I enclose a write up of my Youth Self Employment Programme in Bangladesh, written by me in 2016, which details how the Programme came into being. It is hoped that this writing detailing how Bangladesh succeeded in employment creation may offer ideas to our leaders to get out of the problems that beset our economy today.
Starting from scratch, without any subsidies or grants whatsoever, we had only our voices to convince the 40,000 youths who were being trained to commence some activity to get into production. I trained the youth officers that had hitherto attended to only welfare oriented youth work to get down to economic development. Today(2022) the number of youths that have been guided to become self employed is well over three million.
It is hoped that this true story will encourage our leaders to create an employment creation programme that can settle the poverty and deprivation that has beset our Motherland today. The current lack of employment and incomes, and the increases in prices due to devaluation merits a series of similar programmes creating employment to emerge immediately.
Not a dollar or a single cent is required to commence a similar programme. That is how Bangladesh has succeeded even to get to a position to help Sri Lanka with $ w20 million.
If any detail is required I am available on garvin_karunaratne@ hotmail.com. It will be a pleasure to provide details.
The Youth Self Employment Program of Bangladesh.
The Ministry of Youth Development where I was working as a two year consultant from the Commonwealth Secretariat was attending to traditional youth work and providing skills training to 40,000 youths annually. The Military Government that took over in 1982 expressed dissatisfaction with the programmes and at an Evaluataion, presided over by Air Vice Marshall Aminul Islam, the Minister for Labour and Manpower, I was questioned as to what contribution I could make for Bangladesh.
I replied that it would be ideal to have a Self Employment Program which will guide and train the youths undertaking skills programs to become self employed. I was told blankly that this was something that can never be achieved because The ILO had miserably failed to establish a self employment program in Tangail in the earlier three years. The Secretaries of the Finance and other Ministries strongly objected, stating that it would end up in a waste of funds and also that the Youth Ministry shoulod not be entrusted with the task of creating employment opportunities. I argued that though the ILO failed, I had the ability to assure that I would succeed because I had established many employment projects in my work in Sri Lanka. I also argued that youth work should concentrate on skills training and guiding the trained to establish enterprises. The Hon Minister listened carefully to an easy two hours’ arguments between me and the Secretaries of some Line Ministries. He ordered all of us to shut up and asked the Secretaries for the number of drop outs of the education system in any one year, those who would be searching for employment without any qualification. The answer was in the millions. Then he asked for the number of youths who would be guided to become self-employed through Government Programs. The answer was none. He immediately ruled that I should be allowed to establish a youth self employment program. The Secretary to the Treasury immediately vetoed it by stating that there were no funds. I immediately said that I needed no funds, but authority should be granted for the Ministry to re deploy officers, redraft their work remits and to find savings within the skills training budgets for expenses on holding workshops to train and guide youths to become self employed. The Hon Minister granted that request.
The Ministry of Labour and Manpower got cracking the very next day, identifying key areas where the work will commence, drafting training schedules to train the staff who attended to skills training on how to guide the youths to make their own assessment of how they can be self employed in their habitat. The Ministry took over elements of national planning, in identifying areas where there was a potential for youths tpo become self employed. I with a core of officials addressed the 40,000 youths in training on identifying areas where they could generate incomes, and how they should draft plans to be self employed. It was to be a family basis where the parents and elders of the youths were also consulted. All skills training institutes were activated till late at night to enable youths to uitilize the machinery to make something that could be sold. What they made was evaluated at the next days training and this took on a process of training to make marketable products. The three Livestock and Poultry Training Institutes of the Ministry established an extension service to help youths who commence farms in their homes. The Deputy Directors of Youth Development in charge of Districts took on the mantle of guiding the youths to establish income generation activities and guiding them on a day to day basis. In short the Ministry of Youth Development became in facto a Ministry creating employment and providing training for that purpose/.
In 1982 I commenced training the staff in economics and techniques of community development and non formal education where the thrust was to enable youths to make their own decisions and develop their abilities to makew them become successful entrepreneurs. I was training 2000 youths and also training the staff to continue the program when I leave.
The design of the program and my accomplishment is recorded in the certificates issued by the two Secretaries with whom I worked.
Mr Ayubur Rahaman, The Secretary to the Ministry wrote on 5/10/1983:
His contribution towards successful launching of a number of skills development training programsto promote employment of youths deserves special appreciation. His role as formulator of the self employment project has been particularly commendable. Dr Karunaratne applied his initiative, skills, expertise and energy on training of youth officers, preparation of business profiles for encouraging self employment and guding youths to formulate small projects. It was mainly through his dedication and hard work that the pilot program for self employment has now been formally accepted as one of the most important development projects to be implemented by the Youth Development Department.”
Mr Md. Asafuddowlah, Joint Secretary on 28/8/1983:
Dr Karunaratne’s significant contribution has been in the field of self employment to the drop out youths. This Programme was not only designed by him but also guided by him. This activity which was initially launched as a pilot experimental project has been a great success and has now been adopted as a full fledged programme of the Youth Development Department. This is a non subsidy programme in which the youths are subjected to non formal education inputs while they are engaged in viable bur small scale commercial ventures. The Government has been successful in providing meaningful employment to age number of youths on this programme”.
Mr Md Asafuddowlah, Secretary to the Ministry, on 20/2005
“You will be happy to learn that the Self Employment Program of the Youth Development Department has expanded across the country and attained great success. I have not forgotten your valuable contribution to the success of this programme.”
The Programme has been expanded apace. On 19/2/2011, the Government of Bangladesh, in its Report to the 34 th Session of the IFAD(FAO) stated that two million youths have found self employment on this Programme.
Today this is the largest employment creation program the world has known.
Garvin Karunaratne
Commonwealth Fund Advisor on Youth Development. to the Ministry of Labour and Manpower, Bangladesh in 1981-1983
Colombo, April 18: The beleaguered Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, on Monday held out an olive branch to the opposition parties and people wanting him to quit for the economic mess he has allegedly created. But he firmly stated that he will not quit yielding to extra-constitutional methods of removal, including the continuous demonstrations in front of his office in Colombo for the last ten days calling for his resignation.
In a statement, the President reiterated his call to the opposition to join him in solving the grave problems the country is facing. He asked them to suggest constitutional reforms that can help tone up governance which he admitted is replete with flaws. Indeed, at his instance, there is an on-going constitutional reform process.
On its part, the opposition is utterly confused and disunited. While some want him to quit, others want a total abolition of the Executive Presidency. Yet others want the powers of the Executive Presidency clipped and parliament’s powers strengthened. The President did not indicate his preference in this regard in his statement, but he invited suggestions for reform. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, his elder brother, has also called for ideas on constitutional reforms.
Instead of speaking with one voice on this crucial issue, each opposition party is busy touting its own formula with no effort to reach common ground from where they can talk to, or take on, the President.
Admits Mistakes
However, to smoothen the path to an understanding with the opposition and the demonstrators outside his office, the President admitted the mistakes that his government had made.
In this connection, he mentioned the total ban on chemical fertilizers which hit farmers below the belt during the pandemic, and created shortages of essentials. The President has since removed the ban on chemical fertilizers. And the Prime Minister has said that farmers would continue to get chemical fertilizer subsidies.
The President admitted that his government should have gone to the IMF for help much earlier. He pointed out that he has changed his financial team completely by having a new Finance Minister, a new Governor of the Central Bank, and a new Finance Secretary and has appointed three internationally known economists to help Sri Lanka negotiate with the IMF and other donors.
Together with this group, we have taken a number of important decisions in the last few days to re-establish the country’s economy. We have already informed the creditors of our difficulty in repaying short-term foreign loans. Accordingly, a debt restructuring program has commenced,” the President said.
We have received credit facilities from India for the importation of fuel, pharmaceuticals and other essential commodities. In addition, the World Bank has offered to support the import of gas, fertilizer, milk powder and pharmaceuticals,” he added.
Tough Decisions
The President warned that the government would have to take some tough decisions now – decisions could not be taken earlier for political reasons.
We have a responsibility to steer the economy in the right direction at least now and build a country that fulfills the aspirations of our future generations. We need the support of international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund as well as friendly countries to overcome the serious challenge that we are facing today. That support can only be obtained if there is political stability in the country,” the President said.
He then added that he is inviting all political parties to unite for the betterment of the country. They still have the opportunity to accept my invitation and work with us,” he assured.
Youth Addressed
Addressing the youthful demonstrators outside his office, he said: The youths who are to take the reins of the future of the country have complete freedom to express their views, organize protests and agitate today. You are aware that I have granted freedom to conduct protests and demonstrations in the last two and a half years. I did not take any measure to disperse the protesters who arrived near my office. I believe that the majority of these protesters are young people who truly love their country. I also see their coming forward on behalf of the country as a positive sign for the future.”
I believe that most people who love the country, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, want to rectify the mistakes of the current governing system to build the country, instead of destabilizing the country. Therefore, I urge these young people not to allow opportunists to move your democratic protests towards a violent path.” he said.
However, the Police are uneasy over the continuous youth demonstration. The Fort area police filed a report in a local court on Monday saying that the mass protest has caused severe traffic congestion near the Galle Face Green area and disturbance to pedestrians. Police also reported to the court that unauthorised loudspeakers are causing noise pollution.
Plea for Constitutionalism
Indicating his resolve to stay on in office, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said: Sixty-nine lakhs of people exercised their right to vote and handed over the responsibility to me with great confidence. I am committed to fulfilling those expectations during my tenure. Therefore, I take the current crisis as an opportunity to bring about the change that the people expect. As the President elected by the people, I have always acted within the Constitution and the framework of democracy.”
The legislative power of the country lies with the Parliament. Therefore, there is an opportunity to discuss in Parliament the views expressed by various political parties on the upcoming changes in the Constitution and to approve the necessary amendments. I am ready to extend my full support to Parliament at any time in this regard.”
Accordingly, I pledge to respect the supreme Constitution of the country and to make necessary changes in the future and to salvage the country from this crisis. I earnestly request all of you to extend the necessary support in this regard,” the President said.
New Cabinet
On Monday, the President appointed new cabinet and State Ministers. There were no Rajapaksas other than Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in the new cabinet. Several key former cabinet ministers including Johnston Fernando, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Bandula Gunawardane, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Dullas Allahapperuma, Gamini Lokuge, Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Keheliya Rambukwella were not included.
Among former ministers included were Prasanna Ranatunga, Dilum Amunugama, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Douglas Devananda and Dinesh Gunawardena. Ali Sabry and G.L.Peiris had been sworn-in earlier. Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon was appointed as a minister. The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) MP Naseer Ahamed was appointed Minister of Environment.
State Ministers Nalaka Godahewa,Channa Jayasumana,Kanchana Wijesekera,Thenuka Vidanagamage,Kanaka Herath, Vidura Wickramanayake, Janaka Wakkumbura, Shehan Semasinghe,Mohan Priyadarshana De Silva, Wimalaweera Dissanayake and Kanchana Wijesekera received Cabinet portfolios in the new government.
PM absent
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was absent at the swearin-in of the new cabinet of ministers, triggering speculation of a rift in the Rajapaksa camp. It was said that the Prime Minister was unhappy with the exclusion of seniors from the new cabinet. However, he met the new cabinet at a separate meeting at his official residence.
More ministers are likely to be appointed as and when MPs cross over from the opposition with the economic situation set to improve in the next few weeks thanks to the help being extended by India and the international community.
(Bloomberg) — After weeks of defiance Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he’s open to changes in the nation’s constitution to appease protesters calling for his ouster, likely setting the stage for curbing the executive’s sweeping powers as the nation’s deepening economic crisis has boiled over into political turmoil.
