Maithri should bear that his insecurity lies in the hands of SLFP lead UPFA – Ali asghar

Sunday, 08 February 2015

Justice without power is helpless, power without justice is tyrannical – Blaise Pascal
Rajapaksa as a whole exercised the above proverb under his tenure during his presidency. The justice of Rajapaksa was the power and the law of Rajapaksa was the loyalty. If you are a pro Rajapaksa and if you are a twig in the Rajapaksa tree you are immune to the law. Even if you not an anti Rajapaksa but a normal citizen the Rajapaksa law would swallow you. Rajapaksa law became weak in front of an influence and the Rajapaksa law tirelessly attacked the frail.

Chasing the poor from their only owned house in Colombo without compensation, mercilessly murdering the inmates from the Welikada prison, robbed the assets and properties of Lalith Kothalawala were exercised according the Rajapaksa law. Murdering the criminals taken to show the hidden arms, grabbing the lands of the ordinary citizens in the North, killing of journalist by breaking skulls, taking people hostile in to custody by the prevention of Terrorism Act, innocent people abducted during the emergency law, unlawful detention without inquiry, attacks launched on university students, killing of protestors in Rathupaswala, Chilaw and Katunayaka, killing of the innocent Muslims in Aluthgama under a curfew was all orchestrated in accordance to the Rajapaksa law. The associates who made money from mega deals are also in accordance to the Rajapaksa law.

Once in a while the Rajapaksa needed a frank to generalize its uncivilized conduct. There should be a Chief Justice, Attorney General or another judge ready to disperse the justice when asked. Law books, previous judgments, constitutional provisions are all unnecessary. If a judge refuses to conform to stamp the Rajapaksa judgment that Judge existence came to an end. The unlawful and uncivilized impeachment brought against the former Chief Justice was exercised due to the reason she refused to stamp the Divineguma Bill of the economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa. Therefore Mohan Pieris is chosen as the ideal person for the job. Mohan Pieris’s law confirms his loyalty and the ignorance of his knowledge in convention laws by staying beside his leader even during the elections day night.

Mohan Pieris is a good banker, a good arms dealer. In order to render something he demands something. In order to dispense a justice he expects a profit. If he is allowed to stay in the bench as the chief justice of the Supreme Court he will give whatever the judgment the dealer want. In order to leave the Chief Justice post he needs an ambassador post. Therefore by keeping him we cannot bring good governance in the Judiciary and we cannot establish the rule of law. That is similar to appointing Sakvithi Ranasinghe as the central Bank Governor. We cannot move a single step independently forward with the existence of Mohan Pieris. Therefore he has to be ousted for the best interest of the citizens.

Under this situation removing Mohan Pieris is a fearless decision taken by the Maithri governance to establish the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. Kamalesh Sharma the secretary general of the Commonwealth too has shown his consent regarding the removal of Mohan Pieris. Therefore it’s not wrong if we conform that there is an international approval complied.

The derailment of the Judiciary, happen from Chief Justice sarath N Silva to Mohan Pieris, has been corrected now. There is a space opened to establish the rule of law and to have a healthy judiciary. People who were deprived due to the lawlessness and inequity over a period of time can seek justice from this opportunity. In future, following the Maithri precedence a senior Chief Justice would be appointed. The independent commissions would be established and the public service can continue its functions without hindrance. The new government would use the people’s mandate for the best interest of its citizens.

In future we can hope the law would treat everybody equal and there will not be incidents of murders when taking anybody to show the hidden arms and the fear of the ordinary people of chasing them from their houses.
At this situation the opposition is showing their agitation for removing Mohan Pieris. Dinesh Gunawardana who appeared in Derana 360 still persist that Mohan Pieris is the Chief Justice. SLFP members Nimal Siripala, Susil Premjayanth, Anura Priyadharshana, Dilan Perera raised their voice against the removal of Mohan Pieris apart Wimal and Vasu’s uproar in the parliament. Lakshman Kiriella had to explain that it was the SLFP leader who removed Mohan Pieris. However Nimal Siripala expressed although it is the president who is their party leader he is against this removal. From his statement it is implied that they still comply the authoritarian governance of Mahinda and they are against the necessary reforms of the new government.

