by C.A.Chandraprema Courtesy The Island

September 9, 2017, 12:00 pm
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s open foray into politics took place last Wednesday in the form of ‘Eliya’ a new organization that was ceremonially launched at the Golden Rose hall in Boraleasgaluwa. Its launch was in the form of a seminar on the proposed new constitution. The panel of speakers included Gota himself who introduced the new organization to the audience and spoke on why it opposes the proposed new constititution. Ven. Prof. Medagoda Abhayatissa Thera, Dr Dayan Jayatilleke, Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera, Dr Seetha Arambepola, Rev. Fr. Wimal Tirimanne, Tamara Kunanayagam, Lawyer Rushdi Habib, and Maj. Gen. Kamal Gunaratne were among the speakers at this event. The large hall at the Golden Rose which is bigger than the main ballrooms of most top end city hotels was packed by 5.00 pm with standing room only before the event began.

Two smaller rooms had been organized on the upper floors of the building with large TV screens so that those who could not be accommodated in the main hall could still follow the event in comfort. Some of those who arrived late watched the event on the screens placed in the foyer. This included parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa. After the doors of the main hall had been closed and about an hour into the event, there had been a scuffle outside with people trying to get in and Udaya Gammanpila had to talk them into going upstairs because there wasn’t even standing room in the main hall. He had shown them Namal watching the proceedings in the foyer on a screen and convinced them that the main hall could not accommodate any more. This writer was present on this occasion and to say that it was well attended is an understatement.

The turnout was all the more surprising because this event was held on a working day and scheduled to start at 5.00 pm at the peak of the evening rush hour. Getting to the location from Colombo was no easy task. Before the event began, there was much amusement among its organizers at an email sent by this writer to some members of the organizing committee. This was a link to the announcement made by a pro-yahapalana website Lanka e News of this event the day before it was held. The website carried a notice featuring the logo of the ‘Eliya’ organization doctored so that the name read as ‘Bada Eliya’. The creative and in fact quite amusing notice published by LeN said that Gota had abandoned what they called the ‘Vipath Maga’ (a reference to the Viyath Maga organization of professionals) and started ‘Bada Eliya’.

The notice went on to say that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa known as ‘moda Gota’ in the USA was a Colonel who had run away from the war and that the purpose of this new organization is to make him the head of state in this country. It stated that the assorted murderers and scoundrels of the ‘deplorable decade’ had got together to form this new organization because there was no enthusiasm among the general public for Viyath Maga. (Which however is not true. Viyath Maga held its first annual general meeting at the same location and the attendance was as impressive as the turnout for Eliya despite the fact that Viyath Maga is an organization restricted only to professionals whereas ‘Eliya’ is a mass organization.) Udaya Gammanpila to whom this writer had emailed the link to the LeN notice quipped “It’s ‘Eliya’ for Gota and the anti-government forces, but ‘Bada-Eliya’ for yahapalanaya!” The next presidential election is due before December 9, 2019 and any kind of new activity is deemed to be a result of political parties and individuals gearing up for it.

The recent celebration of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s unbroken 40 years in parliament was seen as his bid for the presidency in 2019 and President Sirisena’s objections (by proxy) to the abolition of the executive presidency is also seen as an expression of his own intention to run for President again. There are mixed signals in this regard. Last week President Sirisena had told the SLFP group he leads that he has no intention of contesting the next presidential elections. He has said similar things before, one example being the pledge he gave at Ven Maduluwawe Sobitha thera’s funeral that he will abolish the executive presidency. Yet it was just days ago that the SLFP group that he leads formally conveyed to the Constitutional Assembly that their party is against the abolition of the executive presidency.

This is a period in which everyone is weighing their options. President Sirisena may in fact stand down if the UNP is not willing to back him a second time. In any case, the mere fact that he made even an offhand comment to the effect that he has no intention of contesting again may have sent a wave of panic through the SLFP group he leads.  Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’s stubborn refusal to toe the government line on some matters was interpreted as his own bid to become the presidential candidate of an opposition coalition. Indeed between now and the last quarter of 2019 when the next presidential election will be called, any kind of activity by an even moderately popular person will be interpreted as a bid for the presidency and that fact that Gota has come out for the first time, openly talking politics will fuel a great deal of speculation.

Eliya questions process of constitution making

A leaflet in Sinhala distributed to participants during the launch of Eliya explained why the new organization had decided to make the proposed new constitution the focal point of their inauguration. The leaflet stated that the organization regards the process of constitutional change started by the government with the utmost suspicion because this government has a track record of misusing executive and legislative power, and that the numbers they have artificially built up in the legislature by misusing executive power has been used as a tool to ride rough shod over public opinion. It explained that in August last year, the Office of Missing Persons Act was rammed through parliament without giving the opposition more than a few minutes to debate it.

Explaining what this Office of Missing Persons Act is, the Eliya leaflet said that despite the innocuous name, this is not some harmless body formed to look for missing persons but an investigative body that has the power to accept funding from overseas and even from foreign governments. That it has the power to search any Sri Lankan military or police installation at will; to summon witnesses and to seize any document or thing as evidence and to admit as evidence anything it deems relevant even in contravention of the Evidence Ordinance. It said that the OMP was established as a part of the implementation of the resolution of October 2015 that the yahapalana government and the foreign powers that backed the 2015 January ‘regime change’ project collaborated in getting passed in the UN Human Rights Council.

It stated that the government was engaged in an attempt at remolding the entire Sri Lankan state in accordance with this UNHRC resolution for which purpose the yahapalana government was brazenly abusing executive and legislative power with the fullest cooperation of the foreign powers concerned. The Eliya leaflet stated that this abuse of power has spilled over from politics into economics and commerce as well as can be seen in the way the Hambantota harbour was privatized without the relevant agreement being taken up for debate in parliament despite repeated requests by the opposition.

Eliya charged that last month the yahapalana government stood the law making process in parliament on its head when they changed the entire system of local government elections by bringing amendments to a Bill at the committee stage in parliament. The leaflet explained that a Bill had been before parliament to make some technical amendments to the local government elections law suggested by the Chairman of the Elections Commission. This Bill had been gazetted and presented to parliament in the proper manner but then at the committee stage of the Bill, after the second reading had been passed, the government had brought forward a plethora of totally new amendments to change the entire electoral system. The accepted practice is that at the committee stage of a Bill, only minor amendments to facilitate the passage of the Bill would be introduced if necessary.

In this instance however, amendments that completely changes the scope and character of the Bill under consideration was introduced at the committee stage and the Joint Opposition was not given time to even read the new amendments introduced with the yahapalana partners in the government and the opposition collaborating in ramming it through parliament. Even the procedure whereby the constitutionality of Bills can be scrutinized by the Supreme Court was subverted in the process. The leaflet said that we have now to deal with a government that has mastered the art of circumvention, dissimulation and outright fraud in the law making process. Taking yet another example, Eliya pointed out that after the 19th Amendment was passed in 2015, the yahapalana government claimed that this new Amendment had reduced the powers of the presidency by making the executive President responsible to parliament.

The actual fact however was that from the very inception of the 1978 constitution, the President had always been responsible to Parliament under Article 42. What the 19th Amendment did was to repeal this Article 42 and to reintroduce it as Article 33A without changing a word or a comma and then claim to have made the President responsible to Parliament! The Eliya leaflet stated that such a constitutional fraud had never been perpetrated on the people of any country in the world by an elected government. Eliya pointed out that given such a background, even though the government has not yet put out a draft of the proposed constitution, it would be a fatal mistake not to discuss the proposed changes to the constitution and that this government has displayed a propensity to get anything that is against public opinion rammed through parliament without a debate.

It also pointed out that even though a complete draft of the proposed constitution has not yet been published, several official documents of the Constitutional Assembly have already been published giving clear indication of what the contents of the new constitution will be. On the basis of these proposals, it is possible to form an idea of what the new constitution will look like and given the likelihood that in getting this constitution passed, the government will adopt the same procedure it adopted with regard to the OMP Act, the privatization of the Hambantota Port and in changing the local government electoral system, the Eliya leaflet contended that it is vital that public opinion be created about what the contents of the new constitution should or shouldn’t be.

Constitution promulgators’ credibility questioned

Rev. Fr. Vimal Tirimanne who addressed the audience stated that there were issues about the legitimacy of the mandate for a new constitution and the credibility of the agents who want to draft a new constitution for this country. He pointed out that in 1972 and 1978, the constitution was changed by governments that had a huge mandate but that in contrast, the present government had been elected with a slim majority and that in his opinion this did not constitute a mandate to carry out such drastic change in our country. Fr Tirimanne stated that he too is a member of a minority community because he is a Roman Catholic and that it was clear that the majority of the votes received by President Maithripala Sirisena was from the minority communities in the North and East and elsewhere and queried whether the majority group backed President Sirisena and that this is a question that cannot be avoided.

Furthermore he said that President Sirisena had clearly stated in his manifesto that he will not amend any provisions in the existing constitution which will require a referendum. Then at the August 2015 parliamentary elections, no party received a clear majority to form a government. Fr. Tirimmane stated that the happenings since January 2015 in this country bring the credibility of those who want to usher in a new constitution into question. When the incumbent Prime Minister (D.M.Jayaratne) had a clear cut majority in parliament, Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed PM with 46 MPs in  a Parliament of 225 and that such a thing has not been heard of anywhere in the world. Furthermore, defeated candidates were brought into parliament through the back door.

He also stated that local government and provincial council elections are being indefinitely postponed with flimsy, ridiculous excuses and the President repeatedly says that this government will continue till 2020 no matter what – implying thus that they would remain in power whether they have a majority in parliament or not and he wanted to know whether these are the people who are going to draft a new constitution for Sri Lanka?

Attorney at Law Rushdi Habib stated that we seem to be moving from a unitary state to a federal state and that in such a situation it is important to study the implications that such change will have for the peaceful coexistence among communities. He stated that he had been to the USA recently to study constitutions and that federalism is seen as a way of bringing separate entities under one banner. In this instance however, he pointed out that a unitary state is to be divided up into federal units. He stated that he had seen the proposals to amend the constitution and queried whether by putting forward a proposal to amend Article 9 (which gives foremost place to Buddhism) anyone can really expect reconciliation to take place in this country. He stated that the mere suggestion itself is counter productive.

He also pointed out that by devolving police and land powers and abolishing the concurrent list and giving all such powers to the provincial councils, whether there is any guarantee that the rights of the Sinhala and Muslim minorities living in the North and East will be protected. He drew attention to the fact that the Muslims were expelled from the north by the LTTE within 24 hours and that in a backdrop where such incidents have taken place, to create autonomous units which are not subordinate to the sovereign power in the country, would heighten the danger of parts of the country moving away from the state. He stated that the TNA has proposed the merger of the North and East and if a referendum is to held, that it be within the provinces to be merged. He stated that the majority of the Tamil and Muslim people in this country do not live in the North and East but elsewhere and if the North and East goes its separate way, he wanted to know what will happen to the majority of the Tamil and Muslim people living in other parts of the country? He said that the Tamil and Muslim people should oppose this proposed constitution and that they cannot agree to the arrangement being proposed.

He stated that he is a pious Muslim and an independent professional and that by going for a foreign solution imposed upon us, the majority of the Tamils and the Muslims living in the South are being placed in danger by creating Tamil areas, Muslim areas and Sinhala areas and  a Tamil police, Muslim police and Sinhala police etc. He stated that they have no issue living in a unitary state and that they don’t want separatism in this country.

Former Ambassador Tamara Kunanayagam said that what began as an agenda to abolish the Executive Presidency was transformed overnight into a full-blown reform of the Constitution and that today, Sri Lanka finds itself under a form of tutelage to the US, with the US Ambassador announcing Washington’s decision to ‘assist’ Sri Lanka draft its Constitution. She stated that ‘Good Governance’, is a neo-liberal project inimical to the national interest and that this term was invented the IMF, World Bank and the US Treasury for the enslavement of third world countries and to make us permanently dependent, facilitating external interference and domination.

Furthermore, Kunanayagam pointedly stated that this so called ‘good governance’ had undermined nation-building wherever it has been implemented, and fuelled identity conflicts especially in multi-ethnic societies with the buzzwords used being ‘rule of law’, ‘democracy’, ‘devolution’, ‘participation’

Written by: Agnes Chambre

The UK has turned down countries wishing to strike free trade deals after Brexit because the Government does not have the capacity to negotiate them, the International Trade Secretary has said.

Liam Fox said that instead, the Government is preparing to duplicate deals which already exist until they can be updated at a later date.

There are a number of countries who said they would like to move directly to a new free-trade agreement but we have said we are simply unable to do that at the moment,” Dr Fox told Politico.

It requires the willingness of the country involved to want to move the process further on and it’s dependent on our own capacity in our own department.”

The comments come after the Prime Minister said ministers were looking at simply copy and pasting the deals that the UK is currently signed up to as an EU member.

The EU has got some 40 free-trade agreements with third countries,” said the Prime Minister. We have always said that our aim is twofold — first of all, to provide continuity as we leave the EU but then to move to more bespoke and more liberal agreements when we are able to do so.”

A senior Government figure also told The Guardian: We can’t do 40 FTAs, we haven’t got the capacity to do that.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable described Dr Fox’s admission as yet another broken Brexit promise”.

First we learned that countries such as Japan and India have no interest in doing separate trade deals with the UK. Now we learn that even if there was appetite for such deals, we wouldn’t have the capacity to negotiate them.

The Government is clearly completely underprepared and is presiding over a Whitehall farce. This is like a nightmare divorce, where one partner decides to walk away with no idea of what they will move on to.”

‘NO CLEAR VISION’

Elsewhere, the City of London’s special representative to the EU raised concerns about European countries wanting to trade with the UK following Brexit.

Former Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne warned the EU does not have a clear vision” of what it wants following UK withdrawal from the bloc, even though Britain with be one of their most important trading partners”.

There is a tendency in the EU still to see the UK as primarily an internal disciplinary matter rather than an external relationship building issue,” the Liberal Democrat former MP.

Brexit is not really about the UK in some ways,” he said. It has also become a prism through which the 27 see themselves. So France, for instance, sees it as an opportunity to reshape the bloc in a manner that suits its interest.”

Mr Browne also said, despite the Government’s hopes German manufacturers would force access to the UK market, he was not convinced.

German manufacturers are very concerned about the political integrity of the EU,” he said. Of course they want to trade with the UK, but if it is a choice between that and the risk of weakening the single market, preserving the latter is more important to them.

DR DASARATH JAYASURIYA, PRESIDENT, SOCIETY FOR PEACE, UNITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ARI LANKA SPUR, AUSTRALIA

Dear Election Commissioner,

As reported in this news item ( please review the Rivera article for  which a link is provided), the universal franchise of a large number of Sinhalese in the NE surrounding the Vavuniya Region have been compromised by omitting their names from the electoral list.

Theses people who have had their names on the electoral list would not check whether the current status remaining unchanged,  as they have not requested any change and hence not expecting change. Trust you appreciate these people are poor people mostly and would find it extremely difficult to find information in electronic or written media.

In addition, I would respectfully inform you that that your web does not carry any information on the Voter Awareness icon nor  have you included any Media Releases recently in 2017 referring to the electoral list. This was the case in English as well as  in the Sinhalese version of the web pages.

I believe you will respect the view that the people sighted in the said Villages in the Vavuniya area have the right to vote and  that their names should not be removed by any high level official surreptitiously or underhandedly what ever the reason, without  following due process and informing the affected voters.

It’s the responsibility of the Government at all levels, Central, Provincial and Local to ensure that the people have their universal franchise to vote protected and retained as it existed in 2013.

Please take the necessary steps urgently to address this issue.

Thank you for your kind consideration,

DR DASARATH JAYASURIYA

PRESIDENT

SOCIETY FOR PEACE, UNITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ARI LANKA SPUR,

AUSTRALIA

Part One: The Banking Houses of Morgan and Rockefeller

The Four Horsemen of Banking (Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup and Wells Fargo) own the Four Horsemen of Oil (Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch/Shell, BP and Chevron Texaco); in tandem with Deutsche Bank, BNP, Barclays and other European old money behemoths.

But their monopoly over the global economy does not end at the edge of the oil patch.

According to company 10K filings to the SEC, the Four Horsemen of Banking are among the top ten stock holders of virtually every Fortune 500 corporation.[1]

So who then are the stockholders in these money center banks?

http://humansarefree.com/2015/06/the-federal-reserve-cartel-rothschild.html

by Lakshman I. Keerthisinghe Courtesy  Ceylon Today

As for the ways by which rulers over others may become implicated in their crimes, there are two …tolerance and protection…we must hold that a person who knows of a crime and is able and bound to forbid it and does not do so, himself commits a crime … the people or the king are not rigidly bound to surrender the offender, but they must either surrender or punish him.

