{"id":86603,"date":"2019-03-20T16:36:18","date_gmt":"2019-03-20T23:36:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=86603"},"modified":"2019-03-20T16:36:18","modified_gmt":"2019-03-20T23:36:18","slug":"how-can-you-expect-a-bunch-of-dishonest-and-self-seeking-politicians-who-cannot-even-name-a-cabinet-to-properly-govern-a-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/03\/20\/how-can-you-expect-a-bunch-of-dishonest-and-self-seeking-politicians-who-cannot-even-name-a-cabinet-to-properly-govern-a-country\/","title":{"rendered":"How can you expect a bunch of dishonest and self- seeking politicians, who cannot even name a Cabinet, to properly govern a Country?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sudath Gunasekara <\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

3.20.2019.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The list of Cabinet Ministers of the Present\nGovernment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

01.  Prime\nMinister Ranil Wickremesighe<\/strong> \u2013 Ministry of National Policies and Economic\nAffairs, Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison reforms, Northern Development,\nVocational Training, Skill Development and Youth Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

02.    John\nAmaratunga<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious\nAffairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

03.    Gamini\nJayawickrema Perera<\/strong>– Minister of Buddha Sasana & North Western Province\nDevelopment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

04.    Mangala\nSamaraweera<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Finances and Media<\/p>\n\n\n\n

05.   Lakshman\nKiriella<\/strong>– Minister of Public Enterprise Development, Upcountry Heritage and\nKandy Development<\/p>\n\n\n\n

06.    Rauff\nHakeem<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Town Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education<\/p>\n\n\n\n

07.    Tilak\nMarapana<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Foreign Affairs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

08.    Rajitha\nSenarathne<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine<\/p>\n\n\n\n

09.    Ravi\nKarunanayake<\/strong>– Minister of Power and Energy and Business Development<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10.  Vajira\nAbeywardhane<\/strong>– Minister of Internal & Home Affairs, Provincial Councils\nand Local Government<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11.   Rishad\nBathiudeen<\/strong>– Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Resettlement and\nCooperative Development<\/p>\n\n\n\n

12.   Patali\nChampika Ranawaka<\/strong>– Ministry of Megapolis and Western Development<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13.   Naveen\nDissanayake<\/strong>– Minister of Plantation Industries<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14.   P.\nHarrison- Minister <\/strong>of Agriculture, Rural Economic Affairs and Animal\nHusbandry Development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. Kabeer Hashim<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Highways\nand Road Development and Petroleum Resources Development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

16.   Ranjith\nMaddumabandara<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Public Administration and Disaster Management<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17.   Gayantha\nKarunathilake<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms<\/p>\n\n\n\n

18.   Sajith\nPremadasa<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Housing, Construction and Cultural affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

19.    Arjuna\nRanatunga<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20.  Palani\nDigambaran<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Upcountry New Villages, Infrastructure and\nCommunity Development<\/p>\n\n\n\n

21.   Chandrani\nBandara<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Women and Child Affairs and Development of Dry Zones<\/p>\n\n\n\n

22.    Thalatha\nAthukorale<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of justice and Prison Reforms<\/p>\n\n\n\n

23.    Akila\nViraj kariyawasam<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Education<\/p>\n\n\n\n

24.    Abdul Haleem Mohamed Hashim \u2013 Minister of\nPostal Services and Muslim religious Affairs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

25.    Sagala\nRatnayake<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Ports, Maritime Affairs and Southern Development<\/p>\n\n\n\n

26.   Harin\nFernando<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Telecommunication, Digital Infrastructure\nfacilities, Foreign Employment and Sports<\/p>\n\n\n\n

27.    Mano\nGaneshan<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of National Integration, Official Languages, Social\nProgress and Hindu Religious Affairs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

28.    Daya\nGamage<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Labour, Trade Union Relations and Social Empowerment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

