My Proposal On Dual Citizenship Was Misinterpreted: Anura Kumara
January 25, 2015
The proposal brought forward by Anura Kumara Dissanayake concerning individuals with dual citizenships contesting at the elections has been grossly misinterpreted, he says and adds that his proposal never implied that those with dual citizenship does not have a right to engage in politics.
Speaking at a media briefing last week, the JVP Leader said his proposal to the national executive council concerning those with dual citizenship contesting elections did not imply they cannot engage in politics but that if such a person is to contest at a main election, they should give up the citizenship in the other country.
“We have never said they don’t have the right to engage in politics. They can engage in active politics and even be a leader of a party. But if he/ she is planning to contest at a main election, he/she should give up the citizenship in the other country,” he said.
Dissanayake said that laws should be drafted through experiences and added that today, the experience that can be gathered from the amendment made to the law in 2007 that referred to persons holding dual citizenship is that it opens a loophole for such politicians to engage in rampant plundering of public resources.
“The amendment in 2007 declared it unnecessary for a person holding dual citizenship to declare their assets and liabilities prior to contesting an election. That makes it tough to calculate their wealth that would be collected abroad and even tougher to conduct a probe on such a matter. Hence, it opens space for such individuals to escape the law and flee to another country,” he said adding therefore, he believes the proposal he has made to the council is fair.
Dissanayake made two proposals to the national executive council last week; one was concerning persons holding dual citizenship contesting elections and the other was regarding MPs who crossover and the continuation of their parliamentary representation afterwards. His former proposal was misinterpreted and thought of as a move that would withdraw the right of an individual holding dual citizenship to contest elections.
Maithripala’s ‘Watery’ Battle For Good Governance
By Rasika Jayakody -January 25, 2015
Rasika Jayakody
“Where is yahapalanaya (good governance) in the new overnment?” Now this seems to be the million dollar question, at this juncture.
Two and a half weeks after its election, the new government, led by President Mathripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, has already shown some ominous signs where the idea of good governance is concerned.
It is now becoming clear that those who were really instrumental in forming a Common Opposition Alliance and bringing the opposition back to the victorious path are being sidelined due to some obscure reasons.
*The next controversial move was to appoint President Sirisena’s brother, Kumarasinghe Sirisena as the Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom.
A sizable proportion of Mahinda Rajapaksa loyalists, who did everything possible (literally) to ensure the victory of the former President, are now aligning themselves with the new President. Some of them have already been appointed to top positions in the new government, sending shockwaves across the rank and file of the UNP.
