JVP’s task ahead

Monday, 17 December 2018

 Wickremesinghe has reclaimed his Prime Ministership, not because he deserved it but because of President Sirisena’s impulsive irrationality driven by hunger for power and because of a determined commitment by JVP, TNA and Muslim parliamentarians to rescue democracy from the brink of destruction engineered by a conspiratorial cabal. Above all and most importantly, it is the country’s Supreme Court with its utmost impartiality, integrity and independence amidst unwarranted doubts, baseless rumours and malicious speculations that finally restored sanity out of nearly two months of chaos. In total, the resurrection of the UNP Government is the only sensible alternative. The biggest question facing the nation now is ‘quo vadis’?

Although democracy has been restored there is little room for complacency, because the nation is not totally out of the woods. The economy has to be rebuilt, international confidence restored, budgetary problems addressed and clean government or ‘yahapalana’ guaranteed. Even if the UNP Government is allowed to run its full term of office until 2020, the country desperately needs another alternative to the UNP-SLFP/SLPP hackneyed two-party race.

This is not a phenomenon unique to Sri Lanka. In several other democratic polities too including those in Western countries, voters are getting increasingly frustrated at the underperformance of the two-party system and the increasing similarity in policies and programs between them. Capitalism with its neoliberal economic ideology has captured the manifestos and campaign platforms of the contestants, to benefit the rich abundantly at the expense of the poor and vulnerable. These voters are therefore shifting allegiance towards a third alternative, which unfortunately is dominated by the far-right.

As the far-right erodes into traditional vote banks of major parties, the latter in turn are forced to reshape their manifestos with subtle inclusions of far-right policies. For instance, while the far-right in Europe, UK, US and Australia openly advocates Islamophobia to get rid of Muslim minorities, traditional parties advocate the same but under a more electorally palatable policy of immigration control and border security. This is their undercover Islamophobia devised to distract voters from more pressing issues about economy and welfare.

One can witness a similar trend in Sri Lanka also in recent times, especially during and after the civil war. The rising popularity of far right parties like Jathika Hela Urumaya, Sinha Le and Bodu Bala Sena – all backed by varied vested interests including minority elements from the sangha and foreign powers – have forced the two national parties to sing the far-right racist chorus but in soothing tunes. Both UNP and SLFP/SLPP address different ethnic audience with different ethnic messages and keep the country continuously divided. This is why the country still remains divided and in imbroglio on the ethnic issue.

As long as that issue remains unresolved peace and development of the country will be hamstrung. In a plural society no single component of that plurality however large that may be can move that society forward with peace and prosperity. It is this truism, which marks the difference between a highly successful and prosperous Singapore and disappointingly failed and impoverished Sri Lanka.

It is in this context that one should consider the role of JVP as a viable and promising third alternative. True, this party has a bloody past soiled in juvenile revolutionary romanticism. Having paid a heavy price for that delinquency however, it has now changed over a new leaf and evolved into a more matured democratic political alternative with demonstrable pragmatism. The way it has conducted itself in the current Parliament in general and in the constitutional crisis in particular has proved its democratic and patriotic mettle.

Of course, there will be critics who will pick instances here and there from the recent past and present to dispute this thesis. However, in rough and tumble of politics compromises over crucial issues are sometimes demanded from any leadership without surrendering its fundamental principles and policies.

The fact that JVP, unlike the other ‘rathu sahotharayas’, is a party with a rural Buddhist base is an incredible advantage because, historically, it was with that rural support ancient monarchs successfully built a resplendent but peaceful, prosperous and pluralist Sri Lanka that lasted even under colonial oppression. After independence however, an emotionally driven, urban biased and ethnically divisive party politics poisoned the rural Buddhist mass and ruined its inherited quality of compassion and cosmopolitanism. It is therefore the task of the JVP to resurrect these rural qualities with a solid campaign and workable program.

That campaign should convince the rural Buddhists first and others later that Sri Lanka is a nation belonging to everyone, be it Sinhalese, Tamil or Muslim. Unlike the two major parties JVP should not speak with forked tongue. Its messages should be the same but in languages directly understandable to listeners, whether in Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Jaffna, or anywhere else. Those messages must be one of inclusion and not exclusion, patriotic and not parochial, regional or sectarian, humanist and not predatory and above all sincere and not opportunistic. Until now all political campaigns by all so called national and regional parties have been exclusionary, parochial, predatory and opportunistic.

The third alternative under JVP may not be achievable in 2020 or earlier but a dedicated campaign along the suggested line should bring respectable outcome in the medium term. Are Anura Kumara Dissananyake and his lieutenants ready to take up the challenge?

(The writer is from School of Business and Governance, Murdoch University, Western Australia.)

Protesting for democracy, in their own way

Civil society groups and activists hold placards during a protest demanding that democracy be restored in the country as they gather at the Independence Square in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Nov. 19, 2018.   | Photo Credit: AP

Meera Srinivasan
-DECEMBER 15, 2018

In the whirlwind seven weeks of political impasse, Colombo witnessed a string of incessant protests by concerned citizens, including women’s groups, members of the LGBTQ community, artistes and professionals.

A little different from each other, the agitations — at the Liberty roundabout, Lipton Circus or Independence Square in the heart of Colombo — had an underlying call: for the country’s democracy to be restored. As Sri Lanka edges towards some reprieve this weekend, many are likely to feel, perhaps in varying measure, relief and hope.

