Editorial: Is bribery at play in winning votes at Geneva?

( February 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Even the Rajapakse Brothers are far well aware a defeat at the Geneva UNHR talks next week will be the beginning of an unstoppable avalanche of global strictures against their tainted government. This can trigger out a series of events that can result in the ouster of the Rajapakse regime - even with a weak and wimpish Opposition leader like Ranil Wickramesinghe. The Rajapakses know they have unnecessarily and undiplomatically made far too many enemies of countries in manh issues– traditionally close friends of Sri Lanka. The Rajapakse regime have figured the only way out is to win over the majority of the 46 members in the HRC – most from the African Continent. About a month ago Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris – an able and experienced negotiator of exceptional learning - and sundry men like Susil Premjayanth were dispatched to little-known far away countries like Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Senegal, Angola to win over these countries.

There is already well grounded speculation pecuniary inducements will not be out of the Agenda during the unusual visit of Lankan ministers to these countries. It is common knowledge the venal culture is legion in the area where leaders in some of these countries have been found guilty of taking large sums of money even in matters centred around World Cup football – selection of venues, Board election of FIFA region bodies and so on. That they cream out much of the natural resources of their people to fill their own pockets is nothing new. In many of these countries what is termed in this part of the world as “palm oil” is almost in the normal scheme of things.

It is astonishing where and how the large sums of money for this alleged dubious project will be found to finance this unsavoury and was an avoidable misadventure if only the available expertise, managerial skill and experience within the country was tapped. The Rajapakses will stop at nothing to continue and maintain their misrule Sri Lanka ’s name will be further dragged into the mud if details if one or some of these “payments” come out to the open. That they will come out one day – with or without the aid of Wikileaks – is certain.

( Written by Senguttuvan )