2010-01-15 14:00:46

January 15, 2010 —

MR & SF: Peoples’ Jury Demands You Prove You Are Not Two Faced

By Visvamithra

Since 1977, Mother Lanka has been betrayed and her destiny destroyed by too many dishonest, two faced Machiavellians.  The innocent people have suffered enormous hardship in the hands of these two faced self-seeking autocrats who preached morality in public and practiced the complete opposite in private.  They were so drunk with power and dared to use alarming subterfuge to mislead and cajole innocent citizens.  The need of the hour is to demand both prospective candidates who stand in the forthcoming presidential election to prove their integrity by deeds, not by words.   They should give a clear undertaking to all citizens that they will strictly honor their oath of allegiance and govern the nation faithfully with utmost respect to the rule of law, and not govern by deception anymore.

Pledge For A Government Embracing An Economic Policy Based On A High Degree Of Discipline And Commitment To Serve The Nation

In the 1960s, when Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew visited Sri Lanka, his dream was to emulate the Ceylonese economic model this at a time when Sri Lanka was well ahead of Singapore.  Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew followed a system of government based on strict discipline and commitment, and with that radical approach, he turned the Singapore that wa then called  a “malarial island” into a global financial center and made Singapore a developed nation.

Singapore and Malaysia, role model economies in Asia, are very appropriate models to follow if Sri Lanka is to move forward as a nation.  Nobody will disagree that those politicians who ruled Sri Lanka since independence are directly responsible for the plight of the country today.  They betrayed their motherland with a lack of vision, a self-seeking attitude coupled with their personal incompetence, and a lack of respect to the rule of law.

MR and SF who appeal to the people for a mandate to the office of the President should stop displaying their ignorance in order to identify the real issues faced by the people of Sri Lanka.  If they have a political will and commitment to serve the nation, they should address the fundamental failures of their predecessors (including MR administration) that let down Mother Lanka since independence.  At this election campaign, people expect them to say (only if they have a genuine commitment and will to deliver) in very clear terms that in the event they are elected to the office of the President, they will adopt a disciplined economic policy backed by a sheer commitment to steer the nation to economic prosperity.

The potential candidates should pledge to the people to put a stop to the exploitation of innocent people, insulting their intelligence.  What people are yearning for is a committed and honest leadership, and not for another two faced incompetent leadership without any vision or direction; a genuine leadership dedicated to deliver what is pledged to the people by the elected members to the Executive and the Legislature posts.

The Country Needs A Nation-Building Plan With Participation Of All Parties

Parties may came or go, but there should be a National Action Plan with the participation of all political parties (including the ethnic minority parties) that should remain, followed by all governments elected to office.

It is an undeniable truth that those incompetent and corrupt leaders that hitherto ruled the nation fatally failed to exercise the peoples’ Sovereign Power as required by law, and lead the country out of misery.  At least at a time when the whole nation is experiencing the catastrophic outcome of the fatal failure of former leaders (including MR), the so-called leaders should have  the audacity to unequivocally admit that they got it completely wrong and that the governance they adopted based on deception completely ruined their motherland; that had they had a vision and commitment, and adopted a disciplined economic policy to deliver, there would never have been youth uprisings in 1971 and 1989, and an extremely costly war (more than 200,000 precious lives of youths from both sides) waged by youths in the North and East which almost divided the nation.  It is an accepted phenomenon that youth refuse to suffer in silence when those who are responsible for good governance are at fault and fail to deliver; when leaders are corrupt and mercilessly exploit the nations’ limited resources to serve themselves, their cronies, and their families.

Restore The Right Political Culture

Sri Lanka is one of the very few countries where politicos are allowed to go unpunished even when found committing wrongs of very serious nature (both criminal and civil offenses).  Probably, the extent of unfettered immunity they enjoy may not be found anywhere else in the world.  This dangerous situation invariably induced the corrupt elements engaged in politics to disregard all ethics and to indulge in all forms of wrongdoing with no regret or remorse.

One of the urgent needs of the hour is to redesign the political culture of Sri Lanka so that no room is left for criminals and fraudster elements to enter into mainstream politics.  Reform should encourage honest and committed people willing to serve the nation voluntarily, sacrificing their own time and energy to enter into mainstream politics.

The conduct and behavior of present-day politicians suggests that they are from a different planet.  There are so many criminals and government revenue fraudsters in mainstream politics.  Needless to mention the names, but politically active and alert people know them by their name.  It is very unfortunate that the incumbent President seems ignorant of the criminal characters closely associated with him, whereas wise people know inside out.  It is hard to believe that these disruptive elements enjoy absolute immunity from enforcement of the laws of the land; bribery and corruption laws, criminal law, revenue and customs laws, road traffic law, and so on and so forth.  If Sri Lanka is to succeed, clearly, there should be an end to this menace.  There is no way that those who appeal for the peoples’ mandate to the office of the President can turn their back on this issue of national importance.  The people expect them to declare, in very clear terms, that in the event they are given a mandate to rule the nation, they will commit themselves to make the right situation.

There is no point for punitive measures to be in place unless they are effectively enforced against wrongdoers, irrespective of their political affiliations.  In other words, there should be a genuine political will to punish those who offend the laws of the land with no fear or favor.  There is a great sense of responsibility vested in the people and in the media.  They should never be divided when there is any threat to good governance by any person in authority, and they should be united in adversity, regardless of political differences.  When any person in the executive or legislature is found committing a wrong, the media should act decisively to alert the people and to build a strong public opinion against such elements, demanding immediate action, and thereby forcing such elements to resign from holding any public office.  Both the media and the people should recognize that there is an unwritten agreement between the people and the politicos.  The politicos are required to exercise the mandate given by the people honestly, faithfully, and with utmost respect to the rule of law.  People should be aware that the focal point of power – “SOVEREIGNTY” – is in the people and hence, they should not be afraid demand the politicos to deliver the promises pledged to the people, and not to let them shun their responsibility.

Those who enter politics do so on their freewill, and they are paid for their job.  They should behave appropriately and serve the nation as true servants of the people whom they represent, and not as their masters.  This is why the oath of allegiance is there; it is not there for fun, as some politicos seem to think.  When the media is independent and plays its part as the peoples’ watchdog, exposing all corrupt elements in politicos with a strong public opinion generated against such elements, no politico would dare to indulge in any wrongdoing.  They would, of course, behave appropriately when there is system in place – a strong non-partisan media and politically vigilant civil society.