– GROTIUS (1652) as quoted in Cherif Bassouni -International Criminal Law (3rd Edition 2008)

Recently media reported that Human Rights groups led by the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), in South America have filed lawsuits in Brazil and Colombia against Sri Lanka’s former Ambassador in Latin America including Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Suriname General Jagath Jayasuriya, accusing him of war crimes. Carlos Castresana Fernandez, the lawyer who is coordinating the effort, said petitions will be filed in Argentina, Chile and Peru in the coming days, adding that authorities in Suriname had refused to accept the petition. Obviously the lawyer has been retained by the diaspora with their unlimited funds.

The suits say Jayasuriya was the Commander of the Vanni Security Force from 2007 to 2009. According to the suits, Jayasuriya oversaw an offensive from Joseph Camp in the northern town of Vavuniya. The ITJP said it interviewed 14 people who survived the torture or sexual violence at the camp. “There is no way General Jayasuriya can claim not to have known that torture routinely occurred in his camp; there were purpose built underground torture chambers, equipped with manacles, chains and pulleys for hoisting victims upside down. If the detainees could hear each other screaming at night from adjacent buildings, so could he,” ITJP’s Executive Director Yasmin Sooka said.

As all these allegations are hearsay they remain to be proved beyond reasonable doubt under International Criminal Law. It must be noted that in July 2010, Sooka was appointed to the three-member panel of experts advising the UN Secretary General on accountability for war crimes committed during the final stages of the war in Sri Lanka. The Darusman report was published in May 2011. Suspicion surrounds this report as there is a belief that the experts were misled by the Tamil Diaspora who were hell bent to take revenge of the armed forces for defeating the LTTE and fabrication of false evidence using former LTTE cadres now domiciled abroad cannot be ruled out.

Information of crimes

In the meantime media reported that Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka said, “I received complaints that Jayasuriya was engaged in crimes as Vanni Commander with regard to those who were arrested. He continued the same strategy even after he was promoted as Army Commander. I have information regarding those who committed the crimes. I am ready to explain the crimes committed in detail if proper legal action is instituted.” Meanwhile Sri Lanka Army spokesman Brigadier Roshan Seneviratne has defended General Jayasuriya saying the allegations were baseless. Of course Sarath Fonseka has an axe to grind with Jayasuriya for assisting in Fonseka’s arrest during the previous regime.

In the above backdrop, this article attempts to analyze the Doctrine of Command Responsibility as applicable to the above statements. The origins of Command Responsibility date back centuries. In the 6th century B.C., Sun Tzu in his Ping Fa – “The Art of War” wrote about the duty of army commanders to ensure that their subordinates conducted themselves in a civilized manner in armed conflict (Wikepedia).

The Additional Protocol I (‘API’) of 1977 to the Geneva Convention of 1949 was the first international treaty to comprehensively codify the doctrine of Command Responsibility. Article 86(2) states the fact that a breach of the Convention of the Protocol was committed by a subordinate does not absolve his superiors from responsibility if they knew, or had information which should have enabled them to conclude in the circumstances at the time, that he was committing or about to commit such a breach and “if they did not take all feasible measures within their power to prevent or repress the breach.” Thus Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka who claims to have received complaints that Jayasuriya was committing such breaches, but failed to take prompt action to prevent or repress such breaches himself becomes culpable.

Codified

The doctrine of Command Responsibility has recently been codified in Article 28 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Article 28(a) imposes individual responsibility on military commanders for crime committed by forces under their effective command and control if they either knew or owing to the circumstances at the time, “should have known” that the forces were committing or about to commit such crimes. Thus, literally interpreted Article 28(a) of the Rome Statute imposes a stricter standard of knowledge than Article 86(2) of the Additional Protocol I (‘API’) of 1977 to the Geneva Convention.

Sri Lanka is not a State party that has ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute. Therefore the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction over the territory of Sri Lanka. Article 12(1), under “Precondition to the exercise of jurisdiction” states: “A State which becomes a party to this Statute thereby accepts the jurisdiction of the Court with respect to crimes referred to in Article 5”. Article 5.1 of the Rome Statute grants jurisdiction to investigate (a) crimes of genocide, (b) crimes against humanity, (c) war crimes and (d) crime of aggression.

During the previous regime a law suit based on Command Responsibility was filed in the United States District Court of Columbia under the Torture Victims Protection Act and attempts were made to serve summons on former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Under the Foreign Sovereigns Immunity Act of the United States, it was not possible that a foreign Head of State could be issued with summons by a US Court.

The then Secretary to the Ministry of Justice had quite properly refused to receive such summons as this act is a direct violation of the sovereignty of our country.

It is to be noted that under International Humanitarian Law, international lawsuits across jurisdictions are complicated.

International lawsuits

Spain’s Carlos Castresana Fernandez, the lawyer who has coordinated efforts against Jagath Jayasuriya, is one of the lawyers who worked on cases against Chilean General Augusto Pinochet and Argentine General Jorge Rafael Videla. Gen Pinochet spent 18 months under arrest in London fighting extradition to Spain. Yasmin Sooka says Jagath Jayasuriya will have diplomatic immunity for as long as he’s an ambassador. “We’ve heard he held on to the ambassadorial post and that he will probably resign when he reaches Colombo – immunity will cease once he steps down from the post – But what’s wonderful is the Latin American countries can actually file an arrest warrant, they can put him on an Interpol red list and ask for his extradition – and really he will become a prisoner on the island of Sri Lanka.” This statement is erroneous as Foreign Courts have no jurisdiction to prosecute a national of another sovereign State for alleged offences committed in his native land unless such offences involve nationals of such countries in which the law suits are filed. Even if such an arrest warrant is filed the Sri Lankan Government is not obliged to assist in the execution of such warrants issued without proper jurisdiction.

It was also reported that addressing the troops at the Colours Awarding Ceremony of Sri Lanka Army held at the Army Headquarters in Panagoda, President Maithripala Sirisena said the government is bound to protect the dignity and pride of the defence sector including our tri-forces while confronting the alleged human rights violations purported to have happened during the last phase of the war adding that he would never let the security sector including tri-forces to be weakened in any way.

In conclusion, as foreign courts or even the ICC without UNGA intervention has no jurisdiction to hear cases against Sri Lankan forces that saved the nation from the clutches of the brutal LTTE. The government is obliged to defend and protect the war heroes from the sinister machinations of the Tamil Diaspora.

The writer is an Attorney-at-Law with LLB, LLM, MPhil (Colombo)

lanka C news

බෞද්ද උපාසක උපාසිකාවන් සදහා සිල් රෙදි බෙදා දෙන ලෙස හිටපු ජනාධිපති ලේකම් ලලිත් වීරතුංග මහතාට උපදෙස් දුන්නේ නමන් විසින් බවත් එය එවකට පැවති රජයේ ප‍්‍රතිපත්තියක් මත සිදු කල දෙයක් බවත් හිටපු ජනාධිපති මහින්ද රාජපක්‍ෂ මහතා පවසයි.

එය ජනාධිපතිවරණය ඉලක්ක කරමින් සිදු කල දෙයක් නොවන බවත් 2014දී ගත් තීරණයක් මත සිදු කල දෙයක් බවත් කී හිටපු ජනාධිපතිවරයා ලලිත් වීරතුංගට සිර දඬුවම් ලබා දීමෙන් සමස්ථ රාජ්‍ය සේවයටම පණිවුඩයක් ලබා දී ඇති බවද සදහන් කරයි.

ඒ මහතා මෙම අදහස් පල කලේ කුරුණෑගල කොබෙයිගනේදී මාධ්‍යවේදීන් අමතමිනි.

උදේශ සංජීව ගමගේ 

හොරු අල්ලන්නට පොරොන්දු වී බලයට පැමිණි ආණ්‌ඩුව අවුරුදු දෙකක්‌ කෙකර ගා අමාරුවෙන් බිත්තරයක්‌ දමා තිබේ. ඒ අනුව දූෂණ චෝදනා යටතේ පළමුවෙන්ම සිපිරි ගෙදරට යාමට සිදුවූයේ හිටපු ජනාධිපති ලේකම් ලලිත් වීරතුංගටත්, විදුලි සංදේශ නියාමන කොමිෂන් සභාවේ හිටපු අධ්‍යක්‍ෂ ජනරාල් අනුෂ පැල්පිටටත්ය. මේ කතාවේ අගමුල මේ වන විටත් රටේ වැඩි දෙනෙක්‌ දන්නා බවට සැකයක්‌ නැත. 2014 ඔක්‌තෝබර් මස 30 වැනිදාත් 2015 ජනවාරි මස 5 වැනිදාත් අතර කාලයේ කෙළඹදී පැමිණිල්ල නොදත් පිරිසක්‌ සමග එක්‌ව විදුලි සංදේශ නියාමන කොමිසමේ ප්‍රතිපාදනවලට පටහැනි අන්දමට එම ගිණුම භාවිත කර විදුලි සංදේශ නියාමන කොමිෂන් සභාවට අයත් රුපියල් කෝටි 60 ක මුදලක්‌ ජනාධිපති ලේකම් කාර්යාලය නමින් ලංකා බැංකුවේ තැප්‍රොබේන් ශාඛාවේ ගිණුමට බැර කිරීමට කුමන්ත්‍රණය කරනු ලැබී යෑයිද, ඒ අනුව සිල් රෙදි ලබාගෙන එම මුදල වංචා කරනු ලැබී යෑයිද, ඒ සඳහා ආධාර හා අනුබල ලබාදෙනු ලැබී යෑයිද යනුවෙන් පොදු දේපළ පනත යටතේ විත්තිකරුවන්ට එරෙහිව නීතිපතිවරයා විසින් චෝදනා තුනක්‌ යටතේ ඒ දෙදෙනාට විරුද්ධව නඩු පවරා තිබිණි. මෙහිදී මුලින්ම විත්තිකරුවන්ට එරෙහිව නඩු පවරා තිබුණේ පොදු දේපළ පනත යටතේය. පසුව පැමිණිල්ලේ සාක්‌කි විභාගය අවසන් කර විත්තිය වෙනුවෙන් සාක්‌කි ඉදිරිපත් කරමින් තිබියදී පොදු දේපළ පනත යටතේ ඉදිරිපත්කොට තිබූ අධි චෝදනා පත්‍රය සංශෝධනය කොට දණ්‌ඩ නීති සංග්‍රහය යටතේ විත්තිකරුවන්ට එරෙහිව චෝදනා ඉදිරිපත් කිරීමට නීතිපතිවරයා පියවරගෙන තිබිණි. විත්තිකරුවන් වැරදිකරුවන් කිරීමට හේතු අඩංගු නඩු තීන්දුව පැයක පමණ කාලයක්‌ පුරා කොළඹ මහාධිකරණ විනිසුරු ගිහාන් කුලතුංග විසින් කියවනු ලැබීය.

සිරභාරයට පත් හිටපු ජනාධිපති ලේකම් ලලිත් වීරතුංග සහ විදුලි සංදේශ නියාමන කොමිෂන් සභාවේ හිටපු අධ්‍යක්‍ෂ ජනරාල් අනුෂ පැල්පිට

සිල් රෙදි ව්‍යාපෘතියකට යෙදවීම සඳහා රුපියල් මිලියන 600 ක එනම් රුපියල් කෝටි 60 ක මුදලක්‌ ලබාදෙන ලෙස පළමුවැනි විත්තිකාර අනුෂ පැල්පිටට ලැබුණු ලිත නියෝගයට අනුව ඔහු විසින් දෙවැනි විත්තිකාර ලලිත් වීරතුංගගේ නමින් ඇති ගිණුමකට 2014 දෙසැම්බර් 3 වැනි දින මෙම මුදල් ප්‍රේෂණය කර තිබේ. එමෙන්ම එම මුදල් ප්‍රේෂණය කර ඇත්තේ එදිනම මුදල් ලබාගත හැකිවන ආකාරයට යෑයිද විනිසුරුවරයා සඳහන් කර තිබිණි. එපමණක්‌ නොව එම මුදල් එම කටයුත්තට යෙදවීම සඳහා මුදාහැර ඇත්තේ විදුලි සංදේශ නියාමන කොමිසමේ අධ්‍යක්‍ෂ මණ්‌ඩලයෙන් කලින් අනුමැතියක්‌ හෝ ලබානොගෙන බවද එහිදී විනිසුරුවරයා සඳහන් කර තිබිණි. එහෙත් විදුලි සංදේශ නියාමන කොමිෂන් සභාවේ අධ්‍යක්‍ෂ මණ්‌ඩලයේ අනුමැතියක්‌ ලැබුණද එම කොමිසමේ අභිප්‍රායට පටහැනි කාරණයකට මුදල් යෙදවීම නීති විරෝධී බවත්, 2015 ජනවාරි මාසයේ ජනාධිපතිවරණය පැවැත්වීම සඳහා මැතිවරණ කොමසාරිස්‌වරයා විසින් ගැසට්‌ නිවේදනයක්‌ නිකුත් කර තිබියදී ජනාධිපතිවරණය සඳහා ඉදිරිපත්වන අපේක්‍ෂකයකුගේ දැන්වීම ඇතුළත් කොට සිල් රෙදි බෙදා දීමෙන් එක්‌ අපේක්‍ෂකයකුට වාසියක්‌ මෙන්ම අනෙක්‌ අපේක්‍ෂකයාට පාඩුවක්‌ සිදුවන බවත් විනිසුරුවරයා පවසා තිබිණි.

සිල් රෙදි බෙදා දීමක්‌ වැනි හදිසියේ සිදුකිරීමට අවශ්‍ය නොවන කටයුත්තකට මැතිවරණයක්‌ ප්‍රකාශයට පත්කර ඇති අවස්‌ථාවක හදිසියේ මුදල් වෙන් කිරීම සැකයට බඳුන් වන කාරණයක්‌ බවත් එම මුදල් එසේ හදිසියේ වෙන් කිරීමට කිසිදු සාධාරණ හේතුවක්‌ විත්තිකරුවන් විසින් ඉදිරිපත් කරනු ලැබ නැති බවත් විනිසුරුවරයා සඳහන් කර තිබිණි. එහිදී විනිසුරුවරයා වැඩිදුරටත් සඳහන් කර තිබුණේ මැතිවරණයක්‌ ප්‍රකාශයට පත්කර ඇති අවස්‌ථාවක සිල් රෙදි බෙදාදීම සාමාන්‍ය කටයුත්තක්‌ වුවද එය නතර කර දැමිය යුතු බවය. විත්තිකරුවන්ට එරෙහි චෝදනා සැකයකින් තොරව ඔප්පු කර ඇතැයි තීරණය කළ විනිසුරුවරයා විත්තිකරුවන්ට දඬුවම් නියම කිරීමට පෙර කරුණු ඉදිරිපත් කරන ලෙස දෙපාර්ශ්වයේම නීතිඥවරුන්ට දැනුම් දී තිබිණි. එහිදී පැමිණිල්ල වෙනුවෙන් පෙනී සිටි නියෝජ්‍ය සොලිසිටර් ජනරාල් තුසිත් මුදලිගේ කරුණු දක්‌වමින් මෙම නඩුවේ එක්‌ චෝදනාවක්‌ සඳහා වසර දෙක බැගින් බරපතළ වැඩ සහිත සිරදඬුවම්, දඩ සහ වන්දි නියම කළ යුතු බව පවසා තිබිණි. එමෙන්ම රාජකාරිමය හැකියාව සහ බලය අතර විත්තිකරුවන් එම බලය හා හැකියාව භාවිත කරමින් මෙම අපරාධය සිදුකර ඇතැයි කී නියෝජ්‍ය සොලිසිටර් ජනරාල්වරයා විත්තිකරුවන්ට සුදුසු සිරදඬුවමක්‌ නියම කරන ලෙසද අධිකරණයෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියේය.