The period of the crisis saw at least two other significant protests that drew some attention. About 170 km north of Colombo, in Puttalam district, scores of residents are dreading a land-fill project coming up near their homes. Authorities pitched the the $101 million ‘Aruwakkalu project’ as “the solution” to Colombo’s garbage problem, especially after a mountain of trash collapsed near Colombo last year, killing over 30 people and crushing 150 homes. Designers of the project envisage transporting about 1,200 tonnes of garbage collected from Colombo daily to this site by train. “We are doomed,” said Asana Aboo Haniffa, an activist in Puttalam. “This site is going to have an immediate impact on our heath and long-term impact on the environment,” she said. For over 75 days now, locals have been protesting against the project with little response from Colombo. Those in power, she alleged, think that the garbage site in “faraway Puttalam” won’t affect them.

“But the truth is it is going to affect the entire country in future. It will contaminate our ground water and affect rare species of plants that grow nearby. We already find dead fish floating in our sea. It will affect tourism in Kalpitiya [by the west coast], when there won’t be any whales or dolphins to spot,” she said.

Amid the heightening political crisis in the capital, two key protests in Sri Lanka sought to highlight the need for better wages for estate workers and a safer environment

Wage woes

The other protest, launched by workers employed in Sri Lanka’s tea estates across the Central and Uva provinces, is two years old. Workers recently relaunched their strike, demanding a basic wage of LKR 1,000 a day (₹400), a few hundred rupees less than the living wage that studies have shown as necessary. Though about 50% of the workforce struck work for more than a week, delivering a huge blow to tea production that brings precious foreign exchange, their employers had no appetite for any demand to do with wages.

Workers rejected the proposal that plantation companies employing them made — of a 20% increase in basic earnings — arguing that the marginal raise would help them little at a time when living cost is spiralling rapidly.

The companies said the “100% wage hike” was not sustainable and instead suggested workers increase their productivity “by just 1 kg” to earn the amount as an incentive.

“Negotiations have failed, and unions felt we need the government to intervene as a third party, except that we didn’t have a government for weeks,” said Menaha Kandasamy, an adviser to the Red Flag Union. The strike has been called off, and local politicians have assured the workers that they would get the government to step in. At the height of the political crisis, President Maithripala Sirisena met union leaders last week, and urged them to resume work while assuring a fair wage hike.

 A “new government” may kick off its duties in the coming week. It will hurriedly pass a budget to ensure public finances are available from January 1. There will be new Ministers and perhaps new promises.

Meanwhile, the estate workers and residents fearing hazardous waste will wait for their democracy to be restored.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Should Now Exhibit Statesmanship

by N.S. Venkataraman   - Dec 17, 2018

Dec 17, 2018

With the reinstatement of Ranil  Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, many political observers around the world  think that democratic practices in Sri Lanka has emerged triumphant.

Earlier, when President Maithripala Srisena sacked Ranil  Wickremesinghe from the position of Prime Minister on 26th October, with least forethought and inadequate forward planning and with considerable contempt for public opinion, the judiciary in Sri Lanka asserted itself and nullified the decision of President Sirisena. Of course,  Wickremesinghe  refused to step down, asserting that his sacking was illegal, though he ceased to be the Prime Minister for all practical purposes.

While President Sirisena sacked Wickremesinghe, he installed the ex strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa  in his place.   He did this to the surprise and shock of everyone as Sirisena served under Rajapaksa earlier, then opposed him, contested against him, defeated him in the election and teamed up with Wickremesinghe to form the government. Such action of Sirisena  clearly made everyone suspect about his credibility and he was widely  perceived as un principled politician and lacking in consistency in principles and approach.

When Supreme court of Sri Lanka nullified Sirisena’s decision and he was forced to reinstate Wickremesinghe, Sirisena was smiling with Wickremesinghe,  as if he has done no mistake . Though Sirisena defended his action of sacking Wickremesinghe  earlier, claiming that it was done in “good faith” , no one was convinced.

With slap on the face inflicted on him by the Supreme Court, Sirisena would have improved his image if he had submitted his resignation but he has not cared to do so.

Not anymore known for taking principled stand ,  President Sirisena is likely to behave like a “wounded tiger” in the coming days in dealing with Prime Minister Wickremesinghe.  In an attempt to prove that his earlier decision to sack Prime Minister Wickremesinghe was correct, President Sirisena is likely to create hurdles in the path of Prime minister Wickremesinghe and provoking him at every opportunity. Certainly, he is unlikely to cooperate with the Prime Minister and work in cordial and creative atmosphere.

It is extremely important that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe  should not over react to such hurdles created in his way and get into controversies.  He has to necessarily exhibit quality of statesmanship and dignity that should be associated with the position of Prime Minister. It remains to be seen as to whether Wickremesinghe would measure up to such demands.

The recent c constitutional crisis created by President  Sirisena, for whatever reasons, also point to the need to re examine the provisions in the constitution to prevent recurrence of such crisis again in future.

Democracies in commonwealth countries have largely been framed on the basis of prevailingsystem in UnitedKingdom. However, in UK, the King or the Queen is appointed on the basis of traditional hereditary pattern, which is not so in the case of democracies in Asia. In UnitedKingdom, such constitutional crisis of sacking the Prime Minister by the King or the Queen has never happened in recent memory.