Observe how beautifully the system works in other parts of the world.  For instance, in the UK, the powerful Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith was forced to apologize and resign for a minor wrong committed.  She had made a wrong expense claim of just  £7 of taxpayers’ money for viewing two adult movies by her husband.  There are so many other MPs like her who were forced to step down for making false expenses claims.  For seeking help from the Immigration Directorate to expedite a visa application for his housemaid cost David Blunkett his job as Home Secretary.  Again in July 2009, the labor party deputy leader, Harriet Harman, MP was charged before the Magistrate Court for using a mobile phone whilst driving.  She pleaded guilty only a few days ago for the driving offense committed, and she was fined £350.00 for driving without due care and attention, and she paid the fine.  There is a lot Sri Lanka can learn from these events where the system of governance considers the public interest utmost important.  In these countries, the democracy is working properly with due respect to the rule of law by all institutions with no fear or favor.

Establish And Maintain Zero Tolerance Of Abuse In Any Form

What the people of Sri Lanka are urging from those who seek mandate to the highest office of the Executive is nothing more than a system of governance that is committed to respect democratic values. Both SF and MR should express their commitment to bring in a proper system of governance that will not leave any room for abuse.  The people all want them to guarantee, that under their administration, there won’t be any form for interference with public institutions or any letoff of wrongdoers who commit any immoral acts.

The people want a guarantee that those who abuse the privilege of duty free cars or permits to import cars would be dealt severe punishments; that the present practice of rent disbursement of Rs.100,000.00 (offered to those politicos in the executive) will be discontinued; that allocations of public funds to MPs under  a decentralized budget be discontinued; that the practice of closed-door government tender-awarding process that is open to abuse for ill-gotten money be discontinued and replaced with a totally transparent process, guaranteeing freedom of access to all government tenders to media on request, so on and so forth.

The candidates should make known their governance strategy to the public right now.  The people of this country have had enough under two many two faced Machiavellian politicos, hence they demand your commitment by deeds, not just by words; a clear pledge that under the new leadership, the person elected to be the Executive President will ensure zero tolerance of any form of wrongdoing and commit to uphold the rule of law.

Should The President Allow People To Call Him “Athigaru Uthumanan Wahanse?”

This is something infused in Sri Lankan politics by insincere politicos, which clearly undermines the self esteem of the fellow citizens.  No one can justify why a citizen should call politicos “thuma,” “uthuman wahanse,” or “athigaru uthumanan wahanse.”  It is the President, elected to exercise the people’s executive power, who should put right this bad practice.  Even in the US or the UK, where the executive power of the head of government is superior, the head is not addressed with such titles.  In the US, the President is addressed as “Mr. President,” and in the UK, the Prime Minister is addressed “Mr. Prime Minister.”  In Sri Lanka, however, the President is addressed as “athigaru uthuman wahansa,” an expression that clearly demeans the self esteem of fellow citizens.  In Sri Lanka, the Executive President is the head of the state, elected by the people, and he is not a monarch.  It is the duty of the President to put this bad practice right.  He should not encourage or undermine the dignity and self esteem of the people and should make a statement in public that nobody should call him by the insulting title of “athigaru uthumanan wahanse.”

The President and other politicos should realize that they  represent people; that they merely exercise the sovereign power of the people; that they only perform a job of work in the Legislature or in the Executive; and that they are not above the fellow citizens, but are servants of the people.  There is no point to the norm “every person is equal,” when it is out of use and is just a meaningless clause incorporated into the Constitution.  What the people are yearning for is equality in a real sense; that every citizen is treated with respect regardless of his or her vocation or social standing.  Due respect and honor should be conferred only upon those who dedicate to bring a real difference to the quality of life of the people.

Introduce The Necessary Reforms To Establish Democracy in The Political Parties

Since independence, Sri Lanka suffered heavily without visionary leaders, and that caused serious economic downturn, whilst the other nations in the region, like Singapore and Malaysia, who were well behind us in 1960s, have achieved tremendous economic development and growth.

For Sri Lanka to achieve its people’s true potential and economic prosperity, there are certain fundamental chances that are required to be introduced to the working of the political party system.  The absence of democracy and transparency in the party leader selection process is a very serious shortcoming.  Sri Lanka is theoretically a democracy, however, this is surely not in practice; not a single political party in this country (including the JVP) follows a democratic and transparent process in the party leadership selection process.  This issue should be addressed head-on by all political parties if Sri Lanka is to produce dynamic political leaders.  If parties follow appropriate processes that followed other leading democracies, like the UK, that would undoubtedly clear the path for deserving people to enter politics and lead the nation.

In the UK, the political party leadership selection process is absolutely transparent and democratic.  Even a vote of ‘no confidence’ against the incumbent leader is upheld, a leadership election is called, and the incumbent leader is barred from standing in it.  Any elected MP, who believes that he has the required qualities, a clear vision, and character to command the nation is allowed to enter the leadership selection process.

If two or more candidates stand, then all elected MPs in the partly hold a series of ballots.  On each round, the candidate with the fewest number of votes is eliminated.  The series of ballots by MPs is continued until there are only two candidates remaining, at which point the ballot of all registered members of the party commences.  To be eligible to vote, and to prevent abuse, an individual should have been a paid-up member of the party for at least three months.  The candidate who tops the poll is declared the leader.

This is the right process, a truly democratic process, which only allows the most deserving person to become the party leader.  When such a system is place, the person who demonstrates true leadership qualities, dynamism, and commitment to serve the nation will naturally become the leader.  In the public interest, the two candidates who take part in this presidential election campaign should declare that they will bring in the necessary reforms in the leadership selection process in their respective political party. When one party complies and introduces necessary reforms, that would automatically compel the other parties to follow.

In Sri Lanka, had there been a proper democratic and transparent policy in the party leader selection process, MR probably would not have become the leader of SLFP.  Surely RW, a proven product of incompetence (whose behavior suggests that the UNP is a private property he inherited from his father) would never have been the leader in the UNP.  In the JVP, on the other hand, Somawansa Amarasinghe would not have become the leader.  There are more committed, popular people in the party with proven character, like Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who would have had more realistic chances of becoming the leader by a clear mandate by the general membership.

