited them. But when CM Naseer Ahamed asked the Governor if he could go with him in the helicopter provided by the organizers, Fernando said that there was no space and asked him to go by road. The slighted CM felt further insulted when a naval officer prevented him from mounting the stage at the function as he was not billed to be there. In a fit of anger, the CM called the naval officer an “idiot” and asked him to “get out”. The CM suspected that the Governor had instigated the naval officer and launched a tirade against him saying that he has been unnecessarily interfering in the functioning of an elected provincial government.
When the video of the spat went viral, the vast “pro-war heroes” segment in the majority Sinhalese community sought stern action against the CM for insulting a member of the heroic armed forces. The Defense Secretary felt compelled to order a Security Forces boycott of all meetings and functions of the CM and declare that the CM will not be allowed to enter any Security Forces camp. For further action, a detailed report is to be presented to President Maithripala Sirisena on his return from Japan.
The Governor denied the charges made by the CM. But he has been telling his confidantes privately that Naseer Ahamed is trying to run the administration as he pleases and that he has been telling him that he cannot do so. Sources in the East confirmed that the chemistry between Fernando and Ahamed has been bad for some time.
Power Rivalry
Under the 13 th.Amendment of the Lankan constitution, elected provincial governments have very little power. For example, the provincial public service is in the hands of the Governor. The elected Provincial administration has to get the sanction of the Governor before tabling a statute in the Provincial Council. Over the years, Provincial Governors, as representatives of the all-powerful Centre, have had their way vis-à-vis elected CMs.
While this has not been an issue in the Sinhalese-majority provinces, because there has been no thirst for autonomy in these provinces, it has been an issue in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, where the Tamils and Muslims are in a majority. The minorities have been demanding autonomy or asking for rights enshrined in the 13 th Constitutional Amendment. Naseer Ahamed, for example, has been asking for rights over land which is still vested with the Centre.
In the Tamil-majority Northern Province, Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran has been having a running battle with successive Governors. In the East , there was no problem to begin with because the first two CMs belonged to the party which was ruling the Center also. But problems began to crop up when a coalition comprising the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Tamil National Alliance (TMC) came to power in the East.
Though, unlike the Wigneswaran’s regime in the North, the SLMC-TNA alliance regime in the East is not asking for “self-determination” it is demanding freedom to act as an elected administration.
Muslim Politics
Further, the Muslims in Lanka have traditionally striven to make use of state power for the benefit of their community, and this has led to confrontations with the powers-that-be. In the East, Governor Fernando has stalled some of Naseer Ahamed’s schemes, including some which in his view needlessly discriminated against other communities. The Eastern Tamils charge that Muslim-led administrations have not been giving them their due and praise Governor Fernando for standing up for them.
Reluctance To Devolve Power
On their part, Lankan Central governments and their agents, the Provincial Governors, have been wary about yielding to the demands of the elected provincial administrations especially if they are in areas dominated by ethnic minorities.
Certain personal attributes of the main actors are also relevant for understanding the current scenario in the East. Governor Austin Fernando is an influential person enjoying the patronage of the Lankan President and Prime Minister. His challenger, CM Naseer Ahamed, is an ambitious go-getter, who will brook no interference.
Read More:: NIE (Source)
May 28th, 2016 at 1:02 am
The Yamapalanaya BUNGLERS who inherited a Nation in GREAT FINANCIAL SHAPE from the previous government on Jan 8, 2015, have RUINED the ECONOMY in 15 short months!
ONCE AGAIN, after 7 years of PROUD EXISTENCE, the WESTERN WORLD is MOCKING Sri Lanka after HELPING to Engineer the REGIME CHANGE!
This has ALWAYS BEEN the DISMAL PERFORMANCE of governments led by the UNPatriotic Party who help the minorities PROSPER at the expense of the Motherland!
Those few Sinhala Buddhist LOTUS EATERS who helped assorted enemies of Sri Lanka to EMPOWER this set of CONGENITAL IDIOTS, must ACCEPT THE BLAME for their GULLIBILITY & IDIOCY!
……………………………..
Fixing Sri Lanka’s Mess
Sat, May 28, 2016, 09:14 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
May 28 (Economy Watch) Sri Lanka’s balance of payments is in dire straits. The country’s mounting foreign and domestic public debt, a huge fiscal deficit and a severe foreign exchange shortfall have led to potentially calamitous economic circumstances.
Sri Lanka’s balance of payments is in dire straits. The country’s mounting foreign and domestic public debt, a huge fiscal deficit and a severe foreign exchange shortfall have led to potentially calamitous economic circumstances. Sri Lanka has not yet secured the means to meet its upcoming foreign loan repayments — US$4.5 billion is due over the next year, to be followed by another US$4 billion in the subsequent year.