There is another political indication conveyed from this agitation. That would be although the official leader of SLFP is President Maithripala still the SLFP MP’s are loyal to Mahinda. Mahinda’s shadow is still falling on to the SLFP. It can reactivate anytime and stand against Maithri at any moment. In order to bring good governance President Maithri cannot hold both the presidency and the party leadership at the same time, he has to give up the party leadership to Chandrika or to any other. Holding both posts is a conflict of interest where Maithri has to oblige for the demands of the current Rajapaksa parliament.

President Maithri has to keep in mind that he was and he would be secured only by the force erupted against Mahinda, not the conventional hands of the SLFP and its appointments. Once again the security of President Maithripala Sirisena does not lie under the current security heads who are serving long time under the Rajapaksa regime. Therefore President Maithripala considering the best interest of the people (not his part) should use his executive powers and take immediate institutional, constitutional, judicial and military reforms before it is too late
Ali asghar

Former Law Student Requests CJ To Disbar Namal Rajapaksa

February 8, 2015

Former Law student DM Thushara Jayarathna has today written to the new Chief Justice, requesting him to disbar Namal Rajapaksa.

Namal

In a letter to the CJ, Thushara who is currently residing in Switzerland upon seeking asylum, has requested for a disciplinary committee to be summoned and for the allegations he has made against Namal to be examined, so that a probe can be carried out into the irregularities committed in the process leading up to Namal giving oaths as a lawyer.

Thushara who had written for the final year of the Bar exams in 2010 along with Namal recalls the manner in which NR was facilitated to separately sit for the examination inside a special A\C room complete with a PC with internet facilities, in violation of regulations set out by the Sri Lanka Law College.

He also stated that the paper was leaked to NR and has drawn the CJ’s attention to the complaints he had made in this regard, to all relevant authorities including the then Law College Principal, the then CJ, the Justice Ministry Secretary, Keselwatte Police, the Human Rights Commission and the Bribery and Corruption Commission.

He has further pointed to the special oath taking ceremony facilitated to NR by the then Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake and the photographs he took inside her chambers upon giving oaths – an opportunity that is not given to other students.

Thushara was compelled to flee the country when he started receiving death threats and was intimidated due to the complaints he made against the irregularities that occurred at the Law College with concern to the examination and oaths ceremony of NR.

However, he has stated that he is willing to testify both verbally and in writing concerning the allegations he has made.

Related posts;

Sinhala Video: Thushara Speaks On The Scandal Of Namal Rajapaksa’s Law Final

Namal Rajapaksa’s Law Exam Cheating Case Goes To Geneva

Two stories:Namal Rajapaksa Took Oaths As Attorney-at-Law And Two Students Arrested For Exam Fraud

Namal Rajapaksa To Get A ‘Dodgy’ PhD In Gaddafi Son’s Way

Questions To USJ Senate On Namal Rajapaksa’s ‘Dodgy’ PhD Attempt

Rajapaksa Dynasty And Their Qualification Saga

Phantom of the Supreme Court

• Sunday, February 08, 2015

The downfall of Mohan Peiris, the chief justice that never was

It is in his pathetic attempt to portray himself as the victim of injustice a man terribly wronged; it is in his audacious bid to raise himself to the heights of a former Chief Justice, the much respected Neville Samarakoon; and it is in his bare faced bizarre avowal that the maintenance of the dignity and decorum of the office of Chief Justice were his prime concerns that Mohan Peiris surpassed himself last week to reveal his inherent extraordinary genius to find in fathomless depths a deeper still to sink.

Phantom of the Supreme Court by Thavam Ratna

President’s noble example by disciplining his son instead of banning websites!

 

Sunday, 08 February 2015

Around a fortnight ago, we received a phone call in the night, saying that Lanka News Web and another website have once again been banned in Sri Lanka. The reason for the ban was the article we have published under the title ‘Daham Sirisena plays Malaka Silva’s role!’ which was related to an incident involving the president’s son.

After getting this call, our editorial members stationed in several countries got in touch with each other through skype, but there was no way of verifying the news, as the time was after midnight in Sri Lanka. To the laughter of others, a colleague in Germany said, “How easy it would be to ban webs than disciplining the son?” they said they would not be surprised if it is true, as they knew it to be a ‘temporary honeymoon’ only.

However, half an hour later, a colleague of ours in Sri Lanka reached us and said the website is accessible without any difficulty. That was a big relief for us. However, we expected an aggressive response to our news article, going by our experiences in the past with the Rajapaksa brothers.