Pledge To The People To Bring The Following Changes To The Character Of All Forms of Elections In The Even You Are Elected To The Office Of The President:

- To bring in necessary legislation with provisions to declare all forms of funding to the political parties mandatory with unfettered powers to the Auditor General to inquire into funding

• To bring in necessary changes to election laws to make it binding for every person standing in any election to declare assets before or at the nominations (remove any room for abuse by allowing late submissions).  All asset declarations should be made available for public inspection on a request made to the Election Commissioner by any media institution or member of public
• To ban public rallies, cut outs, banners, posters, etc., altogether in future elections.  Valuable time, energy, and money is wasted for such purposes, and could instead be used for a more productive purpose.  The current process only provides a partial campaign in favor of the party in power; it also leads to unnecessary violence between the supporters of parties taking part in the campaign
• To make electronic media the only mode to address the people with a fair time allocated to all candidates
• To invite all party leaders to agree to go for a head-to-head series of debates through electronic media
• To bring necessary changes to restrict public meeting to political party members and party conventions only
• To hold all elections (parliamentary, presidential, and local council) on a given date, thus avoiding unnecessary waste of public funds.  In the public interest, all politicos who stand for elections should understand that Sri Lanka cannot afford endless elections.  It is an estimated staggering cost of two billion rupees for the forthcoming presidential polls.  This is reportedly the highest cost ever to be spent on one election in the history of Sri Lanka.  The Commissioner of Elections, Dayananda Dissanayake, has already directed his officials to cut down costs as much as possible.

MR is fully aware that his term of office is due to end only in 2011, although he used the constitutional provision for his personal advantage to call for an election after four years in office.  Had he been a true patriot and not a two faced man, there is no chance for him to call for an early election when he is fully aware that the Parliamentary election is also due in three months time.

Remove All Forms Of Undue Inducements Offered To Politicos & Make Politics Attract Only Worthy People; Not Criminal Elements

In Sri Lanka, politicos enjoy a luxurious life with all kinds of perks and privileges, whereas the quality of life of the greater percentage of the fellow citizen is pathetic.  Some eat only one meal a day.  There is no question that Sri Lanka cannot afford a jumbo Cabinet of over 50 people maintained at the taxpayers’ money.  Sri Lanka may probably be the only country where Cabinet posts are offered to enticed cronies who please the President.

It is an accepted norm that the size and the privileges offered to the Cabinet should reflect the living standard of the people.  In Sri Lanka, a poor country with 20 million people, there are 51 Cabinet Ministers with excessive privileges, whereas in the UK, a developed nation with 60 million people, there are only 17 Cabinet Ministers with lesser privileges.

MR clearly knows he has got it wrong but seems ignorant about the pledge given to the people.  If he wants people to be seen as a man who feel the pulse of the people he represents, then he should not hesitate to admit that he got it wrong, and should reduce the number to a bare minimum and stop extravagant expenditures of taxpayers’ money.

If MR and SF fail to address this important issue head-on, and continue to utter rubbish that would only expose their lack of vision or direction, then they are two faced. The right person would unreservedly pledge to the people that in the event he is elected, he would bring down the size of the Cabinet to a bare minimum of 15 members (the appropriate size); a number  proportionate to the population and size of the country.  He would also undertake to cut down the extravagant privileges to a bear minimum.

Pledge To Stop Other Privileges That Only Encourage Abuse

• Remove the privilege of a duty-free permit issued to all politicos once in five years to import a luxury car.  The government incurs colossal losses of revenue due to abuse of this privilege by fraudster politicos who unlawfully sell their permits to organized revenue fraudsters.

A study conducted on this matter reveals that the average CIF value of a luxury vehicle usually imported on these permits such as a Mercedes Benz (S Class), Toyota Land Cruiser, BMW X5, etc., is over 10 million rupees.  The rate of customs duty and other levies chargeable on these (diesel driven) vehicles is 524% of the CIF value, and for each vehicle imported, the government incurs over 52 million rupees of revenue loss.  If the fraudster politico gets his share of 20% of the government revenue defrauded, he gets over 10 million rupees just for doing nothing and then “legitimizes” these ill-gotten gains through various kinds of money laundering activities.

In 2007, a large number of brand new vehicles were imported on these duty-free permits issued to parliamentarians, provincial counselors, local government members, and other privileged officials.  According to the Central Bank Finance Policy Report 2007, the Government revenue collection has been affected due to the motor vehicles imported under the duty-free permit scheme.

“In 2007, the government expected 28 billion rupees on motor vehicle imports, but only collected 15 billion rupees because customs duty waivers on 2007 was  a staggering 14 billion.  For the year 2008, the revenue collection target on motor vehicles was 35 billion rupees, and if the situation continues, the government may not be able to collect 40% of the target.” – A press release by The Director General of Customs.

These are the real issues that MR and SF should address without beating around the bush.  They must make a statement clarifying their stand, and tell people whether they will continue with this abuse or whether they will put it right immediately, thus preventing a colossal loss of revenue.

• To stop rent disbursement of Rs. 100,000.00 offered to politicos to rent a house in Colombo.  This is another absurd arrangement open for abuse.  Those politicos who live in Colombo suburbs conveniently made use of this privilege to cheat taxpayers’ money.  For instance, people like Susil Premajayath and Bandula Gunawardena vacated their own houses in Nugegoda and moved further in.  Surely there are many others who followed. People would like to hear, from both MR and SF, where they stand on this issue.
• To remove the unnecessary backup security provided to politicos; a nuisance in the eyes of fellow citizens.  Surely, every citizen would agree that the way the so-called politicos behave on the highways is a disgrace.  They seem to think that the Highway Code is applicable for other citizens only, and they violate the traffic rules at will whilst the police turn a blind eye.  This is really an insult to the people who yearn for law and order in the country, and which should be applied equally to all citizens irrespective of their status or authority.  People see no valid reason for police inaction, if not for a directive from above.  There is absolutely no apparent reason (except exaggerated security concerns created by their own security people who would lose the perks they enjoy in the event the unnecessary security is withdrawn) for the continuance of backup security to politicos involving a large number of security personnel and vehicles.  This is another unnecessary burden to the already ailing economy.
• To remove pension rights to politicos and demonstrate your commitment to the principle of equality before law (like any other public servant, no politico should be allowed pension rights unless they have served in the legislature for a minimum period of 20 years of continuous service).
• To stop the annual budget allocation to MPs to be used for “development work” under their own supervision.  This is just another scandalous affair open to abuse.
• To hold all MPs accountable for their actions.  There should be no special or unequal treatment for those holding any public office.  Any MP or a Member in the Cabinet found committing any wrongdoing should be dealt with severely with automatic dismissal from the office held.
• To abolish the provincial council system which provides no value for money spent on them.  The provincial councils have been introduced only to accommodate politico cronies of a second layer at the taxpayers’ expense.  Originally this system was proposed by India as a power-sharing arrangement with people in the North, but the people of the North refused the system, and finally it ended up in other parts of the country.  Clearly, this system is nothing more than a white elephant maintained at taxpayers money.  If the presidential candidates are truly focused, they should pledge to the people to abolish the provincial council system altogether.  They should not hesitate to those parasites who live a luxury life on taxpayers’ money to find an alternate way of living without being a curse to the already bleeding economy.
• To stop illegal commission-taking opportunities by abusing government tender process which is open to abuse.  Solicitation and acceptance of commissions and bribes is another major concern that is rampant in the government business, and which causes colossal losses of public funds.  There should be a system in place to ensure total transparency of all dealings of government bodies with freedom guaranteed to the people and media (both electronic and print) to obtain information of such dealings/transactions.  All dealings of government projects and the tender process should be made absolutely transparent and published in the “gazette” before awarding any tender or project to any prospective bidder with an adequate window guaranteed to public or media institutions to intervene if any evidence of wrongdoing surfaces.
• To remove the immunity guaranteed to the office of the president under the Constitution because the president is not a ceremonial figure, but is the person who exercises the executive power of the people.  The person elected to office is responsible for performance of the peoples’ executive power.  Hence the president should be held accountable for all executive actions.