To take the economy on a right direction, to meet the expectations of the younger generation is the duty of the government,” the president said at a ceremony swearing in new cabinet members Monday, adding that while respecting the supreme constitution” he was ready if necessary to make changes in the future, and save the country from the economic crisis.”
Sri Lanka is seeking up to $4 billion this year to help it import essentials and pay creditors amid a downward economic spiral of dwindling foreign reserves and soaring inflation. The crisis has triggered political unrest, with the president losing the support of his own coalition partners and facing growing street protests calling for his resignation.
Rajapaksa’s latest comments mark a softening in his defiant stand. Last week, he had called for unity and better understanding” from citizens while greeting them for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.
On Monday, the president swore in 17 new cabinet ministers. While his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa retained his position. two other Rajapaksa siblings and a nephew — all ministers in the earlier cabinet that resigned en masse earlier this month — didn’t receive any portfolios. Protesters have called for the entire Rajapaksa family to quit the government.
The opposition and protesters want the country’s constitution changed to limit the president’s wide-ranging powers, which include calling for elections mid-way through a five-year parliament term and appointing and firing government officials and judges.
Sri Lanka’s main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya party plans to introduce motions for a no-confidence vote and impeachment proceedings against the president in parliament. Gotabaya’s opponents, and coalition partners that have distanced themselves from him, have also called for the abolition of the sweeping executive powers of the presidency through constitutional amendments.
The parliament has legislative powers. Various political parties are making statements about constitutional changes. There is an opportunity to discuss these in parliament and pass them,” said a statement from the president’s office.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa admitted today that he made a mistake by banning chemical farming, and therefore he decided to re-introduce it. He also said the government should have reached out to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a programme much earlier.
Making his remarks to the newly appointed Cabinet ministers, the president said the public wrath over long queues for purchasing essentials is well understandable to him.
He said the government made mistakes, and they should be corrected to press ahead for the greater good of the country.
An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan awarded death sentences to six accused over their role in the lynching of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara at a Sialkot factory, Pakistani reported on Monday.
As per details, the verdict was announced after hearing of the high-profile lynching case concluded at the Kot Lakhpat prison. Statements of more than 60 suspects were recorded in the lynching case.
ATC in its verdict in the Priyantha Kumara case awarded death sentences to six, 14-year-jail to seven others and two years of punishment to the other 76 accused of their alleged role in the case.
The Punjab government and the prosecution team in December decided to conduct the jail trial of the high-profile case due to security concerns.
The anti-terrorism court (ATC) initiated the Sialkot lynching incident’s trial at Kot Lakhpat Jail in early March and judge Natasha Naseem led the proceedings into the case.
Priyantha Kumara, a 49-year-old Sri Lankan national, was lynched by a mob of workers at a factory on December 3, where he was working as a manager.
The incident led to outrage and then prime minister Imran Khan had condemned the vigilante violence and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.
A first information report (FIR) was registered against hundreds of unidentified men, including workers of the factory.
A total of 89 men were indicted in the murder case, of which nine are minors.
Both the prosecution and the defence had concluded their arguments in the case heard on a daily basis.
The statements of the investigation officers and eyewitnesses had also been recorded. The prosecution had brought to court 46 eyewitnesses.
It submitted as evidence the CCTV footage of 10 cameras installed at the site of the murder and videos taken from the mobile phones of 55 accused men.
The investigation and trial were completed by a five-member team headed by public prosecutor Abdul Rauf Wattoo.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa says he believes that Sri Lanka should have gone for an IMF programme much earlier and that not providing chemical fertilizer to farmers was a mistake which is being rectified.
The President made these remarks today (18) addressing the newly appointed Cabinet Ministers.
He stated that during the last two and a half years the country has had to face vast challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the debt burden, and some mistakes on our part. They need to be rectified.”
We have to correct them and move forward. We need to regain the trust of the people,” he said.
I believe that we should have gone for a programme with the International Monetary Fund earlier. Also, I think the decision not to provide chemical fertilizers to farmers was an error. We have taken steps to revive that practice.”
Today, people are under an immense pressure due to this economic crisis, the President said. I deeply regret about this situation.”
He said that the pain, discomfort and anger displayed by the people for having to spend time in queues to get essential items at a high price that cannot be afforded due to cost of living is justified.
Whatever the shortcomings occurred in the past, it is my responsibility as the people-elected President to manage the present challenges and difficulties.”
I promise the people who have elected me, I will not abdicate that responsibility in the midst of any difficulty or challenge,” he said.
The Ministerial post is not a privilege. It is a great responsibility,” the President said requesting the new Ministers to commit themselves to build honest, efficient and clean governance without using any additional privileges.
He said the institutions under the purview of respective Ministers should be transformed into institutions free from corruption and dedicated to delivering the service to the public.
The President further said that as many state-owned enterprises are in dire financial crisis and the ministers should refrain from filling those institutions by providing job opportunities. It is the responsibility of the Minister to transform them into job-generating institutions, the President added.
The people are suffering from a number of issues caused by the economic crisis. The President expressed regret over this and said that he would not abdicate his responsibility to manage the current challenges and difficulties.
A number of racketeers who are taking advantage of the hardships faced by the people have also emerged, he said. The President said the government is intervening to manage this situation.
The President pointed out that some decisions that have been delayed for decades due to political reasons have to be made no matter how difficult they may be.
He said the legislative power of the country lies with the Parliament. There is an opportunity to discuss in Parliament the views expressed by various political parties on the required changes in the Constitution and to approve the necessary amendments. The President said that he is ready to extend full support to Parliament at any time in this regard, the PMD reported.
The government has a responsibility to steer the economy in the right direction and build a country that fulfills the aspirations of future generations, he said.
The President said that necessary changes will be made in the future to salvage the country from the crisis while respecting the supreme Constitution of the country and requested all the people to extend the necessary support in this regard.
The new Cabinet Ministers have sworn in before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the President’s House in Colombo this morning (18).
Accordingly, the President has appointed 17 new cabinet ministers.
However, the President’s Media Division stated there were no changes in the portfolios held by the President, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris and Finance Minister Ali Sabry.
Meanwhile the PMD said that the President’s address to the new Cabinet will be telecast at 7.30 pm today (18) on all television and radio channels.
See the full list of new ministers below:
Dinesh Gunawardena – Minister of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provicnial Councils and Local Government
Douglas Devananda – Minister of Fisheries
Dr. Ramesh Pathirana – Minister of Education and Plantation Industries
Prasanna Ranatunga – Minister of Public Security and Tourism
Dilum Amunugama – Minister of Transport and Industries
Kanaka Herath – Minister of Highways
Vidura Vickramanayake – Minister of Labour
Janaka Wakkumbura – Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation
Shehan Semasinghe – Minister of Trade and Samurdhi Development
Mohan Priyadarshana de Silva – Minister of Water Supplies
Wimalaweera Dissanayake – Minister of Wildlife and Forest Conservation
Kanchana Wijesekara – Minister of Power and Energy
Thenuka Vidanagamage – Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs
Dr. Nalaka Godahewa – Minister of Mass Media
Prof. Channa Jayasumana – Minister of Health
Naseer Ahamed – Minister of Environment
Pramitha Bandara Tennakoon – Minister of Ports and Shipping
In Sri Lanka a series of protests are taking place with central location set up in Galle Fact Green. The original grievances have got diluted in a plethora of other slogans automatically questioning a possible covert game plan in operation. Having taken out the textbooks and gone through similar protests choreographed by US in strategically important countries, it is quite clear that there is some mischief at play. While the protestors may not like or may not know these hidden hands & the funding that goes into protests & given that they are unlikely to want to accept that they have been turned to pawns in a larger game, it is however important to take stock of the similarities & thereafter seek answers to how we are to resolve the crisis.
National Endowment for Democracy is the covert arm of US-funded regime change. NED is the Trojan Horse carrying democracy” human rights” freedoms” to advance US hegemony – to divide, destroy & destabilize nations with disinformation.
It is no secret that US supported the Hong Kong protests. Senior US diplomats even held meetings with the ‘pro-democracy’ activists. $640,000 was given to these protestors.
National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is alleged to have bankrolled the protests via local entities that included National Democratic Institute (also located in Sri Lanka) NED is said to have given $155,000 in 2018 alone with $200,000 given to the NDI.
NED created in 1983 replaces the role carried out by CIA. This is what NED Founder Allen Weinstein declared in 1991 – A lot of what we do today, was done covertly 25 years ago by the CIA”.
Funds are sent to destabilize countries first & then stage coup-d’etat. The modus operandi is to fund independent” groups & use them to create the system ‘change’ drumming ‘human rights’ ‘democracy’ to camouflage their objectives.
NED is funded by the US State Department & is aligned to US geopolitical goals. NED President is required to appear before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee every year to brief them of their progress”. With US pivot to Asia, NED plays a major role.
Democracy as per US definition is hardly the will of the People & is all about US hegemony & fulfilling its corporate self-interest.
1964 – Coup in Brazil & overthrowing President Goulart
1973 – Coup in Chile & overthrowing President Allende
1990 – NED manipulated elections in Nicaragua (William Blum)
1990 & 1992 – NED overthrew democratically-elected governments in Bulgaria
1996 – NED manipulated elections in Mongolia (William Blum)
2004 – $65m given by NED to Ukraine’s opposition forces. In 2013 NED funded 65 NGOs in Ukraine & even paid wages” for every person taking to the street.
2017 – Cambodia shut down NDI (National Democratic Institute) & ordered the foreign staff to leave & alleged the NED & IRI for planning to topple the government.
2018 – NED funded think tanks, news agencies, political parties to the tune of $1,000,000 in Bolivia because President Evo Morales nationalized Bolivia’s gas
2020 – NED spent over $2m for so-called human rights movements in Kazakhstan to commence disruptive news”
2020 – More than $10m for nearly 70 anti-China projects in Taiwan
2022 – President of NED visited Taiwan to ‘strengthen solidarity’ via ideology” – main aim to incite separatism.
NED has linked itself to every separatist force in China, sponsoring protests & producing lies & exaggerations. NED used World Uyghur Congress to disseminate false genocide” & detention of more than a million Uygurs” in China’s Xinjiang no different to the false genocide” drummed by LTTE fronts.
NED has also provided French groups $1.4m to campaign against former President Mitterand
NED was involved in overthrowing elected governments in Haiti & Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia & Belarus.
Denigrating the leaders of targeted countries through NED funded NGOs is part of the plan.
NED invites separatists/fugitives to Washington & they teach these radical how to escalate tensions. NED also teaches how to disseminate disinformation. NED hires so-called observers to use social media to influence general elections.
NED also funds Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders.
NED is also behind the colour revolutions in Europe, Africa & Middle East. Is the yellow democracy” in Sri Lanka part of NED modus operandi as we notice the anti-majority attacks coming from anti-corruption protestors?
presents some startling pointers. She says that US foreign policy of Democrats & Republicans don’t vary as the aim is to expand American Exceptionalism. They use supposedly ‘non-partisan’ entities that are led by prominent US politicians – International Republican Institute was led by John McCain, National Democratic Institute for International Affairs by US Secretary of State Madeline Albright.
Both IRI and NDI are funded by NED.
IRI has an office in Sri Lanka & is given an annual budget of $300,000. IRI has got itself linked to the caretakers of the local government system – in Hambantota, Akkaraipattu, Jaffna Municipalities. IRI is assisting with external communication strategies & communication techniques as well as use of social media – how many of the people in these areas actually have sophisticated IT or smart phones to be operating digitally? Who gave IRI access to electoral registers & why? A tweet by IRI CEO in August 2017 says IRI is traveling to North Central Province to work with political party members
What is IRI really up to? Is IRI a registered NGO? Is the intelligence agencies aware of this & what is the National Secretariat for NGO doing about its covert activities? Hassina says that the IRI is listed as a partner/funder of the Federation of Sri Lankan Local Government Authorities , an NGO which receives funding from USAID, British & Canadian Governments. IRI is strategically operating among Mayors & local government officials without any accountability.