එහිදී විත්තිකරුවන් වෙනුවෙන් පෙනී සිටි නීතිඥ කාලිංග ඉන්ද්‍රතිස්‌ස කීවේ තම සේවාදායකයන්ට රුපියල් කෝටි 60 ක මුදලක්‌ සම්බන්ධයෙන් චෝදනා එල්ලවී තිබුණද ඔවුන් ඉන් එක්‌ රුපියලක්‌ හෝ තමන්ගේ පරිහරණය සඳහා යොදාගෙන නැති බවය. චෝදනාව “සිල්රෙදි බෙදාදීම” වුවද විත්තිකරුවන් දෙදෙනා සන්තකයේ එක රෙදි කැබැල්ලක්‌ හෝ නොතිබුණු බවද ජනාධිපති නීතිඥ කාලිංග ඉන්ද්‍රතිස්‌ස කියා තිබිණි. ඒ නිසාම විත්තිකරුවන්ට දඬුවම් නියම කිරීමේදී එම කරුණුද සැලකිල්ලට ගන්නා ලෙස හෙතෙම අධිකරණයෙන් ඉල්ලා තිබිණි.

අවසන ඉදිරිපත් වූ සියලු කරුණු සැලකිල්ලට ගත් විනිසුරුවරයා පළමුවැනි චෝදනාවට විත්තිකරුවන් දෙදෙනාට වසර 1 1/2 බැගින් බරපතළ වැඩසහිත සිරදඬුවමක්‌ද, රුපියල් ලක්‍ෂ දහය බැගින් දඩද නියම කළේය. එම දඩ මුදල් නොගෙවුවහොත් මාස හය බැගින් බරපතළ වැඩ සහිත සිරදඬුවමක්‌ ද නියම කළේය.

පළමු විත්තිකරු වරදකරු වූ දෙවැනි චෝදනාවට අවුරුදු 1 1/2 බැගින් බරපතළ වැඩ සහිත සිරදඬුවමක්‌ද, රුපියල් ලක්‍ෂ 10 ක දඩයක්‌ද නියම කළ අතර දඩ මුදල් නොගෙවුවහොත් මාස හයක බරපතළ වැඩ සහිත සිරදඬුවමක්‌ නියම කෙරිණි. දෙවැනි විත්තිකරු වරදකරු වූ තුන්වැනි චෝදනාවට අවුරුදු 1 1/2 බැගින් බරපතළ වැඩ සහිත සිරදඬුවමක්‌ සහ රුපියල් ලක්‍ෂ දහයක දඩයක්‌ද නියම කළ අතර දඩ මුදල් නොගෙවුවහොත් මාස හයක බරපතළ වැඩ සහිත සිරදඬුවමක්‌ද නියම කළේය. එමෙන්ම විදුලි සංදේශ නියාමන කොමිෂන් සභාවට රුපියල් කෝටි 5 බැගින් වන්දි ගෙවන ලෙසද විත්තිකරුවන් දෙදෙනාට එම වන්දි මුදල ගෙවීමට නොහැකි වුවහොත් අමතර වසර දෙක බැගින් බරපතළ වැඩ සහිත සිරදඬුවම්ද නියම කෙරිණි. දඩ හා වන්දි මුදල් ලබන ඔක්‌තෝම්බර් 10 වැනිදාට පෙර ගෙවන ලෙසද නියම කෙරිණි.

මෙම නඩුව දූෂණ මර්දන ලේකම් කාර්යාලයේ හා පොලිස්‌ මූල්‍ය අපරාධ කොට්‌ඨාසයේ විමර්ශනවලින් පසුව චෝදනා ගොනු කරනු ලැබීමෙන් පසුව විමසා අවසන් වූ ප්‍රථම නඩු විභාගයද වෙයි. විත්තිකරුවන් දෙදෙනාට එරෙහිව නඩු පවරා තිබුණේ 2015 අගෝස්‌තු 28 වැනිදාය.

මේ සමස්‌ත නඩු විභාගය තුළම, රාජ්‍ය සේවය, රාජ්‍ය සේවයේ නියුතු නිලධාරීන් හා දේශපාලනය අතර තිබිය යුතු “සීමාව” ගැනත් රාජ්‍ය සේවය තුළ කොතරම් නරක ආකාරයට දේශපාලනය විසිරී ඇතිදැයි යන්න තේරුම් ගැනීමටත් උදාහරණ බොහෝමයක්‌ තිබිණි.

නඩුව විභාග වන අවස්‌ථාවේදී හිටපු ජනාධිපති ලේකම් ලලිත් වීරතුංග ප්‍රකාශ කරන ලද කාරණයකින්ම ඒ බව සනාථ වේ. ඔහු ප්‍රකාශ කර තිබුණේ ජනාධිපති ලේකම්වරයා ලෙස තමා, ජනාධිපතිවරයා ලබාදෙන නියෝග ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීමට බැඳී සිටින බවත් ඒ අනුව හිටපු ජනාධිපති මහින්ද රාජපක්‍ෂගේ නියෝග මත සිල් රෙදි බෙදීමේ කටයුතු සිදුවූ බවත්ය. බොහෝවිට රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරීන් ක්‍රියාත්මක වන්නේ කොළ, නිල් හෝ රතු පිළක සිට නොවේ. රාජ්‍ය සේවකයාද අර්ධ වශයෙන් නොව පූර්ණ වශයෙන්ම දේශපාලන ක්‍රියාධරයකු බවට පත්වන්නේ 77 න් පසු එළැඹි දේශපාලන වටපිටාව තුළය. බොහෝවිට රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරීන් සම්බන්ධයෙන් නැගෙන චෝදනා බොහෝමයක අවලස්‌සන චරිත රඟපා ඇත්තේ දේශපාලනඥයින්ය. එහෙත් දංගෙඩියට හිස තැබිය යුත්තේ රාජ්‍ය සේවකයාය. ලලිත් වීරතුංග යනු රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරියකු හැටියට විශිෂ්ටත්වයට පත් කීර්තිමත් රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරියෙකි. එමෙන්ම අනුෂ පැල්පිට ද ක්‍රියාශීලී, ප්‍රවීණතම පරිපාලන නිලධාරියෙකු ලෙස නමක්‌ දිනා ගත්තෙකි. සිල්රෙදි නඩුවේ විත්තිකරුවෙකුව සිටි අනුෂ පැල්පිට සම්බන්ධයෙන් දැක්‌වූ අදහස්‌ හා ඒ සම්බන්ධයෙන් ගත් ක්‍රියාමාර්ග නිසාම එවකට රාජ්‍ය පරිපාලන අමාත්‍යාංශයේ ලේකම්වරයාව සිටි ජිනසිරි දඩල්ලගේට සිය තනතුර අතහැර යන්නට සිදුවිණි. එකල මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් ඔහු දැක්‌වූ ඉතා වැදගත් අදහසක සංක්‍ෂිප්තය මෙසේය.

“රාජ්‍ය සේවය යනු රජයේ ප්‍රතිපත්ති ක්‍රියාත්මක කිරීමයි. එය පත්වන ඕනෑම රජයක්‌ සම්බන්ධයෙන් වලංගු කාරණයකි. එසේ බලන කල රාජ්‍ය සේවය වෙනමද, රාජ්‍ය ප්‍රතිපත්ති වෙනමද යනුවෙන් යමක්‌ නැත. රාජ්‍ය නිලධරයෙකු වැඩ කරන්නේ මේ ක්‍රියාදාමයට අනුවය. යම් යම් කාලවල ඒ ප්‍රතිපත්තිවල තිබුණු අඩුලුහුඬුකම් නිසා ඒ ඒ රජයන් පරාජයට පත්වෙලා තියෙනවා. මේ ප්‍රතිපත්ති හදන්නේ දේශපාලනඥයින්. මේවා ක්‍රියාත්මක කරන්නේ රාජ්‍ය සේවකයින්. හැබැයි එසේ වූ පමණින් සියලු දේවල වගකීම රාජ්‍ය සේවකයා පිට පටවන්නට බැහැ.

ඇත්ත වශයෙන්ම “පසුබිමේ තීන්දු තීරණ” ගන්නා දේශපාලනඥයින් සමග රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරියකු ගනුදෙනු කිරීම සරල කටයුත්තක්‌ නොවේ. එතැනදී “ආයතන සංග්‍රහය, මුදල් රෙගුලාසි” අමතක කර කටයුතු කරන්නට රාජ්‍ය නිලධාරියාට සිදුවේ. සිල් රෙදි තීන්දුවට එරෙහිව අභියාචනයක්‌ ඉදිරිපත් කරන බව ලලිත් වීරතුංග හා අනුෂ පැල්පිට යන මහත්වරු වෙනුවෙන් පෙනී සිටි ජනාධිපති නීතිඥ කාලිංග ඉන්ද්‍රතිස්‌ස අධිකරණයට දැනුම්දී තිබිණි.

Courtesy The Nation 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met with former President and incumbent MP Mahinda Rajapaksa for a unscheduled discussion this week to discuss Local Government elections, the postponement of which continues.

The political discussion took place on the evening of September 7 at the Parliamentary complex premises with Joint Opposition (JO) MPs Dinesh Gunawardena (Leader of the JO’s Parliamentary group), Udaya Gammanpila, Wimal Weerawansa and Prasanna Ranatunga in attendance.

Rajapaksa’s Private Secretary, Udith Lokubandara said that the group had expressed their displeasure to Wickremesinghe regarding the constant postponement of the said elections and had also raised concerns about field officers being denied the opportunity thanks to an Amendment proposed by the Government to the Local Authorities Elections (Amendment) Act, to contest as candidates at the said elections, to be represented in municipal councils, pradeshiya sabhas and urban councils, which is prohibited by the said Amendment to the Act, which Rajapaksa had further pointed out constituted a violation of the fundamental rights of public servants.

This  meeting  follows closed door talks at a one-on-one held between Rajapaksa and Leader of the Opposition and the Tamil National Alliance, R. Sampanthan on August 29 in the afternoon at Rajapaksa’s residence in Colombo 7, after Rajapaksa had extended an invitation to Sampanthan for a discussion on current political matters.

At  what  Lokubandara  said was  a personal meeting”, Sampanthan had requested for senior statesman and responsible political leader of stature Rajapaksa’s and the JO’s support to be extended to the process currently underway with regard to making a new constitution which could resolve many longstanding issues in the country. According to Sampanthan, it was hoped that the proposed new Constitution would bring about an arrangement where more power would be shared whilst ensuring the country’s unity within an indivisible Sri Lanka. Sampanthan had pointed out that Rajapaksa thereby had a duty and responsibility to cooperate with the said Constitution making endeavour. He had also reminded that the Constitution making exercise involving the first and second republican Constitutions of 1972 and 1978 respectively, had been lacking in the participation of the Tamils, which was not the case in the present day.

Rajapaksa had responded that the matter would placed before the JO, adding also that the JO had forwarded 14 proposals in relation to the constitutional amendments and that they had yet to be formally made aware of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s proposals with regard to the said matter. Rajapaksa had also noted certain problems of a political nature which remained in terms of the Constitution making exercise and that these included ideological reservations regarding certain aspects of the process and the fact that other political allies held differing views on the issue. It is reported that Rajapaksa had also brought to Sampanthan’s notice that he and his family were being harassed by the Government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Wickremesinghe.

The duo had agreed with each other on the requirement for further efforts to address political impediments and to overcome obstacles in this regard to be continued so that a viable Constitution which would be acceptable to all manner of political opinions and all sections of the people could be evolved.

Meanwhile, Member of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna / Sri Lanka People’s Front and former Minister Basil Rajapaksa was quoted elsewhere as having said that Sampanthan (had) publicly invited Mahinda Rajapaksa to join hands and resolve problems that exist. Sampanthan met with Rajapaksa recently after that. He said only Rajapaksa could bring peace to the country. Likewise, he said only Rajapaksa would be able to unite the communities one day.”

There is a probability that a second meeting could be held during the course of September with the adapting of a tactically satisfactory approach in relation to the question at hand, with the involvement and participation of other political parties and groups.

Buddhist monks held Bodhi Pooja for former Army Commander during war – MR හාමුදුරුවරු හිටපු හමුදාපතිට බෝම්බ වදිනකොට බෝධිපුජා පැවැත්වුවා

Former President invokes blessings in Kandy (English)

Shenali D Waduge

While one wrong does not make another wrong right, only those who have not & does not sin can cast the first stone. That leaves not many with a moral right to hold any stone! Those taking files certainly have soiled hands which have not been investigated to determine their own guilt. In legal parlance the unclean hands doctrine is also applicable. Nonetheless, the verdict has certainly shaken the 1.4million Public Sector. Today, everyone claims to be champions against corruption but how many of them are guilty themselves! The Public Sector, Government servants and in particular the civil servants need to now seriously address their role and future resolve. Yet, is there greater agendas behind the indictment given that by its own appeasing actions pressure is on the present government to prune the public sector while privatizing state assets leaving Sri Lanka with no hold over state resources in time to come.

It is without a doubt that the spine of the public servants and civil servants was broken during the reign of the UNP regime – judiciary was influenced and those that did not consent had their houses stoned, the culture of worshipping the politicians came into being turning the much respected public service into an appeasing bunch of secretaries and those that appeased more got the plum jobs.

Abuse of state property – media, vehicles, officials, offices for elections is nothing new and political influencing surged following 1978 where rigging/ballot box stuffing became a new feature alongside intimidation of candidates and even voters and not to mention the birth of the mafia and underworld gangs. All these evolved during the reign of the UNP and unpalatable as it is to accept it became the new norm of governance followed by all other parties as well. Every political party has been indulging in the very allegations that they charge others of. This resulted in a gradual decline of the state apparatus where previously astute officials like N Q Dias, M D R S S Gunawardena were found no more and in their place a bunch of ‘yes’ men evolved. The prestige of the public sector and civil servants had been degraded by the politicians and they need to get their respect back by earning that respect through a new policy of actions which all secretaries and public sector must now mutually consent to.

While it is agreed that no political party should abuse state property or influence state officials the fact that every political party in power does so, goes without question. In 2016 Anura Kumara Disanayake accused Kabir Hashim and Harin Fernando of renovating their official residence for a cost of Rs.600 lakhs each, plenty more renovated houses have been re-renovated because the spouse of the Minister did not like the colour of the walls or furniture! Luxury vehicles have been dished out to MPs do these not qualify as misappropriation of funds when the country is cash-strapped and debt ridden? However, Wimal Weerawanse ends up in jail for misuse of 40 state vehicles. When both UNP and SLFP rallies and conventions have seen state buses plying party supporters to their venues. While Nalaka Godahewa was also arrested and put into prison for financial fraud when the first bond scam took place in 2015 and before the COPE report was released Parliament was dissolved to prevent it from being tabled and that file is now missing! So where is the unbiased justice? We having Ministers raping forests, felling trees, creating ethno-ghettos, bringing narcotics into the country while the Minister associated with the Bond Scam who was forced to resign has landed himself a cabinet appointment & is presently functioning from Temple Trees doing rural development. So where does the buck stop? Is the norm and principle that only Opposition Members and their Secretaries are to be filed charges and sent to prison? That insider trading and bond scam has resulted in various ministers being dished out new homes, funding of wedding for ministers daughter, buying of electronic media and print outlets and many more irregularities all of which if put to investigation would end up taking years to complete with a heavy burden of expense on the State (tax payer).

A government that complained about cronyism and nepotism is today committing worse offences. The scale of irregularities and illegalities are too long to list but the manner that by gazette notifications bodies had been brought under the PM and the high handed manner governance is taking place should leave any to wonder what is this good governance the government is actually preaching. The Australian government is even investigating bribe scandals involving the highest in office. We have recently heard of the spouse of a cabinet minister signing 30 letters of appointment while the fact that Sri Lanka has become 95 in the corruption index where previously Sri Lanka was placed 83 in 2015 goes to show the present government is corrupt and that indirectly means that secretaries of ministries would also be held accountable for violations of state property and illegalities where they have placed their signature. This is extremely poignant for all public servants to take note of as the spoon of justice is often served unfairly. 

A minister pleaded guilty recently to 2 charges of corruption but was only fined Rs.2000. Another former deputy minister pleaded guilty for 3 acts of corruption and he too was fined Rs.3000. Mr. Weeratunga has got 3 years rigorous imprisonment and has to pay Rs.52million not for taking any money but for his signature! While the foreigner that indulged in insider-trading leading to 2 bond scams remains a free man still enjoying state privileges!

The verdict will mean state sector will now be mortally scared and petrified to sign any order by politicians knowing their own fate! Can a state run in this manner where public servants will now be working in fear?

On the logic of clean hands – whose hands are unsoiled to be casting the first stone? Politicians are not the only culprits of corruption. The bribe giver and bribe taker are both guilty. How many companies influence politicians for their benefit? How many lobbying groups also use a variety of similar influences? How many of those bragging about corruption don’t even pay their taxes? How many others undervalue their shipments to avoid paying taxes? The scale of the bribe does not matter – a bribe is a bribe. How many others are guilty of even giving a small handout just to get ahead of the queue, to pass a file in the municipality, to ‘donate’ to get one’s child to a school. Is there a country that no corruption exists?