Evidence of abuse of power by the president is in abundance and has cost country dearly.  The past presidents abused constitutional immunity with no fear whatsoever in order to serve their cronies who were found guilty for defrauding government revenue.

• To strengthen the powers of the Auditor General with unfettered powers to combat corruption in every public institution.  This is mandatory if a proper system of democratic government is to be assured.  The Auditor General is the peoples’ watchdog, and was created to ensure proper accounting for all forms of expenses of public funds.  Therefore, to ensure effective functioning of all executive and legislative bodies that exercise peoples’ sovereign power, the office of the Auditor General should be absolutely independent from any form of political interference.

Restore People’s Confidence In The Judiciary System

In Sri Lanka, the judiciary system lacks both the direction and commitment that is required to uphold the peoples’ executive power exercised by the executive president and the cabinet of ministers.  However, due to undue political interference by the president, the judiciary system in Sri Lanka has lost it independence and effectiveness.

The most glaring act of interference with the judiciary system is the fast track option to the Office of the Chief Justice retained by the president.  In Sri Lanka, this process is being used to appoint “subservient junior judges” to the office of the Chief Justice through the “back door entry policy” – first to the office of the AG, after which, they are fast-tracked to the office of the CJ.

This unethical practice and abuse of authority by the president has denied Sri Lanka the services of the most respected and independent judges in the calibre of Justice Mark Fernando, who was deliberately denied his logical expectation to the office of the CJ by an executive intervention.  He was indisputably a firm and impartial judge who would have firmly upheld the independence of the judiciary system and due performance of peoples’ executive power by the Executive President as required by the Constitution.  He was denied his logical expectations to the highest office of the judiciary because he was not another “yes man.”  President CBK first indirectly interfered with the independence of the judiciary system by appointing Justice Sarath Silva, a judge in the Court of Appeal, to the office of the AG, and then she directly interfered by appointing the same judge to the office of the CJ by the “fast-track process,” bypassing the outstanding judges in the Supreme Court of their expectations to the highest post in the Judiciary.

Abuse of power by the President and interference with the independence of the judiciary system never came to an end after CBK.  This unethical practice is still being continued under the MR administration.  The appointing of Mohan Peiris (a lawyer and legal advisor to the government from the private bar) is a similar ploy adopted by the MR administration.  Mohan Peiris is not a person with an unblemished character either.  There were serious complaints against him, allegedly exposing his unbecoming character as a lawyer.  For instance, in 2001, the Director General of Customs, WDL Perera, reported him to the Supreme Court against Mohan Peiris’ conduct in a significant government revenue fraud inquiry, where the value of the subject matter was worth over 50 million rupees.  The DGC’s complaint was never inquired into.  And now Mohan Peiris has been appointed to the office of the Attorney General.  The sinister motive behind this appointment is patently clear because the MR administration has had enough from the former Chief Justice, Sarath N. Silva, and therefore President MR has cleared the path to install his “obedient man” to the office of the CJ.

The immoral actions by President CBK and President MR clearly undermine the independence of the judiciary system, and the President’s action discreetly conveys a message to the most senior judges in the Supreme Court with logical expectation to the highest office of the Judiciary.  I.E. unless they are willing to be abide by the President, they can simply forget about their high expectation to the office of the CJ.  The president’s actions are not merely a direct interference with the judiciary system, but it is an act of insult directed at the judiciary system.  On the other hand, from the public interest point of view, this wrongful action is extremely damaging for the following reasons:

Under the Constitution, there is a great sense responsibility vested in the judiciary system.  It is a creation by the supreme law of the land to defend the peoples’ executive power and their legislative power.  Whenever there is any likelihood of threat of abuse of the peoples’ executive power by the president, the cabinet of ministers, or the elected members to the legislature who exercise the peoples’ legislative power, the Judiciary is required, by law, to strenuously defend the sovereign power of the people.  If put in plain language, the Judiciary is the peoples’ watchdog created to ensure that peoples’ executive power and their legislative power is appropriately exercised by the president, cabinet of ministers, and the legislature.

When the Judiciary is headed by a person who is partial, prejudiced, and obedient to the president, the purpose of the creation of the judiciary is completely lost as its effective functioning is held back by undue interference by the executive President.  Those who wonder why no person holding high office in Sri Lanka was ever brought to justice should now realize the reason behind it.  It is depressing that the judiciary system in Sri Lanka is dysfunctional against big “sharks,” whereas the judiciary system in the same region in Asia had never hesitated to defend the peoples’ judicial power and to deal with fraudster politicos with no mercy, including the heads of the state for abuse of office and corruption charges.

The people of Sri Lanka would like to hear from the main two candidates regarding their stand on this matter.

Question 1 to MR: Will you make a clear statement to the people and concede that you got it wrong?

Question 2 to MR: Will you undertake not to take any further action that undermines the judiciary system, and will you abstain from appointing Mohan Peiris to the office of CJ after Justice Asoka de Silva?

Question 3 to SF: Will you make a statement condemning the unethical practice by President MR’s interference of the independence of the Judiciary by him and give a clear undertaking to the people that you will staunchly uphold the independence of the Judiciary and ensure proper functioning of all three institutions (executive, legislative, and judiciary) under your government in the event you are given a mandate?

People Yearning For Moral Standards Return To Politics

People reject the political notion “Ballo marala hari salli hoyapalla” pioneered by JRJ in 1977 and followed since then. Sri Lanka has suffered enough due to JRJ’s Machiavelli political idealism, which encouraged all sorts of criminal and fraudster elements to enter into politics, and who were allowed to accumulate wealth by any means, and by indulging in all sorts of immoral acts whilst infusing a kind of horror feeling in the people.  This Machiavelli approach is still being followed in Sri Lanka under the MR administration to meet the aspiration of the MR administration.