In the case of democracies in commonwealth countries, the President is elected.  In India too, it is not uncommon for the state governments (provincial governments) to be dismissed by the President of India based on the recommendations of the central government. However, the central government has never been dismissed by the President of India.  In the case of Sri Lanka , President Sirisena has now set up an unhealthy precedent by  dismissing the Prime Minister.

The recent crisis in Sri Lanka certainly calls for re examining the constitutional provisions about the powers of the President. While President Sirisena may not take the initiative to order such constitutional review , Prime Minister Wickremesinghe may examine the feasibility of doing so.

SRI LANKA SUPREME COURT RULING CLIPS WINGS OF PRESIDENT, DEMOLISHES AG

Image: The court took exception to the Attorney General claiming that the president had “plenary executive power — a royal prerogative power which is subject to no restriction.”

16/12/2018

 – Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court shooting down President Maithripala Sirisena’s premature sacking of parliament will have far reaching consequences for him as well as future leaders, according to the landmark judgment.

The cogently written judgments also demolished the state Attorney General Jayantha Jayasuriya and chided him for trying to confer “royal prerogative powers” on the Sri Lankan president who is not above the law.

Chief Justice Nalin Perera in an 88-page judgment took the mickey out of Attorney General Jayasuriya and his staff who unsuccessfully attempted to defend President Sirisena sacking parliament on November 9 through proclamation published in the gazette.

Jayasuriya, as attorney to the head of state, had argued that if his client’s action was a wilful violation of the constitution, the remedy for that was an impeachment and not redress through a fundamental rights application to the Supreme Court.

The AG argued that the dissolution of parliament should be challenged by way of an impeachment initiated by legislators

“Firstly, the submission is logically flawed in the case of these particular applications. To put in another way, the submission is a glaring non sequitur in the specific circumstances of these applications.

“The simple reason for that observation is that these applications challenge a dissolution of Parliament and a Member of a Parliament which is dissolved by the President without notice and literally overnight, cannot have recourse to Article 38 (2) (impeachment) because, at the time the applications are filed, no parliament would exist in which a motion for impeachment can be brought,” the judges noted.

The court took exception to the Attorney General claiming that the president had “plenary executive power — a royal prerogative power which is subject to no restriction.”

“The suggestion inherent in the submission made on behalf of the Hon. Attorney General that the President, in his capacity as the Head of State, has a species of inherent unrestricted omnipotent power which is akin to royal prerogative power held by a monarch, has to be emphatically rejected.
“Since 1972, this country has known no monarch and this Court must reject any submission that carries with it a suggestion to the contrary,” according to the judgement signed by six of the seven judges.

Franchise vs rule of law

The court also rejected counsel Manohara de Silva’s submission that the dissolution of parliament cleared the way for an election allowing people to exercise their franchise, the argument of the Rajapaksa-led campaign seeking snap elections.

“However, the guiding rule is that this Court is obliged to act to uphold the Rule of Law. Mr. de Silva‘s submission overlooks the fundamental premise that any exercise of franchise, must be at an election which is duly and lawfully held and which satisfies the Rule of Law.

“A departure from that rule will result in the negation of the requirement of the Rule of Law that an election must be lawfully called and be lawfully held and, thereby, adversely affect the results of an ensuing election.

“The basic principle is that nothing valid can result from an illegality,” the chief justice said.
Immunity

Justice Sisira de Abrew agreeing with six other judges, but submitting different reasons for the same conclusion, ruled that virtually any act of the president, except his right to declare war and peace, could be subjected to judicial review despite the immunity granted to him while in office.

“I have… held that the acts of the President of the Republic except the acts done in the exercise of his powers conferred by Article 33(2)(g) of the Constitution are not immune from suit,” he said referring to provisions of declaring war and peace.

The president’s power to declare war and peace is expressly excluded from judicial action under Article 35 (1).

He also noted that the highest court had jurisdiction to inquire into the legality and correctness of the proclamation issued by the president on November 9 sacking parliament and calling a snap general election nearly two years ahead of schedule.

He rejected any discrepancies in the Sinhala and English texts of constitutional provisions as argued by SLPP legal experts such as G.L. Peiris.

Justice de Abrew said there would be no point in having a provision to impeach the president if he had the power to dissolve parliament at any time. (COLOMBO, December 15, 2018)

How lawmakers prosper with taxpayers’ money

• With the events that followed since October 26, Parliament was convened on eight days and on some days it was only for a few minutes. Therefore, Rs. 64 million  have been spent as a result of the political crisis

2018-12-18

One of the easiest ways to earn thumping amounts of money is to become a politician in Sri Lanka. That too with no prior qualification or meeting an eligibility criteria. With all due respect to educated politicians such as Lalith Athulathmudali, Lakshman Kadirgamar among others, today’s political culture doesn’t honour educational qualifications. Hence you would find that those who haven’t even passed their O/L examination calling the shots in Parliament. But on the contrary they earn more than any public official in the country who needs to meet the criteria before being recruited to office. Legally, politicians are given vehicle permits, an official residence, a personal staff and various other perks and benefits. But what’s questionable is how they have more houses, more vehicles, more staffs and other sources of income? Recently, all Sri Lankan citizens and even the international community saw how Members of Parliament (MPs) – those officials elected by people to the highest institution in the country -abused public property and ‘efficiently’ wasted taxpayers’ money.