Some time later, the news we received was quite surprising and unbelievable.

That is – somebody has brought the news article in question to the attention of president Maithripala Sirisena, who sent his personal bodyguards to the nightclub, where they went through the CCTV recordings and found it to be true. They informed the president about it.

Shocked by the incident, but not showing it, he summoned his son to him privately, pointed out to him the seriousness of the incident, gave him stern advice and sent him immediately from Colombo to the Polonnaruwa home. Later, he personally took steps to send the son for studies in England.

Speaking to his friends, the president said, “Sons of politicians in this country have played hell more than enough. I too, have such experiences. It is time to stop all that nonsense. Please, do not put things into Daham’s head and make him bad. That will be the biggest help done for me.”

After hearing this, former British home affairs secretary Jack Straw came to our mind. When his son was faced of a drug charge, Mr. Straw took him personally to police and supported the investigation. That is how humane, civilized societies act. Mr. president, this is the last opportunity to restore that in this country too. We firmly believe that you are the only person capable of bringing about that change.

Previous article

Daham Sirisena plays role of Malaka Silva!

Dilemma Of Those In Exile Continues: Frederica Jansz Speaks Out

February 8, 2015 

The dilemma faced by journalists and others who fled the country during the Rajapaksa regime continues, as the new government has been inactive on facilitating the return of those in exile beyond making mere verbal claims.

Frederica Jansz

An example of the reluctance in the minds of those in exile, to return to Sri Lanka is reflected in the comment made by former Editor of Sunday Leader, Frederica Jansz on the reasons why she believes it is risky for her to return.

She fled the country after she was sacked from her post as Editor-in-Chief when the paper was bought over by a Rajapaksa stooge. Jansz speaking to Colombo Telegraph points to the court cases filed against her during her tenure as the Editor of Sunday Leader among which, in one case, a bench warrant had been issued after her departure from Sri Lanka.

“Police went to my house in Sri Lanka with the warrant, finding me not at home they asked my mother and ex-husband to come to the Mount Lavinia police station. They had been informed that if I was to ever return to Sri Lanka I would be arrested at the Immigration,” she says.

She also points to the legal complications involved with her return under her present circumstances, as the passports of her elder son and hers have expired in 2014.

“Neither do we have our Green cards yet, which would enable us to travel. According to US law and based on the fact that we claimed political asylum, we would only be allowed a two-week visit to Sri Lanka. If we wished to stay longer we would have to revoke our Green Cards and citizenship in the US,” she states and adds, “What do we go back to? Our family was split into three when we were forced to flee. The children and I were terribly traumatized and they have only just settled. . . What guarantee of a job would I have if I were to return?”

The former Editor also expressed concern over the safety of her life, pointing out that many believe she was a key-figure in Sarath Fonseka’s jail term extension.

“After all, Sarath Fonseka and his supporters believe that I was key in extending his jail term. Will I be safe?” she said.

Furthermore, she refers to the Rs. one million she is due to pay as damages ordered by the Court in her absence and any legal representation, and the complaints made to the CID by Sajin Vaas Gunawardena andAsanga Seneviratne against her for threatening the life of Mahinda Rajapaksa, based on fictitious and unfounded claims.

“There are also existing court cases against me initiated by Thilanga Sumathipala who allegedly told former Publisher Lal Wickrematunge that he was determined to see me ‘punished’ when approached to drop the case following Lasantha Wickrematunge’s assassination. Lasantha, Lal and I are all respondents in this case. Is this what I would return to?” she questions.

“In my absence and that of any legal representation the courts awarded Nalin Laduwahetty one million rupees by way of damages which I am supposed to pay in my personal capacity. Is this what I would go back to??” she asked.

Colombo Telegraph pointed out earlier that despite informal, verbal invitations made by several interim government ministers for those in exile to return, a formal request is yet to be made through the parliament by either the Prime Minister or the President. This factor has resulted in a majority of those living in exile to be reluctant to respond to the invitation, as a majority of those who fled have been charged by the TID, with court cases filed against them. As a result, upon arrival they face the risk of being put through interrogation or being arrested at the airport.

This fact has been further highlighted by Prof. S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole in his piece in Colombo Telegraph, who points out mere words of invitation are insufficient. He has an open warrant against him for inciting a riot and it was due to writing against election malpractices in the Kayts during the Rajapaksa regime.