Machiavelli political idealism encourages the leader to speak morality in public and to act amorally in private.  The criminal, Mervin Silva’s covert role, is the best living example of practicing two faced Machiavelli political ideology by the MR administration.

Cases of this nature under previous administrations are in abundance.  People should be aware and mindful of the immoral behavior of the so-called “peoples’ leaders,” and should not allow those who exercise the peoples’ executive power to insult their intelligence anymore.

Machiavellians Ruled Sri Lanka Since 1978 Onwards

1. J. R. Jayawardena [1978 – 1988]

JRJ is probably the smartest Machiavellian ever produced in Lankan politics.  First, JRJ used his crafty approach to sideline Dudley Senanayake – perhaps the last gentleman leader in the UNP.

JRJ, when serving in the opposition, was a committed campaigner for democracy.  He talked passionately about morality in politics, failure of government instructions to uphold law and order, breach of fundamental rights of citizens, and so on so forth.

What he practiced after he came became the head of state was completely opposite to what he preached.  He was the man responsible for opening the floodgates for all fraudster and criminal elements to enter politics.  Under his administration, he encouraged wrongdoing and then blackmailed the wrongdoers to have a firm grip on them.  The people of this country are well conversant of the style of governance practiced by Machiavelli JRJ.  He obtained signed resignation letters from all the MPs of his party and kept the signed letters to be used as and when he deemed fit.  JRJ was the main architect who ruined the morality in Sri Lankan politics altogether.  Under his administration, politicos were provided excessive perks and privileges never found in Lanka politics before.  State pension, duty permits for cars, and a pay that is completely disproportionate to the average pay of a fellow citizen was offered to politicos under his regime.

He created a fortress for his own defense.  Under a monstrous   constitution of his own creation, he became the focal point of all powers.  He retained all executive powers under his command.  He was the Head of the State, Head of the Executive, and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.  The stronghold created for the protection of the President was so impregnable, he incorporated a special provision in the constitution (Article 35) and enjoyed absolute immunity from any criminal or civil proceedings against anything done by him in his official capacity or private capacity.

The man, who talked extensively about human rights when he was in the opposition, denied the right to life to fellow citizens (a most important fundamental right recognized in the UN charter and also in constitution of our neighbor, India) under the fundamental rights chapter in his Constitution.

JRJ, under his constitution, also retained control of the legislature with absolute power to summon and dissolve the parliament as he saw deem fit.  Power retained by him to undermine the legislature under his command was such that he retained the power to dissolve the parliament after one year of the citizens electing their representative to the legislature.

Control over Judiciary under him was so rigid that powers retained in him devalued the country’s Judiciary and its independence.  He retained all appointments to the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice and judges to the Court of Appeal by a warrant under his hand.  And he was first person responsible for bring in outsiders from the private bar to the apex post in the Judiciary.  His appointment of his own lawyer, Neville Samarakoon, to the office of the CJ was the beginning of direct political interference with independence of the Judiciary in Sri Lanka.  Having Neville Samarakoon as the CJ, JRJ surreptitiously hoped for an obliging CJ to do his bidding, although after the said appointment, his desire never succeeded.  As CJ, Neville Samarakoon was a strong and independent judge who never flinched from his duty of maintaining judicial independence.

Under his democratic constitution, JRJ also allowed multinational companies to setup their bases in Sri Lanka and to exploit the country’s resources, including the workforce as they pleased with no interference whatsoever from domestic laws.  The protection provided extended to include any other form of interference by any executive or administrative action.

JRJ, the man who talked about morality and “righteous society” under his administration, in public, discreetly used his power to eliminate those who refused to suffer in silence under his oppressive rule.  He sensed that youths, who were agitating against his autocratic rule that destroyed all democratic institutions with extensive abuse of power, were embracing Rohana Wijeweera.  JRJ, master Machiavellian, practiced the theology he believed to the letter.  He clandestinely prohibited Wijeeweera’s political party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, for no valid reason whatsoever, and forced the party members underground, and then used state and state-sponsored terror to eliminate thousands of youths who were killed in cold blood.

JRJ also was not afraid to abuse his office as President and interfere with the duties of the government revenue agencies to protect his cronies.  In one such case where his own Secretary, Manikdevala, was involved, JRJ had the audacity to order the immediate removal of the officer who was responsible for enforcement of law against his Secretary.  In another case, a luxury car was imported by Nawaloka, which defrauded the government revenue of over 1.8 million rupees, and the car was ceased and confiscated [Case No POM/167/1985].  JRJ abused his authority and summoned the Head of Customs and ordered him to release the car, which was by then advertised in print media for sale by public auction.

His respect to the rule of law and to the fundamental rights of the people was such that when policemen were found guilty for violation of human rights of citizens and ordered to pay compensation to the victims, JRJ came forward to defend the policemen who violated the human rights of the citizens.  JRJ authorized such payments ordered against the rights violators from taxpayers’ money, which was considered a tacit approval of human rights violations by the Head of the Executive.  The tyrannical rule of JRJ also encouraged criminals and their accomplices.  In one such case, a well known re-convicted criminal serving a long prison sentence (such as Gonawala Sunil) was pardoned and released on his orders.

2.  R. Premadasa [1989 – 1993]

When this name is mentioned, the immediate imagery produced in the minds of the people would be a man holding a basketful of “saman pitchcha” flowers high over his head worshipping Lord Buddha.  But in reality, he was a two faced criminal.  On his orders, all JVP politburo members who were arrested, including the leader Rohana Wijeweera, were tortured and killed in cold blood.  President Premadasa did not carry out that inhuman and degrading act on his own.  It was carried out with the tacit approval of the then-Attorney General, Sunil Silva.

After he “finished them off,” Premadasa had the audacity to allow a video clip to be shown on Rupawahini in which Rohana Wijeweera was addressing his comrades and pleading with them to surrender.  The impression given to the public by that video clip was that Wijeweera was alive and being treated well in government custody.  After killing them in cold blood, President Premadasa deliberately insulted the intelligence of the people with utter falsehood.  The state-controlled media informed the people that the politburo members of the JVP had serious differences between them and had betrayed each other.  Whilst they were taken in a security convoy to show one of their hideouts which had been confessed to security forces, some of the JVPs in the hideout who saw them coming opened fired on them, killing them all.

Premadasa was such a crafty Machiavellian autocrat and an expert spin-doctor.  Day-in and day-out he preached morality to people while he practiced the complete opposite in his private life.  There are serious allegations that he abused his office to eliminate not only JVPs, but the other forces as well that he considered a threat to his survival.  His period in office in Sri Lanka is considered a dark period in history when the country was ruled by terror.