In such a backdrop, the Daily Mirror sheds light on how the taxpayers’ money is wasted in front of their own eyes and why they should critically voice out for injustice at this hour. 

Vehicle imports 

In March alone, Rs. 361 million – Rs. 494 million was allocated to bring down vehicles for ministers. 

A supplementary estimate of Rs. 24, 165,500 was allocated for three ministers and the Finance Ministry to import more vehicles.

Rs. 10,000/= is paid per month to meet the traveling expenses of four personal staff to office. (Rs. 2,500/= each)

Records as at October 2018 show that at least 7,000 vehicles had been imported so far this year by public servants paying an average Rs. 3.6 million less than the actual duty payable on those vehicles.

Several other categories such as members of Parliament, returning Sri Lankan diplomats, retiring ministry secretaries and military top brass this year have also imported fully duty-free vehicles.

Most of these fully duty-free permits are sold for amounts reaching a staggering Rs. 23 million each and underscores the huge loss of revenue to the state.

Repairing official residences

The Daily Mirror also learned that staggering amounts of money have also been allocated to repair official residences. As such a sum of Rs. 171, 002,000 was allocated for three ministers and a Governor earlier this year. 

Postage allowance

Stamps amounting to Rs. 175,000/= are issued to each MP annually. (Rs. 43,750/= quarterly) In addition to that a Provincial Councillor was given Rs. 24,000 as postage allowance. But this wasn’t enough for the ministers and in January this year, this sum was doubled. Hence, it is now raised to Rs. 350,000 while a Provincial Councillor would receive Rs. 48,000. 

Fuel allowance 

Fuel allowances are paid based on the distance from Parliament to the electoral district which each MP was elected and the approved market price of one litre of diesel on the first day of every month. (e.g.: Colombo 283.94 litres while Gampaha and Kalutara is estimated to be 355.58 litres.) A minister from Western Province is given Rs. 50,000 as fuel allowance for petrol vehicles. For diesel vehicles, the allowance is Rs. 20,000. The fuel allowance for a deputy minister is Rs. 40,000 (petrol) and Rs. 20,000 (diesel). Ministers in other provinces are given Rs. 75,000 and Rs. 30,000 as fuel allowance for petrol and diesel vehicles respectively. 

Daily expenditure in the House 

The Daily Mirror also learned that the cost of one Parliament sitting day is Rs. 8 million. With the events that followed since October 26, Parliament was convened on eight days and on some days it was only for a few minutes. Therefore, Rs. 64 million have been spent as a result of the political crisis. 

Pension scheme for ministers 

Any person who has served as a member of the legislature of Sri Lanka after July, 1931 and who is a citizen of Sri Lanka at the time of coming into operation of this Law and the widow and children of such persons are entitled to the Parliamentary Pensions Law. With the dissolution of Parliament 58 ministers were exempt from their pensions. These include 36 UNP MPs and 16 MPs in the SLFP. The following pensions are given to MPs and ministers and they vary depending on their post. 
The PPL introduced in 1977 was amended in 1982 so that the widows of MPs could be entitled to these pension schemes following the demise of an MP. They are entitled to it for their lifetime unless they remarry. If married, they are exempted from the pension scheme. The Law was once again amended in 1990 so that pension could be shared among children in the family. 

Criteria for other public officials 

But it is also important to note that any other public official has to complete 20 years in office to be entitled to a pension. If a public official has an on-going disciplinary inquiry his pension will be temporarily halted. In addition to that any other public official has to meet the specified criteria to be eligible to serve office. There are instances when they get job placements as a result of high end contacts. But none of this is required to become a politician and a member of Parliament is paid more than any other public official. 

RTI Commission orders release of RW’s Asset Declaration

In a landmark decision delivered on December 4, the Right to Information Commission (RTIC) directed the Presidential Secretariat to disclose the declaration of assets and liabilities of ousted Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for the year 2015 – 2016. The order was made pursuant to the initial request filed by Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) on February 3, 2017. 

However, on TISL’s request for the access to the asset declaration of President Maithripala Sirisena for 2015/ 2016, the RTIC held that the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Law does include the position of the President. “Whilst as the Secretary or Head of a party, he may have an obligation to do so, but not as the President of the country,” said TISL Executive Director Asoka Obeysekere at a recent press conference. “Therefore they highlighted the fact that there was a gap in the law there and suggested that the necessary legal reforms should take place to fill that gap. However they felt that the PM’s asset declaration must be released.”

Journalists also raised questions as to why only the President is exempt from declaring his assets while all other members of Parliament including the Prime Minister is entitled to it. In response, the TISL said that the RTIC has considered the legal provisions coming under the Law. “Hence a declaration of assets takes place according to this Law. The request to declare assets were turned down on two occasions and therefore the TISL appealed to the RTIC. 

Citizens can now use Facebook as a tool to voice out against corruption. They can use the Right to Information Act rather effectively and find information about ministers’ incomes

Countries that demand for asset declarations of public officials

An ever-growing number of countries have adopted ethics and anti-corruption laws that require public officials to declare their assets and income and, increasingly, the assets and income of their spouses and dependent children. The officials who are required to declare, and the amount of detail required, vary significantly from country to country. Several countries with detailed disclosure requirements, such as Latvia have experienced a decline in corruption. Among other benefits, asset disclosure programmes enhance the legitimacy of government in the eyes of the public and stimulate foreign direct investment. 