NED has provided over $2m to Sri Lankan NGOs in 2016.
In December 2019, the US Congress approved & increased annual funding for NED from $180m to $300m.
NED (National Endowment for Democracy) & its 4 core grantees – NDI(National Democratic Institute)IRI (International Republican Institute), Solidarity Center & Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE)
The funding will mean over 1500 NGOs across 90 countries will be receiving aid for covert operations under the guise of promoting democratic values. The areas they will be asked to target include (elections, trade unions, private sector, media, human rights, rule of law)
NED Sri Lanka alongside its associate entities operate in Sri Lanka
NDI in Sri Lanka
NDI head was former US Secretary of State Madeline Albright who died in March 2022.
NDI partners with Sarvodaya
Involved in 2000,2005,2010,2015 & 2019 elections.
NDI signed Sri Lanka to become the 1st South Asian member of Open Government Partnership in 2015 to develop an Open Parliament Plan in partnership with civil society.
NDI & IRI conducted a pre-election assessment mission in Nov 2019 (Presidential Elections)
Thusitha Pilapitiya is the Country Director of NDI in Sri Lanka
Funding in Sri Lanka by NED to:
Solidarity Centre – $708,323 (2016) – empower new generations of workers to engage more directly with the labor movement, center will collaborate with select unions, encourage effective use of social media by local partners, and engage recently trained activists and leaders in advocating for worker rights.
International Republican Institute – $300,000 in 2016 / $100,000 + $242,000 in 2017 / $430,000 in 2018 / – provide Sri Lanka’s elected officials and civic actors access to credible public opinion research, encourage newly elected municipal councilors to adopt enhanced standards of democratic governance, institute will conduct workshops for local officials and their staff
Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) – $219,872 (2016) / $242,216 (2017) /$190,013 in 2018 / $311,355 in 2019 / $669,607 in 2020 / – encourage the private sector’s proactive role in formulating public policy, support Sri Lanka’s transition back toward a market-based democracy.
NDI Sri Lanka – $325,000 to support grassroot youth leadership & political engagement, Preparing youth to engage with power holders (interesting)
Tracking Transnational Economic Crimes – $106,556 – Accountability. Documenting & raising awareness on corruption & economic crimes, identifying individuals & institution involved in Sri Lanka.
Freedom of Expression – $100,000 – independent journalism, independent media network,
Verite Research Pvt Ltd – $75,000 – parliamentary tracking for accountability & good governance – applying web-based parliamentary tracking tool. Online platform that documents political activities of MPs & connect to media & civil society.
Centre for Human Rights & Development – $70,000 – redress victim communities through legal assistance & public awareness campaigns to repeal PTA.
Human Rights Advocacy – $60,000 – women’s experiences. Gather data & stories about women’s experience in the North & East, catalog and analyze the information.
Viluthu – $60,000 – strengthening civil society, networks for active political participation. Target audience – youth, university students, women’s network leaders.
Law & Society Trust – $50,000 in 2021 / $20,000 in 2019 – improving legal literacy & land rights. Managing a nation-wide network of organizations focused on land rights, convene govt officials, citizens on land laws & policies.
Janawaboda Kendraya – $41,500 – civic engagement for sustained collective action. Street theatre being promoted.
Centre for Environmental Justice (Guarantee) Limited – $36,,000– citizens participating in monitoring economic development.
Centre for Justice & Change – $30,000 to promote leadership development of community leaders & protect human rights in East Sri Lanka (transitional justice)
Aham Humanitarian Resource Centre – $30,000 – Develop Democratic actors in Eastern Province.
Uva Shakthi Foundation – $29,500 – promoting citizenship participation & enhancing capacity in Estate Tamil communities.
Families of the Disappeared – $18,000 – mobilize families of the disappeared” & support transitional justice.
The International Working Group on Sri Lanka Ltd – $50,000 annually (2017 /2018 /2019) – human rights protection, justice, reform, reconciliation.
Look at the target audiences & the subject areas that the funding covers. Understand where the agitations take root. US will not pump $3billion annually to NGOs for nothing!
If Sri Lankans think what they are going through has nothing to do with NED, then they should be in for more surprises.
JR meddled in appointments. He engaged in nepotism. Brother HW was sent to the UN where he did excellent work for Sri Lanka on the UN Convection on the Law of the sea. Brother RP was appointed as Chairman Nation Science Council. JR’s sister in law, Dr. Gladys Jayewardene was appointed Chairman, State Pharmaceutical Corporation, replacing Senaka Bibile who had done valuable pioneering work there on the rationalization of drugs.
JR interfered with the judges of the Supreme Court, their powers and their judgments. Judges were appointed afresh when the1978 Constitution came into force. JR overlooked the sitting judges and appointed a senior lawyer,’ Neville Samarakoon as Chief Justice. Samarakoon was the first Chief Justice to be appointed directly from the unofficial bar
Then things went sour. Chief Justice Samarakoon disliked what JR was doing as President and criticized him heavily at speech at Raja Sinnathurai Tutory in 1984. JR wanted him removed from office.
During the attempted impeachment it was argued that the investigation and determination by Parliament of the allegations against Samarakoon was unconstitutional. Summoning of judges of the Supreme Court before select committees of Parliament, with a view to disciplining or removing them, was something new, said critics. It had never happened before in independent Sri Lanka.
The First amendment of 1978 was brought to subvert the courts, said critics. The Amendment provided that the jurisdiction conferred on the Court of Appeal with regard to some cases shall be exercised by the Supreme Court and not by the Court of Appeal.
Then JR turned to the public service. JR made a radical change in the appointment of Permanent Secretary and this was continued by his successors.
Until JR, the Permanent Secretary to a ministry came from the senior cadres of Sri Lanka Administrative Service. The Permanent Secretary to a Ministry was responsible for the efficient function of that Ministry. He needed to be an experienced administrator, who knew the ropes, could assess situations, take sound decisions and give good advice to the Minister. SLAS officers were highly educated, with much experience in the field.
J. R. Jayewardene broke this tradition and appointed Ananda Tissa De Alwis as Secretary to the Ministry of State. Ananda Tissa was the first Permanent Secretary appointed from the private sector. Anandatissa was a journalist, who then went on advertising. He went to the post of Permanent Secretary straight from advertising. Anandatissa had been a long standing supporter of the UNP.
Merril Gunaratne, former Deputy Inspector of Police said that the deterioration of the once proud Police Service began in 1977. The year 1977 was a watershed in the fortunes of the police. I saw a huge difference in the days following 1977 when compare with the 1960s, he said.
The Police Service became politicized in 1977. UNP MPs dictated to the police. Senior police officers had to take orders from them. There arose links between police, politicians and lawbreakers, said Merril.
UNP interfered in appointments and promotions. The cadre of DIGs was once expanded to included one person. He got the cadre inflated to include him.
UNP MPs interfered with appointments of police officers to key positions. Most ASPs and OICs of police station then shifted their loyalties from police superiors’ to politicians. The police high command became mute. The junior ranks lost respect for their superiors.
A major cause for decline in the police was the violation of seniority. This started in 1977. This seriously demoralized the police force. The good officers were over looked and favorites of the politicians were given recognition. Pliant officers were promoted over senior officers, thought they did not have the necessary qualifications.The police at the high levels did nothing to stop this. Officers in line of seniority who had been overtaken lost enthusiasm, and were thrown into a state of despair and frustration.
Thanks to politically inspired promotions, politicians on the other hand were able to get what they wanted done. Police started to look to those outside to succeed, rather than the IGP.
Politicians in high power expected the police to be complicit when the MPs instigated an attack. UNP politicians incited violence against political rivals with police watching passively, or not arriving on the scene in time.
Merrill speaks of an encounter with Minister Cyril Matthew in Kelaniya in 1977-78. In 1978, Matthew had called Merrill, who was senior superintendent of Police, Kelaniya, and asked him to come with a police squad to Dasa Industries at Dalugama, Kelaniya.
Dasa was a supporter of Sirimavo. Cyril was also there with a set of supporters, about 50. Dasa workers came out and were attacked by Mathew’s thugs. Merrill arrested the thugs. Matthew vanished. This was the typical tactic after UNP victory in 1977. Police were summoned to protect the politician’s thugs and police did so in many instances.
Merrill observed however that mobs and thugs were not prepared to confront police if police stood firm. There was a fabricated clash at University of Kelaniya in March 1978. An external student who was also a reserve constable arrived at Peliyagoda Police station and reported that he had seen a large body of thugs of the UNP invading the campus and assaulting students with sticks.
Merrill went there, and found Mathew at the entrance of the road leading to the campus, with 3 or 4 buses with his supporters inside. A large mob had been assembled by Mathew with more reinforcements to invade the campus and exact revenge. Mathew asked Merrill, who asked you to come there. He wanted police withdrawn. Merrill refused.
Merrill took charge and the Minister left but the busload of thugs remained. Had I not intervened, many undergrads of Kelaniya may have been seriously injured since the lorry load of thugs was poised to invade the campus at that moment, said Merril.
There was an investigation. Merrill saw to it that the inquiry went through. Mathew sent two witnesses with a fabricated story. Merrill got the constable who had been there to give the genuine version. That constable was then dismissed from his post.
Merrill was transferred to Kurunegala in 1978. Kurunegala police district covered 14 electorates. Merrill praised DB Welagedera of Kurunegala, S.B. Herath of Hiriyala, Sirisena of Bingiriya, and three members from Pannala for non-interference in police matters.
But he named MP Ratnayake of Panduvasnuwara, GM Premachandra of Mawatagama, Abeyratne of Yapahuwa, DM Jayatilake of Kuliyapitiya and Ranjan Jayakody of Polgahawela as MPs who expected the police to dance to their tunes. (Merril Gunaratne. Perils of a profession. P32-38)
MP Abeyratne of Yapahuwa used to call up police including ASP and abuse them in public. MP Ratnayake has wanted Panduvasnuwara electorate which was under Kurunegala brought under Hettipola police station.
Merril objected. Panduvasnuwara electorate was at the time covered by 4 police stations. It was impossible for one police station to cover such a vast area. Even four were not enough, said Merrill. Ratnayake wanted Panduvasnuwara brought under Hettipola as OIC Hettipola was weak. Ratnayake wanted to make life uncomfortable for his political rivals within the district.
MP Sunil Ranjan Jayakody of Polgahawela had been a private in the army serving as a dispatch rider before entering politics. He won at the 1977 election. He wanted police to do as he said. He tried to create a confrontation at a Hindu Kovil. Several soldiers had died the previous day at Batticaloa, due to LTTE landmine. He had wanted the Sinhalese to storm the kovil and create backlash.
Merrill had received an anonymous phone call about this. When he went to deal with the matter, he found the ASP and OIC in the office of the MP. He later requested the transfer of OIC Polgahawela. Merrill was transferred instead. (Continued)
Both Gandhi and Nehru betrayed the Hindus at the time of partition of India. When Mohammed Ali Jinnah sought a separate nation for Muslims by partitioning India, the leaders of the Hindu community should have demanded likewise for the Hindus.
All Muslims in one part and the Hindus in the other part, would have ensured an India free of religion related conflict, which has now become a plague in India.
Islam and Hinduism are like chalk and cheese. Two irreconcilable thought processes.
Muslims are entitled to have their Sharia law in predominant Muslim countries, but not in countries which are predominantly non – Muslim.
Mahatma Gandhi unfortunately had to sacrifice his precious life for letting down the Hindus at critical moments. Nehru was more a free thinker or an agnostic. Nehru’s writings do not reflect unlike that of Gandhi a deep belief in Hinduism.