3.  Ranil Wickramasinghe (RW)  [May 1993 - August 1994]

This is another two faced “peoples’ politico” who closely associated with serious criminals.  His alleged association with the SSP, Douglas Peiris, who was accused for murdering hundreds of youths in cold blood, is a known fact and information in this regard is in abundance in the public domain.  RW was also accused for his personal knowledge of some brutal murders carried out in his own backyard, the Batalanda torture chamber.

How he got his man (Gonawala Sunil), a re-convicted criminal serving a long jail sentence, is another illustration of his association with criminals.  Once Gonawal Sunil was released from prison, RW became his ally in crimes in RW’s private life.  Gonawala Sunil was not only a well-known criminal, he also was a powerful figure in the ring of smugglers who were concerned in the importation of goods by illegal means, defrauding the government revenue.  In one such case, even after a failed smuggling attempt, thanks to the intervention of his ally RW, Gonawal Sunil was successful in snatching 1.8 million rupees from the Customs Department by deceitful means.

RW’s association with the other government revenue fraudsters in general was also unparalleled.  When he was the Prime Minister, in September 1993, Customs launched stern action against those who imported duty-free cars on duty permits issued to politicos, and sold such vehicles unlawfully in the open market.  As a result of strict enforcement of law, some cars were seized and confiscated amidst strong political pressure.  However, soon after the initiation of action in the first such case, further action was stopped as a result of direct interference by RW who came forward to defend “his men.”  RW had no respect whatsoever to the law of the land and had the audacity to order the release of all vehicles confiscated by Customs.  RW was a man with such a despicable character.  RW had the audacity, having ordered release of all confiscated vehicles, to direct Customs with his strict orders, to abandon any further operations against revenue fraudsters involved in the said fraud.

RW was an excellent Machiavellian who followed Machiavelli’s theology to the letter.  Having served his men with his fraudulent action (unknown to  the public), RW had the audacity to deceive the public with a press statement that carried only utter falsehood.  He informed the public that, on his orders, stern action was being taken against those who abused duty-free permits and those who illegally sold permit cars in the open market, incurring over 2 billion revenue loss (Silumina 5^th September 1993).  Today, this passionate Machiavellian once again preaches to people about the importance of honesty and integrity in politics.

4.  D. B. Wijetunga [1993 -1994]

What kind of person is thought of in the average citizen’s mind when the name of DBW is remembered?  Probably a picture of a very innocent and harmless person may come to one’s mind.  Yet, this was another very successful Machiavellian who left no room for the average citizen to know his inner or discrete conduct.  The powerful fraudsters used this man to get the maximum out of DBW, and for some he was a fatherly figure.  Some very successful fraudsters knew DBW’s limited abilities very well, and they used him for their advantage by offering his family certain ways, which DBW considered a gesture of their faithfulness and appreciation of his “contributions” made towards them by way of nullifying forfeiture orders and penalties imposed on fraudsters by government revenue agencies.  Some of his obedient and intimate “buddies” treated DBW by offering personal delivery of his family’s monthly shopping to his home in Kandy.

DBW used his diplomacy very effectively to support his men, the powerful government revenue fraudsters.  However, this calm, fatherly figure became vicious when offended, particularly when things failed to get done the way he wanted.  Very few know that he was a man directly responsible for persecuting some upright officers in the government revenue agencies who refused to compromise with his unlawful orders.  Some officers who refused to carry out his illegal orders were persecuted to such an extent that on his orders, they lost their jobs and some were placed under interdiction under his rule.  However, his immoral conduct came to light when one such officer challenged his unlawful dismissal on the orders of the President in the Supreme Court.  In this case, the head of the Customs Administration, in an affidavit made to the Supreme Court, admitted that President DBW summoned him and ordered him to dismiss the said officer from public service.  More information about DBW’s deceptive character was highlighted in Counterpoint magazine (February 1994) for a complete exposure of DBW’s deceptive character and connivance with fraudster mafia.

5.  Chandrika Bandaranayake Kuramatunga (CBK) [1994 - 2005]

The people gave CBK an overwhelming mandate because she pledged to the people to be a strictly disciplined leader and to clear corruption and abuse of power rampant in the government business.  She was extremely firm, uncompromising, and committed during her election campaign and promised the people to restore law and order, to eliminate abuse of power, and to usher in lasting peace under her “able leadership” which would not tolerate any form of wrongdoing.

Far from those idealized hopes, the political leadership under her reflected only a common or garden-variety leadership, autocratic and unenlightened.  What she practiced in private was totally different from what she preached to the people during her election campaign.  She was just another Machiavellian and the government under her rule was a total disaster.  She betrayed the people who had placed a great faith and trust in her, and she simply became easy pray for the powerful fraudster and criminal mafia that effectively controlled the economy.  Not only did she tolerate all sorts of wrongdoing, she also encouraged those who swindled the government revenue with her tacit approval.  She was utterly undisturbed and unconcerned when the media exposed her abuses, and she continued her practice of interfering with the operation of government revenue agencies to protect the interests of her cronies, the government revenue suckers.  The enormous loss of revenue the government incurred as a result of nullifying forfeitures and penalties imposed on the fraudsters ran into hundreds of millions of rupees.  Under CBK’s regime, the lives of some upright officers who refused to compromise with her undue interference with their enforcement duties were always at risk as the fraudster mafia were very powerful under her regime.  Under these circumstances, some committed senior law enforcement officers in the government revenue agencies who were disgusted with her attitude towards honest officers who refused to compromise with CBK’s unlawful orders left the country for good.  The extent of her blindness and drunkenness with power was such that in some cases she was bold enough to dictate her unlawful orders directed at the heads of government revenue agencies with her own handwriting.

Despite her endless interference with law enforcement duties against government revenue fraudsters, there were some upright officers in the government revenue agencies courageous enough to blow the whistle and expose her abuses through the media. However, this arrogant autocrat was so stubborn against such officers. She launched direct attack on these officers; used her intelligence to identify the officers who exposed her twofaced character in the media. The persecution directed at those officers were such that they were arrested, remanded, charged with manifestly unfounded allegations and finally dismissed from the public service. Now, this twofaced tyrant once again preaches about the importance of honestly, integrity   and visionary leadership in politics, which she claims not found in the MR administration.