Credit rating agencies Fitch and Standard and Poor’s downgraded Sri Lanka’s international sovereign rating in early 2016 in light of its rising fiscal deficit and foreign debt — the highest among Asia’s emerging markets — compounded by sluggish growth prospects.
While excessive public debt has been accruing over generations, the debt trap that the country is experiencing today is principally due to non-concessional commercial loans taken out between 2009 and 2014 by the previous government, led by Mahinda Rajapaksa. The loans, which went towards infrastructure development projects, roughly doubled the country’s external debt.
The current administration, led by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, manifestly worsened the country’s fiscal conditions in 2015. Outstanding domestic debts rose by over 12 percent due to excessive government spending and foreign debt had increased by 25 percent by the end of that year, albeit primarily to finance the previous government’s loans.
Sri Lanka’s foreign currency earnings and reserves are insufficient to meet its external financing requirements. The depletion in reserves is a consequence of large foreign capital outflows, reduced exports due to the global economic downturn, and falling remittances from migrant workers employed in the distressed Middle East region.
As temporary measures to avert a foreign exchange crisis, the government initiated a US$1.5 billion currency swap with the Reserve Bank of India and a US$1 billion currency swap with the Central Bank of China in March. Sri Lanka’s Central Bank also plans to raise up to US$3 billion through the issuance of international sovereign bonds this year.
Sri Lanka has resorted to extended foreign borrowing to counteract the rising fiscal deficit and strengthen foreign reserves. An IMF loan of US$1.5 billion has been granted on a 36-month Extended Fund Facility program, subject to formal approval by the IMF’s Executive Board in June. The Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka has said that the country hopes to obtain an additional US$5 billion in loans from other sources, including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, once the IMF loan — a mark of international confidence — is in effect.
The IMF loan has come only as the Sri Lankan government has agreed to tough conditions, including restrictions on budget deficit sizes and tax-to-GDP ratio requirements. The government has since proposed a range of structural changes to its fiscal policy. On 8 March, emergency tax measures were announced.
The changes include widening the tax base by increasing corporate income tax, increasing value-added tax (VAT), reintroducing income tax on capital gains, and removing certain previous exemptions on VAT and the Nation Building Tax (a consumption tax introduced in 2009 to fund security forces and rebuild infrastructure damaged by terrorism and war). A Share Transaction Levy was reimposed on all share transactions. The government also shared its plans to introduce a carbon tax on vehicles with the IMF delegation in mid-April.
Two primary aims of the Sri Lankan government are to attract foreign direct investment and encourage the private sector to invest more. However, the government’s sudden changes to the budget — including unplanned and ad hoc tax policy changes — have dented investor sentiment, causing capital outflows. These post-budget policy changes have led to a state of economic uncertainty. Predictability and consistency in economic policy are key to a positive business and investment environment.
Downward economic momentum is expected in the short term, as the proposed higher taxes will negatively affect low- and middle-income consumers, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and organisations importing raw and intermediate materials (which include those in the already ailing export sector).
While it is necessary to increase tax revenue to meet growing public debt and stabilise the economy, higher tax rates discourage business and investment and reduce consumption, leading to less growth. With more than half of the registered taxpayers in Sri Lanka known to be evading taxes, the country should focus instead on developing an efficient and comprehensive tax collection mechanism.
To reduce public debt, the government is looking to privatise state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that are currently running at a loss. These SOEs account for more than 80 percent of domestic debt. Sri Lanka has invited Chinese companies and others to invest in these SOEs, proposing a debt-equity swap. Chinese companies have not yet responded to these proposals.
Despite the deterioration in its balance of payments, Sri Lanka showed growth momentum last year. There is hope for an economic turnaround in the medium term, following the IMF loan. As an emerging market, Sri Lanka has many lucrative areas for investment, including the booming tourism sector, construction and infrastructure development.
That said, some commentators believe the country lacks a clear sense of direction on economic policy and suspect that the government may not be able to effectively manage the widening balance of payments gap.
This scepticism stems from the fragmented political landscape marked by the tense alliance between arch political rivals, the right-leaning United National Party and a segment of the more socialist Sri Lanka Freedom Party. The unpredictable economic management of the Ministry of Finance adds to this cautionary mood.
Such a coalition causes paralysis and a lack of debate around policy implementation. The gloomy short-term economic forecast is bound to test the strength of this coalition. In managing painful economic reforms, the government’s hard work is only beginning.