However, we do need self-regulation and regulatory authorities that are tasked to be independent and by independence it does not mean that they should be from NGOs or funded by foreign governments for most of these representatives earning dollars and pounds are paid to disturb and destabilize the country. None of them have shown themselves to be squeaky clean either. Public sector, private sector, media and even NGOs are all guilty of some malpractice or the other. Can they be then pointing fingers?

Retributive justice would mean going back in time to unearth all the dirty garbage. If relevant to the state apparatus it would mean who signed papers that gave arms to the LTTE, how many others have benefitted by LTTE money, who signed approvals for treacherous agreements and MOUs that placed a terrorist group on par with a national army thereby giving legitimacy to a non-state actor. Who signed approval papers that enabled LTTE to get sophisticated telecommunication equipment and even vehicles for which the GOSL had paid Customs duty, surcharge, and excise duty, PAL, VAT & BTT? Will all these secretaries end up in prison too?

How much can a country spend on eliminating corruption. Do we have the resources and money to spend and more importantly let’s not forget that the government now in power is a result of a regime change! Today, more statements on the internal affairs of Sri Lanka are being issued by the US envoy than from the country’s leaders. It is in this context that the speech delivered by Ms. Tamara Kunanayagam is poignant and food for thought for all. https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2017/09/07/constitution-making-process-an-american-project-tamara/ and this must be read in context with this article http://srilankaexpress.org/usaid-invasion-civil-society USAID invasion of civil society in Sri Lanka. Preaching democracy and promoting anticorruption looks to be part of a bigger gameplan meant to obviously get rid off and replace with stooges into every important governance position and turn Sri Lanka into another South Korea or Philippines.  

However, no external entity can interfere or take over governance if the People are united and the People are able to read the writings on the wall.

As a starter the startled Public Sector must now determine its own future by refusing to succumb to any illegal instructions of any politician. The next problem arises in the reality that the politicians end up appointing their own family or friends into positions where through them the illegalities take place and mechanisms must be in place to report at least tabulate these irregularities. However, with the recent indictment it is very clear that while politicians will scratch their own backs for survival they will not come to the aid of any public servant who has been held accountable for follies committed by politicians.

It is a tragic reality that all public sector and secretaries in particular need to come to terms with. However, it cannot be ONLY two public officials who should take the fall as other secretaries still living have committed far greater treasonous sins using their signature and these need to be pursued and punished if unbiased justice is the name of the game.

Shenali D Waduge

By Pepe Escobar Courtesy Information Clearing House“

Putin reveals ‘fair multipolar world’ concept in which oil contracts could bypass the US dollar and be traded with oil, yuan and gold
September 07, 2017 “Information Clearing House” – The annual BRICS summit in Xiamen – where President Xi Jinping was once mayor – could not intervene in a more incandescent geopolitical context.

Once again, it’s essential to keep in mind that the current core of BRICS is RC”; the Russia-China strategic partnership. So in the Korean peninsula chessboard, RC context – with both nations sharing borders with the DPRK – is primordial.

Beijing has imposed a definitive veto on war – of which the Pentagon is very much aware.

Pyongyang’s sixth nuclear test, although planned way in advance, happened only three days after two nuclear-capable US B-1B strategic bombers conducted their own test” alongside four F-35Bs and a few Japanese F-15s.

Everyone familiar with the Korean peninsula chessboard knew there would be a DPRK response to these barely disguised decapitation” tests.

So it’s back to the only sound proposition on the table: the RC double freeze”. Freeze on US/Japan/South Korea military drills; freeze on North Korea’s nuclear program; diplomacy takes over.

The White House, instead, has evoked ominous nuclear capabilities” as a conflict resolution mechanism.

Gold mining in the Amazon, anyone?

On the Doklam plateau front, at least New Delhi and Beijing decided, after two tense months, on expeditious disengagement” of their border troops. This decision was directly linked to the approaching BRICS summit – where both India and China were set to lose face big time.

Doklam or Zhoglam (in Standard Tibetan),^[1] known as Donglang in China (Chinese: 洞朗; pinyin: Dònglǎng),^[2][3] is an area with a plateau and a valley, lying between Tibet‘s Chumbi Valley to the north, Bhutan’s Ha Valley to the east and India’s Sikkim state to the west. It has been depicted as part of Bhutan in the Bhutanese maps since 1961, but it is also claimed by China. To date, the dispute has not been resolved despite several rounds of border negotiations between Bhutan and China.^[4][5][6] The area is of strategic importance to all three countries.^[7]

In June 2017 a military standoff occurred between China and India as China attempted to extend a road on the Doklam plateau southwards near the Doka Lapass and Indian troops moved in to prevent the Chinese. India claimed to have acted on behalf of Bhutan, with which it has a ‘special relationship’.^[4][5][8] Bhutan has formally objected to China’s road construction in the disputed area.^[9]

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already tried a similar disruption gambit prior to the BRICS Goa summit last year. Then, he was adamant that Pakistan should be declared a terrorist state”. The RC duly vetoed it.

Modi also ostensively boycotted the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) summit in Hangzhou last May, essentially because of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

India and Japan are dreaming of countering BRI with a semblance of connectivity project; the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC). To believe that the AAGC – with a fraction of the reach, breath, scope and funds available to BRI – may steal its thunder, is to enter prime wishful-thinking territory.

Still, Modi emitted some positive signs in Xiamen; We are in mission-mode to eradicate poverty; to ensure health, sanitation, skills, food security, gender equality, energy, education.” Without this mammoth effort, India’s lofty geopolitical dreams are D.O.A.

Modi Display Bonhomie

PTI @PTI_News

September 4, 2017, 9:12 amSeptember 4, 2017, 9:12 am

The BRICS Summit began with a group photograph of leaders of the five countries, preceded by a warm handshake between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Chinese leader also received the leaders of Brazil, Russia and South Africa ahead of the restricted meeting of the grouping.

Modi was the third leader to reach the convention centre, venue of the Ninth BRICS Summit in the port city of Xiamen in China, and was followed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Modi is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Xi on Tuesday.

The Summit will be the first gathering when leaders of the five nations will meet after New Delhi and Beijing decided on expeditious disengagement” of their border troops in the disputed Doklam area on August 28 after over a two-month standoff between them.

Apart from the restricted meeting, the leaders will participate in the plenary during which they will explore ways to enhance cooperation within the members of the grouping in key areas.

They will also deliberate on international issues of significance, including global economy and challenges.

The Summit will end with the adoption of a Xiamen declaration, which will capture the essence of the deliberations and future road map

Brazil, for its part, is immersed in a larger-than-life socio-political tragedy, led” by a Dracula-esque, corrupt non-entity; Temer The Usurper. Brazil’s President, Michel Temer, hit Xiamen eager to peddle his” 57 major, ongoing privatizations to Chinese investors – complete with corporate gold mining in an Amazon nature reserve the size of Denmark. Add to it massive social spending austerity and hardcore anti-labor legislation, and one’s got the picture of Brazil currently being run by Wall Street. The name of the game is to profit from the loot, fast.

The BRICS’ New Development Bank (NDB) – a counterpart to the World Bank – is predictably derided all across the Beltway. Xiamen showed how the NDB is only starting to finance BRICS projects. It’s misguided to compare it with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). They will be investing in different types of projects – with the AIIB more focused on BRI. Their aim is complementary.

‘BRICS Plus’ or bust

On the global stage, the BRICS are already a major nuisance to the unipolar order. Xi politely put it in Xiamen as we five countries [should] play a more active part in global governance”.

And right on cue Xiamen introduced dialogues” with Mexico, Egypt, Thailand, Guinea and Tajikistan; that’s part of the road map for  BRICS Plus” – Beijing’s conceptualization, proposed last March by Foreign Minister Wang Yi, for expanding partnership/cooperation.

A further instance of BRICS Plus” can be detected in the possible launch, before the end of 2017, of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) – in the wake of the death of TPP.

Contrary to a torrent of Western spin, RCEP is not led” by China. Japan is part of it – and so is India and Australia alongside the 10 ASEAN members. The burning question is what kind of games New Delhi may be playing to stall RCEP in parallel to boycotting BRI.

Patrick Bond in Johannesburg has developed an important critique, arguing that centrifugal economic forces” are breaking up the BRICS, thanks to over-production, excessive debt and de-globalization. He interprets the process as the failure of Xi’s desired centripetal capitalism.”

Meet the oil/yuan/gold triadIt doesn’t have to be this way. Never underestimate the power of Chinese centripetal capitalism – especially when BRI hits a higher gear.

It’s when President Putin starts talking that the BRICS reveal their true bombshell. Geopolitically and geo-economically, Putin’s emphasis is on a fair multipolar world”, and against protectionism and new barriers in global trade.” The message is straight to the point.

The Syria game-changer – where Beijing silently but firmly supported Moscow – had to be evoked; It was largely thanks to the efforts of Russia and other concerned countries that conditions have been created to improve the situation in Syria.”

On the Korean peninsula, it’s clear how RC think in unison; The situation is balancing on the brink of a large-scale conflict.”

Putin’s judgment is as scathing as the – RC-proposed – possible solution is sound; Putting pressure on Pyongyang to stop its nuclear missile program is misguided and futile. The region’s problems should only be settled through a direct dialogue of all the parties concerned without any preconditions.”

Putin’s – and Xi’s – concept of multilateral order is clearly visible in the wide-ranging Xiamen Declaration, which proposes an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned” peace and national reconciliation process, including the Moscow Format of consultations” and the Heart of Asia-Istanbul process”.

That’s code for an all-Asian (and not Western) Afghan solution brokered by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), led by RC, and of which Afghanistan is an observer and future full member.

And then, Putin delivers the clincher; Russia shares the BRICS countries’ concerns over the unfairness of the global financial and economic architecture, which does not give due regard to the growing weight of the emerging economies. We are ready to work together with our partners to promote international financial regulation reforms and to overcome the excessive domination of the limited number of reserve currencies.”

To overcome the excessive domination of the limited number of reserve currencies” is the politest way of stating what the BRICS have been discussing for years now; how to bypass the US dollar, as well as the petrodollar.

Beijing is ready to step up the game. Soon China will launch a crude oil futures contract priced in yuan and convertible into gold.

This means that Russia – as well as Iran, the other key node of Eurasia integration – may bypass US sanctions by trading energy in their own currencies, or in yuan. Inbuilt in the move is a true Chinese win-win; the yuan will be fully convertible into gold on both the Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges.

The new triad of oil, yuan and gold is actually a win-win-win. No problem at all if energy providers prefer to be paid in physical gold instead of yuan. The key message is the US dollar being bypassed.

RC – via the Russian Central Bank and the People’s Bank of China – have been developing ruble-yuan swaps for quite a while now.

Once that moves beyond the BRICS to aspiring BRICS Plus” members and then all across the Global South, Washington’s reaction is bound to be nuclear (hopefully, not literally).

Washington’s strategic doctrine rules RC should not be allowed by any means to be preponderant along the Eurasian landmass. Yet what the BRICS have in store geo-economically does not concern only Eurasia – but the whole Global South.

Sections of the War Party in Washington bent on instrumentalizing  India against China – or against RC – may be in for a rude awakening. As much as the BRICS may be currently facing varied waves of economic turmoil, the daring long-term road map, way beyond the Xiamen Declaration, is very much in place.

Pepe Escobar is an independent geopolitical analyst.

This article was first published by Asia Times –

– උපුටා ගැනීම – newsfirst.lk 

Special Report: මධ්‍යම අධිවේගී මාර්ගයේ ටෙන්ඩරයෙන් ඇත්තටම රටට මුදල් ඉතිරි වුණා ද?

බැඳුම්කර වංචාව ගැන අප 2015 මාර්තු 08 වැනිදා අප මුල්වරට හෙළි කිරීමෙන් පසුව අගමැතිවරයා එය ආරක්ෂා කරමින් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ කළ ප්‍රකාශය ඔබට මතක ද?

අප පෙන්වා දුන්නේ සංවේදී අභ්‍යන්තර තොරතුරු ලබාගෙන බැඳුම්කර වෙන්දේසියේදී අක්‍රමිකතාවක් සිදුකර රජයට බිලියන ගණනක පාඩුවක් සිදුකර ඇති බව ය.

පෙන්වාදුන් කරුණු වලටත් එහා තොරතුරු එකින් එක ජනාධිපති කොමිසට ස්තුතිවන්ත වන්නට දැන් අනාවරණය වෙමින් තිබේ.

පෙරේදා කොමිසමේදී හෙළි වූයේ අභ්‍යන්තර තොරතුරු පමණක් නොව සංවේදී මූල්‍ය තොරතුරු පවා බැඳුම්කර ගනුදෙනුවලදී අර්ජුන් ඇලෝසියස්ලාට ලැබුනු බව ය.

ඔවුන් වෙනුවෙන් පෙනීසිටින නීතිඥවරුන් පවා ඉවත්වන තත්ත්වයක් දැන් මතුවී තිබේ.

රටේ ජනතාවගේ මුදල් බිලියන ගණනින් පැහැරගත් මේ වංචාව ගැන ජනතාව වෙනුවෙන් මුල්වරට හෙළි කිරීමට හැකිවීම පිළිබඳව
අපට ඇත්තේ ආඩම්බරයකි.

ජනතාව සමඟ ජනතාව වෙනුවෙන් අප අඛණ්ඩවම මෙවැනි වංචා හෙළි කරනු ලැබේ.

බැඳුම්කර වංචාවෙන් රටට සිදුකළ පාඩුව දිනෙන් දින හෙළිවෙමින් තිබෙද්දී, අගමැති රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා මධ්‍යම අධිවේගී මාර්ගයේ තුන්වන අදියරේ කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුව ලබාදීමේදී සිදුව ඇති අක්‍රමිකතා පිළිබඳ අපකළ අනාවරණයට අදාළව අද පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේදී ප්‍රකාශයක් කළේය.

මේ විශේෂ ප්‍රකාශනය කිරීමට අදහස් කළේ පසුගිය සති දෙක පුරා එක්තරා මාධ්‍ය ජාලයක්.ඒක වහලා කියන්න ඕන නැහැ සිරස මාධ්‍ය ජාලය මගින් මධ්‍යම අධිවේගී මාර්ග ව්‍යාපෘතිය සම්බන්ධයෙන් ගෙන යන ද්වේශ සහගත අවලාද සහ මඩ ප්‍රචාර සම්බන්ධයෙන් මෙම ගරු සභාවටත් ‍මේ රටේ ජනතාවටත් සත්‍ය පැහැදිලි කිරීමේ අරමුණ ඇතිවයි. ජපාන රජයේ අදහස් අනුව 2016 ජූනි 22 වැනිදා ජපන් සමාගම් තුනක් වෙත මිල ගණන් කැඳවීමේ ලිපි නිකුත් කළා. එක සමාගමක් පමණක් මිල ගණන් ඉදිරිපත් කළත් එහි තාක්ෂණික අඩුපාඩු කම් තිබුණා.ජපාන අග්‍රමාත්‍යතුමාගේ විශේෂ උපදේශක ආචාර්ය හිරෝතෝ ඉෂුමි මහතා 2016 ඔක්තෝම්බර් 10 වැනිදා මා හමුවී සාකච්ඡා කළා. එතුමා පැවසුවේ නැවත මිල ගණන් කැදවන අවස්ථාවේ ඊට නිසි ප්‍රතිචාර ලැබෙන බවට ජපන් ‍රජය වග බලා ගන්නා බවයි.ඔය තත්ත්වය මත මිල ගණන් අලුතින් කැදවීමෙන් ජපන් සමාගම වෙත යළිත් ලිපි නිකුත් කිරීමට ආර්ථික කළමනාකරණ පිළිබදව කැබිනට් කමිටුව 2016 ඔක්තෝම්බර් 26 වැනිදා තීරණය කළා. මිල ගණන් ඉදිරිපත් කලේ ජපාන සමාගම් දෙක්ක පමණයි.ෆුජිටා සමාගම රුපියල් බිලියන 147 ක් ටයිසේ සමාගම බිලියන 159 යක්
මේ කියන්නේ ඇත්තද ?

ෆුජිටා සමාගම මේ ඉදිකිරීම් කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුව සදහා සුදුසු නොවන බව කරුණු 4 ක් මත පදනම්ව නිගමනය කලේ ව්‍යාපෘති කමිටුවයි.