Need Of The Hour And Obligations Of SF And MR

You may pledge to deliver different things to the people than you normally would at this Presidential election campaign.  Please, in the name of justice, stop this immoral, senseless, and illusionary politics – an act of insult to the intelligence of the people.  What people with correct political judgement demand is to prove your character and genuine will to be a firm and honest leader committed to deliver.  The political history of Sri Lanka demonstrates that, up until now, so many dishonest politicos who ruled the country by deception had betrayed the people of this country.  They were two faced and had no integrity or commitment to serve the nation.  They took the innocent people for a ride, and those people have undergone immense economic hardship for no fault of theirs.  The people now demand that you prove your character and worth by your own conduct, by deeds not just by words, that you are not another two faced Machiavelli.

The people demand that you display your respect towards your opponent.  Indulgence in disgraceful acts such as use of force and terror towards your opponent only shows that you’re a below average character.  Such acts expose the absence of any vision, direction, or magnanimity in you; an essential characteristic of a good leader.  Politically intelligent people of this country expect you to respect the political judgement of the people, most of whom are not partisans of any particular political party or candidate, but who are clever observers and the decisive force who will decide your destiny.

Advise To SF

People will never forget your contributions towards the safety and comfort of the fellow citizens or your dedicated service as a truly committed military commander.  You proved to the whole world that what you have achieved during your tenor as the military commander is simply unparalleled to what others have done.  You almost sacrificed your life on your march to free the nation from terror.  Surely every decent citizen of this country, who enjoys freedom from strife, would pay his or her utmost respect for what you have achieved under your command.  Therefore, just turn your back on some disparaging remarks made by certain criminal elements, enjoy immunity under MR, who it seems has yet to understand how costly his association with these criminals would be.

General, now you are promoted to contest the Presidential election by the United National Party under the grip of RW and by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramauna headed by Somawansa – two proven impotent leaders who lack either vision or direction.  Why do they promote you?  Is it because they love you enough to make you the President of this country?  Remember, these two are politically bankrupt and decomposed, and not worth a penny.  They are fully aware that the people have no trust or confidence in them.  And that is why they pleaded with you to be their proxy candidate.  They are trying to have a piggyback on someone like you, a renowned figure who has won the hearts and minds of people.  These people, who have no confidence, are now trying to get into power through the back door.

General, people know that you have signed a MOU with these people ; the contents of which are hidden from the citizens.  The people also know that the MOU you signed will impose very serious limitations and moral obligations on you.  If the citizens of this country were to consider your candidacy in the forthcoming elections, in the first place, you should place the MOU you signed with the UNP and JVP before the people.  They have a right to know what you have conceded to RW and Somawansa in the event you are elected to the office of the President.  Therefore, the people of this country have their reservations about your candidacy at the elections.  The reason is clear.  In the event you are elected to the office of the President, the people of this country require you to discharge the duties of the President strictly in accordance with the oath of allegiance you will take under the constitution.  I.E. to be faithful to the laws of the land and to the people of Sri Lanka who assign their executive power to you for due execution.  And for whatever reasons, people do not want you to be directed and dictated by a MOU you signed with RW & Co.  It is very unlikely that the politically knowledgeable people in this country would let RW take them for a ride anymore.

You should bear in mind that as long as you go along with RW and Somawansa in the election campaign, you will destroy your chances.  You know the popular saying, “when you sleep with dogs, you will have ticks in you.”  The people have no confidence in these people, and as long as you go with RW and Somawansa, the people will have no confidence in you as well.  That will most likely be the verdict of the people.  At present, in the eyes of public, you are nothing more than a puppet remotely controlled by these rotten, disintegrated politicos.  People know your capacity is severely curtailed for reasons beyond your control, but still believe you have some options open for you provided you act swiftly.

Remember, if RW and whatever the executive committee of the UNP are confident that you are the right person to contest the under UNP ticket, then surely you naturally become the most appropriate person to be installed as the party leader.  You should not hesitate to use this opportunity to your advantage.  The people want you to use your intelligence and to become the party leader in the UNP by a popular mandate by the general membership.  This is not a bad ploy at all, particularly at a time when there is a steady disintegration observed in the UNP.  You can see with your own eyes that the senior in the party are deserting RW and providing you the best opportunity.

Having become the party leader, you can have the executive committee appointed by popular vote, the only process that allows people with integrity to take a key position in the party.  In fact, you should have done this at the very initial stages of this campaign, but still it is not too late.  There is no doubt, providing you become the party leader and seek the peoples’ mandate to be the chief executive of the country with a right team (your shadow cabinet) with no barriers, people will definitely consider you the right person with proven character to be the President in this country.

General, your destiny is in your hands.  Act fast, meet the plausible challenge if you need the peoples’ mandate; come before the people free from any impediments.  The people don’t want some elements that are already rejected to dictate terms on you; prove your character by meeting the challenge head-on with a integrity to lead the nation.

Word Of Advice to MR

Dear President, before your own eyes you can simply see the plight of those who followed Machiavelli’s political ideology and got burned to ashes.  The best example is of the decomposed CBK, your predecessor; the one who shamelessly abused the great faith and confidence placed in her by the people of this country.  She was probably one of the best who was given an overwhelming mandate to put things right.  Yet, it is very unfortunate that the peoples’ judgement of her was proven wrong.  She was a monumental failure.  CBK was just another common and unenlightened autocrat.  Look back and see her sorry plight today.  Nobody bothers paying a shit of respect towards her.  She got everything wrong and got what she rightly deserved.

Do you want to follow the same footsteps and fall into the same trap, or do you want to be the “peoples leader” forever?  The choice is in your hands.  If you want to be just another Machiavellian like JRJ, RW, Premadasa, and CBK, and rule the country by deception, then your destiny in history will be the same; another addition to the names of “great betrayers of the nation” list.

Remember, you have the full potential to be the Mahathir Mohamed, or Lee Kwan You of Sri Lanka.  You have already proven some characteristics of a good leader.  You stood firm against Western pressure; stood firm and refused to betray your people and won the hearts and minds of the people.  If Ranil or CBK had been the President, there is no question that they would have kneeled down before Western pleasure.  The people love your good qualities.  You are known for your modesty, and people naturally compare you with bigheaded CBK.  Yet, please be aware, people also know about your bad character and lack of integrity.  That is why I give you this sincere word of advice – because people are willing to pardon you; after all you are a human – providing however, you shun all bad qualities and become a true leader with a firm commitment to deliver.

For you there are so many things to gain.  Simply be honest and committed.  Reject rule by deception, which will only bring your downfall.  Be brave enough to redesign your policies based on a strictly disciplined economic policy, “dasaraja dharma,” and zero tolerance of any form of wrongdoing.  In the name of your motherland, give up all forms of wrongdoing; reject all habits of pleasing cronies and other bad practices that only help ruin your chances of becoming a successful leader.  Get rid of all criminal elements around you.  Reject Mervin Silva’s criminal gang.  Renounce egoism which only tarnishes your name, and don’t promote or tolerate elements that promote egoism.  Be courageous to select and rely on a team of committed people (your cabinet) with proven character to deliver.  Wholeheartedly reject the ones whose prime concern is to embezzle public funds by improper means.

