Percy Mahendra And His Cintanaya – Response To Richmond Peiris

By Shanti Wijesinghe -November 20, 2014

Mr Richmond Peiris has made an important comment on the article “Percy Mahendra and his Cintanaya” (Colombo Telegraph, 17 November 2014). It deserves to be quoted in full:

“Most articles on this Web say that Mahinda Rajapaksa can not win the next PE but the prestigious Forbes investment Magazine published in USA, in its 30th October issue emphatically notes that President Mahinda Rajapaksa will win the January elections; the political stability has been cited as a reason to invest in Sri Lanka.

Giving Ten Reasons to Invest In Sri Lanka, a Forbes editorial states that from an investor’s point of view, the case for Sri Lanka is getting strong.

Sri Lanka has one of the best cases for an economy with the stars aligned in its favour,……..

I would like to know your comments.

Thanks”

First of all, I wish to thank Mr Richmond Peiris for the reasonableness of his question, the spirit of inquiry in which he raises it, and not the least, his courteous manner.

My answer is a bit long. It is for that reason that I decided to make this a separate piece, which ensures it better exposure. Besides, I thought the answer is an opportunity to unravel a relatively unknown area ofRajapaksa rule, too important to be lost in a string of comments.

Instead of pursuing a principled foreign policy executed by trained foreign service professionals as was the case under all previous governments, the Rajapaksa regime has resorted to appointing kinsmen and cronies to diplomatic positions. Since such appointees are inept, the regime has resorted to hiring lobbying firms to conduct foreign policy, especially for purposes of attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). The propaganda of these firms is part of the propaganda machine the regime has built as one of its arsenals in perpetrating its undemocratic, and immoral rule.Read More