Speaking at the Oslo Freedom Forum in Norway last October, former Editor for The Sunday Leader newspaper Frederica Jansz offers an insight into her home country, the fourth deadliest place in the world for journalists to work.

On October 20, 21, and 22, dissidents, activists, world leaders, journalists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, artists, philanthropists, and scholars united in Norway to share their stories and collaborate on ideas for Defeating Dictators.

Speakers from 13 countries, Including Ms. Jansz, gave enlightening talks on a wide variety of issues.

The conference concluded with the presentation of the Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent, which was awarded this year to iconic Turkish protestor and “Standing Man” Erdem Gunduz, the Russian punk rock protest group Pussy Riot, and Tibetan documentary filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen.

Signs of Blemishes in Good Governance

Sam Samarasinghe and Chandrasiri Seneviratne

by Sam Samarasinghe 

- on 02/08/2015 

In the first three weeks of its tenure the Sirisena/Wickramasinghe administration has generally adhered to the principles of good governance in their effort to implement the One-Hundred Day Program. President Sirisena’s interview on Rupavahini TV last weekend further buttressed his good governance credentials.
Signs of Blemishes in Good Governance by Thavam Ratna

Troop Deployment & 48 Hour Detention: Rajapaksa Policies to Continue

Govt. to extend controversial detention law by 2 more years

07/02/2015
The new Government is to extend for two years a controversial law which allows the Police to detain for upto 48 hours persons arrested without a warrant on charges of murder and other serious crimes. The Minister of Justice has issued a Gazette notification to extend for another two years the operation of the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Special Provisions) Act No. 2 of 2013, a law that was opposed by the UNP when it was introduced by the previous government.

The Act was certified by the Speaker on February 6, 2013 and its two year period of validity lapsed this week. The validity of the law can be extended with a Gazette notification, following which it will have to be approved by Parliament.

The law allows for persons arrested without a warrant to be detained up to 48 hours and also allows the Attorney General to forward indictments directly to the High Court in special cases where murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, rape, and offences committed with the use of explosives or an offensive weapon or gun. Such proceedings have to be concluded within ninety days under the terms of this Act.

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150208/news/govt-to-extend-controversial-detention-law-by-2-more-years-134978.html

Troop deployment: Govt. to continue the previous Govt.’s practice 
View(s):

A proclamation enabling the deployment of armed forces to maintain law and order will be issued every month, Public Order Minister John Amaratunga said yesterday.

He said such deployment would be done only when the necessity arose.

Mr. Amaratunga’s remarks came after questions were raised whether the new government would continue with the previous government’s practice of issuing gazette notification for the deployment of troops. Section 12 of the Public Security Ordinance says, “Where circumstances endangering the public security in any area have arisen or are imminent and the President is of the opinion that the police are inadequate to deal with such situation in that area, he may, by Order published in the Gazette, call out all or any of the members of the armed forces for the maintenance of public order in that area”.

On Thursday, Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne, when questioned about the Gazette notification issued on February 2, said it was necessary because troops were to be deployed in view of the Independence Day celebrations. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka and civil society groups have demanded that the monthly gazette notificiation issued by the President be halted.

The Extraordinary Gazette notification says all armed forces personnel are called upon to maintain law and order in all 25 districts of the country

President Sirisena’s 67-year question and the 100-Day Plan 

by Rajan Philips-February 7, 2015

"We have failed in the essential task of nation building," said President Chandrika Kumaratunga in her speech to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Sri Lanka’s independence. That was in 1998. Seventeen years later, on Independence Day last week, President Maithripala Sirisena soul searchingly spoke of our "great responsibility and duty … today to ask where we have gone wrong, and how we could correct those errors, (and)… as we look at the path we have trod in the 67 years of freedom, and especially since 2009, can we be satisfied with what has been achieved after the restoration of peace?" For his part, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe drew attention to the dissipation over the years, of the level of unity that prevailed among the island’s different communities at the time DS Senanayake ushered in Lanka’s independence from British colonial rule in 1948. Why string together the Independence Day musings of these three political figures to reflect on where we are as a polity and a society and what lies ahead for the country?