Sanatana Dharma is the oldest religion of the world. Hinduism is the key component of Sanatana Dharma. Yet,
India which is Bharat, is prevented by so called secularists from calling itself officially as a Hindu Republic in as much as Pakistan calls itself in its Constitution as a Islamic Country.
The current Govt. of India under Modi with the able assistance of his heir apparent Yogi, the popular Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has a huge challenge on their hands – to rectify this monumental blunder of Gandhi and Nehru. Modi must now endeavour to give leadership internationally to all Dharmic countries which have their spiritual roots in India. He must not leave this important task to another. Take a leaf from the page of Emperor Ashoka of India – now globally recognized as the greatest Monarch ever.
H.G. Wells said that amid tens of thousands of names of monarchs, Ashoka shines, shines almost alone, a star”.
Jinnah was Oxbridge educated. But he remained steadfastly loyal to his religion, Islam. Nehru was Cambridge educated. But he had no religion or was not loyal to Hinduism as much as Jinnah was loyal to Islam.
Gandhi with sincere intentions tried appeasement of minorities earning the wrath of Hindus. When he passed the limit of tolerance which dedicated Hindus could no longer bear at the time of partition, they ended his life.
Secularism leads to betrayal of one’s own religion. Secularism in practice is a sham. Its ulterior purpose is to destroy one’s loyalty to one’s primordial identity i.e., race and religion, and destroy the inbuilt defences of every individual in a sovereign nation state.
Muslims hardly betray their religion Islam, by and large. Why? Because they do not subscribe to secularism and hypocrisy.
JR tried to appear interested in agriculture. I recall a photo in the Daily News at the time, of JR bare bodied and dressed in an amude, inexpertly holding a plough at a Vap Magula.
During JR’s period of rule, the Guaranteed Price Scheme for rice was scrapped and the farmers had to sell their goods to traders at low prices. The Floor Price Scheme and the Fertilizer Subsidy Scheme were withdrawn. Vegetables such as chillies, potatoes, onions were imported when there was plenty in the country. The Paddy Marketing Board was abolished and was re-established in 2005. CWE shops were disbanded and brought back later.
However, JR’s government did set up Pelawatte Sugar Company. The government imposed an import tax on sugar so that sugar produced in Pelawatte could be sold competitively in the local market. The Moneragala district was selected for sugarcane cultivation because it was not possible to carry out paddy cultivation in that district.
Kotmale was funded by Sweden, Victoria (UK) Maduru oya (Canada) Randenigala (Germany) and their supplementary Rantembe, Ratinda, and Minipe right bank canals ( USA) and Maduru oya left bank ( USA) . This resulted in a large number of foreign funds pouring in. I recall inflation going up to 20%, said a critic.
Accelerated Mahaweli was heavily criticized, from start to finish. ‘Mahaweli scheme brought in tilapia fish and all the indigenous fish disappeared, said Laki Senanayake https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO4TY0zmic0
The Mahaweli development Board which was the predecessor to the Accelerated Mahaweli did a magnificent job. It was set up to carry out feasibility studies, evaluate options and design the hardware of the structure required for irrigation and power. It was staffed by professionals, and their expertise was treated with respect. The project was designed to be implemented in 30 years, said Gamini Seneviratne.
Then came JR’s accelerated Mahaweli. Professionalism vanished. There were many missteps in the Accelerated Mahaweli. What it delivered apart from fat commissions all round was much misery for people who were forcibly evicted from their ancestral lands around Kotmale, Teldeniya and such places. Farmers from these areas which were wet zone were sent to the Dry zone, like in the time of the British. The areas they were sent to were not provided with schools or roads.
System H work was a disgrace. People who were walking along or traveling in a tractor by the MASL outposts were asked to get down and dig a canal. No professional traces were prepared; they were indicated by finger and eye measurement.
In Accelerated Mahaweli the constructions were scandalous, both from engineering and financial standpoint. The technology employed included concrete double curvature arch dam, to rock fill with clay core and the traditional earth fill with a new clay core. Some of the technology was new to the foreign contractors as well.
The new constructions did not make provision for supporting the small human settlements that existed along the canals. The planners were looking the other way towards large commercial farms to feed an export market.
In the traditional system which you could see in the Minipe yoda ela, there was provision for sluicing out for farming, for washing, bathing other domestic needs, to provide wallows for the cattle, water holes for other animals. The new canals were lined with concrete slabs that minimized seepage loss but made the water inaccessible to the people on either side. Deer and pig that fell in could not claw their way out, as in the traditional canals.
Kotmale was funded by Sweden. All they required was that their contractor be employed on the project. However, we went for Skanska, the biggest construction company in the world. No tenders were called. Skanska engineers were given on request air conditioned housing, swimming pools and so on. The negotiating with them went on for months, but was over turned in five minutes by JR. JR’s personal accountant was the agent for Skanska. And Skanska got double the agreed figure and walked away with 2.5 billion.
Later Skanska kept adding to the cost. They had misassesed the scale of grout required for the reservoir bed. They had not noticed a tiny stream above the projected axis of the dam that in season became a torrent. That adjustment alone cost 250 million rupees. They screwed up the power tunnel, due to ignorance. All this coast money and we paid. Questions were raised in Stockholm but not here.
I recall listening in on a conversation in Kandy, which took place I think, at Kandy Club, among a few of its members, regarding the Kotmale dam. The local engineers had pointed out that that if we followed the engineering calculations of Skanksa, the area from Kotmale right into Kandy town would get inundated some day, because the dam or whatever construction, was sure to break. The location selected by Skanska was on a fault line or something like that. Skanska engineers had refused to listen and one local engineer had nearly fainted at the discussion. He was so alarmed when he saw the Skanska plan. My recall is that the local engineers had had to force their way into the discussion.
Then the tender for Randenigala, said a critic. Mahaweli authority had disqualified a firm. A radio ham had accidentally got on to a set of phone calls. The voices were of the Ministry Secretary, the agent for the firm we had disqualified, and the spokesman for the firm in Zurich. They had spoken of ‘our man’ a VVIP, who was in the cabinet. (Continued. next essay PT 3J)
The Government is hoping to raise US$8 billion from the lease or sale of valuable public assets to bolster rapidly dwindling foreign reserves, the report of a newly-appointed economic advisory committee has revealed.
Among the main items in the list were the long term leases of Katunayake International Airport for $2 billion, Mattala Airport for $300 million and Ratmalana Airport for $400 million.
Arrangements have been made to hand over the Colombo North Port Development Project for an investment of $600 million while Colombo Port City lands will be leased out at a total of $4 billion.
Accordingly, Sri Lanka Ports Authority has planned to do a feasibility study for the Colombo North Port Development Project focused on expanding capacity of container handling while serving all other port services expected from industry.
Further shares of Sri Lanka Telecom will be sold at a price of $500 million and Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation shares for $300 million.
Divestment of non-strategic state-owned assets has been suggested as a part of the government’s multi-pronged plan in the short-term to improve their operational and financial efficiency while increasing the country’s reserves position.
A delegation including Finance Minister Ali Sabry, Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe and Finance Ministry Secretary Mahinda Siriwardene left the country this morning to participate in discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Accordingly, they will hold discussions at IMF headquarters in Washington DC, USA.
The talks are scheduled to take place from April 19 to 24.
If the IMF talks succeed, Sri Lanka will receive close to US $ 4 billion.(DSB)
Colombo: While India plays a prominent role in helping its neighbour Sri Lanka come out of a deep economic crisis, it was learnt from reliable sources that Colombo has asked New Delhi to provide bridging finance for the crisis-ridden country till the International Monetary Fund (IMF) provides adequate funds, which may take another three to four months.
Notably, this comes after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held several rounds of discussions with her Lankan counterpart and High Commissioner. Sri Lanka, sources added, has also asked India to use its influence on friendly countries like Japan to help Colombo with a line of credit and also reach out to multilateral organisations for assisting the island nation.Oman Customs Busts Cigarette Smuggling Attempthttps://cdn.speakol.com/widget/html/speakol-appends.html
A source familiar with the development said that the Indian Finance Minister was positive about this proposal and is expected to reach out to other friendly countries to mobilise assistance for the economic crisis-affected Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Finance Minister Ali Sabry is expected to meet Sitharaman in Washington DC in the coming week, according to sources.
In the shape of the line-of-credit for food, fuel, medicine, currency swap and deferment of payment at the Asian Clearing Union, India has already provided assistance to the tune of USD 2.4 Billion to Sri Lanka. However, for the next four months, till the IMF deal is worked out, the island nation will be needing much bigger financial backing for imports.
Technical talks are also taking place between members of the Sri Lankan Presidential Advisory Group on Multilateral Engagement and Debt, with India’s Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran.
Sri Lanka will begin talks with the IMF on Monday and the process is likely to take around four months to operationalise. Thus, Colombo is looking for bridging finance for this period from India and other countries.
Sources familiar with the developments said India is the first and only country that is coming forward to bring Sri Lanka out of its financial mess, and Colombo sees it as a new chapter in the bilateral relationship with New Delhi. Sri Lanka sees this as long term, beyond crisis, and hopes to play a prominent role in India’s energy aspirations for the future, they said.
India’s southern neighbour Sri Lanka is battling a severe economic crisis with food and fuel scarcity affecting a large number of its people, resulting in massive protests over the government’s handling of the situation.
The country’s economy has been in a free-fall since the onset of the Covid pandemic following the crash of the tourism sector.
Pakistan joined those countries where de-dollarisation was followed by regime change
The geopolitical and geoeconomic competition in theIndo-Pacific is specified by the intense US-China competition to secure their national interests, however, at the cost of national security and stability of the other states in the Indo-Pacific. The ongoing political crises in the Indo-Pacific neighbouring states of Afghanistan, Myanmar, and more recently Pakistan and Sri Lanka, can be identified as the resurgence of ‘fait accomplis’ as a viable tactic of strategic competition adopted by the USA to construct a shared networking and deterrence at the expense of China’s preference in the Indo-Pacific.
Fait accomplis make gains unilaterally, imposing a change to the status quo without the adversary’s consent. Fait accomplis can be military or non-military, coercive or non-coercive in practice. These are basically crisis-bargaining compulsions that induce decision paralyses in states that are targeted. Biden’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy, announced by the White House on February 11, is one such compulsion that is based on the policy of integrated deterrence and shared networking as ‘fait accomplis’ for the Indo-Pacific states with the objective of constructing creative collaborations that anchor the USA firmly in the Indo-Pacific.- Advertisement –
The recent constitutional crisis accompanied with regime change in Pakistan may be analysed as resurgence of the ‘fait accompli’ once again since 9/11 under the creative collaboration policy of the Biden Administration. Washington’s alleged intervention in Pakistan’s sovereignty by funding the regime change against Khan’s government in Pakistan by investing in rival democratic institutions has been claimed by outgoing Prime Minister Imran Khan. Nonetheless, it is a fact that the no-confidence movement against a democratic government in Pakistan was also carried out in the name of democracy. Moreover, Khan’s claims have been based on a lettergate which is under probe and is allegedly claimed to be from the Biden administration, enforcing the USA’s regional and global interests in a growing multilateral world order; however, at the cost of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Pakistan’s multilateral approach has been evident in Khan’s foreign policy which has seen an unwelcoming response from the USA. Pakistan’s growing ties with Russia are seen as a major cause of regime change in Pakistan. The event of Khan’s visit to Russia despite pressure from the USA and its coincidence with the Russian invasion of Ukraine has also been recognized as the immediate happening linked to the ouster of Prime Minister Khan from government, which has been described by Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson of the Russian foreign ministry, as ‘punishment to the disobedient Khan.’