In neighbouring Indian politicians who contest elections to Parliament or a state legislature are subject to a more rigorous regime. A 2002 Supreme Court judgment requires all electoral candidates to submit on oath, details of movable and immovable assets owned by them, their spouses and their dependents, including liabilities like loans from public sector banks and unpaid bills for public utilities such as electricity, water and telephone connections. 

Upon winning an election, every Member of Parliament is required to submit an annual statement of assets owned by him/her and his/her dependents to the presiding officer of the house (The Members of the Lok Sabha Declaration of Assets Rules 2004, Rule 3). The same applies to the newly elected Members of the State Legislator (The Members of the Rajya Sabha Declaration of Assets Rules 2004, Rule 3). 

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Drafting a new constitution with no perks and benefits for politicians : Kodituwakku

“People who are occupying office in the legislature and executive are required to hold public office for public good,” said Nagananda Kodituwakku, Attorney-at-Law and public litigation activist. 

“Therefore nobody is expected to rob. Sri Lanka is a representative democracy. After October 26 it is very clear that all 225 representatives have robbed the nation with absolute impunity. When the Rs. 100,000 additional allowance was given, nobody refused it except for Ranjan Ramanayake. Even the members of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) accepted it.” 

Speaking further about the abuse of public funds Kodituwakku pointed out that when a minister takes office, his staff comprise entirely of family members. 
“Then they get the car permit and allowances for petrol, diesel etc. Car permits come under Excise Duty (Special Provisions) Act Section 3 (c ). 

These are tax-free car permits and such tax exemptions are given for economic development. Therefore it cannot be abused for the import of vehicles. This has become a lawless land.  They obtain permits to sell and abuse public funds. There are ministers who sell permits for millions of rupees simply because there’s no rule of law. Some of them don’t even know that selling a vehicle permit is unlawful.”

This has become a lawless land. They obtain permits to sell and abuse public funds. There are ministers who sell permits for millions of rupees simply because there’s no rule of law. Some of them don’t even know that selling a vehicle permit is unlawful.”

In his run-up to be the Presidential Candidate in 2020, Kodituwakku said he is in the process of drafting a new Constitution where there are no pensions, perks or benefits for politicians. 

“We want people to attend Parliament to save the nation and not to rob public money. In fact all these unlawful events take place because the citizens are not concerned about their own rights.” 

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SL has a Rs. 10.5 trillion debt thanks to corrupt politicians : Ramanayake 

Known to be the only Member of Parliament to have rejected an allowance, an official residence or vehicles, UNP Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake has certainly set an example. “The salary is a very small aspect of their income,” he said airing his views about the exorbitant salaries of ministers and abuse of public funds. “They have ways and means of getting more income. Many of them have liquor and licences for sand mining and other businesses. Some have choppers, ships and houses overseas. Most of them are those who entered politics on a very low profile. As per the asset declaration rules, public servants in other countries such as USA are required to show their assets to the public. We had two cases against Duminda Silva and Sarana Gunawardana because both of them hid their assets. But in the end they paid a fine of Rs. 2000 and Rs. 3000 respectively and got away. This shows that nobody cares about what they do. 

Many of them have liquor and soil licences and other businesses. Some have choppers, ships and houses overseas. Most of them are those who entered politics on a very low profile. 

“People who advice corrupt politicians to escape from such frauds are those who have been employed in private tax companies,” he continued. “So they know how to find loopholes in the process and eventually escape. In order to change these trends, the public need to be more conscious. Sri Lanka was not indebted to any country when we gained independence, but right now we have a Rs. 10.5 trillion debt to cover. All this is because of corrupt politicians. During 2004-2006 Sri Lanka received a lot of funds in aid of the tsunami. Those funds were enough to repay our loans, but what happened in the end? Nobody even knows where half of that money went to. I believe that those keep silent are the people who destroy the country. Therefore the citizens need to be more active.” he said.

Ramanayake further said that citizens can now use Facebook as a tool to voice out against corruption. “They can use the Right to Information Act rather effectively and find information about ministers’ incomes. In the end they are the tax payers and they need to know where their money is going. In countries like China the people are very active and they don’t allow politicians to rob the country. So we need to get the citizens involved as much as possible,” he said. 

Rise Of Social Media & Fall Of Mainstream Media 

By Amila Muthukutti –DECEMBER 17, 2018

Amila Muthukutti

Mass media plays a pivotal role in any country for safeguard of the democracy, as it is the bridge that connects citizens with the rulers. When people rely on media for knowing the truth and thereby take decisions, especially their political decisions, civil power of the media is on the increase. Once incidents taking place for past few weeks in the country are closely examined, what can be seen is the rise of social media and fall of mainstream media. Because this is a case in which the mainstream media goes beyond their ethics and public trust, leaving a vacuum that was fairly filled by social media, particularly Facebook, future behaviour of mainstream media in the country ought to be widely discussed in terms of their role for democracy which seems to be now at stake. 

Mainstream media includes newspapers, radios and Televisions. When it is considered in Sri Lankan context, they are largely owned by few businessmen who are either directly or indirectly affiliated with political parties. It is true that media needs money to cover their expenses and should finally make a profit. However, it doesn’t in my opinion have to be a business that is run just for profit. If so, fundamental expectations placed on the media are shattered. 