ඩොලර් මිලියන 600 ඉක්මවූ මෙවැනි මහා පරිමාණ ව්‍යාපෘතියක් අවසන් වසර 5 තුළ මේ සමාගම සිදුකර නොතිබීම, මෙවැනි ඉදිකිරීම් සම්බන්ධව ප්‍රමාණවත් අත්දැකීම් නොමැතිවීම , මූල්‍යමය හැකියාව තහවුරු කිරීමට ප්‍රමාණවත් ලේඛණ ඉදිරිපත් නොකිරීම එම කරුණු අතර විය.

මේ අතර ටෙන්ඩර් කැඳවූ අවස්ථාවේදීම ටයිසෙයි සමාගමේ ලංසුවද ප්‍රතික්ෂේප වුණේ කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුවට අදාළව ඉදිරිපත් කළ යුතු ඇපකරය ගැන සඳහන් නොකිරීම හේතුවෙනි.

මේ අනුව මධ්‍යම අධිවේගී මාර්ගයේ කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුව සඳහා මේ සමාගම් දෙකම නිසි සුදුසුකම් සපුරා නොතිබූ බව අගමැතිවරයාගේ ප්‍රකාශයෙන්ම තහවුරු නොවන්නේ ද?

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා

ෆුජිටා සමාගමට කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුව ලබාදීම සුදුසු බව 2016 දෙසැම්බර් 6 වැනිදා කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලය තීරණය කළා.මේ අවස්ථාවේදී කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලය පත්කළ සාකච්ඡා කමිටුවේ දන්වා සිටියේ ෆුජිටා සමාගම ඉතා වැදගත් සාධක දෙකක් සම්බන්යෙන් සුදුසුකම් සපුරා නැති බවයි. ඒ නිසා ඊළගට ගත යුතුව තිබුණේ පියවර වූයේ මිල ගණන් ඉදිරිපත් කර තිබුණු අනෙකුත් ආයතනය වූ ටයිසේ සමාගම සමග සාකච්ඡා කිරීම. 2017 අප්‍රේල් 12 වැනිදින ජපානයේ කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලයේ වි‍ශේෂ උපදේශක සහ ආර්ථික සහයෝගිතාව පිළිබද තානාපති ෂිගේරු කියෙමා මහතා ජපන් රජය වෙනුවෙන් මහාමාර්ග අමාත්‍ය ලක්ෂ්මන් කිරිඇල්ල මහතාගෙන් ලිඛිත ඉල්ලීමක් කළා. ෆුජිටා සමාගම වෙතද වි‍ශේෂ සැලකිල්ලක් දක්වන්නේ නම් එය ජපන් රජයේ සැලකිල්ලට ලක්වනු ඇති. ඒ අනුව ලක්ෂ්මන් කිරිඇල්ල මහතා කැබිනට් පත්‍රිකාවක් ඉදිරිපත් කළා ටයිසේ සමාගමට රුපියල් බිලියන එක්ලක්ෂ තිස් හතර දාහකට ඉදිකිරීමේ කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුවක් ප්‍රදානය කිරීමට. 2017 අගෝස්තු 28 වැනිදා ටයිසේ සමාගම සාමාන්‍යාධිකාරි හා පුජිරා සමාගමේ ප්‍රධාන විධායක නිලධාරි විසින් මහාමාර්ග අමාත්‍යතුමන්ට ලිපියක් ලිව්වා. ඒ ලිපියේ මෙසේ සදහන් වුනා. ජපානය හා ශ්‍රි ලංකා රජ‍යන්ගේ අවශ්‍යතාවයන් සැලකිල්ලට ගනිමින් අප සමාගම් දෙක ඒකාබද්ධව ක්‍රියාකිරීමට අවශ්‍ය පියවර ආරම්භ කරනවා.මේ අනුව මට එන ආරංචි හැටියට තුන්වැනි අදියරේ කොටස් දෙකකට බෙදා ගන්න යනවා. එකක් ටයිසේ සමාගම එකක් පුජිසා සමාගම
ජපාන රජයේ නිල ස්ථාවරය එම වසරේ ජුනි 05 වැනිදා තානාපතිවරයා එවූ ලිපියේ පැහැදිලිව සදහන් වුනා.

තානාපතිවරයා අගමැතිවරයාට ලිඛිතවම දැනුම් දුන්නේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ නීතියට හා ටෙන්ඩර් ක්‍රියාවලියට ජපාන රජය සම්පූර්ණයෙන් ගරු කරන බවයි.

එසේ නම් රටේ නීතියට අනුවත් විධිමත් ටෙන්ඩර් ක්‍රියාවලියට අනුවත් ව්‍යාපෘති කමිටුව කරුණු සහිතව ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කළ සමාගමක් ජපාන රජය වෙනුවෙන් ඉදිරිපත් වූ ඉල්ලීම මත ඒ සදහා සම්බන්ධකරගත් බව අගමැතිවරයා කළ ප්‍රකාශය සත්‍යයක්ද?

ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ නීතියට ගරු කරන බව ජපාන රජය පැහැදිලිව ප්‍රකාශ කරද්දි එය උල්ලංඝනය කරමින් ප්‍රතික්ෂේප කළ සමාගමකට කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුවට හවුල් වීමට අවස්ථාව දෙන්නේ කාගේ උවමනාවකට ද?

2017 ජුනි 29 මහාමාර්ග අමාත්‍ය ලක්ෂ්මන් කිරිඇල්ල මහතා සමග පැවති සාකච්ඡාවේ සාරංශය මේ.

ඇමතිවරයා සමග ඔහුගේ උපදේශක චමින්ද ද සිල්වා නැමැත්තා සමග පැවති මේ සාකච්ඡාවට ටයිසෙයි හා ෆුජිටා සමාගම්වල නියෝජිතයින්ට අමතරව ෆුන්ජි ලොයිඩ් සමාගමේ විධායක උපසභාපති තරික් අලාම් සහ මෙට්‍රිකා රී ලොකේෂන් ප්ලස් සමාගමේ මෙරට නියෝජිත ආර්.ටී.ලෝකේෂ්වරන් යන දෙදෙනාද මේ සාකච්ඡාවට පැමිණියේය.

එහිදී ටයිසෙයි සමාගම සමග ඒකාබද්ධව ව්‍යාපෘතියට සම්බන්ධවන්නැයි අමාත්‍යවරයාගෙන් ලැබුණු ඉල්ලීම පිළිබදව ෆුජිටා සමාගමේ නියෝජිතයා මවිතය පළකර තිබුණි.

ඔහු එසේ මවිතය පළ කළේ, ප්‍රතික්ෂේප වූ සමාගම නැවත කොන්ත්‍රාත්තුවට සම්බන්ධකර ගැනීමට යෝජනාවීම පිළිබඳවයි.

ටයිසෙයි සමාගමේ නියෝජිතයා මෙහිදී පවසා තිබුනේ ශ්‍රී ලංකාවේ නීතිය හා ටෙන්ඩර් ක්‍රියාවලිය උල්ලංඝනය කිරීම පිළිබඳව තමන්ද කණස්සල්ට පත්වන බව ය.

එසේ තිබියදී මේ ක්‍රියාවලියෙන් නීතිය හෝ ටෙන්ඩර් ක්‍රියාවලිය උල්ලංඝනය නොවන බව ඇමතිවරයා වෙනුවෙන් ඔහුගේ උපදේශක බව කියන චමින්ද ද සිල්වා නමැත්තා මේ සාකච්ඡාවේදී පවසා තිබුණි.

අමැති බලතල අතට ගත් මේ උපදේශක එවැනි තීරණයක් ප්‍රකාශ කළේ කෙසේද?

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා

මිලියන 25000 ක් අඩුවෙන් මේ ව්‍යාපෘතිය ඉදිකිරීමට ශ්‍රි ලංකාව රජය කටයුතු කිරීම පිළිබදව අපිට හොරා කියනවා. මට හොරා කියනවා. 25000 ක් අඩුකර නිසා මිලියන. වැඩි කරානම් හරි කියන්න පුළුවන්. බිලියන 25 යි. මිලියන 25000 ක් මං අඩු කරා. අපි අඩුකරා. මං නෙමෙයි කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලයේ අනුකමිටුව ඉතිං හොරා කියනවා. ඉතිං මේකනම් හොරකම් කරන එක මොකක්ද වෙන්නේ ඇත්තවශයෙන්ම හොරකම් කලාම. මිලියන 25000 ක ලාභයක් ලැබීම ගැන මේ මාධ්‍ය ආයතන සිත් වේදනාවක් ඇතිවී තිබෙන්නේ ඇයි. අපි මිලියන 25000 ක් බේරුවා කියලා ඇයි ඔච්චර හිත්වේදනාවක් තිබෙන්නේ. ඇයි අඩන්නේ. ඇයි දොස් කියන්නේ. මධ්‍යම අධිවේගි මාර්ගය හදන්නේ කාටද කියලා මේ මාධ්‍ය ආයතන ප්‍රශ්න කරනවා. ඒක හදන්නේ ජනතාවට.

අගමැතිවරයා මේ මිලියන විසි පන්දහස ගනන් බලන්නේ ටයිසෙයි සමාගම මුලින් රුපියල් බිලියන 159 ක ලංසුවක් ඉදිරිපත්කර පසුව එය රුපියල් බිලියන 134 ක් දක්වා අඩුකර ගැනීමට හැකිවූ බව පෙන්වමින් ය.

එහෙත් කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලය පත්කළ සාකච්ඡා කමිටුවේ අවසන් නිරීක්ෂණ වාර්තාවේ සඳහන් වන්නේ මේ ව්‍යාපෘතියේ ඉංජිනේරු තක්සේරුව රුපියල් බිලියන 123 යි දශම 5 ක් ලෙස ය.

රුපියල් බිලියන 123 යි දශම 5 ක ඉංජිනේරු ඇස්තමේන්තුවක් ඇති ව්‍යාපෘතියක් රුපියල් බිලියන 134 කට යෝජනා කිරීමෙන් ලැබෙන ඉතිරිය කුමක්ද?

අගමැතිතුමනි, ඒ ඉතිරියේ වාසිය ජනතාවට ද?

අග්‍රාමාත්‍ය රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහ මහතා

ජපානය සහය ලබාදිය හැකි ආකාරයන් දෙක්ක පිළිබද සදහන් කර තිබුණා. එක ජපාන ආනයන සහ ආයෝජන සමාගමේ රක්ෂාවරණ සහිත ටෝකියෝ මිට්සුබිෂි බැංකුව හරහා මූල්‍ය ආධාර ලබාදීම. දෙක – ජයිකා ආයතනය හරහා නිල සංවර්ධන සහයෝගිතා ණය මුදලක් ලබාදීම. ජයිකා ණය ලබාගැනීම සඳහා අනුගමනය කළ යුතු පිළිවෙත ගණනාවක් තිබෙනවා.ඒ පිළිවෙත අනුව සම්පූර්ණ ණය මුදල ලබාගැනීම සදහා දීර්ඝ කාලයක් ගත වන බව ඔවුන් දන්වා සිටියා.වසර තුනක කාලයක් තුළ ව්‍යාපෘතිය නිම කිරීමට අප බලාපොරොත්තුවන නිසා වඩාත් ප්‍රායෝගික වන්නේ මිට්සුබිෂි බැංකුව මගින් ණය ආධාර ලබාගැනීම බව විදේශ සම්පත් දෙපාර්තමෙන්තුව දැන්වුවා. ඒ නිසා ව්‍යාපෘතිය සදහා ණය ආධාර ලබාගැනීම පිළිබදව දැන් ටෝකියෝ මිට්සුබිෂි බැංකුව සමඟ සාකච්ඡා පැවැත්වෙනවා.
අගමැතිතුමනි, ඉතා ඉහළ පොලියට දැඩි කොන්දේසි මත ලබාගන්නා මේ ණය මුදල ගෙවා දැමීමට සිදුවන්නේ රටේ ජනතාවටයි.

ජයිකා ආයතනය හරහා රජයන් දෙක අතර ණය මුදලක් ලබාගත්තේ නම් ඉතා අඩු පොළියකට සහනදායී පදනම මත ණය ලබාගත හැකිව තිබුණි.

ඒ, සඳහා අවුරුදු ගණනක් ගත වන්නේ නැහැ.

මෙවැනි අන්තර් රාජ්‍ය ණය මුදලක් කඩිනමින් ලබා ගන්නා අකාරය සමාගමක් ලෙස අපට වුවද පෙන්වාදිය හැකියි.

එසේ සහන ලබා නොගෙන ජනතා මුදල් බිලියන ගනනින් වියදම්කර අවුරුදු තුනකින් මාර්ගය සාදා නිමකරන්නැයි ඉල්ලන්නේ කවුද?

හදීසි වී අධික පොළියට වාණිජ්‍යය ණය ලබාගෙන කරන මේ ඉදිකිරීමවලට අවසානයේ ගෙවිය යුත්තේ මේ රටේ ජනතාවම නොවේද?

– උපුටා ගැනීම – newsfirst.lk 

lanka C news

පිස්සු චීවරධාරියෙක් යයි ඇමති සරත් ෆොන්සේකා විසින් කරන ලද ප‍්‍රකාශය ගැන තමන් අතිශය කණගාටු වන බවත් මෙවන් තත්වයනට පිලිතුරු දීම සදහා තමන් ඊළග මැතිවරණයේදී ක‍්‍රියාකාරී දේශපාලනයට පැමිණෙන බවත් පූජ්‍ය ඇල්ලේ ගුණවංශ හිමියෝ පවසති.

N. A. DE S. AMARATUNGA  Courtesy The Island

Opposition is emerging to the new constitution. Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa speaking at the inauguration of a movement against the government’s constitution making process

The idea that the country needs a new constitution is a construct of the Tamil separatists and opportunist politicians who need their votes to come to power, and the imperialists and the regional hegemonic powers also in this game for geopolitical gains and strategic reasons. Thus, there is enormous pressure from all these forces on the Government to install a brand new constitution with virtual federal features. The people of Sri Lanka, on the other hand, are not interested in a new constitution, but would want a less heavy burden on their day to day lives. These poor people are also concerned about what is happening to their money, which is systematically and fraudulently robbed by ruthless bank robbers and finance ministers making them destitute overnight. These people bent in two by the heavy burden of life do not want a new constitution. Even when they were up and about and timely elections were available to them to show their dissent, they did not ask for a new constitution. Certainly there is no demand from the majority of people in this country for a new constitution. But a new constitution is offered by bank robbers et al as a panacea to these poor hapless people.

The country does not need a brand new constitution because the existing one, though it may have a few weaknesses which could be corrected by consensus in the Parliament, is good enough for our purposes. With regard to minority rights, it must be said that our constitution has granted more to the minorities than in any other country in the world. For instance, the Tamils in the North and the East can give evidence in Tamil in a court of law, which facility is denied to the Tamils in Tamil Nadu. In the same breath, it could be said that all the issues related to Tamils: language, education, employment, house- hold income, and culture etc. have been addressed, and in fact the Tamils are performing much better than the Sinhalese in all these aspects at the moment. The 13th Amendment cannot be implemented in full and police and land powers cannot be devolved because of the danger such a step would cause to the security of the country. Going by the recent happenings in the North and the increasing power of the Tamil Diaspora and its influence with the western powers, it is obvious that the LTTE is not dead and is regrouping both locally and abroad. To give police and land powers to the North and the East under these circumstances would be suicidal for the Sinhalese, Tamils and the Muslims. The country would be torn asunder.

The evil elements that clamour for a new constitution say the government was given a mandate for it. This government has no mandate even for its very existence in its present form. Then, how could this deformed creature sired by a marriage of convenience between two different species, born out of malice, this ramshackle of a government struggling to survive, wobbling according to its own members, consisting of people’s rejects and purchased members, undertake such a critical and crucial mission and responsibility like formulating a new constitution? When a new constitution is contemplated, particularly when changes in political power and the nature of the state are being considered in this country, people’s lives are at stake. Thus the issue assumes immense critical and existential importance for the people. Only a government held in the highest esteem by the people with an outright 2/3rd majority could claim to have the right to formulate a new constitution, and not a government which has a contrived majority. Neither the UNP nor the SLFP on its own has even a simple majority. These two parties, according to their core philosophy, cannot converge on critical issues in the constitution such as unitary state, devolution of political power, federalism etc. They have come together as mentioned earlier for political expedience. Constitution making and political expedience must be kept apart as cotton wool and fire. Constitution making should not be allowed to be undertaken by a government which boasts that it has a 2/3rd majority which we know has been contrived by many horse deals and paid for with public money.