Describing retreat in the USA’s relationship with Pakistan, which served as its ally during and in the post-Cold War decade; former JCSC Committee chairman Adm Mike Mullen holds the USA responsible for distancing itself from Pakistan in the last decade which made Pakistan fall into China’s strategic camp. Cashing in on the realisation, at the event of the Islamabad Security Dialogue, Pakistan’s COAS Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa proposed ‘counter investment’ as the only mechanism by which the USA culd counter the intense Chinese influence in Pakistan. This proposal exhibits the state’s intention to partner with the USA in its ‘Indo-Pacific economic framework’ while benefitting from the Chinese camp simultaneously. On the other hand, the National Security Policy by the Khan administration also underlines the openness of Pakistan for such regional creative collaborations, but in the economic domain, while preserving neutrality in the US-China Indo-Pacific competition.
Furthermore, Pakistan’s partnership in the de-dollarization drive supported by China, Russia and Turkey is another major cause of the regime change in Pakistan. Pakistan initially signed the Currency Swap Agreement with China back in 2011; however its extension by the State Bank in 2018 under the CPEC dynamics with the rationale of easing the dollar pressure over Pakistan’s stock exchange proved to be a major development attracting US concern. Since then, there has been significant increase in the bilateral currency swap value from Rs 475 billion in 2020 to Rs 731.7 billion in 2021. Pakistan had also signed a currency swap agreement with Turkey back in 2011, while another with Iran has been in process since 2018.
The Indo-Pacific is witnessing a revision by China’s extending influence there. Relating Graham Allison’s analysis of the USA’s decline in world affairs to Indo-Pacific dynamics, his argument is based on the facts stated by the CIA factbook and the IMF that it is China which provides the most critical links in the supply chain. Hence China has been legitimising its influence through geo-economic partnerships which the USA aims to counter via resilient allies, partnerships and regime change in the other states of the Indo-Pacific as manifestations of ‘fait accompli’, with Pakistan being a significant one.
Pakistan is not the only partner in the de-dollarization initiatives. On Dec 11, 2017,Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia also entered into a local currency settlement framework that was further extended in 2021. Followed by Pakistan, Sri Lanka has also signed a #1.5 billion currency swap deal with China in March 2021; consequently falling victim to a constitutional crisis and regime change against Mahinda Rajapakshaled by an opposition coalition;hence, presenting a case similar to that of Pakistan. De-dollarization movements have a history of consequential regime change, with the toppling of Saddam’s regime in Iraq being a significant one.
Hence, Asia in general and the Indo-Pacific in particular present an emerging de-dollarization axis. The United States Department of Defence Indo-Pacific strategy 2019, and the Indo-Pacific Strategy February 2022 identify Indo-Pacific as the primary consequential region for the USA’s future and the established world order based on the facts that the region accounts for 60 percent of world GDP, two-thirds of the world economy, and two- thirds of global economic growth. It supports three million US jobs, and provides $900 billion in FDI to the USA.The Indo-Pacific holds seven of the largest militaries in the world.- Advertisement –
While analyzing China’s grand narrative of its inexorable rise and the USA’s irreversible decline, Graham Allison states that as per the current trajectory, China’s GDP would stand at twice the size of the USA’s and thrice by 2040, based on reports of China’s quadrennial add up of economy that is equivalent to India’s entire GDP. The USA is accustomed to the correlation between GDP and its impact on world order which is significantly different.
It accounted for half of the world’s GDP post World War II, a quarter of the global GDP during the Cold War, and 1/7th today. With a transformational increase in China’s GDP from $191 billion in 1980 to $14.7 trillion today, China is rightly countered by the USA as the potential stakeholder in world order.
The Indo-Pacific is witnessing a revision by China’s extending influence there. Relating Graham Allison’s analysis of the USA’s decline in world affairs to Indo-Pacific dynamics, his argument is based on the facts stated by the CIA factbook and the IMF that it is China which provides the most critical links in the supply chain. Hence China has been legitimising its influence through geo-economic partnerships which the USA aims to counter via resilient allies, partnerships and regime change in the other states of the Indo-Pacific as manifestations of ‘fait accompli’, with Pakistan being a significant one.
There is a major economic crisis in the country which has led to political instability and a constitutional stalemate. With the resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers barring the Prime Minister, there is an urgent need to appoint a Cabinet in addition to the four Ministers already appointed. There are serious discussions to reach a consensus on some of the proposals submitted jointly by the group of MPs who announced last week about their independent status in Parliament.
Meanwhile, some parliamentarians raised the possibility of a No-Confidence Motion (NCM) or an Impeachment Motion in Parliament. An NCM will not solve the issue of a constitutional impasse as the executive president cannot be removed by an NCM. It is not clear if the Opposition will be able to get the support of 113 MPs to win a NCM as the ruling SLPP has the majority in Parliament. Even if the Government loses its simple majority in Parliament, there is no constitutional provision for a resolution in Parliament to remove the incumbent President by a simple majority.
Impeachment Motion
The only way a President could be removed is by passing an Impeachment Motion by a 2/3rd majority in Parliament. Under Article 38(2) of the Constitution, the President can be impeached on a number of grounds including the intentional violation of the Constitution”, and misconduct or corruption involving the abuse of powers of his office”. The first step of the Impeachment process is providing notice of a resolution to initiate an Impeachment to the Speaker signed by a majority of Parliamentarians. Such a notice must be signed by at least half of the total number of MPs, and the Speaker must be satisfied that such an allegation merits inquiry, before the notice of such Resolution can be placed on the Order Paper of Parliament.
If the Speaker is satisfied with the charges listed in an impeachment motion, he will have to submit it to the Supreme Court to verify its Constitutional validity following which the Supreme Court is required to conduct an inquiry and forward a report of its conclusions to Parliament. If the Supreme Court concludes that the President is guilty of the allegations, then two-thirds of Parliament must again support a Resolution to oust the President. Given the current arithmetic in Parliament, it is rather impossible that such a process would be successful.
Impeachment conspiracy
The past experiences of impeachment attempts show clearly that it is almost impossible to garner enough strength for such a Motion in Parliament where the Opposition is divided. There were two instances in Sri Lanka when a section of Parliamentarians considered impeaching the President. The first occasion was a strong attempt to impeach President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1991, but he wriggled out by using his wits and deceptive strategies. Three stalwarts of his own party, Ministers Gamini Dissanayake, Lalith Athulathmudali and G.M. Premachandra were the architects of the conspiracy to impeach President Premadasa. Initially Speaker M.H. Mohammed was also suspected of being aligned with the move and he was given the Impeachment Motion signed by around 140 MPs. Premadasa came to know of the impeachment move and nipped it in the bud with the support of Ministers including Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sirisena Cooray and Weerasinghe Mallimarachchi. It was rumoured that some of the signatories were offered perks and bribes to change their mind. Finally, Speaker Mohammed announced that he was not entertaining the Impeachment Motion amidst accusations that he took a huge bribe to do so. One MP accused Mohammed of a treacherous act like betrayal of Jesus Christ by Judas and said, In this instance Judas did not get the proverbial 13 gold sovereigns, but Rs 95 million (the alleged bribe paid by a Premadasa loyalist business tycoon).”
Constitutional crisis
The other occasion when some MPs toyed with the idea of an impeachment was in 2018 when the Supreme Court decided that President Maithripala Sirisena’s action to appoint Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister was a violation of the Constitution. The sacking of Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister resulted in a grave Constitutional crisis and Wickremesinghe continued to assert that he was the country’s duly appointed Prime Minister, and refused to vacate Temple Trees, his official residence. President Sirisena turned down a request from Wickremesinghe to convene an Emergency Session of Parliament and then prorogued Parliament for a month.
After the Supreme Court verdict, some UNP leaders examined the possibility of impeaching President Sirisena, but the move was later dropped after realising the impossibility of obtaining a 2/3rd majority in Parliament at the time.
The contrasts between President Premadasa and President Rajapaksa are so wide. The former managed to become President with a mere 50.43% or 2.5 million votes while the latter got a comfortable 6.9 million votes (52.25%). Premadasa’s UNP initially had 125 MPs in Parliament but the numbers got drastically reduced when Athulathmudali, Dissanayake and Premachandra left the Government with their supporters. Despite heavy odds, Premadasa managed to defeat the impeachment move and the Motion could not even be presented to the then Parliament.
The SLPP had 157 MPs in Parliament initially and now even with 42 MPs remaining independent, the ruling party has a clear majority in Parliament. Furthermore, those who remain independent too have not extended any support to an impeachment proposal.
Hence, what is needed is not to chase impossible dreams of an impeachment, but to look for a pragmatic consensual arrangement so that a collective effort could be made to ensure political stability and restore public normality by procuring products and services essential for day-to-day lives of the people. Such restoration of normality is essential to prevent the further degeneration of the economy.
People have demonstrated their opposition to the way the affairs of the country have been conducted bringing the economy to near collapse. To curb the growing tide of protest, curfews were declared but disregarded. What next? Not a state of anarchy surely.
Chaos and total disarray is bound to follow if no remedial action is taken. The people themselves will not want a state of chaos. The protests are intended to pressure the authorities to pull the country out of one chaotic situation and not to get into another. It is therefore now time to stop these protests too. The point has been made; it does not matter if the desired results are not altogether obtained if the rulers are pushed in the right direction.
The President and the Prime Minister are determined to carry on despite protests demanding their exit; the SLFP has moved out of the ruling coalition and some government MP’s have moved out of the government.It is obvious that the people’s elected representatives let their supporters down carrying on as if they had no responsibility to the voters who elected them. Apart from their lavish lifestyles and inept governance, they have also resorted to the tampering with people’s legitimate right to information, especially in the social media, which gave space for people’s grievances to be aired.
It is obvious nothing can be achieved at this juncture by referring to the deprivations suffered by the people. What is vital is a solution to get out of this prison of shortages of essential goods and services, the basic needs of the average Lankan.
Appointment of credible officials
It is time to retrieve whatever is possible at this juncture. A step in the right direction would be to appoint independent and capable officials to man the existing institutions. Appointing authorities should not limit their choices to friends, political contacts, kith and kin, and the ‘yes’ men around them. The fact that we did not have informed and capable men and women at the helm of affairs to guide the country away from the pitfalls we have fallen into is the tragedy we face today.
Covid pandemic
How did we as a nation get to this point of impoverishment? Many are the imputations about Covid’s impact on the economy. Perhaps tourism was affected but the downward trend of the economy has been gradually occurring over the years and it had remained more or less stagnant over too log a period. Development efforts have been minimal except in the construction sector with suspicion that this is due to kickbacks being common. Parlor gossip has it that concentration on this segment is inbuilt corruption.
Communal divisions in society
Yet another obvious reason for our predicament is the communal division existing in society. We divided on the basis of race and religion for political advantage of various parties. The ethnic and cultural infighting took a large toll on the manpower and the finances of the government from 1956 onward. So did the three decade war between the government and the LTTE.
By the time the war ended the government was exhausted and had no inclination to plan for the development of the nation or revival of the war ravaged areas. Development planning was not on the political agenda. All were busy with triumphalism and preoccupation was compulsorily diverted to human rights concerns of liberals at home and challenges before the UNHRC. None of these concerns have been yet resolved.
Provincial councils and power politics
The Indian prescription for communal peace was the 19th Amendment. Colombo accepted it and establishing provincial councils was an olive branch proffered to the Tamil community. Instead of a separate state, regional autonomy via provincial councils was granted. To date the government and the Tamils have not been able to achieve a satisfactory methodology for effectively managing the provinces as legislated.