It is needless to note here that all the mainstream media acted in favour of their political parties over past few weeks by violating the right of the public to know what is actually happening in the country. Furthermore, it could be seen that how state-owned media reported things, even without telecasting parliamentary sessions. Consequently, state media heads had to be summoned to the parliament by the speaker. This is a very sad situation, as media stations that are funded by the public did not provide people with any opportunity to know the truth, but fabricated stories. This can be called a fall of mainstream media. 

When people understand that they are unable to get an idea of the real situation just by sitting in front of the TV, They opted for social media for getting information as well as sharing their thoughts. People started sharing their views concerning constitutional coup, making a platform for moderate discussion, since everyone can express their ideas on social media without any hindrance. For an instance, people started believing Azzam Ameen more than some TV channels. It is true that the media can create and topple regimes by making and changing public opinions. Nevertheless, it has been clearly proved that this is valid, as long as people don’t choose alternative sources for getting information. 

Moreover, when the Supreme Court declared its verdict with respect to the dissolution of the parliament, not only natives but also the entire world were keeping an eye on it. Social media, especially Facebook could post the Supreme Court verdict more quickly than some TV channels that were telecasting surroundings of the Supreme Court. Why should people switch on their TV, despite the ability to know the truth by logging onto Facebook? 

It can be said that information shared on Facebook is not reliable, because they are not filtered by anyone in authority. While it is true in some cases, people have still the chance to get information from reliable persons and sources in authority via Facebook. On the other hand, if someone questions as to why people read papers and watch TV, answer could be that Sri Lanka doesn’t have good internet coverage in remote areas. It is with low computer literacy that people hesitate to access to the internet for verifying information.

Furthermore, even though people in Sri Lanka is well ahead of its regional counterparts in terms of language literacy, media literacy in the country is not at satisfactory level. Media literacy can be defined as the ability to access, analyse, evaluate and produce communication in different ways. To put it simply, media literate person can critically think of what they see, hear and read in media. So long as media literacy is poor in this country, it is a blessing in disguise for opportunistic politicians and businessmen engaged in media business. 

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Reaping relevant results: Reflections on ‘Mind before Action’

Union Assurance CEO/Executive Director Dirk Pereira addressing the new MBA intake of PIM as the Chief Guest


Monday, 17 December 2018 

The recent political turbulence that shattered the prestige edifices of governance proved several fundamental points. For me, one such is the need to have holistic thinking with emphasis on far reaching implications before taking a crucial decision. Otherwise, it is a case of being hasty and nasty with mere thirst for power. It sets an appropriate space to discuss the need to have ‘Mind before Action’. It is the acronym we promote to showcase the calibre of an MBA (Master of Business Administration). Today’s column will pursue it further, in the context of inaugurating the largest MBA batch ever at PIM.
Overview

There had been many conversations on the changing face of MBA, the sought-after qualification among managers. It has been hailed as a competency builder on one hand and hacked as a money spinner for mushrooming institutions. I read with interest the constructively critical insights by Dr. Rakesh Khurana on elite Harvard MBA. It reminded me of Henry Mintzberg, the veteran management thinker who was also critical about the typical MBAs on offer.

‘From Higher Aims to Higher Hands’ is the title of the treatise of Dr. Rakesh Khurana. He shows that university-based business schools were founded to train a professional class of managers in the mould of doctors and lawyers but have effectively retreated from that goal, leaving a gaping moral hole at the centre of business education and perhaps in management itself. He clearly calls for reforms in management education. His criticism of Harvard MBA as a ‘uni-polar’ MBA as opposed to being a ‘multi-polar’ MBA is worth reflecting. 

According to Khurana, a ‘uni-polar’ MBA trains managers to have lucrative careers in multinationals and large conglomerates. Instead a ‘multi-polar’ MBA should prepare the candidates in becoming entrepreneurs, setting up SMEs in fostering innovation and partnerships in offering best-cost solutions. It gave me a sense of satisfaction, as the MBA we offer has the scenario of making one out of five of its recipients, entrepreneurs. In fact, we want to make this ratio doubled through the initiatives of the Business Incubation Centre.
Criticisms of MBAs 

“Management is a practice. And you learn management by practicing management. Experience is critically important. You don’t become a manager in a classroom and you certainly don’t become a leader in a classroom. Leadership is earned on the basis of people who choose to follow you. It’s not granted or anointed by some holy water granted in a school.” These are the very words of Henry Mintzberg, Professor of Management, at the Desautels Faculty of Management of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

As observed by Harry Costin, “Mintzberg provides a useful distinction between business and management. He argues that MBAs teach the fundamentals of business functions, not the practice of management. What is lost in the discussion is that M.B.A. literally means master of business administration, and therefore, even following Mintzberg’s argument, the degree does not disguise what it is really about. In essence, the term MBA itself is viewed as a misnomer.

There is a wave of criticisms on MBAs around the world. Especially after the global credit crunch and the collapse of giants led by MBAs, this negativity has gathered momentum. I myself have heard from CEOs lamenting that some of their MBAs know a lot of theory but sadly lack the practical approach in applying them into real issues.

Taking this issue into a broader perspective, an ongoing debate in the USA has even reached a point to say that MBA awarding business schools have an identity crisis. I am confident that we will not allow that to happen to us. Yet, it is better to be proactive than being reactive.