Another matter of grave concern is the interest shown by the imperialists and the regional power, and their unwelcome assistance and interference in our constitution making. People must understand how this came about. This government came into being with the assistance of those powers and was obliged to co-sponsor the UNHRC Resolution against its own country, which committed this government to carry out constitutional changes that met the demands of the Tamil separatists. The Tamil separatists are an important cog in the wheel of the imperialist agenda and its design on the Indian Ocean. The regional power has aligned with the imperialists necessitated by their common need to keep China at bay. Thus, unfortunately for us, the Tamil separatists are the darling of both the imperialists and the regional power. Hence both send their emissaries to twist the arm of the government, most recent being the highest in the land with regional power who came to worship on Vesak and helpfully reminded us of our constitutional obligations, and also addressed their descendants disregarding the fact that they are citizens of this country and are obliged to abide by the common interests, and indirectly gave them ideas about aspirations they could possibly develop. But what is worse is the obsequious silence of the government, which seems to have forgotten it has a duty by the people of the country to look after their interests. It must have no truck with those powers ganged up to dismember this country. But the government is probably helpless in this regard as it is obliged to them. Further, they depend on the Tamil separatists’ vote to win future elections and keep the common enemy at bay. Thus the people are caught up in a no-win situation.

In this seemingly hopeless situation the Joint Opposition, which is the only hope that people have at this critical moment, has a momentous responsibility and role to play. It is the vital remnant of the SLFP, which always stood for nationalism and national interests, such as sovereignty and territorial integrity, anti-imperialism, national assets etc. The other part of the SLFP that joined the government is colluding with the UNP, which has opposing views on these matters of national interest and therefore does not qualify as genuine SLFP material. People have placed enormous trust on this faction of the SLFP if the recent May Day rallies are an indication. If the JO also abandons the people at this juncture, the people will lose the confidence and trust it has nurtured over the past two years. The previous regime overestimated its popularity and neglected the peoples woes related to cost of living and paid the price. The JO which is the only surviving offspring of that regime is in danger of committing a similar blunder. If it does so, it will end up in the dustbin of political history and the intelligentsia of the country will have to build another SLFP. The trouble is there doesn’t seem to be an intelligentsia in Sri Lanka worth its salt at present. Intelligentsia by definition is not just the intelligent people, but intellectuals who have the national interest at heart.

The JO by consenting to participate in the Constitutional Assembly has endorsed the dubious cock-brained view that the country needs a new constitution. A constitutional assembly is required only for the purpose of drafting and finalizing a new constitution. It is not as simple as appointing a committee to inquire and report on some matter or other. It is not an everyday occurrence. It is a momentous occasion and of paramount importance with far reaching implications. Depending on the intentions it may auger well or ill for the country and its people. Further, it is obvious that the structure of the various sub-committees of the Constitutional Assembly is so designed that there could be only one outcome, and it is not favourable to the country. Further, the advisory committees are full of known Eelamists. The reports of these various committees have come in and they do not look good from the point of view of the people. The final draft proposal produced by the Steering Committee headed by the prime minister have several clauses which dilute the unitary status and the place granted to Buddhism. The deletion of the Concurrent List renders the provincial governor powerless and removes the president’s control of the provincial councils, which makes the constitution virtually a federal arrangement. The PCs will also probably have police and land powers and all this will ultimately pave the way for a separate state.

The JO cannot play the innocent game for they were part and parcel of the process that produced these drafts. Have they objected to these proposals that are obviously inimical to the country? Do the minutes record their objections? Have they said in any of their media conferences that they did object to these proposals? Nobody has heard their voice in this connection. Did they propose amendments to these proposals? Nobody knows of any such useful action by the JO. Their position is that they are fighting against these trends from inside and that is why they still remain in the Constitutional Assembly but there is no evidence of their fight. The worst fear is that they have a hidden agenda which the people hope is not true, because if it is true the gods also have forsaken this country.

What should a responsible opposition do under these circumstances? The JO has already blundered by voting for the formation of a constitutional assembly whereby they endorse the hare-brained view that the country needs a new constitution. If they are in the Assembly, it cannot be for anything else but formulation of a new constitution, which must have several important changes from the present one. Going by the above mentioned drafts these changes do not conform to the stated policies of the SLFP or its philosophy of origin. The claim of the JO that their intention is to fight from inside has no credence, given the fact that so far they have not been able to stem the trend and prevent the introduction of unfavourable clauses. Moreover, their presence in it gives the proceedings further credence and license to go for the kill. That is the only purpose their participation in the assembly serves and hence they have no claim to be the original SLFP and appear before the people as their saviors. They had an excellent opportunity to correct their mistake and get back to their inherited path, when the Sangha made the proclamation that there is no need for a new constitution and consequently Wimal Weerawansa’s party left the assembly. They must follow suit before it is too late. Such an action would also galvanize the people and make them aware of the peril that waits in the wings and rally round the JO. If they do not, there is nothing to prevent the people suspecting that the JO is playing a waiting game or worse a double game.

N. A. DE S. AMARATUNGA

Editorial Courtesy The Island

September 8, 2017, 10:09 pm
Several yahapalana ministers lamented during a parliamentary debate on the draconian tax reforms on Thursday that the government revenue was falling rapidly and its expenditure rising steeply. Tax laws had to be amended to increase the government revenue, they argued. Ironically, they said so, one day after the presentation of a supplementary estimate which, among other things, sought as much as Rs. 58 mn for a ministerial vehicle.

Governments face financial difficulties, but burdening people with more taxes is not the only way to set about tackling the problem. If new Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera cares to ask any grandma how to increase government income, she will tell him to cut down on government waste urgently as the first step. A rupee saved is a rupee earned. The government won’t be able to have people believe that it is faced with pecuniary difficulties, given the criminal waste of public funds it shamelessly indulges in. The yahapalana regime has so far spent more than two billion rupees on brand new super luxury vehicles for its ministers in addition to the fleets of flashy limos and SUVs at their disposal. Perhaps, maintaining Buckingham Palace costs much less than repairs to the palaces of our political grandees.

The yahapalana leaders came to power, promising to be different from the Rajapaksa regime which was notorious for its members’ vulgar display of wealth. They used to shout pithy slogans such as ‘unta Lamborghini, apita badagini [‘Lamborghinis for rulers and pangs of hunger for the public’]. They pledged to adopt austerity measures so as to save enough money to repay loans and develop the country so much so that Maithripala Sirisena, in the run-up to the last presidential election, declared that he would operate from Polonnaruwa if elected President. But, today, another president’s house has come up in Colombo! Political rejects are holding ministerial posts and living in clover thanks to their ability to lick their leaders’ boots and sandals.

Corruption continues to cause staggering losses to the public purse. The most expensive expressway in the world is being built through the Central Province, according to Rathu Sahodarayas, who threw their weight behind the yahapalana camp. Bond scams have made state banks and the workers’ superannuation fund lose billions of rupees. The racketeers responsible for those financial rackets are seen moving about freely though incriminating evidence is available against them. Sri Lanka has become a dystopia like the one we find in Orwell’s Animal Farm. The government seems to believe that all Sri Lankans are equal before the law, but the yahapalana leaders and their kith and kin are more equal than others!

No government in the developing world can survive on its tax revenue alone. That may be possible in the Global North, where direct taxes from wealthy citizens and corporate giants generate enough revenue for governments. The yahapalana government ought to manage the profitable state ventures properly and turn around the loss incurring ones as a national priority if it is to increase its revenue without squeezing the public dry. Unfortunately, it seems to believe that the divestiture of state ventures is the key to economic prosperity! What it proposes to do after selling all public assets to foreigners is the question.

When the present government was formed its supporters may have thought their leaders would lead simple lives like former President of Uruguay Jose Mujica, who lived in his wife’s farmhouse instead of the grand presidential palace and donated to charity about 90 percent of his 12,000-US-dollar salary. He used a vintage Beetle, his only material asset! Even as the President he received treatment at state-run hospitals, that, too, after waiting in long queues. But, the yahapalana leaders fly away to foreign hospitals at the first sign of a cold, trotting out lame excuses.

We are reminded of a prominent leftist’s wisecrack in times of yore; he said his opponents were enjoying a whiskey lifestyle on a toddy income!

By Ajith Alahakoon and Kushan Subasinghe Courtesy The Island

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament yesterday that both the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank had informed the country that they would not provide any more grants after 2019.

Making a special ministerial statement, the Prime Minister said since the two leading bodies had expressed the stopping of grants, alternative measures had to be adopted to maintain economic development.

“Originally, there was a plan to construct an airport in Kandy,” he said.

“Also the central expressway comprises three tunnels. We will have to relook at them as well. One part of the expressway would be elevated. The expressways built earlier was done by filling the land. This has created environmental issues.”

The Prime Minister said the central expressway was just one of many development projects lined up for the Central Province. He said a tourism and cultural centre, agriculture technology centre, and an IT park would be constructed in the area.

The PM said the government had been able to reduce the cost of the central expressway by Rs. 25 billion. The initial estimated cost had been Rs. 159 billion while the new estimated cost was Rs. 134 billion.

The Prime Minister said the government had decided to borrow funds from Tokyo Mitshubishi Bank to save time. That, he said had been decided by the Department of External Resources. There had been no proper response when tenders were called initially. The Japanese government had given an assurance that it would ensure that there would be response later.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said tenders had been called for the second time in November 2016 and two Japanese companies namely Taisei and Fujita had responded. ‘The Cabinet decided to award the tender to Fujita but a Cabinet-appointed negotiation committee held that Fujita had not been able to meet two of the stipulated criteria. Then, it was decided to award the tender to Taisei as that company had reduced the price by then.

“Japan then inquired from me during my visit there whether it would be possible to get Fujitha also involved. Accordingly, it was decided to get Fuijtha to join Taisei.” Therefore those two companies would handle the first phase of the project, he said.

The PM said both India and China would be involved in other phases of the project.

by Eric Gamini Jinapriya Courtesy The Island

The Chief incumbent of Dharmayathanaya, Colombo Ven Elle Gunawansa Thera yesterday said that he would come forward to prevent the division of the country.

“I will join forces with patriots. I have no intention of contesting elections but will do everything possible for the victory of the motherland and patriotic forces,” Gunawansa thera said in a brief interview with The Island.

Commenting on Regional Development Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka’s recent statement that Gunawansa Thera was a mad man in robes, Ven Thera said that statement had compelled him to decide to join the camp of patriotic forces and get on their political stage for the sake of the country. “I have no anger or animosity towards the former army commander, who made a statement without knowing facts. He, too, has visited this temple many times in the past. But, today he is in the camp of anti-nationalist forces. His statement helped me understand how much people love me. Soon after that controversial statement many former commanders of the forces arrived here. Politicians, devotees, civil society leaders and many others have condemned his statement.

කංචන  විජේසේකරගෙන් පක්ෂ නායකයාට අධි චෝදනා පත්‍රයක්

• 2014 නොවෙම්බර් මස පක්ෂයෙන් ඉදිරිපත් කල අපේක්ෂකයා පරාජයට පත් කිරීමට එක්සත් ජාතික පක්ෂය සහ අනෙකුත් කණ්ඩායම් සමග අත්වැල් බැඳ ගැනීම .
• 2015 ජනවාරි 09 වන දින පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ සන්ධානයට හිමිව තිබු අගමැතිධුරය සහ ආණ්ඩු බලය සුළුතරයක් හිමිව තිබු රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහට ලබා දීම. 
• 2015 ජනවාරි මස සන්ධානයට බලය තිබුනු ඌව පළාත UNP එකටත්, නැගෙනහිර බලය Muslim congress එකටත් ලබා දීම. 
• පක්ෂයේ මධ්‍යම කාරක සභාවක් තිබියදී දුමින්ද දිසානායක ලේකම් ලෙසත් , S.B. නාවින්න භාණ්ඩාගාරික ලෙස පත් කර ගත් මධ්‍යම කාරක සභාවක් නම් කිරීම. 
• පක්ෂයේ නව සභාපති ලෙස කලබල මැද පත්වී , භාණ්ඩාගාරිකව සිටි ඩලස් අලහප්පෙරුම ඉවත් කිරීම. 
• මධ්‍යම කාරක සභාවේ සිටි මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ හිතවාදින් ඉවත් කර සහ ආසන සංවිධායකවරු ඉවත් කර හංසයාට කතිරය ගැසූ සහ දුර්වල පිරිසක් ඒවෙනුවට පත් කිරීම. 
• පළාත් පාලන ආයතන විසුරුවා සන්ධානයට තිබු ග්‍රාමීය බලය නිෂ්ක්‍රීය කිරීම

• නාම යෝජනා ලබා දීමේදී මහින්ද හිතවාදීන් ලෙස සලකා පිරිසකට නාම යෝජනා ලබානොදීම 
• නාමයෝජනා ලබාදී පැය 48 කට පසුව ප්‍රසිද්ධ ලිපියක් මගින් මහින්ද මහතාට අගමැතිකම නොදෙන බව සඳහන් කිරීම. 
• පක්ෂයේ සභාපති වශයෙන් මැතිවරණයට දායක නොවීම. 
• ඡන්දයට පැය 48 ට පෙර පක්ෂයේ සහ සන්ධානයේ ලේකම් වරු දෙපළ ඉවත් කිරීම. 
• පළමු වතාවට පක්ෂයේ සභාපතිවරයාගේ ආසනය පරාජයට පත් වීම 
• අභියෝග සහ බාධක හමුවේ ලබාගත් මන්ත්‍රීධුර මගින් සන්ධානයට ආණ්ඩුවක් සැදීමට තිබු අවස්ථාව අහිමි කර ජාතික ලිස්තුවට පරාජිතයන් පත් කර රනිල්ට අගමැතිධුරය ලබා ගැනීමට අවකාශ සැලසීම.
• අවුරුදු දෙකකට ජාතික ආණ්ඩුවකට අත්සන්කර රනිල්ගේ ආණ්ඩුව ශක්තිමත් කිරීම. 
• විපක්ෂ නායක ධුරය මන්ත්‍රීවරු16ක් සිටින TNA එකට ලබා දීම.
• මන්ත්‍රීවරු 6ක් සිටින JVP එකට විපක්ෂයේ සංවිධායක ධුරය ලබා දීම 
• පළාත් පාලන මැතිවරණය දිගින් දිගටම කල් දැමීම 
• අවුරුදු දෙක ඉක්මවන්න පෙර අවුරුදු පහකට ජාතික ආණ්ඩු දීගය දීර්ඝ කිරීම 
• පක්ෂයේ ප්‍රතිපත්ති වලින් බැහැරව රාජ්‍ය දේපල විකිණීම 
• පළාත් සභා තුල සිටින පක්ෂයේ ජේෂ්ඨ ඇමතිවරු ඉවත් කිරීම. 
• පළාත් සභා ඡන්දය කල් දැමීමට යෝජනා ඉදිරිපත් කර මධ්‍යම කාරක සභාවේ තීරණය නොසලකා උතුරැ මැද සභාවේ එය සම්මත කිරීම. 
• පළාත් පාලන ඡන්දයට සංශෝධන එකතු කර පක්ෂයේ විශාල පිරිසකට නැවත තරඟ කිරීමට තිබෙන අයිතිය අහිමි කිරීම සහ එයට පක්ෂව පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ ඡන්දය ලබා දීම. 
• UNP විරෝධී සටනේ සිටින පාක්ෂිකයන්ගේ සාමාජිකත්වය අහෝසි කිරීමට තීරණ ගැනීම. 

  මෙම කරුණු සලකා බලා පක්ෂයෙන් ඉවත් කළ යුත්තේ කවුද?

By Gagani Weerakoon Courtesy  Ceylon Today

With the sole intention of defeating any move to divide the country through constitutional means, ‘Eliya – Illuminating Aspirations’ an organization formed under the patronage of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa was launched at Hotel Golden Rose, Boralesgamuwa on Wednesday (6) evening. Alleging that the proposed new Constitution would give separatists what they had failed to achieve through terrorism, Rajapaksa vowed to defeat the project.

The proposed constitutional reforms were meant to appease the LTTE rump, pro-LTTE Diaspora and a section of foreign powers, Rajapaksa said, lambasting the ruling UNP-SLFP Government for seeking to divide post-war Sri Lanka on ethnic lines.

The former Defence Secretary said ‘Eliya’ wouldn’t allow the government to betray the country under any circumstances.