MR, the people want you to show that you are a changed person with the right characteristics.  If you want to win the hearts and minds of the people, you must prove your character before the election and prove that you are not a Machiavellian anymore or a ruler governed by deception, but are instead, a man with integrity and commitment to fulfill all objectives set forth by the supreme law of the land.

The people want actions, not words.  Prove your character to the people right now with the implementation of the following”

• Get rid of all criminal elements that you associate right now.  Prove your adherence by removal of Mervin Silva’s criminal gang forthwith

• Display your magnanimity with due respect to your opponent. Deal severely with those who disrupt his political campaign

• Make a voluntary declaration of your assets and all contributions made to your election campaign

• Stop extravagant expenditure of taxpayerss money, including “dansala’s” to induce people

• Withdraw all backup security provided to all MPs and Ministers with immediate effect.  This is just another nuisance; an unproductive waste of taxpayers’ money.  There is no logic in continuation of this practice.  Security backups are provided when power is withdrawn or when moved to opposition.  If they can live without such security when in opposition, there is no logic to provide such security when they move to government.  In the eyes of the public, this is purely an abuse.

Give a clear undertaking to the people to meet the following in the event you are given a fresh mandate to be the President

• Remove all elements that have blood on their hands from the office of the Cabinet of Ministers and from the legislature (Lokuge, Susantha Punchinilame, Mahinda Ratnathilake, and other such elements whose names are not included)

• Pledge people to strengthen the fundamental rights of the citizens with right to life guaranteed in the Constitution

• Pledge to strengthen the independence of the judiciary with no interference whatsoever.  Give an open undertaking to the public that Mohan Peries, appointed to the office of the AG, will not be “fast tracked” to the office of the CJ through the back door.  This unethical practice clearly undermines the independence of the Judiciary and implicitly warns the judges to be partial towards the government when it is a party to a case or when any bill is challenged before the Supreme Court.

• Pledge to stop the bad practice of paying compensation awarded against police officers who violated fundamental rights of citizens from taxpayers’ money.  There is no logic in this practice and clearly this act amounts to tacit approval of violation of citizens’ rights by state officers.  Those who found fault and are at fault should be made to pay with their own funds and should be removed from office forthwith.

• Pledge to remove the pension rights given to MPs unless they complete a minimum of 20 years continued service in the legislature

• Pledge to remove the privilege of a duty-free permit issued to all politicos once in five years to import a luxury car.  The government incurs colossal losses of revenue due to abuse of this privilege by fraudster politicos who unlawfully sell their permits to organized revenue fraudsters.  Instead, allow permits only once in 10 years.  However, no individual should be allowed to profit from the privilege afforded to a public office.  If any vehicle imported under any duty-free permit scheme is to be disposed of, then the permit holder should be made to sell it directly to the government store at the depreciated value – the base value for which should be the cost of the vehicle at the time of importation.  Any unlawful disposal of either a permit itself or a vehicle imported under a permit should lead to an automatic removal of the MP concerned who abused the privilege, plus automatic confiscation of the vehicle.

• Pledge to abolish the provincial council system, which provides no value for the money spent on it

• Stop rent disbursement of Rs. 100,000.00 offered to politicos to rent a house in Colombo.  This is just another opening to abuse taxpayers’ money by politicos

• Pledge to remove the immunity guaranteed to the Office of the President under the Constitution.  The Office of the President is not a ceremonial head, but it is the office that exercises the peoples’ executive power.  The person elected to the office is responsible for due performance of the peoples’ executive power.  Hence, the President should be held accountable for all executive actions.

• Pledge to strengthen the powers of the Auditor General with unfettered powers to combat corruption in every public institution.  This is mandatory if a proper system of democratic government is to be assured.  The Auditor General is the peoples’ watchdog, created to ensure proper accounting for all forms of expenses of public funds.  Therefore, to ensure effective functioning of all executive and legislative bodies that exercise peoples’ sovereign power. the office of the Auditor General should be absolutely independent from any form of political interference.

• Pledge to reintroduce morality in politics.  The President should set an example by shunning all forms of wrongdoing and giving a clear message to every person that they hold a zero tolerance policy against any form of wrongdoing.

• Pledge to end all forms of abuse of power including any form of interference of law enforcement agencies punishable with an automatic removal from office.

• Pledge to overhaul the government tender-awarding process.  Make it absolutely transparent with freedom guaranteed to the people and media (both electronic and print) to obtain information of such dealings/transactions.

• Pledge to bring in democratic reforms in the leadership selection process – first introduce necessary reforms in your own party, invariably other parties would follow.  That would help to dump rejected people holding onto power by undemocratic means – RW (UNP0 and Somawansa (JPV) – and the general membership of the respective parties would have an opportunity to elect the most deserving person to be the party leader

• Pledge to bring reforms to the character of all form of elections minimizing expenses, time, energy, and conflicts between the parties

• Pledge to bring in necessary legislation with provisions to declare all forms of funding to the political parties mandatory with unfettered powers to the Auditor General to inquire into funding

• Pledge to bring in a National Action Plan with the participation of all political parties (including the ethnic minority parties) that should remain, followed by all governments elected to office

• Pledge to bring down the size of the Cabinet of Ministers to a bare minimum of 15 members – a number proportionate to the population and the size of the country.  And to cut down the extravagant privileges to the Cabinet of Ministers to a bear minimum.

• Pledge to establish a professional and cost effective public service with an assurance that recruitment and promotions be made purely on performance and merits only

• Pledge to bring in a statute to honor the peoples’ right to information to uncover how all state institutions are run, and to release the information when required by any citizen or any media – print or electronic – unless the release of information requested could prejudice the effective conduct of public

• Pledge to make all media, both electronic and print function independently with no government interference.

• Pledge to bring in a Public Interest Disclosure Act to provide legal protection to workers who are victimized by employers for “blowing the whistle” about wrongdoing at work place.  Such a piece of legislation is a must to encourage public officers to raise their concerns about the abuse of power by any office whether in the executive or in the legislature

• Pledge to deliver all other objectives promised to the people of Sri Lanka under article 27 of the Constitution through a strictly disciplined program of work.

Read more / the original here:
http://srilankafoundation.org/news/2010/01/15/sri-lankans-appeal-to-2010-candidates/

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