President Sirisena’s 67-year question and the 100-Day Plan .odt by Thavam Ratna

The poster is ok but Ketagoda is missing

Sunday, 08 February 2015

Yesterday 7th of February there was a poster in the walls of Colombo pasted by an organization named “We are for Justice” heading “Salute for Jayantha Ketagoda for presenting the MP post for General”

We earlier reported that General Sarath Fonseka is coming to the parliament on the 6th but yesterday it did not happen because Jayantha Ketagoda still have not resigned. The Elections commissioner told the media, General Fonseka’s parliamentary seat lies at the hands of Ketagoda whereas if Ketagoda resigns General Fonseka can be appointed.

However until 6th Ketagoda did not resign but today there was such a poster in the walls of Colombo. Members of the Democratic Party said they are unable to locate Ketagoda to thank him. According to reports reaching us government and opposition parliament MP’s has met Ketagoda and told him not to resign.

The reason why forcing Ketagoda not to resign is that the fear by any chance when General Fonseka comes to the Parliament sometimes there are possibilities that the defense ministry which is under the President would be given to him. During the election President Maithripala’s promised that he would fulfill justice to Fonseka but
never told that he would give the defense ministry. Now President Maithripala has fulfilled his election promise.

Jaffna University In Uproar: Govt Reneges, Promotes Tamil Extremism

By Ulagu Kudumban -February 8, 2015 

Rage among University Employees

At yesterday’s (06 Feb. 2015) meeting of the Jaffna University Teachers’ Association (JUTA), visibly angry members demanded that the Deans produce a secret memo to the UGC or resign. The widespread discontent was seen in the unusually high attendance and the absence from the meeting of isolated Vice Chancellor Vansanthi Arasaratnam’s usual supporters of whom one was seen eavesdropping from an adjacent room without attending. This was Dean Management Studies Prof. T. Velnamby who was the Chief Liaison between the VC and the EPDP for the last VC election where he brought his relatively unknown student from Eastern University as the dummy candidate who did impressively because of EPDP pressure.

Prof. Rajiva Wijesingha – the State Minister for Higher Education

The background building up to this furore is this: a) the series of memos and protest letters on flouted recruitment procedures from JUSTA, the JUSTA Science Teachers’ Association whose members belong to the larger JUTA. b) the Employees’ Union strike on Jan. 31 blockading the external Council members from attending the meeting usually held on the last Saturday of each month; c) the government reneging on promises to FUTA and d) Jaffna Deans seizing the moment to deny JUSTA’s allegations. We will go over these in time sequence.

Abuse of Power by VC and Jaffna Council                                             Read More  

Bypassing Cabinet, Rajapaksa paid Rs. 1.39b to US firms and middleman

Sunday, February 08, 2015

The Presidential Secretariat, under the previous UPFA Government, paid a staggering Rs. 1.39 billion to a middleman and two public relations agencies in the United States to promote Sri Lanka and lobby on behalf of the former Government. Though the Cabinet of Ministers did not approve the payment, the Presidential Secretariat had directed in writing that the amount be approved by the Central Bank’s Monetary Board and remitted directly to those concerned, according to revelations that have surfaced so far into investigations carried out by the Ministry of Finance.

More startling revelations are unfolding as the investigation continues. About US$ 4.5 million (or Rs. 587,120,850) has been paid to Imad Zuberi, the middleman who helped arrange a string of US public relations companies to promote Sri Lanka.  Mr. Zuberi, who has touted his close connections to US President Barack Obama having served in the fund raising committee for his election, was introduced to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa by Salim Mandaviwala, a former Pakistani Finance Minister.

Since then, Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, the former Monitoring MP of the External Affairs Ministry, dealt with Mr. Zuberi. With Mr. Zuberi’s help, Mr. Vass Gunawardena signed up another set of US public relations firms. Payments to these firms, too, have been made through the Central Bank without recourse to approval by ministers. A Finance Ministry official said this aspect was also now under investigation.

The two firms for which the former Government’s Presidential Secretariat wanted payments made are: WR Group – US$ 2 million (or Rs. 260,389,200) and Nelson Mullins Riley and Scarborough LLP — US$ 4.15 million (or Rs. 543,253,100).

'Yahapalanaya' (un)cloaked

Fragments.

Uditha Devapriya -Saturday, February 7, 2015

There is nothing wrong in regime-change. Nothing wrong in talking about democracy or mourning its absence. Self-righteous words however do have a limit. They run out of steam the moment those who speak them come to power. Democracy-deficits are objected to by the same people who embrace them when they are elected. Sadly.