This situation has prevented both government and the PCs from using the councils as a means of meeting the needs of the people and focusing on development activities of the provinces. Power politics subordinated development activity and the creation of PCs islandwide, including in areas with no demand for devolution created additional problems. This was due to thinking that you ‘you can’t give Jaffna what you won’t give Hambantota.’ PCs became a training ground for aspirants to Parliament. Individual ambitions took precedence over development needs of the provinces and the people it would benefit. Administration costs were far too high diverting funds from development projects.
Authoritarianism in governance
Alongside such developments, the tendency towards authoritarianism grew especially with the installation of the presidential system. Appointments and dismissals were in the hands of an all powerful president. This system also created the feeling that the executive was above the law and could dispense justice at his own discretion. The rule of law was no longer applied equitably.
The government gave its members too many privileges and it became commonly understood that entering Parliament was a passport to privilege with duty free limousines, subsidized meals, taxpayer paid overseas travel and many other perks. National development became secondary to personal privilege which had priority over the public weal. Politicians became separated from their electors and uncaring of the travails of the ordinary man. The ensuing poverty level was shocking. The politician stood aloof, estranged from the voter and unaware of the suffering of ordinary people.
Exporting for development
The reality was that we were not exporting enough to pay for our essential imports. Then the ill-thought ban on chemical fertilizer imports was slammed with little notice deeply hurting domestic agricultural production including that of rice and imposing untold hardship on the rural farmer.This is a good time for course correction and placing experts in charge of vital economic segments to ensure optimum results. Benefit from the country’s limited expert resources must be maximized with inter-disciplinary knowledge and experience sharing. It is time we thought beyond the boundaries of party politics and kith and kin.
There have been complaints that vital information supplied to government for remedial action has been ignored. For example the President of the College of Medical Labratory Technicians had told a newspaper that they had warned almost a year ago that hospitals would run out of medicine by March and April of 2022. Even letters sent to the President in this regard remained unacknowledged. As a result of this omission the whole country is paying for an act of negligence.
Tariffs and remittances
Realistic tariffs must be worked out to attract investment for export and domestic market production. This is an important strategy to attract capital for development.The remittances of our workers in the Middle East in particular and elsewhere has to be harnessed for investment purposes. This source has dried up recently as a result of an unrealistic exchange rate that had incentivized transactions outside the banking system. Informal markets gave far better returns to overseas workers sending money home and these opportunities were obviously seized. This is a problem that must be urgently addressed for the country’s benefit.
Tamil expatriates have expressed a wish to invest in their home districts and this is an opportunity that must not be ignored. Although the whole country needs to be developed, it must be appreciated that an affinity to one’s birthplace is natural. We cannot be choosers at this time and must take best advantage of investments on offer and be satisfied that funds are flowing into our country, wherever it is invested.
The absolute necessity at this time is to identify the development needs of the country, our export production potential, import substitution possibilities and many more and set about addressing national needs outside the confines of party politics. The protests have been a good wakeup call but continuing them sine die may have economic repurcussions. Extending them too long will blunt their effectiveness. The political class has been shaken up. We have to ensure that it rises to meet the country’s most urgent needs giving up its sloppy ways including personal aggrandisement at tax-payer cost.
The Catholic Church has decided to extend its fullest support to the Galle Face protest demanding the resignation of the President, said Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini Fernando, Director, National Catholic Center for Social Communications and spokesman for the Church.
Addressing a press conference at Bishop’s House in Colombo on Thursday he said that the Catholic Church is also of the view that the President should resign.
Fr Cyril Gamini said that the many members of the Catholic Church were already on the sidelines of the protest.
Asked whether there were any preparations for religious activities in the protest, he responded in the negative.
He noted posts on social media platforms that there are plans to conduct religious programs on Easter Sunday at the Galle Face protest site. None of these were true with no such arrangements made by the Catholic Church.
Former Minister of Mass Media Dullas Alahapperuma says he will not accept a position in the new Cabinet of Ministers.
In a twitter message posted today, the SLPP parliamentarian said he believes that a government consisting of all the political parties represented in Parliament will be the best option at this critical juncture.
Alahapperuma also extended his best wishes to the soon to be appointed youth-heavy” new cabinet.
I stand by my decision (made on 3rd April) not to accept a cabinet position. I believe a government consisting all parties in Parliament will be the best option at this critical juncture. History bears witness to it. Wish my best to soon to be appointed youth heavy new cabinet,” the tweet said.
Meanwhile former Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena also says that he will not accept a ministerial post in a future government.
The SLPP MP said that he met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the 15th of April and submitted in writing a lengthy explanation of the situation in the country and a series of measures to be taken to alleviate the problems of the country’s economy and living standards.
Gunawardena said he further requested that a new Cabinet of Ministers consisting of no less than 15 young, educated, efficient ministers be appointed as the previous Cabinet has already resigned.
Accordingly, at a meeting of former Cabinet Ministers held yesterday, a group of former Ministers also agreed to my proposal and pledged that they would not take over the posts of the new Cabinet and would continue to support the Government’s program, he said.
In addition to this, the General Secretary of the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) and former State Minister of Estate Housing & Community Infrastructure, Jeevan Thondaman says that he too will not be taking up any Cabinet ministry.
He stated that upon his resignation as a state minister, he had communicated to the ruling party that he will not be taking up any portfolio till solutions are provided and changes are made”.
In a twitter message, he said the CWC had decided, for now”, to abstain from voting on the motion of no confidence to be brought forth by the opposition.
The reasoning behind the decision was that we have not been intimated by the Opposition as to what their road map is and if in case no party/coalition can show simple majority then the question arises on how to proceed,” he said.
He added: The CWC is not the only party as there are other parties that share the similar view and are seeking answers from the opposition. I do understand that as a long standing organisation, the CWC does have a principle of neutrality but I, personally, believe that circumstances must be taken into account and a collective and sensible decision is necessary which is why we have called for a party meeting where all views will be shared, discussed and, hopefully, the right decision is taken.”
However, it is also my responsibility to deny the claims of, me, taking a cabinet ministry as I have communicated, upon my resignation as a state minister, to the Ruling Party that I will not be taking up any portfolio till solutions are provided and changes are made.”
Former Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekera said he had decided not to take up any post in the new Cabinet.
“I have always stood for the unity of the country, the Buddha Sasana and the people and I will continue to do my duty for the nation and for the people. Due to the current crisis in the country, i have decided not to take up any post in the new cabinet, ” he said
Lanka IOC has once again decided to increase the retail prices of petrol and diesel sold through its filling stations.
LIOC announced that the price of all types of petrol has been increased by Rs. 35 per litre and diesel by Rs. 75 per litre.
The price hike is effective from midnight today (April 17), the company said.
Accordingly, the revised LIOC prices per litre are as follows:
Petrol (92 Octane) – Rs. 338 Petrol (95 Octane) – Rs. 367 Petrol Euro 3 – Rs. 347 Auto Diesel – Rs. 289 Super Diesel – Rs. 327
With this Lanka IOC, IndianOil’s subsidiary in Sri Lanka, has now revised fuel prices on five separate occasions within just three months.
It had previously hiked prices on February 06, February 26, March 10 and March 25 while fuel prices were also raised near the end of last year on December 21, 2021.
Defence Secretary Gen. (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne says that there are no plans to abuse military power by unleashing it on peaceful protester.
He stated this in a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence, in response to a Facebook post made by Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka addressing the Secretary of Defence and and the Commander of the Army.
Further, the Ministry of Defence noted that the military forces will not be deployed to suppress democratically held peaceful protests.
However, the military will assist the Police if only such assistance is sought by the Police to defend the nation, uphold the constitution and restore the peace and order among all Sri Lankans in the event of a violent uprising,” the release said.
Assuring the public that the Sri Lankan Armed Forces who love the country and the people are a morally upright force, the Secretary of Defence further states that there is no truth in the rumours circulating on social media about an idea to send members of the intelligence services to the peaceful protesters and use them to disperse the protesters or to provoke then through something like a bomb blast.
The Ministry whilst pointing out the various elements that are working to achieve their ulterior motives during the peaceful protest wishes to inform the public that appropriate legal measures will be instituted by the Police against those who destroy or damage the public property and/or the private property under the pretext of peaceful protests and those who lead it.”
Secretary of Defence together with Tri-Forces Commanders reiterated their commitment to acting in a fair and impartial manner with integrity and respect stating that the Tri-Forces and the Police will responsibly do their utmost to protect the rule of law, order and people of the country in accordance with the constitution of the country, the statement added.
Myanmar and Bangladesh should bolster their ties with neighbourly spirit for various reasons. Currently the strained Myanmar-Bangladesh relations need to be smoothened. January 13, 2022, marked the 50 years of bilateral ties between Myanmar and Bangladesh. Myanmar recognized Bangladesh as a sovereign state on January 13, 1972. But there weren’t any seminars, discussions, statements, reciprocation, felicitations between the two neighbors to mark the special day. There were many ups and downs between the tow neighbors over 50 years. But Myanmar-Bangladesh needs to strengthen ties for ensuring the greater interest of the two regions such as South Asia and Southeast Asia.
When Bangladesh celebrated its glorious journey of 50 years, many countries in the world felicitated Bangladesh. Even Pakistan PM Imran Khan has felicitated Bangladesh marking the 50 years of Bangladesh’s independence. But it’s a matter of sorrow that its neighbour, Myanmar didn’t congratulate Bangladesh. Even both countries’ respective embassies remained silent on the issue. Why this is? Because the relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar are strained now. But this strained tie must be smoothed for ensuring greater regional interest.
However, the relationship between Myanmar-Bangladesh has never been smooth and has gone through frequent ups and downs over the last 50 years on a number of issues. Despite having many possibilities, the two countries have not been able to build a real relationship with each other. The people from both sides are deprived of enjoying neighborly advantages for these stained relations.
The improved ties between the two neighbors can ensure some common regional advantages. Geographically, Myanmar is located in the eastern part of Bangladesh with a 271 km border. To its southeast, it is at least 150 km wide, due to its hilly terrain and dense forest cover. Strategically, Myanmar enjoys a distinct position between the two Asian giants, China and India. The same position applies to Bangladesh. Naturally, both Bangladesh and Myanmar enjoy important strategic positions in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Basically, Myanmar and Bangladesh both can be used as a gateway between South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Myanmar can use Bangladesh as a transportation route to reach the markets of Bhutan, Nepal, North East India easily. Bangladesh and Myanmar share some regional common platforms such as the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation (BIMSTEC), an organization made up of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand which seeks strategic and economic development. If Bangladesh and Myanmar improve their relations with each other, their dependence on China and India could be reduced and could increase trade with other countries in Southeast Asia and South Asia.
Bangladesh can be used as an important hub to connect ASEAN and SAARC. Myanmar too, as an ASEAN member, can access the SAARC free-trade bloc through Bangladesh if the Myanmar-Bangladesh ties can be improved.
In the case of bilateral relations, there were two issues that caused some annoyance between them. The first was the demarcation of the sea-boundary between them. It is a matter of satisfaction that the matter was settled peacefully by the 1982 International Tribunal of the Sea Convention in March 2012. As Myanmar and Bangladesh, both share the Bay of Bengal area and 271km long border, Myanmar and Bangladesh both can take part in tackling nontraditional security threats in the Bay of Bengal such as tackling piracy, illegal drug dealing, human trafficking, environmental degradation, countering terrorists in the region.