Read More:: EW (Source)
May 28th, 2016 at 3:35 am
This treacherous Sisrisena, Ranil, CBK and Mangala are the ones who accepted the US resolution which is full of bogus lies of our Sri Lankan Armed Forces as having committed war crimes which is a totally bogus lie being spread by the LTTE supporters and the TNA separatist terrorists. The US, UK, Canada, Norway, Sweden, EU and India wants to create an eelam or a separate state. The reason is that the North and the East comprise 66% of our coastline and 66% of our oceans. There is offshore oil and gas in the North and the East and minerals are present in the North and the East. Trincomalee has one of the largest natural harbours in the world with a submarine canyon. The US imperialists want to set up a naval and air base there. Once that is done, the US imperialists can dominate the oceans of South Asia. the Hambantota and Colombo harbours are right next to the East-West sea lane, the world’s busiest. Therefore if Sri Lanka is partitioned, the rest of Sri Lanka can be easily controlled and then the US imperialists can control the Hambantota and Colombo harbours too. In order to partition Sri Lanka the US imperialists supported the LTTE terrorists who was their proxy force. However the LTTE terrorists were defeated. However the US imperialists are trying to create rifts between the sinhala, tamil and muslims so that they can intervene and partition Sri Lanka. the provincial council system only helps separatists. What is needed is a strong central government. What is also needed is for more sinhala people to be settled in the North and also in the East. Then only will there be real peace in the island. The landless sinhala people and those snhala people who were ethnically cleansed from the North by the LTTE should be resettled in the North immediately. This is the only way this island will achieve peace.
May 28th, 2016 at 9:20 am
Alugosu (to Sinhalese only) thambi mudiyanse put the foundation by implementing 13 on the orders of india.
Sri Lanka should have stayed with the Chinese for this simple reason. When Chinese are in Sri Lanka, indians
and the west stay away. When the Chinese are away, india and the west are all over Sri Lanka like a rash.
So stop this rash, Chinese are the best antibiotic. But some traitor Sinhala donkeys think india and the west
are the big and powerful. In today’s world, China is the power house. So us, uk, germany, france, india etc
all just stay away. As a result Sri Lanka would have had no trouble. No pigneshwaran asking for a piece, no
Traitors Northern Alliance (TNA0 asking for a piece. No Sri Lanka Multiplying Community (SLMC) asking for a
piece. So being with the Chinese, they would’ve developed country and stopped these foreign cancers asking
piece of our country. But some traitor Sinhalese fell for catholic-run UNPatriotic party’s tom pachas and
gave them the reins.
Now all the vultures at it. Give us a piece. Give us land powers. Give us police powers. etc. These foreigners
been here only for a few hundred years. Then multiply, multiply and takes over towns, villages etc. Then next
step is separate country. They should go to tn and saudi to get their dreamland ungrateful cancers!
Thanks to traitor catholic-run UNPatriotics, Sri Lanka, a 350-mile long island, hass chief minisers, deputy ministers,
state ministers, pradeshiya saba ministers etc. etc. so free loaders whose only job is to plunder and plunder our
resources. Thanks to Sinhalese murdering alugosu thambi mudiyanse Sri Lanka is ruined forever. Traitor xxx
May 28th, 2016 at 9:27 am
Ananda,
No need to write volumes on this subject. If you read Kamalika Peiris’s articles on this subject, if free hand to the armed forces were given any idiotic leader would have defeated the invading Tamils. WE have done it for over two thousand years and they will do it for another two thousand years. The neither the west nor the Indians will be able to have the pearl of the Indian ocean. You know even MR was trying very hard to have a deal with Velu but the later’s intransigent attitude prevented that. If not one third of the country would have been given to them by today. I think MR is a big opportunist. He is still showing the true colours. If not he and the family could have moved away from politics and given the leadership to a worthy person.
You have traveled to US on your own steam and enjoyed te life there with the credentials you gained through the free education system provided by our country. So, I wonder how you got involved in this bring back campaign?. Please give it up and help the present lot to clean up the mess created by the last two presidents. And watch how the elephants (the world powers) play their game in the Indian ocean from a vantage point. No body will get directly involved in SL. It is too far from europe or US and the Indians got their hands burnt once. We should be non aligned until we have the the DETERRENT.
May 28th, 2016 at 9:35 am
If they (the west) wanted to get involved directly the ideal time would have been when MR dictated to three powers sitting under a tree somewhere in the south.
May 28th, 2016 at 12:16 pm
Aloy,
Get ready to face web terrorism by telling the truth.
LOVE IS BLIND , no – Buddha didn’t say it, but very true and human nature.
May 28th, 2016 at 12:34 pm
ALOY !!! WHAT YOU SAY IS PERFECTLY TRUE. IT IS MR THAT BROUGHT ALL THIS MISERY. JUST BECAUSE HE FINISHED THE WAR DURING HIS TENURE, THERE IS NO NECESSITY TO WHITE WASH HIM. YOU DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WEB TERRORISM, WHEN YOU TALK THE TRHTH.