The “enemy of my enemy is my friend” argument holds sway, however. No one is a saint. There are lesser evils that need to be taken in to eliminate greater ones.

What we’re seeing in Sri Lanka today is good governance. “Yahapalanaya”. Maithripala Sirisena has promised it all. Commendably. He has promised to look into past abuses and misuses of authority, to punish those deserving and exonerate those wrongly accused or in other ways punished. That’s commendable too. But hardly enough.

Not every appointment made by a government is political. Qualification-requirements, age-limits and term-limits, and appointment-transparency must be kept. And yet, even with all these, there is still something “political” about appointments made by any regime. Why? Because it is the government and in particular the Executive that has to sanction appointment. That’s where the “political” part to it crops up, after all.

There is nothing wrong in this, though, provided the necessarily qualification-caveats are met. Giving a post to someone on the basis of friendship and ignoring the more deserving are signs of nepotism. With a capital N. Which is where, sadly enough, the new regime isn’t going on track.

Upul Jayasuriya is the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka. That’s BASL. He’s a lawyer. An eminent one. He and his organisation spoke against the previous government, their abuses and tactics, all the way. Whether they were tied to party preference (Jayasuriya is a UNP activist) more than democracy-love is another story. For now, however, there are problems. Big ones.

Jayasuriya has been appointed as the chairman of the Board of Investment. Forget that he’s a lawyer. Forget that his predecessors at the BOI include Thilan Wijesinghe. Forget that the BOI website itself states that he served as a Legal Adviser to the Greater Colombo Economic Commission (the forerunner to the BOI), and that his experience with economics and finance is limited to this. Forget all these. What’s important is timing.

There are other appointments of course. The Chairman of Lake House,  for instance, is the brother of a Member of Parliament. That’s a far cry from his predecessor Bandula Padmakumara, who wasn’t even remotely related to a ruling party stalwart.

Padmakumara, moreover, was removed not only from his post, but from a private channel. And as Colombo Telegraph itself notes, that had to do with his political preference (which, if I may add here, is his right and his right alone) than the need for an unbiased media. Because let’s face it, why would anyone appoint the brother of a former MP as Chairman of state media? To prevent bias? No. Then what? Timing!

"Justice," someone said, "must not only be done; it must also be seen to be done." Appearance of bias is bad. Kavan Ratnayaka is Lake House Chairman. His brother (Sagala Ratnayaka) is a former UNP parliamentarian. The UNP holds sway over national policy (i.e. the Cabinet). That’s hardly consoling.

Which is why I worry about Upul Jayasuriya’s appointment. Jayasuriya, for all BASL’s posturing about neutrality, was/is a UNP activist. His predecessor, Wijedasa Rajapakshe, is a Minister under that same party. Anyone who looks at Jayasuriya’s track records and thinks he’s politically non-aligned clearly needs an eye-test. Whether or not he is biased towards one party isn’t the question here: the fact is that he’s a UNP activist, and his appointment, particularly given his “credentials” in finance and economics, smacks of “politics” all the way.

Jayasuriya, to make things worse, has shunned the media ever since his appointment. Why? Appointees are required, not as a matter of law but as a matter of transparency, to speak about their appointments and credentials. He hasn’t done that. And there is a reason for this. As Colombo Telegraph reported, Rajitha Senaratne announced that “all public sector officials” are to “strictly follow an Establishment Code and that no comments/information should be released to the media without obtaining prior written approval of the relevant Ministry Secretary.”

First of all, Senaratne is not the Media Minister. Gayantha Karunathilaka is. Whether or not Karunathilaka has endorsed this decision is another story. But without questioning state officials, without questioning credential and track record, we can’t really hope for “yahapalanaya”. Yes, it’s that simple. Senaratne, sadly enough, hasn’t realised this.

Jayasuriya’s appointment is done and dusted. So is Kavan Ratnayaka’s. Both are “political”, by definition and appearance. I don’t much know about Kavan to comment on his track record. But Jayasuriya is another matter. When compared to perhaps one of the most capable and efficient chairmen our Board of Investment ever had (Thilan Wijesinghe), this appointment seems to be “political” no matter how you look at it. That is not what we voted Maithripala Sirisena for.

Uditha Devapriya is a freelance writer who can be reached at udakdev1@gmail.com