The second is on the Rohingya refugee issue. Between August and November 2017, it was reported that a military operation in Myanmar had forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to cross the border into neighboring Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh government has faced the Rohingya crisis many times. In 1978, an anti-insurgency operation by the then military government of Myanmar in Rakhine State resulted in a massive brutal crackdown, with some 300,000 Rohingya crossing the border into Bangladesh. This is again in 1991-92, the second wave of more than 250,000 Rohingyas fled to Bangladesh to escape the ongoing military repression. The two countries have resolved the issue peacefully through bilateral talks. But current 2017 Rohingya crisis needs a fruitful sustainable solution between Myanmar and Bangladesh to bolster the ties. Definitely, Bangladesh and Myanmar should find a durable Closer Bangladesh-Myanmar ties have great economic potential – but the Rohingya issue must be resolved. Enhanced bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar could contribute to the growth of trade and investment relations with ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries.
There are other routes to bilateral cooperation. Myanmar is rich in natural resources such as tin, zinc, copper, tungsten, coal, marble, limestone, natural gas, hydropower, etc. Myanmar could thus be a major source of energy for Bangladesh to ensure its energy security.
Myanmar is also a major supplier of natural wood to the world. While it has traditionally eyed foreign investment in the oil and gas sector, the country has recently shifted its focus to attracting production-based investment. The country is well ahead in power generation following a good investment in hydropower generation. The tourism industry is also a promising sector of the country. Religious tourism can be a source of potential. There are many Buddhists Biharis in Bangladesh.
A number of important Buddhist archeological sites have already been uncovered in different parts of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is believed to be a rich repository of South Asian Buddhist heritage. In order to draw the world’s attention to the rich Buddhist heritage in Bangladesh, the Government organized an international event in collaboration with World Tourism Organization in October 2015.
There are a number of magnificent modern-era Buddhist temples in Bangladesh. The Golden Temple at a hilltop in the Bandarban district is probably the most charming Buddhist temple in Bangladesh. Gigantic Buddha status in Dhaka, Chittagong, and other parts of Bangladesh are special attractions for devotees and tourists. There are also a number of Buddhist learning centers and pilgrimage spots in Bangladesh.
This area of archaeological sites refers to Paharpur in Naogaon, Mahasthangarh in Bagura, Mainamati in Comilla, and Bikrampur in Dhaka district. Each of these sites has unique qualities as part of history. Some archaeological sites are important for both Hindu and Buddhist investigation because religious sculptures of each can be found. Thus, Myanmar and Bangladesh can exchange religious tourism.
Through the import of gas and electricity, Bangladesh can obtain its future energy security. The two countries can jointly explore oil and gas fields in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh can also contribute to the development of Myanmar’s infrastructure.
The proposed construction of the Asian Highway, funded by the Asian Development Bank, can increase land connectivity between the two countries and increase trade in products such as fertilizers, plastics, cement, furniture, etc. Bangladesh is on the way to the completion of its railway project Dohazari-Cox’s Bazar railway line. The line will run from Dohazari in Chattogram to Cox’s Bazar (one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country). This line can be extended to North East India, Nepal, and Bhutan. If this line can be extended to China-South East Asia via Bangladesh’s Ghundhum- Myanmar as part of the proposed Trans Asian Railway Network Asian Highway Network, the whole region can definitely benefit. Myanmar should take such an initiative to join the Trans Asian Railroad.
Myanmar, which at present does have sophisticated manufacturing, can import electronics and pharmaceutical products that are readily produced from Bangladesh and benefit from the technology transfer.
However, the two countries can also increase agricultural production through joint ventures. Apart from adopting joint investment projects, Bangladesh can increase imports of various agricultural products including pulses, spices, fish, and rice. Enhanced bilateral ties between Bangladesh and Myanmar could contribute to the growth of trade and investment relations with ASEAN and BIMSTEC countries. This will create an opening to solve the Rohingya problem and stop militant activities.
Basically, the Rakhine region of Myanmar can be used as a trade hub between Bangladesh and Myanmar. The agro-products in Rakhine need a viable market. Bangladesh can be a big market for the goods that are produced in Rakhine. On the other hand, Bangladesh has vast and tremendous experience in garments and production of agricultural sectors. Myanmar can exchange Bangladeshi expertise to benefit. Myanmar’s products (Known as Burmese products are very popular in Bangladesh), Myanmar and Bangladesh can set up some border hats (border market) between Bangladesh and Myanmar to boost up the trade. India and Bangladesh are benefitting from such kinds of border hats at the border. Thus, strengthening people-to-people contact, bolstering public diplomacy between the two sides can mend the strained ties between two neighbors.
There are increased calls to return to the 19th amendment, little do they know the confusions & contradictions that prevails an amendment presented as an Urgent Bill & passed given little or no time for the People to make their observations or for counsels to study, though the most alarming part was the incongruencies in what was submitted to Parliament differing to what was presented to the Supreme Court to determine. These inconsistencies hardly boast of anything great about 19th amendment for Sri Lanka to return to it without making changes.
19th amendment dealt with
Executive Presidency / powers/Immunity
Qualifications & term limits
Dissolution of Parliament
Returned the Independent Commissions under the Constitutional Council
Members to Cabinet
Right to Information
Executive Presidency / Prime Minister
Age limit to contest – 35 years
Unlimited Presidential term removed – Re-introducing term limit to hold office as President from unlimited (18tha) to 2 terms
Dual Citizens could not contest [Clause 20(4) of the 19th Amendment, Article 91(1)(d)(xiii) of the Constitution]
President could not remove Prime Minister – only Parliament.
President has to take advice of PM when appointing & removing Cabinet Ministers/Non Cabinet & Deputy Ministers [Clause 9 of the 19th Amendment, Article 43(2), 44(1), 45(1) and 46(3)(a) of the Constitution]
The President may chose to consult the PM in appointment/changes/removals to Cabinet/Non-Cabinet & Deputy Ministers [Clause 9 of the 19th Amendment, Article 43(1), 44(2) of the Constitution]
The President may at any time change subjects/functions of cabinet/non Cabinet Ministers & composition of Cabinet [Clause 9 of the 19th Amendment, Article 43(3), 44(3) of the Constitution] – this is a contradictory clause
President cannot dissolve Parliament at his discretion as earlier. President can dissolve Parliament only if 2/3 MPs pass resolution requesting dissolution or after 4 ½ years [Clause 17 of the 19th Amendment, Article 70(1) of the Constitution]
Presidential Immunity removed – President is now subject to FR jurisdiction in Supreme Court. [Clause 7 of the 19th Amendment, Article 35 of the Constitution]
Removes provision for President to submit to the People by referendum any Bill (not a constitutional amendment) rejected by Parliament. [Clause 19 of the 19th Amendment, by repealing what was previously Article 85(2) of the Constitution].
Removal of President assigning himself any subject/function not assigned to a Cabinet Minister [Clause 9 of the 19th Amendment, by repealing amongst other provisions, what was previously Article 44(2) of the Constitution].
Parliament/Prime Minister
No dual citizen can become a MP (Article 92b)
Reducing Parliament term from 6 to 5 years [Clause 15 of the 19th Amendment, Article 62(2) of the Constitution]
Cabinet & Non-Cabinet Ministers shall not exceed 30 & Deputy Ministers & those not members of Cabinet shall not exceed 40 [Clause 9 of the 19th Amendment, Article 46(1) of the Constitution]However a ‘government of national unity’ allows Cabinet Ministers to 45 and non-Cabinet & Deputy Ministers to 55. This provision will no longer only apply to the next Parliament. [Clause 9 of the 19th Amendment, Article 46(4) and (5) of the Constitution]
Removes provision for government to pass legislation via Urgent Bills” where President could refer any Bill certified by Cabinet as urgent in the national interest” to Supreme Court directly & SC determined the Constitutionality of the Bill within 24rs to 72hrs depending on instructions of the President. [Clause 30 of the 19th Amendment, by repealing what was previously Article 122 of the Constitution]
A Bill has to be made available to public (gazetted) & given 14 days before it is placed on the order paper of Parliament [Clause 18 of the 19th Amendment, Article 78(1) of the Constitution]– previously people had only 7 days
It was clear from the 19a – that the clauses took into consideration the President in power & the Legislature that was formed via national government & a PM appointed immediately after the election of the President. Legality of appointing a PM immediately after a Presidential election, while the incumbent PM had not resigned or had been sacked remains questionable.
Constitutional Council
7 Members of Parliament & 3 eminent persons. PM, Speaker & Opposition Leader are permanent while President appoints 1 and PM appoints 2 and other member appointed by rest of Parliament. The 3 eminent persons should not be members of a political party & are chosen by the PM & Opposition Leader & their nominations approved by Parliament. Term of 3 years (CC will continue even if Parliament gets dissolved)
Constitutional Council will require to approve nominees of President for Chief Justice/Judges of Supreme Court/President & Judges of the Court of Appeal/Members of Judicial Service Commission/Attorney General/Auditor General/IGP/Ombudsman/Secretary General Parliament [Clause 8 of the 19th Amendment, Article 41C (1) of the Constitution] – criteria not given
5 Constitutional Council members must be present. Recommendations, Approvals & Decisions must have support of 5 members. [Clause 8 of the 19th Amendment, Article 41E (3) of the Constitution], Chairman has no vote but only if there is equal vote – confusion as 5 members required for quorum and chairman doesn’t vote except for equal vote & in such a scenario, Chairman will be voting always.
Decisions, approvals & recommendations by Constitutional Council cannot be challenged in Court of Law by FR [Clause 8 of the 19th Amendment, Article 41I of the Constitution]
Article 41 of 19a – CC is immune from any legal action by any Court & no person nor institution can question decisions of the CC. Where is the democracy in this?
Articles 41B and 41C of 19a – CC has to formulate rules on criteria for appointments which has not been done & made public. Why couldn’t selection criteria be given to the CC & the CC could have asked opinion from the Public & based on this the nominations could have been sent to the President.
CC can reject the nominee of the President without valid reasons & President can keep sending names & this can become a virtual circus.
Independent Commissions
Re-introduced – Election/Public Service/National Police/Human Rights/Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery & Corruption/Finance/Delimitation/National Procurement/Audit appointed by President only on recommendation of the Constitutional Council[Clause 8 of the 19th Amendment, Article 41B (1) of the Constitution] – Govt has virtual no say
Election Commission on approval of the Constitutional Council can appoint Commissioner General of Elections [Clause 24 of the 19th Amendment, Article 104E(1) of the Constitution]
Election Commission can prevent a political party in government from using State resources including state broadcasters for their election campaign [Clause 23 of the 19th Amendment, Article 104B(4) and (5) of the Constitution]
Election Commission on approval of the Constitutional Council can appoint Commissioner General of Elections [Clause 24 of the 19th Amendment, Article 104E(1) of the Constitution]
All Commissions except Elections Commission is responsible & answerable to Parliament(Article 41 (b) (6) but Article 104B (3) says Election Commission is ‘responsible & answerable’ to Parliament. But, role of Election Commission vis a vis Parliament is not given & no Standing Orders.
How independent” are the Independent Commissions?
The Election Commission has just 3 members. But elections to Provincial Councils were postponed for 2 years by this Commission. When the President sacked the PM on 29 October 2018, a member of the Election Commission (Ratnajeevan Hoole) petitioned Supreme Court against holding elections. How unbiased” was this act by an independent” Commission member.
The pandemic was used as an excuse to not conduct general elections due on 25 April 2020.
Right to Information
Right to Access Information as provided for by law. (Clause 2 of the 19th Amendment, Article 14A of the Constitution) – contents of that Bill has not even been publicized and ridicules the nature of the people called Right to Information!
19a is full of misinterpretations & ambiguities.
19a says President may not hold a portfolio – how can this be when the President is Head of the Govt, head of Cabinet & Armed Forces & Defense?
As Head of Cabinet, the President is a Cabinet member.
The voters give executive powers to the President & voters also voted\ MPs to Parliament. Subjects and their powers are decided by the President.
President appoints all Ministers.
So what was the purpose of 19a to include President ‘may not’ hold a portfolio?