29.   Malik\nSamarawickrema<\/strong> \u2013 Minister of Development Strategies, International Trade,\nScience, Technology and Research<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 My comments<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is common\nsense that certain basic principles have to be adhered to when you make a Cabinet.\nThe first and foremost thing is a clear scientific and functional classification\nand separation of major functions of Government in an intelligent manner avoiding\noverlapping and inter-Ministerial clashes. Once the major functions of the government\nare identified inte- related subjects should be grouped under each\nMinistry.  Functional relationship\nbetween or among the subjects assigned to a Ministry is crucial for smooth coordination\nof related subjects for smooth and efficient Governance. To give few examples\nLand and Irrigation, Agriculture and Agrarian Services, Transport and Aviation,\nEducation and Youth Affairs, Trade and Commerce, Finance and Public\nAdministration, Home Affairs and Local Government and Industry and technology\nto name few major areas. Such clarity in allocating functions and correlation\nbetween allied subjects in naming the Ministries is a sine qua non for allocating\ngovernment departments and other institutions firstly, for smooth and efficient\ndelivery of services and secondly to fix responsibility and accountability on a\nspecific ministry and officials for implementing governments\u2019 policies and programs.\nNext to make annual budgetary allocations for better financial management and\nto fix accountability on public funds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next\ncritical step is to assign each Ministry to the best person who can handle that\nsubject and command the institutions and personnel under that Ministry and earn\ntheir repsect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 If these fundamental requirements are not met\nthen there will be utter chaos and confusion, inefficiency, overlapping, waste\nand corruptions inefficiency and delays all over. There will be no one to take\nresponsibility. Each Minister will pass the ball to the other\u2019s court with\nimpunity and they might start fighting among themselves putting the blame on\nanother. The other will then deny. Then while the quarrelling among them will\ngo on, the country will suffer resulting in complete brake down in governance. But\nstill the Ministers and politicians will enjoy their fabulous privileges and\nperks with no benefit to the country in return. Then the question arises as to\nwhy we have Ministries and why we maintain a set of men and women called\nMinsters and public servants and finally why we maintain a government at all at\npublic expense?          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now look at the utterly\nunscientific and absurd naming and allocation of functions among different\nMinistries listed above.  If this is an\nanswer for a question at a public examination for making a list of Ministries\nfor a newly elected government\u2019 I would not give more than 20 out of 100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overlapping,\nduplication, absurdity, absence of any correlation among subjects, stupidity,\nrepetition, political hypocrisy, immaturity and lack of common sense in basic\nprinciples and ABCD of governance are some of the glaring features even an\nordinary man can see in this classification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first sight\nas I saw this as a list of Ministries I thought it is a list of Departments\nallocated among 29  Ministers. Obviously\nfirst it is a list cleverly and tactfully prepared to deceive the MPP who got\nthe Ministries. Second, to deceive the foolish voters of different ethnic and\nreligious groups, just to collect their votes at the next election.  In this list there appears to be wheels\nwithin wheels and many an interlocking traps. Some functions are given to\nparticular Ministers just to satisfy them. For example why Minister of Power\nand Energy is given  Business\nDevelopment, why Rehabilitation, Prison reforms and Northern Development are\nretained by the Prime Minister, if not to deceive and attract the Tamil vote in\nthe North and East, why Rishad Bathiudeen- Minister of Industry is given\nCommerce and Resettlement and Cooperative Development, a veritable jumble,\nunless for him to make money by illicitly importing pepper and dried Arica and\nexport them as Sri Lankan products depriving the country colossal amounts of\nvaluable foreign exchange and destroying the local pepper and Arica growers and\nremunerating him for Wilpattu devastation with possible Yala and Kumana\nencroachment in the offing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile some\nMinistries are given to some people without considering the long term serious\nnational threats   to the Islands\nenvironment, hydrological stability, national security and territorial\nintegrity and even posing a threat to national security leading to chain of\npolitical and social catastrophes. The best example is the Ministry of\nUpcountry New Villages (Tamil) and  Infrastructure and Community Development to\nPalani Digambaran, for him to go ahead with his plan for future Malayanadu an\nIndian enclave right at the center of the country that forms the pinnacle and the\nHeartland of the nation and forms the only watershed that provides water for\nthe whole country and which sustains the entire life system and civilization of\nthis Island nation without realizing the colossal damage and destruction he is\ndoing to the geographical heartland of this Island nation by establishing\nthousands of houses with Indian aid at elevation going even above 7000 feet msl,\nthat was never touched by ancient rulers, until finally  it was opened up by the colonial invaders\nafter 1840. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other\nexample is Mano Ganeshan another extremist militant Estate Tamil MP who is\nappointed as the Minister of National Integration, Official Languages, Social\nProgress and Hindu Religious Affairs. What better betrayal of a Nation and a\nLanguage a government do more than this.  How can you expect a man who is fighting for\nTamil rights only, do national integration and to do justice for Official\nlanguages. It is just like putting the chicken under the charge of a cunning\nfox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover most\nsubjects allocated to them could have been easily listed as government\nDepartments under Ministries. Actually looking at this list, at first sight, I\nthought it was a list of Departments. Most of the Ministries listed are\ndefinitely superfluous. This mad messy list could have been easily grouped in\nto about 15 Ministries and thereby cut down the overheads and colossal wastage\nof public funds particularly at a time when the National Budget deficit is\nrunning in to trillions and the masses are being taxed even for breathing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doesn\u2019t this\nclassification of Ministries look funny in the first place? Why should the\nPrime Minister who is called the Primus\ninter pare,<\/em> first among equals, bags many other non-important flimsy\nseasonal subjects like rehabilitation, Prison Reforms unless he has something\nup his sleeves, as usual.  The other joke\nis the subject of Prison reforms. It is shared by him and Thalatha Athukorale \u2013\nMinister of justice Prison reforms. One is lost to understand as to who is actually\nresponsible for this subject. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Again when a Minister is called the Minister\nof Northern, North Western, Southern, Eastern, Dry zone and Upcountry\nDevelopment, does it mean other Ministers have nothing to do in those areas.\nGrey areas leading to confusion? When another is called Minister of Development\nStrategies does that mean he is handling development strategies of all\nMinistries? Then what are the other Ministers doing? Isn\u2019t it interesting to\nfind out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Now this Government has Ministers for all the\nfour religions. Under this situation what has happened to Sec 5 of the Constitution\nwhich say Buddhism is given the foremost place. Isn\u2019t it another violation of\nthe Constitution? This clearly demonstrates the ignorance of those who made\nthis list and proves Sec 5 has been cleverly put in to the dust bin of history\nby giving equal status to other religions. The architects of the conspiracy\nsurely must have done this with an eye on the minority vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lakshman\nKiriella- is called the Minister of Public Enterprise Development (as if other\nMinistries are not Public enterprises), Upcountry Heritage and Kandy\nDevelopment what does this mean. What are the other Ministers are doing in\nthese regions. The whole country knows how he betrayed the Kandyans and their\nheritage by giving upcountry tea lands to Indian Estate Tamils as an election\npromise made in 2015 and bagged over  150\n000 Tami votes at the 2015 polls.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rauff Hakeem \u2013\nMinister of Town Planning, Water Supply and Higher Education. What is the\nrelationship between Town and country planning and Higher Education?  Why can\u2019t Higher Education, be given to the Minister\nof Education instead of Parliamentary Reforms for which you need not have a Ministry\nat all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gayantha\nKarunathilake \u2013is Minister of Lands minus irrigation \u2013water. What is more is\nthis Cabinet has no Minister or Ministry for irrigation. Doesn\u2019t this clearly\ndemonstrate how much they know about this country and its civilization? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

