Is it going to be a Rajapaksa or Sirisena; MR and Maithri to decide!

BY GAGANI WEERAKOON-JAN 13 2019

President Maithripala Sirisena, as he completed four years in office, acknowledged there were instances of failures in implementing certain programmes when fulfilling aspirations of those who voted him to power with faith and vowed to turn the lessons learnt from those defeats to victories in future.

While declaring open the new Laggala Green Town - country’s first such town - on Tuesday (08) morning, President Sirisena also invited all interested parties to join hands in building a stronger programme to eradicate frauds and corruptions.

“The lessons learnt through defeats and setbacks in the past four years will be used as a blessing in achieving new heights in curbing corruption and defeating frauds in the country,” he added.

CC finally accepts

An apparent tug-of-war between the Executive and the Constitutional Council in appointing Judges to Supreme Court finally came to a conclusion on Monday (7) when President Sirisena finally gave-in and sent the list omitting one name from his previous lists.

Accordingly, three Judges of the Court of Appeal, including its President, were elevated to the Supreme Court, while a High Court Judge was elevated to the Court of Appeal on Wednesday (9).

President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Preethi Padman Surasena, Justices President's Counsel S. Thurairaja, and E.A.G.R. Amarasekara were elevated to the Supreme Court, while High Court Judge K.P. Fernando was elevated to the Court of Appeal.

They took oaths before President Maithripala Sirisena at the President's official residence.

The Constitutional Council (CC) convened under Speaker Karu Jayasuriya at the Parliament complex Monday (7) morning and attention was drawn to the nominees mooted by President Maithripala Sirisena to fill vacancies in the Superior Courts.

The vacancy that fell vacant with the retirement of Supreme Court Judge, Justice Eva Wanasundera was ratified unanimously by the CC.

The nominees proposed by the President previously to fill the two vacancies in the Supreme Court and the vacancy at the Court of Appeal were also ratified during the meeting held by the Constitutional Council.

Those in attendance were Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister of Justice Thalatha Atukorale, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Parliamentarian Bimal Rathnayake, Jayantha Dhanapala, Nagananda Selvakumaran and Javed Yusuf.

There were three vacancies in the Supreme Court following the retirement of former Chief Justice Priyasath Dep PC, Eva Wanasundera PC, and the vacancy that fell when Justice H. Nalin J. Perera was appointed Chief Justice. It is a norm to elevate the President of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court when a vacancy arises in the latter. There was one vacancy in the Court of Appeal.

The names of Court of Appeal Judges, Justices E.A. Gamini R. Amarasekara, S. Thurairaja PC, Deepali Wijesundera and K.K. Wickramasinghe, along with High Court Judge K.P. Fernando were in the fray to fill in the vacant slots.

Article 107 of the Constitution holds that the Chief Justice, the President of the Court of Appeal and other Judges of the Supreme Court, and the Court of Appeal shall, subject to the approval of the CC, be appointed by the President.

Dudley factor

By last week, it was made aware from the side of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party that President Sirisena in fact, would be their Presidential candidate. This however, has not been ratified by any other political party in the UPFA or by Mahinda Rajapaksa-led Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) so far.

However, it was made clear by both President Sirisena’s side as well as from the Opposition Leader Rajapaksa’s camp that the two parties will have to go into a broader coalition when contesting future elections. This may vary when it comes to Provincial Council Elections or a General Election, but President Sirisena-led SLFP will definitely need the support or the campaign leadership of Rajapaksas to win a Presidential Election.

It is learnt that the duo is expected to meet and reach a decision next Monday (21) on the formation of the coalition and the candidate. The talk is that President’s younger brother, business tycoon Dudley Sirisena has had a greater influence in bringing the duo together on one platform. He was strongly believed as the man who played a major role in mending the tainted relations between Rajapaksas and Sirisenas.

It is in the midst of this that the Chairman of Araliya Group of Companies admits during an interview with a vernacular language newspaper that he may enter active politics only if his brother President Sirisena asked him to do so. This, in fact was the similar sentiments expressed by Rajapaksa’s younger brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the recent past whenever he was posed the question of his readiness to enter politics or contest the Presidency.

 Dudley Sirisena also announced his plans to launch an anti-corruption organisation by joining hands with scholars, professionals, media and business community aiming to put a stop to corrupt activities carried out by politicians and officials and to direct the government on the path of good governance to accelerate the development work in the country.

Addressing a gathering in Colombo, on Wednesday (9), Sirisena announced that following the elections this year, he is planning to create an organisation, under the leadership of President Sirisena, to promote good governance practices and to influence the government, as the country has reached a boiling point, due to the sustained corruption. He said this will not be linked to the Government.

In what appeared like echoing his Presidential brother’s sentiments he, in particular, blamed the politicians and officials who attended the top schools in Colombo for ruining the country’s economy.

“The people who went to top schools in Colombo were responsible for destroying this country. All these people need to be sent to schools in Polonnaruwa first,” he said.

Sirisena also criticised the corrupt officials and politicians who were hindering foreign investors coming to Sri Lanka by demanding bribes, which ranges between 5 per cent and 50 per cent of the investments.

“There have been certain individuals who were demanding 5 per cent, 10 per cent, 15 per cent, 20 per cent and even 50 per cent from foreign investors for their investments during past years. We will definitely implement a programme against these corrupt activities carried out by corrupt individuals this year,” he stressed.

Sirisena claimed that none of the Board of Investment (BOI) projects signed within last one to two years were completed, except for the projects carried out by his company. He said he would reveal these corrupt activities via the Media in the coming months, while urging for the support of the media.

Sirisena also revealed that five well-known figures in Sri Lanka’s business community have invested US $ 673 million recently in Indonesia alone, as the conditions in the country have become unviable for local businesses.

“When I visited Indonesia seven to eight months ago, I met Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Indonesia and he revealed to me that five well-known Sri Lankan businessmen have invested US $ 673 million in Indonesia, which was more than the US $ 500 million spent by the Central Bank in defending the rupee against the dollar during the past few months.

Why did these people go there? Because of raw materials, labour cost, tax issues, etc.” he said.

MPs protest Malik

A group of UNP MPs have expressed their anger and rage against Minister of Development Strategies, International Trade, Science and Technology and Research, Malik Samarawickrema at the party group meeting held in Parliament, on Tuesday(8).

MPs including Hesha Vithanage, Chaminda Wijesiri have criticised Minister Samarawickrema’s attitude. They alleged that Minister Smarawickrema did not permit them to enter his Ministry when they went there. They accused the Minister of saying that he does not listen to MPs of the ruling party and that he was arrogant.

They stressed that his Ministry was of no use to the public and was a white elephant and that the Ministry should fold up.

However, Minister Smarawickrema has assured the MPs that they could meet him once an appointment is made.

“I did not know anybody was to come as I did not invite anyone there,” he snubbed.

These MPs were of the view that it was not only Minister Samarawickrema who behaved in such a manner and that there were others as well.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has pulled up several UNP Cabinet Ministers for not attending party meeting, yesterday.

Wickremesinghe has appointed a Committee to look into issues that have arisen with regard to Ministers and the inability to meet them. The Committee is headed by Chairman of the Party, Kabir Hashim
BY GAGANI WEERAKOON