According to Forbes magazine, business schools have always juggled two missions: Educating practitioners and creating knowledge through research. 50 years ago, as explained in the 2005 HBR article ‘How Business Schools Lost Their Way’, business schools shifted their focus from the former to the latter. Management became a science rather than a profession. This shift had profound implications. Business schools rewarded professors for publishing their research in academic journals, and their curriculum began to reflect the narrow focus of the faculty. Business school professors became increasingly disconnected from practicing managers and leaders. By the mid-2000s, it became clear that business schools had swung too far in one direction.

Ironically, we have seen a large number of MBAs move up in their career ladder in occupying leadership positions. I see the issue is not with ‘what’ MBA is but more of ‘how’ MBA should be. I presume it is with this spirit, late Prof. Uditha Liyanage, former director of PIMA stated, “Do not ‘Do’ an MBA but ‘Be’ an MBA”. We have gone one step beyond in requesting the MBA aspirants to “be brilliant as an MBA”.

There was a time in Sri Lanka where managers, when facing interviews were asked whether they have an MBA. Now the key decision makers are smart enough to ask instead from ‘where’ they have got their MBA. Amidst a proliferation of a multitude of MBAs, still the authentic products have a high demand.


MBA as a transformation 
Dirk Pereira, the CEO/ Executive Director of Union recalled his transformation through the PIM MBA. He shared how he gained confidence and competence in handling complex business matters thanks to the MBA experience. He highlighted the need to develop leadership and complemented that the PIM has become the breeding institute of high calibre leaders. He also challenged the aspiring MBAs to be thorough with analytical skills on one side and innovative ideas on the other side.

With rapid technological advancements, the need to have blended learning with the use of ICT tools is on the rise.  Also, greater flexibility from the students as well the high standards from the institutions need to be maintained with proper balancing. We have realised the need to ensure quality and relevance at all times.

I recall it was Dr. Travis Perera, my teacher at PIM who shared his thoughts on the dual aspects of MBAs. They are, in a way, consumers of PIM, receiving the education from us. At the same time they are co-producers of knowledge and skills. Hence the term borrowed from the marketing echelons, prosumer aptly demonstrates their nature.

The PIM’s MBA inauguration last week, prompted me to move down the memory lane. I indeed went through that transformational experience. As I started off as an engineer and then switched over to management, I realised that MBA would train the learner with a holistic view of a situation. In brief the learner will be able to enhance the functional knowledge through a cylindrical view to broad business knowledge through a conical view. This ‘interconnectedness’ transforms the learner to appreciate other functions with a broader prospective or holistic view of the business.

A good MBA curriculum should consist of business realities, challenges, new ways of looking at issues and produce out of the box solutions. From my own experience at PIM in talking to the alumni of MBA holders their single biggest factor in what makes them stand out among fellow peers is the ‘self-confidence’ they have gained in experimenting, creating, innovating new pathways and questioning the traditional way of doing things. As a result MBA inculcates a mindset to tackle issues in an innovative and integrated manner.

Simultaneously, being an MBA will enhance the market value of a person. As for the entrepreneurs, they will have professionals producing value for their organisations in a sustainable manner at the end of the day. The ultimate outcome is the birth of a powerful social network sharing calibre and leading to dynamic forces within organisations and of course pursuing higher benchmarks in professionalism.

Speaking from my own experience becoming an MBA is changing a person’s own attitude to fundamentally challenge and stretch one’s self. In other words enhancing one’s capacity to cope with many fronts and priorities and thus maintain work-life balance. This aspect reiterates or complements the aspect of enhanced self confidence in an MBA holder. Finally the time dimension is as important and must cater for strategic and operational aspects of the business for sustainability in the long term.

Equally as the educational thresholds are ever going up, the accreditation system and quality assurance are of paramount importance in offering a standard MBA. I tend to think that the success of an MBA program reflects essentially on its Alumni. It gives me pride in stating that PIM being the pioneering MBA offering institution in Sri Lanka, has so far produced over 200 CEOs. It highlights the value of MBA with its quality and relevance, locally as well as globally.
Way forward

As the revered religious text Dhammapada begins, ‘Mano Pubbangama Dhamma, Mano Setta Manomaya’ (Mind is the forerunner for all success). That’s why we proudly associate our MBA as ‘Mind before Action’. It is an invitation to transform from a task executor to a thinking performer. It is also a challenge to shift from a mere practitioner to a mega professional. With a right blend of knowledge-set, skills-set and values-set, the way forward can be indeed promising and productive.

(The writer can be reached through director@pim.sjp.ac.lk, ajantha@ou.edu or www.ajanthadharmasiri.info.) 

Israeli forces kill teen in West Bank crackdown

Palestinian paramedics evacuate a wounded protester during confrontations near the settlement of Beit El in the central West Bank on 14 December.

 Ahmad ArouriAPA images

Maureen Clare Murphy - 14 December 2018

Israeli forces shot and killed a teenager in Jalazone refugee camp as the military cracked down on the Ramallah area of the occupied West Bank after 24 hours of violence in which two soldiers and four Palestinians were killed.

The slain teen was identified as Mahmoud Yousif Nakhla. The health ministry in the West Bank gave his age as 16 but some media reported that he was 18 years old.