DHAM !! NOBODY CAN BEND STRONG CHARACTER, PERIOD.
May 28th, 2016 at 12:43 pm
So much written with much effort and genuine feelings for the country but the pivotal role played by a very small clique whose not foolish, but purposeful target to destroy the Sinhela Country and Nation are on track. People are unable to identify and believe this leading genocidal clique as they have Sinhala names! Very sadly Sinhela people who are conditioned not even to know the Island Country is their ONLY indigenous national motherland of the entire world; vultures a galore on the horizon! Unless a miracle happens – our hands for our head is non existent.
May 28th, 2016 at 12:45 pm
Vasu’s brother in law and Prbahakaran’s disciple (crowned in 2013 to celebrate commonwealth glory with the enemy , the west ) wanted to congratulate Amma ( where is Harin ? .. we need him urgently.)
Good work by Jayatilake and a lot of thanks but the reason he gave was not correct.
It should have been ” We are just a Palaath Sabha and we have no moral right to congratulate a foreign entity. Her victory may possibly bring death to youth of our province let alone any benefit to our province”
Sri Lanka’s Northern PC aborts motion to congratulate Tamil Nadu CM
Sat, May 28, 2016, 09:15 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
May 28, Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council, controlled by the major Tamil party Tamil National Alliance (TNA), has aborted an attempt to adopt a motion to congratulate the re-elected Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu state of India Jeyaram Jayalalithaa.
Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran has presented the motion to congratulate Jayalalithaa, who advocates a separate state in the North to solve the ethnic issue, to the Council.
Wigneswaran’s move has created a tense situation in the Council when the United People’s Freedom Alliance councilor V Jayathilake and a group of councilors raised opposition to the motion saying that the Council should pay attention to the people in the country affected by the floods and landslides instead of congratulating Jayalalithaa.
When the new session of the Northern PC began Friday, the Chief Minister Wigneswaran said the Tamil people in Sri Lanka are elated about the Tamil Nadu Chief Minster’s reelection to the assembly for the sixth time and the Council offers well wishes to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minster.
In response to Wigneswaran’s statement Councilor Jayathilake said the Council in the opening should extend condolences to the victims of the last week’s floods landslides disaster in Sri Lanka and not comemeorating Jayalalithaa’s victory. He said it was inappropriate for the NPC to adopt congratulatory motions for Indian politicians when the country had faced a natural disaster.
“Has the Council forgotten that hundreds of people died and 100 more missing in this country?” he asked.
Chairman of NPC C.V.K. Sivagnanam said he was waiting to express Councils’ sympathies and condolences to the people.
The Vice Chairman of NPC, TNA councilor Anton Jeganathan also said he supports Jayathileke’s statement. He said it was wrong to talk about Jayalalitha’s victory when the foreign countries have come forward to help flood victims and the council must first debate the floods situation.
“I agree with Mr. Jayathileke’s statement. The affected people are receiving foreign and local relief assistance but the Northern PC has not taken any measures regarding the situation,” Councilor Jeganathan pointed out.
As other TNA councilors also opposed the motion, the move was aborted, PTI reported.
May 28th, 2016 at 1:17 pm
DHAM !! VIGGIE HAS NO MORAL RIGHT TO SEND A CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE. THIS IS WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO START THE RUB. HE WANTS TO BE ON PAR WITH THE PRESIDENT AND THE PM. THIS NORTHERN PIGGERY SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISSOLVED LONG TIME AGO FOR TREACHERY, AND UN-PATRIOTIC MOVES. JUST LIKE MR, PRESIDENT AND PM ARE VERY BACKWARD IN GOING FORWARD, ON THESE MATTERS. THESE TRAITORS VERY WELL KNOW IT. SO THEY TRY TO ROCK THE BOAT.
May 28th, 2016 at 2:38 pm
Susantha,
May be Jayatilake is right in his “make use of floods ” attitude which prevented Vasu’s BIL passing this bill. May be I was wrong in asking him to be more confrontational at this instant. I am no politician.
No. We need a couple of “NO FEAR” leaders to rise from this mess. “NO FEAR” can arise only from persistent effort to be “blameless”. If you are blameless in every other aspect, NATIONALISM will be excused by the world.
We can’t attempt suicide being a North Korea. We somehow must create an atmosphere which attract investments, safe for tourists yet morally more advance than the rest of the world.
Corruption here, corruption there, bit of nationalism is not going to work.
May 28th, 2016 at 4:43 pm
Dr Sudath Gunsekera,
Thank you for highlighting this point.