Explaining the movement’s objective, Rajapaksa stressed the importance of educating and mobilizing the masses against the ongoing moves to introduce a new Constitution at the expense of the unitary status of the country.

He said the proposed Constitution had the backing of those countries which had made desperate attempts to save the LTTE during the final phase of the Vanni offensive.

Armed forces had made tremendous sacrifices to neutralize the LTTE militarily and any effort to undermine the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be resisted at any cost, Rajapaksa added.

The event attracted a large number of professionals, including artistes, doctors, engineers, lawyers, politicians and members of the general public.

Among those present were former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, former Cabinet Ministers, including Basil Rajapaksa, Wimal Weerawansa, Dullas Alahapperuma, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Bandula Gunawardena, Leader of the Joint Opposition Dinesh Gunawardena, Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, Gamini Lokuge, Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, former Governor of Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Manohara De Silva PC, Tamara Kunanayakam,
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka and Maj Gen (retd) Kamal Gunaratne.

Many key speakers at the event shared similar sentiments as former diplomat Tamara Kunanayakam, who said, “A radical overhaul is underway – of our political, economic, financial, social and cultural system. A new Constitution is being discussed, also a plethora of radical reforms are being rushed through. The fact that many are being challenged as unconstitutional indicates that the new Constitution is aimed at making what is constitutional today un-constitutional tomorrow, and making what is legal illegal, by a simple trick of changing the Law!”

The issue is not whether a new Constitution is needed or not, it is the fundamental and inalienable right of the people to determine the economic, social, political and cultural system in which they choose to live. But that choice will be theirs only if it is made freely, not with a gun pointed at their heads. Today, Sri Lanka finds itself practically under a form of tutelage to the US, a global power whose strategic objective is to maintain its global hegemony.

Kunanayakam said that it is symbolic that the US Ambassador chose to announce Washington’s decision to ‘assist’ Sri Lanka draft its Constitution and implement the Human Rights Council, standing on the amphibious warship USS New Orleans, which is used to land and support ground forces on enemy territory and patrols provocatively close to China.

“It is also ironic that it is from Temple Trees that the Acting US Secretary of State Alice Wells declared last week that ‘The United States is – and will continue to be – an Indo-Pacific power.’ She was the first to announce America’s ‘first ever naval exercise’ in Sri Lanka in October, in Trincomalee. You will agree that rewriting the Constitution under such conditions can only advance Washington’s cause, not ours! There are other guns pointed at us: the 2015 Human Rights Council resolution and the notorious IMF/World Bank conditionalities.”

The movement stated that what began as an agenda to abolish the Executive Presidency was transformed overnight into a full-blown reform of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, speaking on the lines of public’s duty in thwarting efforts to bring a new Constitution that would destabilize the State, Consultant

Dr. Seetha Arambepola said the majority of the public is of the opinion that their only weapon against what is happening is the universal franchise.

“We, as public, shamelessly continue to have faith in those whom we have elected to power, who continue to mercilessly betray our faith in them. We shamelessly believe that the one we voted into power will fulfil our aspirations. We have failed to realize the person we voted for has joined another camp and is being guided by another force, and is catering to their demands,” she added.

While noting that professionals and the educated working force have a right to guide or reprimand the rulers who have not gone through any examination or possess any qualification other than the fact that they had received people’s votes,

Dr. Arambepola stressed the public have the right to force the rulers to see, hear and feel the correct path when they act deaf, dumb or oblivious to burning issues.

By Nuwan Hettiarachchi Courtesy Ceylon Today

Chairman of the Public Platform National Movement Ven. Ulapane Sumangala Thera has questioned how the Sinhala newspaper, Janayugaya, which is alleged to have been…… published with funds accrued from the CB bond scam, is supplied with millions of rupees worth of Government advertisements.

The Thera told the media yesterday that the said newspaper has been supplied with Rs 500 million worth of advertisements from the banking sector and lotteries board in the recent past.

Ven. Sumangala Thera charged that the rent of houses occupied by Ministers supplying such advertisements had been allegedly paid by Arjuna Aloysius, the owner of the said newspaper.

He charged that the majority of such advertisements had been supplied to Janayugaya from institutions coming under the purview of the Finance and Media Ministry.

The Thera charged that the money accrued from the CB bond scam has been circulating throughout the country in various forms and cited the ethanol factory that was being built in the Eastern Province as an example.

Kelum Bandara Courtesy The Daily Mirror

A group of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) MPs are reported to have informed President Maithripala Sirisena on Wednesday night that they would quit the government soon and yesterday met former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss the next step.

The group included Ministers Susil Premajayantha and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Deputy Ministers T.B. Ekanayake, Dulip Wijesekara, Nimal Lansa and Arundika Fernando. According to Reports at least 12 SLFP MPs in the government are likely to cross over.

They had the President after the late night Central Committee meeting on Wednesday. These ministers were reported to have said they found it increasingly difficult to be in the government amid corruption allegations such as the bond scam and questionable highway projects and criticised the government’s move towards power devolution.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Arundika Fernando and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga had reportedly crossed words at the Central Committee meeting with the deputy minister alleging that some UNP members were involved in fraud and corruption while Ms. Kumaratunga said the current government took office after ending a term riddled with rampant fraud and corruption.

Kelum Bandara Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera, in response to a statement by Minister and Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka describing the monk as a ‘mad man in robes’ said yesterday the United National Party (UNP) should decide whether it should have such a person as a Cabinet minister any longer.

The monk said senior UNPers such as Gamini Dissanayake, Lalith Athulathmudali and R. Premadasa had visited his temple on several occasions.

Mr. Fonseka is a political reject. Only the UNP accommodated him and gave him a portfolio. The UNP should now decide whether it should risk its credibility by having such a person in the Cabinet. However, the people will decide,” he said.

In a way, slandering me has turned out to be a blessing in guise. I was able to realize the magnitude of affection people have towards me. Throngs of people from all walks of life are visiting me. All the former army commanders frequented my temple. Mr. Fonseka’s claim that war crimes took place has become a reason for jubilation by pro-LTTE groups operating overseas,” the monk said.

He said Mr. Fonseka’s harsh attitude towards him had forced him to appear on the political stage for the first time.

So, far I have not stepped on anyone’s political stage but I will do it for the time when the occasion arises,” he said.

Chamil Rupasinghe Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said even the current First Lady could be sued as she was seen distributing ‘Sil Redi’ along with the President a few days ago.

Speaking to journalists in Kandy, Mr. Rajapaksa said he would visit former president’s secretary Lalith Weeratunga who was sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment.

Mr.Weeratunga was found guilty of misappropriating Rs.600 million belonging to the TRC and using it to distribute ‘Sil Redi’ during the 2015 presidential election campaign.

By : A.A.M.NIZAM – MATARA

The asinine and moron Sarath Fonseka before he was sponsored by the American Ambassador in Sri Lanka Patricia Butenis to contest the Presidential Election of 2010 against Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa was the most hated person in the Sri Lankan Army for the UNP politicians and was ridiculed and mercilessly attacked by them as a man who is only fit to lead the salvation army, a bovine, a man taking the army to Medawachchi instead of kilinochchi and to Pamankada instead of Alimankada, a man running a clandestine killer and torture unit of the army which was responsible for the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunga on Jan 8, 2009, attempt to kill the then Rivira editor Upali Tennakoon on January 23, 2009, abduction and assault of Deputy Editor and the then defence correspondent of The Nation, Keith Noyahr, on May 22, 2008 and so on. These allegations were mainly made in Parliament by Ranil Wickremasinghe, Joseph Michael Perera, Mangala Samaraweera, Lakshman Kiriella, Ravi Karunanayake and a host of others.

For political expediency and for washing the dirty linen of the government and for making threats to anti-government elements Ranil Wickremasinghe with the concurrence of Maithripala Sirisena got Fonseka who couldn’t even get 5,000 votes all over the island during the 2015 election appointed as a national list UNP MP to fill the vacancy created by the death of Minister M.K.A.D.S, Gunawardene.. At the same time his rank was upgraded as Field Marshal and was appointed as the Minister of Regional Development, we wonder what, where and which development he has made so far.

The pro-Tamil Diaspora and soul-mate of LTTE rump Jusmin Souka’s (member of infamous Darusman gang) South America based International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) has filed a war crime case in Brazil and Columbia against General Jagath Jayasuriya who was the Ambassador of Brazil, Columbia, Peru, , Argentina and Suriname. Jayasuriya returned to Sri Lanka hurriedly after the case was filed by Souka’s ITJP in each of these two countries under his purview as ambassador for Sri Lanka., While petitions are yet to be filed in Argentina, Chile and Peru. Only Suriname has downright refused to permit action to be filed against Jayasuriya. The aim of the ITJP is to utilize Jayasuriya as a pawn to initiate an investigation and later expand it to cover all our top war heroes such as Wasantha Karannagoda. Roshan Gunatilleke, Shavendra Silva and Kamal Gunaratne, who played crucial roles in the War to vanquish the Tiger Terrorists.  As per defence and legal analysts this move will also include former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena, and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa among others.

Immediately after Jagath Jayasuriya returned following the filing of cases against him, Fonseka told a media conference that he holds information with regard to war crimes committed by Jagath Jayasuriya and that he was ready to give evidence if proper legal action was instituted against him.  He said that Jayasuriya was engaged in crimes as Vanni commander and even after he was promoted as army commander. Fonseka’s this move is similar to his earlier attempt to implicate Gotabaya Rajapaksa saying that Mr. Gotabaya ordered to kill the surrendered LTTE high fliers in the so-called White-Flag incident.

Now he has come up with another serious allegation that General Jagath Jayasuriya, the Vanni Commander during his tenure as Army Commander had committed crimes. Political analysts indicate that as happened during the white flag controversy, the Tamil diaspora and the Tamil separatist groups here would pick up Fonseka’s allegations against Jayasuriya and it might come up during the next UNHRC sessions in Geneva as well. They say that even eight years after the end of the war, the allegations about war crimes and violation of international human rights and humanitarian laws are still haunting Sri Lank and the last report by UN Human Rights Chief Zeid Al- Hussein was not as friendly as his previous reports had been and therefore it is imperative for the government to speak in one voice about the issue. They commend the President’s vowing to defend all Commanders who played leading roles during the war, from alleged human rights violations and war crimes.

Fonseka who now stupidly tries to implicate Jagath Jayasuriya to attain his personal vendetta and allow Souka to use Jayasuriya as a prey against Sri Lanka has gone in records many a time the Army that he commanded during the war against the LTTE, never committed war crimes or violated international human rights or humanitarian laws.

Faizer Shheed who is a law tutor and an independent researcher of laws has in an article to the local newspaper’Ceylon Today’ has pointed out the following:

Perhaps Fonseka may have forgotten that Jayasuriya was being charged with command responsibility in the first place, and not for actions of his own volition. Perhaps, Fonseka had forgotten that he was the Commander of the Army during the final stages of the war when the alleged war crimes was said to have occurred.

Shaheed points out that command responsibility was instilled through the Geneva Conventions of 1929 and Article 26 of the Geneva Convention of 1929 a superior officer in the armed forces is held not to be absolved from any war crime of a lesser officer, is incriminated under Additional Protocol 1 (Article 87) and the Rome Statute which Sri Lanka has not ratified. However, command responsibility is also recognized in multiple places in the Hague Conventions, to which Sri Lanka is signatory. The Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions are recognized as Customary International Humanitarian Law, however, the protocols are exempt unless the country has ratified”

He says that Rule 153 of the Customary International Humanitarian Law states that: “Commanders and other superiors are criminally responsible for war crimes committed by their subordinates if they knew, or had reason to know, that the subordinates were about to commit or were committing such crimes and did not take all necessary and reasonable measures in their power to prevent their commission, or if such crimes had been committed, to punish the persons responsible.”

This would mean that, should Sarath Fonseka purvey incriminating evidence against Jayasuriya, Fonseka too would have to face the consequences as the Commander of the Army, particularly due to the fact that Jayasuriya was a subordinate at the time.

The Tamil Diaspora and the official opposition of the government the despicable TNA have come out in support of Fonseka’s  loathsome statement. The economic refugees outfit called the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) has welcomed the statement and said ‘confirmation of war crimes by Sri Lankan forces comes after eight years of denial by successive Sri Lankan governments. This outfit has issued a statement saying that Fonseka’s confession to war crimes committed by forces under his command came on September 1^st and said that he has information about General Jayasuriya committing war crimes and that he is ready to give evidence and readiness to testify before a proper investigation. It has also pointed out that Fonseka even said that war crimes were committed even after the war ended and he has information regarding other ‘Officers who committed crimes’. Based on these odious statements the outfit has urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNHRC and others to act swiftly to bring perpetrators of these international crimes to face justice and states that the UN should not miss this opportunity. Meanwhile, the TNA has said that they would support Fonseka if he is going to divulge the truth.  TNA leader Sambandqn has said that if Fonseka comes forward to give evidence before an international tribunal they are prepared to assist him.  He has told the Jaffna daily ‘Uthayan’ that this trial should be held in the form of a Hybrid Tribunal in the presence of foreign judges.  It is surprising to find their buddies in the government the red elephants JVP remaining silent on this issue implying their non-opposition to Fonseka’s utterances and the TNA stand..

However there are many comments by politicians in favour of and opposition to Fonseka’s mad utterances and would like to mention these comments briefly as well.

• His condemnation of Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero as a madman is a very serious matter, and the Ven. Thero had corrected even the mistakes of President Premadasa by giving right admonishions”     former President Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa

• “Is Minister Fonseka in his proper senses? It is not a small matter for a Minister to claim that a former army general committed war crimes!” MP Mr. Wimal Weerawansa
• Fonseka is acting in a senseless manner” – Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero,
• Fonseka’s statement is personal” – Minister Lakshman Kiriella
• Fonseka should be removed from the Minister post and the Field Marshal rank should be recalled” – MP Mr.Vasudeva Nanayakara
• Arrest Fonseka for telling lies and withholding information” MP Mr.Udaya Gammanila.
• Fonseka is not a traitor” Nincompoop Minister Mahinda Amaraweera
• Toppigala wild forest Ranil Wickremasinghe too remains deaf, dunb and blind (DDB) similar to JVP.

There seems to be a strong hatred among peace loving patriotic masses in the country about the despicable statement made by treacherous Fonseka.  This can be observed in the social media and comments that had been made by the public to news relating to this issue that appeared in the newspapers and websites.  It is a bounden duty and responsibility of the government to make a statement on this issue on a national level and take appropriate action against Fonseka as it has been demanded by many. (niz)

BY MALINDA SENEVIRATNE

  

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

Poor little rich kids getting various allowances and other perks may go starving to reach Zero Size as they are all over grown ,Because they may eat less and less due to high prices .May even be that they may be taking a Rice Packet home which was earlier wrapped in polythene and now polythene is banned ,canteen may have raised the price like elsewhere. Relatives, friends visiting MP’s also get well treated .and now they may lose that luxury .

It may be that some MP’s may go on fasting in order to protest against the price hike and ask for a bigger meal allowance?

Not only meal prices, government should set an example by limiting fuel and or charge the cost of the same from all MP’s .

Medical insurance given to MP ‘shall also be taken out as Health Minister claim that National Health Service is in of high quality.

Thank you speaker..

Dr Sarath Obeysekera

by A. Abdul Aziz.

This is in reference to an article titled:  ARMED MUSLIM INSURGENTS STARTS VIOLENCE IN MYANMAR by Dr. Daya Hewapathirane (LW – 28.08.2017). In his lengthy article the writer throws number of criticism against Islam, quoting verses of Holy Qur’an here and there and put an image as if Qur’an promotes violence and religious disharmony. Writer says, the Koran forbids Muslims to closely associate non-Muslims.