11.Rishad Bathiudeen-\nMinistry of Industry and Commerce and Resettlement and Cooperative Development.\nWhy is resettlement given to this man? Is it for him to clear the other\nNational reserve like Yala and Maduru oya also and settle Muslim people\nimported from other countries as he has already done to Wilpattu<\/p>\n\n\n\n

20.Palani\nDigambaran \u2013 Minister of Upcountry New Villages, Infrastructure and Community\nDevelopment This I believe is given to this man to catch the estate Tamil vote\nnot realizing that he will carve out an Indian enclave right at the center of\nthe Central Hill country<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does a\nMinistry of Internal Affairs given to Wajira Abewardhana when he is already\nappointed as Minister of Home Affairs? It must be just to show him a long list.\nPrime Minister and the President must be thinking he is a baby, in which case\nhe should have been given a teat which could have been much cheaper to the\ncountry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall other\nthan Ministries 7, 8, 1 3, 19 and 23 all others are like jumble sale joints. They\nare meticulously designed for vote caching. These politicians have no idea of\ngovernance or development. Among this long list of 29 I don\u2019t see even five\nfellows fit to be Ministers of State. It looks a conundrum par excellent for\nthe general public to solve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the Prime\nMinister cannot prepare an intelligent list of Ministries or on the other hand he\nsubmits an inconsistent and childish list by design why couldn\u2019t the President\nat least correct it? When both have failed that clearly and precisely shows the\nquality Heads of Government we have. Isn\u2019t it a classic case in world political\nhistory where the blind is leading the blind at the peril of a nation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can go on. But\nnow for brevity I leave for you to add your own comments for your own\namusement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sudath Gunasekara 3.20.2019. The list of Cabinet Ministers of the Present Government 01.  Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe \u2013 Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs, Ministry of Rehabilitation and Prison reforms, Northern Development, Vocational Training, Skill Development and Youth Affairs. 02.    John Amaratunga \u2013 Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs. 03.    Gamini Jayawickrema […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dr-sudath-gunasekara"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86603\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}