——-
The illegal 13-A Imposed by INDIA :
This is the whip used mostly by INDIA & some other foreign powers to control Sri Lanka. If anyone in Lanka is to remove the 13-A, first INDIA & now also the west will have to approve that.
The UNP led Yahap people are the best people to remove the illegal 13-A, since it was during the UNP times that INDIA forced the 13-A on Lanka (1987).
May 28th, 2016 at 5:18 pm
aloy,
You said “No need to write volumes on this subject”, but I strongly DISAGREE.
It took 30 years of writing VOLUMES on this subject by thousands of PATRIOTS to help a Patriotic Government to RISE UP in Sri Lanka and DEMOLISH the attempt of the Tamil Separatists to create an EELAM militarily.
TODAY, those very same Tamil Separatists who were DEMOLISHED on the battlefield are attempting to achieve what that goal they FAILED to ACHIEVE by WAR by REGIME CHANGE in PEACE.
It will REQUIRE writing MANY MORE VOLUMES on this subject by PATRIOTS to SOUND THE ALARM and MARSHALL the Patriotic Forces of Lanka to HALT, DEFEAT, UTTERLY DEMOLISH and ELIMINATE THIS THREAT FOREVER.
You say “Kamalika Peiris’s articles on this subject, if free hand to the armed forces were given any idiotic leader would have defeated the invading Tamils”, but the FACT IS that NONE OF OUR IDIOTIC LEADERS did that until Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected on the platform of defeating the separatists, and proceeded to keep his promise to the people TO THE LETTER!
JR blinked in the face of INdian aggression, and agreed to the 13th Amendment that bedevils us to this day, albeit under military coercion by India.
Premadasa did what he could to get rid of the military occupation of Sri Lanka by the IPKF, but he did not build up our armed forces to take over and defeat the LTTE CONVINCINGLY upon the departure of the IPKF.
CBK half heartedly launched a military campaign (Jayasikuru) with her uncle RAtwatte leading it, but as soon as she ran into military setbacks lost heart. When she lost her eye to an LTTE bomb, all of her courage and duty to her people vanished in a puff of smoke; she became a PEACENIK blaming the Sinhala people for discrimination against the Tamils. The damage she did then, she is still continuing now. She never did enough to marshall all of the resources of the island to support the military effort.
Ranil Wickramasinghe came in promising to SOLVE the problem, but very nearly would have given Prakaran and the LTTE the sovereign EELAM they thirsted for. Luckily, CBK as Presidenty did the ONLY GOOD THING she did in her entire political career in Sri Lanka when she DISMISSED Ranil’s UNP government and called for new elections rather than allow an autonomous EELAM to be created in Sri Lanka with Norwegian assistance.
That election in 2006 brought Mahinda Rajapaksa to power, and Gothabhaya to office as Defence Secretary. THat single event COMPLETELY CHANGED THE SITUATION and the MARTIAL spirit of our people and their WILL TO FIGHT BACK. The new DEMONSTRABLY PATRIOTIC government and their EFFECTIVE MILITARY LEADERSHIP helped to recruit tens of thousands of new soldiers, sailors, airmen, coast guard and police whereas in the past under lackluster vacillating-oscillating leadership they had deserted by the thousands!
Don’t tell me that ANYONE could have done it! CERTAINLY NOT the GANG OF FAILED LEADERS OF THE PAST who have returned to power in Sri Lanka with Foreign REGIME CHANGE assistance and are dragging down our Motherland to DESTRUCTION EVEN AS WE SPEAK!
Like those who mocked Columbus saying ANYONE could have discovered America if only they sailed far enough to the West, NO ONE DARED to do that for the fear of falling off the edge of the flat-earth!
Likewise, we Patriots know very well that NO ONE DARED to SUMMON the ENTIRE NATION to ARMS, CONFRONT the Foreign Backers of the Tamils, and RISK their entire family’s future in the caise of saving their Motherland like the Rajapaksa Family and their supporters in the UPFA.
Together with Dham, Susantha and other assorted NAYSAYERS, you can MOCK & DERIDE the achievements of Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Family until the COWS COME HOME, but the FACTS & TRUTH will prevail in the hearts and minds of miilions of Sinhala Patriots as to who rescued our Motherland from ABJECT MISERY and DISINTEGRATION!
You say “I think MR is a big opportunist. He is still showing the true colours. If not he and the family could have moved away from politics and given the leadership to a worthy person.”
And you think that CBK, RW and Mangala Samaraweera are not opportunists?? CBK, a British citizen now, comes hotfooting to SL to connive with her former enemy RW, and to hatch a plot to recruit the PAMBAYA Sirisena as a figurehead President while she plays on the puppet strings? It is EXTREME personal jealousy and animosity against the revered war-wiiing liberator of our Motherland Mahinda Rajapaksa that drove her to do it. She will destroy herself through her own jealousy.