19a & Police Commission
19a prevented the termination of the IGP for his gross neglect of duty during the Easter Sunday massacres. The only solution was to send him on compulsory leave & appoint a deputy IGP.
19a prevents democracy (will of the people) by placing restrictions to the dissolution of Parliament (not until 4 ½ years of a 5 term govt) What was the logic behind this?
The President cannot dissolve Parliament & call for fresh elections especially during times that a Government is not functioning to people’s requirements. It was why the then PM’s party not only lost the people’s mandate but he could not even secure 10,000 votes.
19a usurped democracy
19a aspired to curb the Executive Powers given by the People to the President claiming it would provide good governance. This did not happen.
The Supreme Court judgement on the 13th amendment clearly establishes that to abolish the Executive Presidency while keeping Provincial Councils would mean a Federal Sri Lanka unless Executive Presidency is abolished together with the Provincial Councils. If the PCs are to remain then the Executive Presidency must continue. If the Executive Presidency is to be abolished so too must Provincial Councils.
Hidden objectives of the 19a (did not bring better democracy or good governance)
Creating notion that Executive President’s powers were cause for Sri Lanka’s problems
Making people not object to the Executive Powers spread to multiple institutions
Putting unelectable persons to exercise executive powers (also proved a failure)
Prevent those previously in power from returning to power
Fantasy of the greatness of 19a resulted in ignoring security & economy
The reality is that for harmony of governance the President & PM has to be on the same page.
19a in reality weakened the Executive Powers by scattering it making governance impossible unless coordinated with the PM. 19a has made institutions under the President & PM redundant in the absence of cooperation.
19a weakened Sri Lanka.
Conflict between President & PM – Declare War & Fight
Article 30 of the Constitution makes President the Head of the State, Head of the Executive & the Government, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces & has the right to declare war & peace.
Section 51 of 19a says ONLY the current President will hold the Ministry of Defense. That means though Article 30 says the President is Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, he would not be able to hold a specific Ministry including that of the Ministry of Defense. So we have a situation where the President can declare war but he needs the support of the Defense Minister to fight the war & the Defense Minister has to be appointed on the recommendation of the PM. Yet the PM cannot direct the Defense Minister to fight a war as the President is the one who has to declare war as he is Commander-in-Chief.
Article 33a (2) attempts to slyly transfer power from President to PM removing the President’s prerogative under Article 154 and 154L to dissolve a provincial council/Parliament take over powers of the Provincial Council – it enables a step closer to the current speeded up efforts to declare a separate state
19a – Conflict between President & PM – appointment of Ministers
Article 43(2) of 19a President can only appoint Ministers from among Members of Parliament on advice of PM. As per this article, President is not a MP and thus unable to hold a Ministry.
While Article 30 (1) says President is the Head of State, Head of Executive, Head of Government, Commander in Chief of Armed Forces,
Article 42 (3) says PM shall be Head of the Cabinet.
Maithripala Sirisena held 3 ministries – Defense, Mahaweli Development & Environment. But these portfolios needed to have the concurrence of the PM but as per 19a – this provision was only applicable to Maithripala Sirisena. How can you have a constitutional amendment applicable for 1 President only?
If the PM was Head of the Cabinet – how can the President attend it?
President has to seek opinion of PM to appoint specific Ministers, but
Article 46(1) of 19a allows him to decide on the number of Ministers with restrictions
Article 43(1) of 19a allows him to decide subjects & functions of Ministers
Article 43(3) of 19a allows him to change functions, subjects & composition of the Cabinet without approval of PM – this means the President can keep changing Cabinet Ministers as he likes.
Article 50(a) of 19a allows President to appoint all Secretaries to Ministries
Article 42(3) of 19a President is a member of the Cabinet & Head of the Cabinet. Though he is a member & head of Cabinet, the President cannot hold a Ministry but he has to hold Cabinet meetings!
Article 33(2) of 19a – President makes Policy Statement of the Government in Parliament. What if the President is from a different party to the party holding majority in Government which means the PM should be making the policy statement though President is Head of State. What if the President & PM disagree on the policy – the President has the powers to keep on changing & appointing Secretaries of his choice & Ministers would have to work with these Secretaries.
Article 35(1) of 19a – President’s Immunity
Only where FR of PM or other person is violated & PM can petition SC and only if SC feels that the President has violated FR of the PM or some person, the AG is directed to rectify.
Where lies the conflict? The PM decides who should be Minister but the subjects & functions of these Ministers are decided by the President as well as the Secretaries assigned to the Ministries.
The situation leaves scope for conflict between the President & PM unless they cooperate.
While the powers of the President is curbed by 19a – he remains answerable to Parliament (Section 6 of 19a) in exercising, performing, discharging his duties including public security.
The Executive President is answerable to Parliament but Parliament is not answerable to anyone & PM is not subject to any sort of review. 19a does not provide any limitation to the PM’s powers.
19a & Supreme Court
Article 80(3) imposes a ban on Supreme Court from reviewing a law after it has been passed and no court or tribunal can inquire into it,
19th amendment to the Constitution was presented as an Urgent Bill & rushed into enactment. There was no public debate. What was presented to Parliament was not the Bill presented to the Supreme Court. 18 petitions were filed based on the Bill presented to Parliament. There were amendments to the amendments with little time for the Counsels to study them before making their submissions. Though public had to be privy to the Bill to make their deliberations within a week as per Article 121, they did not have the latest version to do so. This was a FR violation of the People’s rights. Article 122, gives Supreme Court 24 to 72 hours depending on the President’s decision (Urgent Bill). If Article 121 is applied, Court can take up to 3 weeks to make their deliberations & Bill cannot be taken in Parliament until the determination (Regular Bill). However, 19a was scheduled for debate on April 9 & 10, 2015 – 19a was rushed through Parliament as an Urgent Bill.
19th A was passed no different to how 13th A was passed. The Supreme Court was divided in the case of 13th a – with Chief Justice Sarvananda & 3 judges upheld the 13th A while 5 judges claimed it contravened Article 2 of the Constitution. When Judge Palinda Ranasinghe impugned certain provisions, the AG Shiva Pasupathi made the amendments to the Bill to make it consistent with the Constitution & it was hastily passed. 13th A remains a problem.
Article 2 of 19th amendment attempts to replace Article 4 (b) of the current Constitution which provides the President executive powers of the People including defense. This has to be read alongside Article 33A of 19th a which claims the President must act on advice of the PM or a Minister authorized by the PM. Thus though 19a says through Article 2(b) that executive powers are with the President, in reality it is negated by Article 33 A (2) and (3) which gives executive powers to the PM and not to the President.
This is a violation of the legal maxim ‘delegatus non potest delegare’ which in other words means delegated power cannot be delegated (thus the President cannot delegate powers given to him to the PM) – ‘shall’ is used as a mandatory requirement for the President in the 19th amendment (Articles 33A (2) and (3) reduces the President to a mere puppet in the hands of the PM and questions the duplicity in including a clause that says the President exercises the People’s power.
19a began as a concept paper which says President shall act on advice of the PM, some party leaders objected & it was removed from gazette presented to Parliament but was present in draft sent to the Supreme Court.
People must be aware of the contradictions & confusions of the 19a – while 20a dual citizenship must be removed, returning to 19a without dealing with the contradictions is not the solution.
JR meddled in the transport sector. Ceylon Transport Board had been set up on 1 January 1958, during MEP rule. At its peak, it was the largest omnibus company in the world – with about 7,000 buses and over 50,000 employees.
The government of J.R. Jayewardene was intent on destroying what was now a popular symbol of efficient state enterprise, said Wikipedia. By Law No. 19 of 1978, the CTB was broken up into Regional Transport Boards (RTBs). Sri Lanka Central Transport Board (SLCTB) was established, but it had no connection to the RTBs.
The partially constructed new CBS building, which had been built with funds generated by the CTB, was handed over to the Urban Development Authority. The Employees’ Councils were scrapped. A large amount of money was spent repainting the buses green.
Further, the change of government in 1977 saw the looting of CTB assets in broad daylight. Buses in running condition were condemned as unusable and sold to backers of the ruling United National Party at low prices. Some of them may still be seen on the roads, three decades later.
Jayewardene also re-introduced private buses running with route licenses. Most private bus owners had political backing and the buses were driven in a careless manner. Passengers faced with a state transport system now on the verge of collapse, had no option but to travel on them.
When J.R. Jayewardene became President of Sri Lanka, it was decided that Air Ceylon was beyond repair and a new airline would be formed with the help of Singapore Airlines. Air Lanka was formed as a fully state owned GCEC company. Principal owners were the government (60%), two national banks and the Ceylon Shipping Corp. (40%), with initial capitalization set at $15.7 million. The airline came under the direct purview of the Head of State.
JR’s grand idea of a national airline just because Singapore had an iconic national carrier, was copycat economics at its worst. We needed a solid base for our economy before we needed a fancy airline, said critics.
Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore when requested by JR agreed to provide assistance and expertise from Singapore Airlines for a new airline. Lee Kuan Yew had this to say about the venture.
Lee Kuan Yew said, Singapore Airlines employed a good Sri Lankan captain. Would I release him? Of course, but how could an airline pilot run an airline? He wanted Singapore Airlines to help. We did. I advised him that an airline should not be his priority because it required too many talented and good administrators to get an airline off the ground when he needed them for irrigation, agriculture, housing, industrial promotion and development, and so many other projects.
An airline was a glamour project, not of great value for developing Sri Lanka. But he insisted. So we helped him launch it in six months, seconding 80 of Singapore Airlines’ staff for periods from three months to two years, helping them through our worldwide sales representation, setting up overseas offices, training staff, developing training centers and so on. But there was no sound top management. When the pilot, now Chairman of the new airline, decided to buy two second-hand aircraft against our advice, we decided to withdraw. Faced with a five-fold expansion of capacity, negative cash flow, lack of trained staff, unreliable services and insufficient passengers, it was bound to fail. And it did, conclude Lee Kuan Yew.
There was a benefit to Singapore Airlines. SIA’s 747s could not fly nonstop to Europe. The advantage of the partnership for SIA was the right to operate eastwards and westwards through Colombo. Air Lanka at this point had a wide regional and international network, and even made a modest operational profit. Also, Indian passengers could come to Sri Lanka to buy luxury goods rather than going to Singapore.
Air Lanka was the first airline to fly the Airbus A340 in Southeast Asia. The airline was making an operational profit, but was hobbled by debt servicing resulting from commercial borrowings. In 1998 Air Lanka was re-branded as SriLankan Airlines . It was partially privatized, there was a partnership with Dubai-based Emirates Group.
Air Lanka/ SriLankan Airlines faced tremendous political interference. The government insisted on being involved in all major and most minor decisions of the airline. Decisions were often based on political rather than commercial considerations, said Rajeewa Jayaweera.The work visa of the CEO Sri Lankan Airlines, appointed by Emirates, was revoked and he was asked to leave the country because he did not do as the government said.
Appointments of Chairmen and Directors to the board of SriLankan Airlines was based on personal relationships, friendships, school ties and as a form of rewarding political loyalists. Expertise in specific fields, experience in corporate governance and what they could contribute to the airline is not the criterion.
Even the few Directors appointed from the country’s blue chip companies prefer to lie low for fear of the companies they represent being penalized by the majority shareholder for not doing its bidding.
The 13 to 15 Chairmen appointed during the airline’s 37 years, up to 2016, consisted of an Airline Pilot, Civil Servants, a Retired General, Chairmen of Blue Chip companies, a Secretary to the Head of State, a Lawyer, a Secretary to the Treasury, and a Planter, said Rajeewa Jayaweera. Then came an owner of an Apparel Exporting company, who contributed little other than carry out instructions from the government . (Continued)