Ma’an News Agency, a Palestinian outlet, said that the teen was shot from less than 10 meters away and that soldiers attempted to withhold his body. Palestinian paramedics were only able to recover Nakhla’s body after arguing with soldiers for more than 30 minutes, according to Ma’an.

Compiled video clips from the scene show soldiers dragging and then carrying Nakhla, after which they stand guard around him. The video does not appear to show soldiers providing the teen with first aid.

بعد سحله وسحبه وهو مصاب.. هكذا تمكنت الطواقم الطبية من انتزاع جثمان الشهيد محمود نخلة من جنود الاحتلال الذين تركوه ينزف على الأرض. pic.twitter.com/UYEpHRNNUL

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) 14 December 2018

Nakhla appears to be alive in the final clip in the compiled footage as Palestinian medics put him on a stretcher and load him into an ambulance. Media reported that Nakhla was in critical condition when he arrived to hospital, where he was eventually pronounced dead.

A photo of Nakhla was published by Palestinian outlets after his death was announced:

استشهاد الشاب محمود يوسف نخلة (18 عامًا)، متأثرًا بإصابته بالرصاص الحيّ في بطنه خلال المواجهات مع الاحتلال في مخيم الجلزون برام الله. pic.twitter.com/EkOl7i3NAs

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) 14 December 2018

Jalazone refugee camp

Jalazone refugee camp, in the central West Bank, is located only 200 meters away from the Beit El settlement built by Israel in violation of international law, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its civilian population to the territory it occupies.

Soldiers guarding the settlement, which is bankrolled by David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel, regularly harass children in the camp.

Israeli forces guarding Beit El have killed and seriously wounded several Palestinian children from Jalazone camp in recent years.

Last year soldiers in a watchtower next to Beit El fatally wounded Jassim Nakhla, 15, and Muhammad Khattab, 17, when they shot at a car carrying four children that had stalled on the road. It was not clear at time of publication whether Jassim Nakhla was a direct relation of Mahmoud Nakhla.

Two others were reported wounded by live fire during confrontations between Israeli forces and Palestinians near Ramallah on Friday.

A Palestinian boy, 17, was reported to have been moderately wounded after being hit in the face with a rubber-coated steel bullet during confrontations in the northern West Bank on Friday afternoon.

Israeli forces also opened fire at a Palestinian ambulance in al-Bireh, adjacent to Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, on Friday.

Medics were transferring a patient to hospital when Israeli soldiers at Beit El checkpoint opened fire at the ambulance, Ma’an News Agency reported.

Also on Friday an Israeli soldier was reported to have been seriously injured at a military outpost near Beit El after being attacked with a rock and a knife by a Palestinian who fled the scene.

The gunmen who killed two soldiers and injured another two on Thursday also remained at large as the military searched for them for a second day, having arrested more than 100 Palestinians throughout the West Bank on Thursday and before dawn on Friday, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Club.

The city of Ramallah was sealed by the military the previous day and remained so on Friday:

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Hamas calls for Palestinian unity as it celebrates founding

Hamas political leader says he is ready for talks with President Mahmoud Abbas and elections

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said he was ready to meet Mahmoud Abbas (AFP)

Kaamil Ahmed

Sunday 16 December 2018

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said he was ready to meet President Mahmoud Abbas to complete the stuttering Palestinian unity process, at an event celebrating 31 years since the group was founded. 

The process has faltered since a push towards reconciliation between Hamas and Abbas's Fatah faction started more than a year ago.

"I am prepared to meet the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Gaza, Cairo or anywhere to agree on a joint Palestinian agenda," he said, stating Hamas would be ready for elections after three months.

"We have to go directly to national unity. Reconciliation, unity, compromise - whatever the name, we want it."

But he also called for the Palestinian Authority to end its security co-operation with Israel after a week when Israeli forces repeatedly raided Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank in search of Palestinians suspected of attacks against Israeli soldiers and settlers.

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Hamas Movement@HamasInfoEn

Countless Palestinians participate in the Festival of Hamas 31st Anniversary#Hamas31 #WhatsHamas

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He criticised the Oslo agreement, signed in 1994 as the basis of a peace settlement that has not materialised and under which Israeli forces are not allowed to operate in Palestinian cities. 

Tens of thousands packed out al-Katiba square in the centre of Gaza, waving flags as chants and a military parade were held on the main stage. 

Haniyeh also claimed that Hamas had gathered intelligence on a recent Israeli undercover operation in Gaza which was exposed in November, leading to an escalation that almost pushed the two sides into a fourth war. 

"The times when the Israeli Special Force entered into and left Gaza are precisely known to [Hamas's military wing] al-Qassam. Moreover, al-Qassam leaders know how many hours the Israeli Special Force stayed in Gaza," he said.

"A trove of technical and security information was collected by al-Qassam after the Israeli Special Force's Infiltration into Gaza. The information will be used to reveal the work mechanisms of the Israeli special forces in West Bank, Arab states and other countries."

There have been repeated attempts at reconciliation between the two main Palestinian factions since Hamas took control of the Palestinian enclave from Fatah in 2007 but the gap between the sides has remained.

The lack of agreement has proved a barrier to Hamas's own attempts to complete a truce with Israel that promises an easing of the Israeli blockade of Gaza that has existed since Hamas took control.

Egypt has brokered the indirect Hamas-Israel talks but has also pushed for the Palestinian unity process to be completed first.