Need I say more about RW than point to his SERIAL failures, and his ASTOUNDING LACK OF PATRIOTISM displayed throughout his catreer? A man who could not EVER lead his own party to VICTORY, found a way to become the Prime Minister through the back door through a Foreign Orchestrated REGIME CHANGE plot. It was NOT HIS INTELLECT that allowed him to make frequent visits to the US, but his role as the Ahmed Chalabi (Would be President of Iraq who conned George Bush into invading his Motherland) of Sri Lanka. RW is fast converting Sri Lanka into a vassal state of the NeoColonial Western Powers and a satellite of India, and into a Patchwork of ETHNIC COMMUNAL BANTUSTANS. Have you examined the ethno-religios composition of his Cabinet? Most of the major Portfolios are held by Christians, Muslims or Tamils while powerless portfolios are held by Sinhala Buddhist who have sold their community for a handful of gold coins! This, in a nation with an overwhelming Sinhala Buddhist majority.
Mark my words …. there is a TSUNAMI BREWING, and when THAT TSUNAMI hits ALL of these TRAITORS will be swept away into the sea, and into refuge with their foreign benefactors to enjoy the money they have looted from our Motherland!
You say” You have traveled to US on your own steam and enjoyed te life there with the credentials you gained through the free education system provided by our country.”
Yes, although I did receive my education up to high school at S. Thomas College in Sri Lanka, and my BSc(Eng) degree at the Univ. of Sri Lanka, Peradeniya, I acquired my graduate education entirely in the USA without additional help of Sri Lanka through winning Teaching and Research Assistantships and Fellowships. This includes an MS degree, and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. My subsequent employment was at universities, major industrial companies, and national defence laboratories of the US Government. I taught myself to invest my savings in the US stock market and real estate and this accounts for the bulk of my assets, not my employment earnings per se.
However, ever since I left Sri Lanka, I have continuously assisted my very large extended family living in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan charities, and other unrelated Sri Lankan people in many ways, amounting to sending more than 50% of my lifetime earnings to Sri Lanka. Even today, I am extensively involved in patriotic, charitable and business activities to help Sri Lanka prosper and its most vulnerable people survive. This is something that makes me very happy.
I would NEVER HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO SO MUCH for Sri Lanka’s benefit had I remained there without going and working abroad. I too have sacrificed, being away from my loved ones most of the time. MY POINT is, I think I HAVE EARNED THE RIGHT to be CONCERNED ABOUT Sri Lanka as much as any other Sri Lankan, irrespective of where I have worked for most of my life, for I HAVE HEAVILY CONTRIBUTED and I AM HEAVILY CONTRIBUTING TO THE WELFARE OF MY PEOPLE.
You say “So, I wonder how you got involved in this bring back campaign?. Please give it up and help the present lot to clean up the mess created by the last two presidents.”
How I got involved is very simple: ALMOST ALL that I LOVE, VALUE and TREASURE is in Sri Lanka, and I want to PROTECT, DEFEND and PRESERVE those things for my beloved people to enjoy in SriLanka. A simple term for that desire is PATRIOTISM!
My involvement and concern did not begin today; it was in existence and THRIVING when I arrived as a graduate student in the US almost 45 years ago.
For me, the FACTS as I have stated above and often elsewhere, are that Mahinda Rajapaksa stands heads and shoulders as the Greatest Leader we Sinhala Buddhists have had in 500 years, and certainly since INDEPENDENCE in 1948. He not only defeated the TERRORISTS and REUNIFIED our country, but also sdeveloped a VISION to transform our Motherland into the New Wonder of Asia and was well on his way to achieving it perhaps within a decade if not for the JEALOUS TRAITORS who collaborated with our nation’s enemies to OUST HIM in a REGIME CHANGE operation.
Was he PERFECT? Almost, but NOT QUITE! Among his failures were not REPEALING the 13th Amendment, NOT DISSOLVING the Provincial Councils as INIMICAL to Sri Lanka’s Survival, placing TOO MUCH EMPHASIS on RECONCILIATION with UNREPENTANT DEFEATED TERRORISTS guilty of MASS MURDER & TREASON, and allowing SOME disreputable people such as Mervyn Silva to damage the reputation of his Government.
I understand his REASONS for not getting rid of the 13A & the PCs immediately. He had given assurances to implement a modified version of it, and could not completely back away from it until he had done two things: 1. shown the people of the North & East that he was committed to reconstruct and develop those regions impartially. He hoped improvements in economy and quality of life would defuse the communal demands. But, he didn’t have enough time to see whether it would work. 2. Developed and made SriLanka’s economy immune to Western and Indian sanctions he knew would come if he repealed the 13A. For this too he did not have the time.