This Holy Qur’an was sent through the Universal Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to guide all mankind. It is the book, not only for Muslims. An open book for all!! If anyone says there is no need to make people (non-Muslims) understand what Holy Qur’an teaches, it is ignorant. A person can understand the real teachings of Islam, only if he gone through this Holy Book. If we are not providing, presenting, donating this Holy Book to others –(non-Muslims), then we cannot blame them for their ignorant in understanding its teachings. As long as this attitude grows, i.e. Holy Qur’an should not be given to others – non-Muslims should not be allowed even to touch, it is obvious; a type of passion will emerge from their hearts and mind in such a level that we must read Holy Qur’an. To fulfill the thirst of others, this Holy Qur’an is being translated into various languages and thus reaching to the hands of non-Muslims. If a person in thirst, a glass of water will give him such a joy, similarly, these days, non-Muslims are also in thirst to know about Holy Qur’an and its teachings. In our country when we present this Holy Book – Sinhala Translation of Holy Qur’an to our fellow citizens, particularly to our non-Muslims brothers and sisters including Heads of other Faiths, Professors, Principals VIPs etc. they utter such a valuable words which clearly indicate about their passions to read this Holy Book.  Let me put some of their comments as below:-

1. This valuable gift will provide us the opportunity to read the scripture of other religion.
2. A necessary one and added these days people are quarrelling each other for unnecessary issues and I am pleased to have such a valuable book.
3. Our children should know what religions teach – not only their own religion, but also they should know what other religion say. This is the foundation for the religious harmony.
4. I did not find any source to have such a holy book even though I contacted Muslim friends.
5. I am in searching of such a Holy Book and will read it in full and hailed the task of Ahmadiyya Community in translating Holy Qur’an into Sinhala language.
6. I (she) am very keen to have a copy of Holy Qur’an and thanked for fulfilling my wish.
7. I (she) am pleased to have such a wonderful book for our library.
8. While accepting copy of Holy Qur’an Sinhala Translation, showed much interest to know about the real teachings of Islam as the name of Islam being damaged because of few evil elements. When explained, accepted Islam – a religion of peace.
9. A great gift and she was longing for.
10. When certain extremist elements launched a campaign against Islamic Holy Book, he was thinking he should read this book to know what it really says. Now this is the time for me to read this Holy Book, he added.
11. While accepting copy of Holy Qur’an Sinhala Translation, said she will read this Holy Book as she is in longing of to know about what it says. She opened the Holy Qur’an and read out the meaning of First Chapter (Sura Fathiha) and remarked that the beginning of the verses of this chapter resembles with beginning of the Buddhist Scripture and recited and explained. She immediately called the Chief Librarian of the School and introduced about the delegation and asked her to touch the Holy Book while the delegation took the photograph.
12. This the day he assumes his duty as Principal and glad to get this presentation.
13. I have never seen Holy Qur’an in my life and willingness to get the copy.
14. This is the need of the hour.
15. He was very much amazed to know about Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at’s wonderful task in translating Holy Qur’an into 75 languages and commended such a wonderful task.
16. Expressed his willingness to know about Islam as he remarked that the religion of peace cannot support any type of terrorism in any form.
17. Expressing her interest to know about Islam, while accepting the Copy of Holy Qur’an Sinhala Translation.
18. While accepting the Holy Qur’an Sinhala Translation, said, he will read.
19. She accepted Islam is a religion of Peace, even though certain elements creates bad image.
20. The Holy Prophet of Islam, admonished to respect all religions and that’s why he also is trying to promote religious harmony in the country.

These are the few out of many (https://www.lankaweb.com/news/items/2016/03/06/sri-lanka-we-should-read-quran-to-understand-real-teachings-of-islam-bandarawela-top-buddhist-monk-remarks/)

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane says: The Quran tells Muslims to slay the unbelievers wherever they find them (2:191)”.

But the previous verse of this particular verse goes on to say like this: And fight in the cause of Allah against those who fight against you, but do not transgress. Surely Allah, loves not the transgressors (2: 190).The verse contains the gist of the conditions which should regulate a religious war which were made binding on Muslims. The conditions mentioned in this verse are four in number:

1. Such a war should truly be undertaken with the object of removing obstacles placed in the way of God and His religion. Any war that is not fee sabeelillah;  is not a lawful religious war.
2. Such war is allowed only against those who first take up arms against Muslims as the words  (those who fight against you), indicate.
3. Great care should be taken that women, children and old men of belligerent nation who do not take actual part in the war against Islam are  you.  If,  however, if an old man or woman takes actual part in the fighting the responsibility lies on him or her and in such a case he or she loses the concession. Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: ‘Do not kill an old man or a child or a woman, always try to improve things and reform matters and act kindly towards others, for Allah loves those who act kindly’ (Abu Dawud).
4. Muslims should bring the war to an end as soon as the enemy desists from fighting, for in this case further fighting is not permissible, as the words ‘do not transgress; surely Allah loves not the transgressors’ clearly prove. What a just and noble teaching how tersely and beautifully expressed!

The verse under discussion (2: 191) says: ‘And kill them wherever you meet them and drive them out from where they have driven you out; for, persecution is worse than killing. And fight them not in, and near, the sacred Mosque until they fight you therein. But if they fight you, then fight them;  such is the requital for the disbelievers’.

The verse relates to conditions when a war has actually broken out. Obviously it does not apply to all disbelievers, for it only says ‘kill them’ and not ‘kill the disbelievers’. The pronoun ‘them’ clearly refers to those who fight against you as mentioned in the previous verse. The verse calls upon Muslims o fight against only such disbelievers as take up arms against them. It does not call upon to slay each and every disbelievers that may happen to come in their way. Indeed this verse affords a remarkable instance of the way in which the plain words of the Qur’an are generally distorted by the opponents of Islam like Dr. Daya Hewapathirane.

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane. quotes ‘do not befriend them’ (3:28).

Holy Qur’an Chapter 3 verse 28 says: ‘Let not the believers take disbelievers for friends in preference to believers, and whoever does that has no connection with Allah except that you cautiously guard against them. And Allah cautions you against His punishment; and to Allah is the returning’

With the accession of political power to Islam, as promised in the Qur’an, forging of political alliances became necessary for the Muslim State. The above verse embodies the guiding principle that no Muslim State should enter into treaty or alliance with a non Muslim State which should in any way inure or conflict with the interest of other Muslim States. The interests of Islam should transcend all other interest.

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane. quotes ‘fight them and show them harshness’ (9:123).

Holy Qur’an Chapter 9 verse 123 says: ‘O ye who believe! fight such of the disbelievers as are near to you and let them find hardness in you; and know that Allah is with the righteous’.                                                    

  The words such of the disbelievers as are near to you, signify those hypocrites who lived among the Muslims and intermixed with them. Muslims were enjoined to fight them as a class and not each and every and not each and every one of them individually. They were to fight them by exposing their malpractices and hypocritical deeds and by bringing these to the notice of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). The words  and let them find hardness in you; means that, like a hard thing which refuses to receive impressions, a Muslim should not allow himself to be influenced by his evil desires and the evil persons who surround him.

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane. quotes:  ‘and smite their heads’ (47:4).

Holy Qur’an says in Chapter 47 (Sura Muhammad)  and verse: 4 And when you meet in regular battle those who disbelieve, smite their necks; and, when you have overcome them, by causing great slaughter among them, bind fast the fetters – then afterwards either release them as a favour or by taking ransom – until the war lays down its burden. That is the ordinance.   And if Allah had so pleased, He could have punished them Himself, but He has willed that He may try some of you by others. And those who are killed in the way of Allah – He will never render their works vain”.

This verse is a nutshell lays down some important rules about the ethics of war and its conduct and incidentally deals a death blow to slavery. Briefly these are: When they are engaged in regular battle in the defence of their faith, honour, lives or property, the Muslims are enjoined to fight bravely and relentlessly, giving no quarter, and expecting none from the enemy; and not to flee from the field of battle under lame or weak excuses. They must either win or die. When war is once started, it should continue till peace is established and freedom of conscience secured. Prisoners are to be taken from the enemy, only after regular and pitched battle has been bought, and the enemy is decidedly and positively beaten. Thus regular war is declared to be the only reason for taking prisoners; for no other cause free men are to be deprived for their liberty. When war is over, prisoners should be released, either as an act of favour, or on taking ransom or by negotiating mutual exchange. They should not be held permanently in captivity or treated as slaves.       

(This chapter – sura is also known as Qital – war because it devotes a large portion of its text to the subject of war – its causes, ethics and consequences. It was revealed after Hijra (migration) – large part of it having revealed probably before the battle of Badr, in the early days of Prophet Muhammad’S (PBUH) life at Medina.  

Dr. Daya Hewapathirane. quotes ‘It prohibits Muslims to associate with their own brothers and fathers if they are non-believers (9:23), (3:28)’.

Holy Qur’an says in chapter 9 verse 23: ‘O ye who believe! take not your fathers and your brothers for friends if they prefer disbelief to faith. And whoso of you takes them for friends, such are the wrrongdoers’.

This verse refers to that class of disbelievers who were actively hostile to Islam and strove hard to exterminate it.

Holy Qur’an says in chapter 3 verse 28: ‘let not the believers take disbelievers for friends in preference to believers- and whoever does that has no connection with Allah-except that you guard yourself fully against them. And Allah cautions you against His punishment, and to Allah is the returning’.

With the accession of political power in Islam as promised, forging of political alliances became necessary for the Muslim State. The above verse embodies the guiding principle that no Muslim State should enter into treaty or alliance with a non-Muslim State which should in any way injure, or conflict with the interests of other Muslim States. The interests of Islam should transcend all other interests.

Before criticizing that Islam allows killing of non-Muslims, but what is not recognized is the context and history behind these verses. The history tells us that when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) began preaching the unity of God he was persecuted for 13 years, much as Prophets Abraham and Jesus were. Since Muslims who are being persecuted are encouraged to leave for safer areas, rather than create disorder, Muhammad (PBUH) and his followers migrated to Medina. After they left, the Meccans attacked them in Medina on and off for a period of nine years.

For example, Muslim women had each of their legs tied to different camels who were then made to run in opposite directions so that the bodies of the Muslim ladies were wrenched apart.

Other Muslims were mercilessly beaten or made to lie on the burning desert sands of Arabia as heavy stones were placed upon them. Their persecutors demanded that the Muslims renounced their faith, yet they never countenanced abandoning Islam.

Further, after being driven out of their homes, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and his followers were not left in peace, rather the opponents of Islam pursued them to wage war in order to eliminate Islam once and for all. It was then that Allah the Almighty permitted the Muslims to defend themselves but not just to defend Islam but to defend the institution of religion itself and in order to defend the principle of universal freedom of belief.

Muslims are only permitted to engage in war in a defensive capacity, when an attack is made to destroy religion. Wars are not permitted to pursue vested interests or in order to seize the wealth of others or to conquer lands or people.

Even in defensive warfare, Islam is very clear that only the aggressors can be targeted and it is not permitted to attack innocent people. Thus, if Muslim extremists are waging wars where innocents are being killed it is completely barbaric and can never be justified.

The cruelties and crimes committed by the Meccan non-Muslims over many years meant that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would have been justified in authorising all means of punishment. Yet, he who was the true ‘mercy for all of mankind’ and the ‘King of Peace’ proclaimed that all transgressions and cruelties were to be forgiven. He said that all those willing to live in peace were free and all would have the right to practice their beliefs without any fear.”

REFERENCE:

1. Tafseer e Kabeer by Hazrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmood Ahmad.
2. Holy Qur’an with short commentary by Sher Ali.
3. Compilation of speeches by Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad.

(The writer can be reached at: pressamjsl@gmail.com )

By Chitra Weerarathne Courtesy The Island

Colombo High Court Judge Gihan Kulatunga yesterday convicted Anusha Pelpita, former Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) and the second accused Lalith Weeratunga, former Presidential Secretary and former Chairman of TRC, of misuse of state funds and aiding and abetting the same in spending Rs. 600 million on the distribution of sil redi in the run-up to the presidential election on January 8, 2015.

They were each sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment for all the charges with a fine of Rs. 2 million. They were also ordered to pay the TRC Rs. 50 million each.

In default of the fine the penalty will be one year rigorous imprisonment. In default of the compensation the penalty will be two years rigorous imprisonment.

The fine and compensation are to be paid on schedule.

The High Court Judge, delivering the judgement, said there had been a political motivation in the commission of the offence and it was to support their appointing authority.

President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa, who appeared for the convicts, requested the High Court Judge to take into consideration, in imposing the penalty, the health condition of the convicts and also the fact that they had no previous convictions. They had held public office for long years without any wrongdoing. The Counsel also stressed that a CID investigation officer in his evidence at the trial had said that the Rs. 600 million had not been not used for the personal benefit of the accused.

Deputy Solicitor General Thusith Mudalige appeared for the Attorney General.

Following the delivery of the judgement the counsel for the convicts told the court that the convicts would shortly file an appeal in the Court of Appeal against the judgment and the penalty imposed.

Lalith Weeratunga, who the Secretary to the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the time of the commission of the offence.

By Maheesha Mudugamuwa Courtesy The Island

‘Good Governance’ had been coined by the IMF, World Bank and the US Treasury, as a political conditionality for the enslavement of indebted countries such as Sri Lanka, former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva Tamara Kunanayakam said on Wednesday.

She said it had not been invented by Ranil, Chandrika, Sirisena or Mangala.

Speaking at the launch of ‘Eliya’ at the Golden Rose, Boralesgamuwa, former Sri Lankan diplomat said today Sri Lanka was under a kind of US tutelage, a global power whose strategic objective was to maintain its global hegemony.

‘Eliya’, an inclusive movement would be a new platform to discuss the crisis of constitutional changes in the country. Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Ven. Madagoda Abhayatissa,Dr. Dayan Jayatileke, Maj. Gen. (Rtrd) Kamal Gunaratne, Dr. Sarath Weerasekera were among the speakers at the event.

Expressing her views on the new constitutional reforms initiated under the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe unity government, former diplomat Kunanayakam said, with the new constitution, the Yahapalana regime was trying to convert Sri Lankans into Washington’s little soldiers who would defend a hegemonic vision based on invisible threats.

Formulating a new constitution has been the talk of the town during last two years since the unity government was appointed in 2015 but during the National Conference on Constitutional Reforms held at BMICH in June, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe said the government had not yet decided whether it would go for a brand new constitution or adopt provisions that did not necessitate a referendum.

Even-though a draft of a new constitution had not yet been published, ‘Eliya’ was totally against for the formulating of a new constitution just because of the people who had initiated the formulating process.

Former Diplomat Kunanayakam highlighted that the issue was not whether a new Constitution was needed or not. It was the fundamental and inalienable right of the people to determine the economic, social, political and cultural system in which they chose to live. But that choice would be theirs only if it was made freely, not with a gun pointed at their heads.

She stressed that as Sri Lanka was subjected to the 2015 Human Rights Council resolution and the notorious IMF/World Bank conditionalities, rewriting the constitution under such conditions could only advance the US, not Sri Lankans.

The initial plan of the government to abolish the executive presidency has been transformed into a full-blown reform of the Constitution at the behest of the US, she claimed.

Kunanayakam said that even though the US interference in Sri Lanka began long before the resolution was adopted, it was the yahapalana regime that gave it wings and also its international legitimacy.

The demands of the US were so fundamental that they couldn’t be implemented without changing the republican constitution. The demands, she said, a hybrid war crime court, devolution of power, conversion of Sri Lanka armed forces into an auxiliary of the US armed forces.

Speaking at the event former Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) Ajith Nivard Cabraal said a country would not establish good governance be mere words and governance in Sri Lanka had worsened over the past two years, and may worsen further if mere devolution was granted.

Cabraal said decisive and quick government responses were needed to tackle serious global challenges and delay in responses would pave the way for more social issues including unemployment and youth unrest.

Referring to the public debt, former CBSL Governor said the discussion on economic reforms in constitution making must not be limited to politicians and a few others only.

‘Eliya’ was a very refreshing approach to prepare the ground for establishing a new government to strengthen the country’s economy.

Highlighting the constitution reforming process of the country, former Sri Lanka Ambassador to France Dr. Dayan Jayatilleke said the government had failed to reveal the most important factor of the constitutional reforming process which was the concept. It had not yet revealed what was the concept for making a new constitution. Even though the government had not revealed the concept, it could be clearly seen by the statements made by the TNA politicians. As once TNA MP Sumanthirana said that it did not a matter whether the word unitary was in the constitution or not, but the two main parts of federal government system should be included to the draft constitution.

Federalisation was not separatism, but when it came to Sri Lanka a federal system would lead to separatism, Dr. Jayathilake added.

A new constitution could not be formulated by a government like the one at present as it had failed to identify the real opposition party in Parliament where it declared that TNA as the Opposition which had only 16 seats instead of the Joint Opposition which had more than 50 seats. Such a government could not formulate a proper constitution for a country, he said.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former Speaker of parlaiment Chamal Rajapaksa, former cabinet Ministers including Basil Rajapaksa, Dullas Alhapperuma, Dinesh Gunawardena, Bandula Gunawardene, Gamini Lokuge, Kumara Welgama, Rohitha Abeygunawardene, Pavithra Wanniarachchi and many other members of joint opposition, former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, artists, lawyers, doctors, engineers and other supporters of former President Rajapaksa were present.