{"id":88173,"date":"2019-05-04T05:26:22","date_gmt":"2019-05-04T12:26:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=88173"},"modified":"2019-05-04T05:26:22","modified_gmt":"2019-05-04T12:26:22","slug":"is-this-the-most-incompetent-pm-in-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/05\/04\/is-this-the-most-incompetent-pm-in-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"Is this the most incompetent PM in the world?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Major General (Retd.) Lalin Fernando<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When PM Wickramasinghe was asked by BBC\u2019s Channel 4 why he had not taken action \nagainst ISIS terrorists who had returned to the Island in 2017, his fatuous \nreply was that it was not illegal in SL to take part in terrorist actions \nabroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \nPM has a basic degree in law. He likes to continuously impress his ill educated \nbut fawning parliamentary minions and Colombo\u2019s socialites. But with the Channel \n4 man the PM was clearly out of his depth and clearly in fear of personal \nrepercussions for the Easter Sunday massacre. There were 250 dead, almost all \nChristians, and 450 wounded. A colossal intelligence failure was blamed for it. \nThe PM thought it and anything else was not enough to damn him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \nPM, hoping to impress, casually tossed in the (French) Foreign Legion (FFR) as \nan example of a terrorist organization. It blew away the interviewer. It \nstripped any notion that the PM had but the foggiest notion of terrorists. This \nafter being PM 4 times over in a land that went through 26 years of terrorism. \nDue to his incompetency, global terrorism has been spawned after 10 years of \npeace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \nLegion is a branch of the French Army raised in 1831.Frenchmen consist only of \n24% in it .The others are from about 140 foreign countries. It has an unenviable \nreputation. The PM\u2019s remarks were a reckless, unforgivable insult to the Legion. \nThe PM\u2019s off the cuff repartees often pass in SL but the BBC man must have \nwondered if he had heard right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pressed \nfurther by an astounded interviewer as to government responsibility for the \nmassive security lapse, the PM blithely said defence and the police were under \nthe President. He then quipped that had he been in charge of defence he would \nhave resigned. That was a sniper shot at the head of the President. It also \nindicated he would not hang himself even if a thousand or more had died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He \nmay have forgotten how he installed his school friend Singaporean citizen \nMahendra as Governor of the Central Bank as soon as he became PM in 2015. \nMahendra is accused of being the mastermind behind the greatest ever bond \nscandal in SL. It ran into Rs 19 billion. The PM wise cracked that ignoramuses \nhad got it mixed with James Bond. The PM was adamant that he had no \nresponsibility for Mahendra\u2019s conduct even though he was the subject minister \nand appointed Mahendra. He told the Courts that he got the information that \nMahendra was innocent from Mahendra himself! He has steadfastly ignored demands \nto resign on this score too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \nPM must have cast his endearment for legality to the winds when in 2002 as PM he \nallowed a rendition flight from Australia to use Colombo International airport \nto ferry an Al Qaida suspect to the mercies of the USA and Guantanamo There was \nalso another suspect living in SL. He was abducted by the Police and extradited \nillegally to the USA. So much for the PM\u2019s beliefs in law, justice, HR and \nnational sovereignty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is \nit a wonder that ISIS yet targeted SL despite the PM\u2019s shameless excuse for not \narresting the ISIS returned terrorists in SL.? According to this incorrigible PM \na citizen can go abroad, commit any act of terror including rape, murder and \nbombings as the ISIS did, and return to SL without fear of arrest or punishment. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He \nadmitted there was a lacuna in the law yet he did nothing to correct it for 2 \nyears allowing these terrorists to roam freely. Is the lacuna in his thinking? \nOr is it in his head?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An \nice cold PM opened the parliamentary sessions following the Easter Sunday \nmassacre. Though a 2 minute silence preceded his address, grief, pain, agony or \nsorrow did not surface. He had survived 1983, 1988\/9 and 26 years of conflict \nwithout any excessive heart beats or any thought of mea culpa too. He stammered, \nstuttered, stumbled and contradicted himself as never before. He was incoherent \nat times. He was fighting for his personal survival what ever happened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did \nhe allow those ISIS returnees to roam freely for 2 years without making any \nchange in the law that had a \u2018lacuna\u2019 for legal reasons or because he did not \nwant to lose Muslim votes? His silver speech would not save him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He \nhad over looked the Prime Minister\u2019s responsibility for government in his very \nown scrambled egg constitution of 2018. His powers were substantive as he had \nshackled the President\u2019s. But he lacked the guts to enforce it. He as PM, almost \nan elected dictator, accepted without a whimper being kept out of Security \nCouncil meetings for 6 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To \ndownplay the magnitude of his responsibility and the enormity of the tragedy the \nice cool PM and his acolytes said the Easter Sunday terrorist atrocities were \njust a trend in global terrorism. He wants SL to learn to live with that. He \nwants to survive. Is that is what 250 deaths in 15 minutes means to him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With \ncountless examples to chose from including SL\u2019s own conflict he dropped another \nclanger, a singularly ill timed and stupid remark when interviewed by Sun TV. \nAccording to him the \u2018Falklands\u2019 (war) was an example of a terrorist conflict. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why \nhe chose the Falklands war boggles the mind. Why he avoided mentioning the LTTE \nterror, Sambandan and Sumanthiran could guess easily. The Falkland\u2019s war was a \nconventional one fought between Britain and Argentina with conventional forces. \nA British nuclear powered submarine even sank an Argentinean aircraft carrier. \nThree hundred died. Did the PM give this silly example to rope in the British? \nHis uncle JRJ, isolating himself from all non western colonies and the Non \nAligned countries, declared for Britain in that conflict. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \nPM\u2019s interview with a BBC man of African origin on 27 April blew away any \nremaining semblance of rationality in the PM. After many responses obstinately \nrefusing to acknowledge his responsibility, the BBC man told the PM he had been \nin SL for about 4 days. He had picked up that the majority of people think he \nshould resign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \nPM explained that it was a case of collective responsibility at cabinet level \nand not his fault alone, so there was no need for him to resign. He added that \nthere was a Presidential commission of Inquiry and its report should be awaited. \nAfter looking heavenwards, the BBC man asked the PM if he would resign if the \ncommission faulted him. The PM shot back saying it could not find fault with \nhim. The BBC man propositioned that the PM was prejudging the Commission report. \nThe obdurate PM did not think so. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \nBBC man said he understood from the people that the PM did not empathize with \nthem. The PM denied it. He said he had visited 2 (empty?) churches later in the \nday. He was asked what next he did. He said he was not in the habit of visiting \neach and every one who survived or were affected. So he went back to his office \nand started working on how to protect the Muslims. He was asked how he could do \nso when he could not protect the Christians. The \u2018whole world\u2019 that the PM never \ntires of saying that thinks SL is a marvelous place only after he took over, was \nlistening. It must have squirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answers \nwill have to be given to questions of collective and command responsibility \n(Geneva type or otherwise) and criminal negligence. Supplicants at Temple Trees, \nacademically sanitized and biased \u2018Forum\u2019 members and alternative NGO types may \npray with the PM that he will survive. They must hope this, like the Bond and \nother scams including Sri Lankan will wash away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It \nwill not, cannot and must not .The price SL paid is far too great to tolerate \nany more PMs who lead from the rear in greed for power and fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SL \nfortunately had Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith and Catholic clergy to lead at this \nvery crucial time. The Cardinal spoke clearly, firmly and without fear. \nCatholics were told that reprisals would not be sanctioned. Tightly bonded, \nhighly disciplined and God fearing, they listened and obeyed. The country of \nabout 70% Buddhists also listened. They were astonished, amazed and hugely \ninspired by this response. To the Muslims the Cardinal was a savior. SL will be \nforever indebted to him, his clergy and the inconsolable, grief stricken \nCatholics for their singular act of unprecedented humanity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus \nthere was no return to 1983 when SL was leaderless. It was described as a pariah \nstate for many years. The PM was then a minister. He and his party men were just \nas distant and dispassionate then, but unlike him JRJ pleaded mea culpa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \npeoples\u2019 loathing for all politicians has been reinforced. The PM and incurably \nvenal politicians must know where the buck stops. The people hold them in utter \ncontempt. This tragic calamity and those responsible will not be forgotten or \nforgiven. There will be no more passing of the buck. Heads must roll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– \nAsian Tribune –<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Major General (Retd.) Lalin Fernando When PM Wickramasinghe was asked by BBC\u2019s Channel 4 why he had not taken action against ISIS terrorists who had returned to the Island in 2017, his fatuous reply was that it was not illegal in SL to take part in terrorist actions abroad. The PM has a basic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-88173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88173","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=88173"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88173\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}