One approach to getting rid of the 13A MR could have adopted was to have put it to a Nationwide Referendum after Sri Lanka had almost become a DEVELOPED NATION. With the Sinhala Buddhist majority votes, 13A would be repealed, and MR as the President of a DEMOCRACY would have to bow to WILL OF THE PEOPLE and REPEAL the 13A and DISSOLVE the PCs. In that way, he woyuld not have to break any promise made during the conduct of the way to fend of LTTE’s WEstern Supporters.
A Nationwide REFERENDUM may still be the way to DEFEAT and REPEAL the13A.
You say “No body will get directly involved in SL. It is too far from europe or US and the Indians got their hands burnt once. We should be non aligned until we have the the DETERRENT.”
I DISAGREE TOTALLY that NO ONE will INTERVENE in Sri Lanka. Indians ALREADY DID, and may do it again ESPECIALLY iof they feel that Sri Lanka has been SUFFICIENTLY WEAKENED through internal political dissension.
Also, Western Nations have shown UTTER DISREGARD for National Sovereignty of other Nations, but fiercely protect their own. The United Nations is a PUPPET of these Western Nations; only China and noe increasingly Putin’s Russia stands in the way. The LTTE/Tamil Diaspora is LINING UP THEIR CHESS PIECES across Europe to get UN support for a Unilateral Declaration of Independence for Eelam, including the Support of ALL Tamil Nadu Political Parties.
We are at a VERY DANGEROUS JUNCTURE with a TREACHEROUS Western Puppet Government in Power in Sri Lanka that DOES NOT CARE AT ALL about the FATE of the Sinhala Buddhist majority of our Resplendent Motherland. ALL of the ACTIONS they have taken since coming to power through the BACKDOOR, including DESTROYING THE NATIONAL ECONOMY to deliver it as a HOSTAGE to the NeoColonial West, is to UNDERMINE, SUPPRESS and ENSLAVE Sri Lanka’s long suffering Sinhala Buddhist Community.
May 28th, 2016 at 5:23 pm
Dham,
I believe that we are the remnants of a dying generation who value certain things in life. In my case I am not afraid of any form of terrorism, be it web or real. I know most of the patriots who contribute here are like us. Even some of our contemporaries who remained in SL are also corrupt as the politicians are. They too have built palacial houses for themselves and their children while receiving the meager salaries while doing their government or semi government jobs back home. Many who could get to the top jobs have educated all their children in good universities abroad. There was a time the central bank could give me only seven pounds with all sort of conditions when I wanted to go abroad. That same central bank seems to have allowed our former ruler to get $18b and stash away in safe havens. The current central bank chief says that the files are missing. Perhaps he too is going to follow the same methods. That is why the next appointment to the central bank governor become so important to our citizens.
As I see it our biggest threat to our continued existence is not from terrorism but from demographic change. As at now most families with educated parents have either one or two children. The sanga should take a lead in educating the people on this matter as it will lead to majority losing their status very soon.
May 28th, 2016 at 5:49 pm
Ananda,
I am also one of those who held MR on high esteem when I wrote to him that his name will be written in gold if he stand firm and defeat the terrorist. I mentioned in that letter that he can do it easily which he did. He acknowledged that letter through his secy and that reply is still with me. But after winning the war he took the country on a ride by taking the full control of all banks and all important portfolios of governance. He would hold discussions with contractors and officials and at the end would tell the contractor to meet so and so to hood wink the officials. His cut from the contract would have been peanuts. Only the central bank would know the rest.
Thank you for the reply.
May 28th, 2016 at 6:59 pm
aloy,
I congratulate you on your good sense in supporting MR to defeat the LTTE terrorists.
However, you seem to be one of those Sinhala people who have swallowed whole the REGIME CHANGE PROPAGANDA BAIT of UNLIMITED Corruption, Nepotism, Dictatorial Government etc etc chanted ad infinitum, ad nauseam.
You failed to be ALERT & RECOGNIZE the same STRATEGY that was RECENTLY deployed in REGIME CHANGE operations in many countries across the world such as EGYPT, SYRIA, LIBYA and elsewhere. You should have been more ALERT and recognized the PATTERN!
UNCRITICALLY listening to that SIREN SONG orchestrated by the REGIME CHANGE ARTISTES, you forgot to ask
WHO had protected the intrinsic interests of your own Sinhala Buddhist Community in the PAST, and
WHO in the Opposition can TRUSTED to protect them in the future in view of their PAST RECORDS, and
HOW you can ENSURE that your Community interests will be protected if the REGIME CHANGES.
The answer to these questions is:
MR/UPFA GoSL protected us;
the HISTORY of the Opponents shows that they DID NOT PROTECT us in the past; and
if we DEMOLISH the MR/UPFA GoSL we would ELIMINATE our only DEFENSIVE SHIELD, and we would not have ANY WAY of DEFENDING our own community.
What I had said in my previous post shows that EVERY AWFUL DISASTER that would be predicted by logically asking these few questions HAVE NOW BEFALLEN our Sinhala Buddhist community.
This is what Charles Perera, Fran Diaz and I were DESPERATELY WARNED AGAINST in our comments at LankaWeb during that time, a position strongly opposed by Lorenzo and his adoring followers chanting the mantra of the REGIME CHANGE ARTISTES!
We Sinhala Buddhists HAVE BEEN OUR OWN WORST ENEMIES!
In an act of self-immolating HARAKIRI, we have PLUNGED a sword deep into our own stomachs, ripping open our own bellies from side to side, and spilled our own guts on to the pavement.
AT LEAST NOW, WISE UP! my Sinhala Buddhist friends, and RALLY AROUND the Joint Opposition of the SLFP …. that is the only REFUGE LEFT for us to RESCUE our Motherland from the gathering storm!
May 28th, 2016 at 7:18 pm
The article “Fixing Sri Lanka’s Mess” I posted above IDENTIFIES the flight of foreign investment capital out of Sri Lanka as one of the REASONS for Sri Lanka’s FINANCIAL difficulties.
Given that, can we believe Mangala Samaraweera when he PROCLAIMS “Sri Lanka has become a paradise for investors”?
What is FACT and what is FICTION??
………………………….
Sri Lanka has become a paradise for investors – Mangala Samaraweera
Sat, May 28, 2016, 10:38 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
May 28, Nagoya: Sri Lanka, which was limited to tourists in the past, now has become a paradise for the investors, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera says.
While touring with the President Maithripala Sirisena in Japan, the Foreign Minister said due to the good governance principles of the current government of President Sirisena and the Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the President received the highest reception from world leaders during the G7 summit in Japan.
He said the elaborate reception given to the President was both a reflection on his humble character and also an endorsement of the current government.
The Minister further said the in a short period of time world has again recognized Sri Lanka as a democratic nation and a country that prioritizes reconciliation among communities. Sri Lankan is being recognized as a nation building post-war economy and reconciliation, he added.
The invitation to the Sri Lankan President to attend the G7 summit reflects the success of the current government’s foreign policy, Minister Samaraweera said.
May 28th, 2016 at 7:40 pm
According to Labor Statistics issued by the GoSL for the last quarter of 2015, Sri Lanka has about 1.3 million government employees.
If all of these employees received the Rs. 10,000/mth pay increase promised by the Yamapalanaya government in their general election campaign, that would amount to an increased expenditure of Rs. 13 billion/mth, or Rs. 156 billion/year.
Using an average exchange rate of Rs 130/USD in 2015, that would amount to 1.2 billion USD.
The debt burden of Sri Lanka is about 7 billion USD, so that pay increase amounts to about 17.1 % of the national debt.
This is a HUGE INCREASE IN COSTS for a country that is struggling to find ways to pay the interest on the national debt.
Looks like this ONE ELECTION GUNDU that is helping to sink the Yamapalanaya ship!
………………………
On the TAX INCREASE FRONT, the taxes on cars with an engine capacity in excess of 1000cc just doubled.
In particular, I quote ….
“Rich users of SUVs are the worst-hit, with the import tax on one particular brand, which stood at about 5.4 million Sri Lankan rupees, rising up to above 7.6 million Sri Lankan rupees.
This would raise the market price by about 13 million additionally, the dealers said.”
OUCH, my heart bleeds profusely for those rich UNP supporters!
May 31st, 2016 at 5:49 am
We do not need provincial councils which only promotes separatism. The provincial councils only duplicate the already existing system of ministry, district secretary, divisional secretaries, grama niladhari system which has functioned for decades. In addition, there are the municipal, urban councils and pradeshiya sabhas who elect their officials to ensure that there is local government representation and to ensure that local matters are dealt with. The ministry, district secretary, divisional secretaries, grama niladhari system is how government plans get implemented at the district, divisional and the grama niladhari level. The only thing the provincial councils do is duplicate this already existing system and is totally unnecessary. Since Sri Lanka is a small country. Therefore what is agreed at the parliamentary level in terms of plans can be implemented islandwide via the ministries. If anyone in any province wants to suggest anything innovative, they can do so via their MP at the parliamentary level. A small country such as Sri Lanka needs a strong central government and just one plan for the entire island to move forward. For this the existing ministry, district secretary, divisional secretaries, grama niladhari system is sufficient. At the local level there are the municipal, urban councils and the pradeshiya sabhas to take care of local matters.