EDITORIAL: Have the Rajapakses overstayed their welcome?

| by Senguttuvan

( June 14, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian ) With prices of most essentials shooting up the bag of tricks by which Mahinda Rajapakse and his 2 brothers, the real political power in the country - are carrying on this charade of calling their fumbling rule “a government” - is diminishing fast. What gives the regime some form of oxygen is the high-profile theatrics performed by President Rajapakse now and again to keep the mass of the Sinhala population – fated with a memory span this side of a fortnight and easily buyable with cheap tricks. The London Jubilee visit is one such that, arguably, was staged to win the sympathy of the low IQ pseudo-nationalist Sinhala mass so that the hurtful pangs of hunger fastly sweeping the nation can be placed under the carpet of a confused and yet hungry nation. Once again the dead horse of “the deadly Tamil tiger” and “the diaspora rump” is being beaten. Sadly for all of us - the JHU and fellow travellers excluded - it continues to have a market within the country.

The engineers of the diaspora propanda machine also seem to have contributed to the Rajapakse plan by displaying their new flag - far too similar to the earlier LTTE's threatening-Tiger emblem.

Just in case some in government ranks suspect the wind in the sails of the anti-Tamil diaspora campaign by government sources there is always the chance of staging an attack or two on a Mosque to maintain the momentum. Far away Anuradhapura and Dambulla to frighten the Muslims does not have the numbers. So why not Dehiwala – or even Borella now that MH Mohamed is a spent force - unwanted by the greens or the blues. And there is always cardboard Dutugemunu – the self-claimed Buddha’s reincarnation in Kelaniya - always willing to come to the Rajapakses aid by doing his thing to annoy the Muslims of Kelaniya-Peliyagoda-Wattala.

Of course, there is the subtle Premadasa-type of mass hoodwinking that is in the boards to fool the Somapalas – and that, of course, is a symbolic reduction of the price of Petrol, Kerosene and Diesel for a short while – thereafter to rise again. Maitripala Sirisena and others have been hinting at this for sometime to assuage the simmering anger of the Sinhala mass. Reminds one of Dudley Senanayake’s taunting the shy, demure and inexperienced Mrs.B in Parliament in the 1960s – “naggala bassanawa” This was the reference to Dr. N.M.Perera (Ratharang Moley) who once got angry with Dudley constantly heckling him on rising prices. NM said something like “I say, you don’t understand the complexities of high finance. Sometimes we have to send prices up before they are brought down (naggala bassanda oney)

As widely expected, it will not be long before alleged Drug Trafficker Duminda Silva re-appears in Colombo from a Singapore Hospital (Who and how was the cost coming to millions of dollars met?) Although there is a Court Order for his warrant and presence in Courts, the Police give tuppence to the law – certainly not without support from those above them who now even control what was once the independent, clean and free process of justice. As to the sanctity of our Parliament, although the rule is if an MP is absent for a continuous period of three months he loses his seat – except in extra-ordinary cases contributing to the welfare of the country. In Duminda Silva’s case this legal requirement has been dispensed with and, at least technically, he remains an MP – a Monitor of the Defence Ministry, to boot, overseeing the Police Department itself. How does this compare with the ringing words of a highly respected former senior official and diplomat Mr. HGS Palihakkara, chairing the last H L de Silva commemoration meeting where he pointed out “a diminishing respect for the rule of law diminishes us all. This erosion will allow impunity to raise its ugly head. Usually, impunity signals the onset of decay…. Neither those who govern nor those of us who are the governed will be spared. It impairs civilized life and democracy….it undermines the investment climate…..

Conversely, the upholding of the rule of law manifestly strengthens sovereignty, pre-empts external calls for intrusive accountability, deters threats to the territorial integrity of the nation and facilitates the enjoyment of fruits of citizenship and democracy by all…. Our image abroad cannot be significantly different from the rule of law image we create at home for ourselves. When the rule of law suffers at home, our image abroad suffers too. When we nurture a rich culture of the rule of law at home, image abroad becomes richer, even if the country remains poor in economic terms…” How does the sytem respond to such words of wisdom from a distinguished son of the soil? Much despised Minister Mervin Silva, described in many adjectives by as many, was there at the airport to receive his indiscriminately accommodating Patron returning from the Jubilee Celebrations – garland and all. Photographs of the event was taken and shown to the country via the media – and the message is loud and clear “whatever I do and whomever I attack, nothing happens to me in terms of what goes here the established law”

The Economy continues to be in the doldrums. With all the efforts of the two main economic czars of the regime in defending the rupee, the parity vis-a-vis the US$ has once more gone over Rs.133 (Selling) this week. Financial circles predict the regime has no viable formulae to the parity going close to Rs.150 by August/September. The Rajapakses desperation is seen in their pleading with the IMF for another US$500 million - this time also to pay back loan-interest commitments that cannot be delayed. It does not require a Rocket Scientist to conclude we are already playing our own version of the Greek Tragedy. Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, apparently, cannot take it anymore. And so he states in obvious exasperation“Of 74 State Owned Enterprises only 36 are profitable. The latter contributing only Rs.34 Bln in 2011. Treasury paid Rs.102 Bln to support the failing ones during 2011” In a form of explaining the cause of the continued debacle he adds “Chairmen/Board members do not contribute. They are mostly ignorant of their responsibilities” Don’t we know? Who was it that appointed an Astrologer (or Kattadiya) to the Board of the National Savings Bank – a crucial financial institution - whose assets in the billions of rupees of the people are held in trust by the Rajapakse regime. This Astrologer could not even predict the embarrassing racket of the TFC-NSB deal nor was he able to accurately predict his own dismal departure from the Board. When asked what is the answer Dr. PBJ said “remove them. Put politics aside and appoint people to act as responsible custodians” Truer words were never spoken in this fashion in recent times. More significantly, Dr. Jayasundera repeated what many initiated in the country have been lamenting for a long time ”it is time community leaders and religious dignitaries intervene on behalf of the poor/sick and call for the end of dissipation and profligacy – all done in the guise of festivities” Many years too late but one has to begin somewhere sometime.

The show-piece of our economy, the Stock Market, which Cabraal and

Company took pleasure in doling out to foreign investors as “the best performing Stock Market in the world” probably is the only one in the world that is more closed than all others put together. On days the sum total of the entire day’s trading volumes are half of an average day’s volume of a Havala dealer in the Pettah. The Business page of an English daily quoting a Review on the Stock Market states, inter alia, “the country’s small Stock Exchange has fast gained a reputation of being a den of gamblers and manipulators” Fines alone in 2011 for violations have brought in Rs.13,875,000 – said to be 83% more than 2010. A leading businessman and son, identified with the Health Industry, were caught red-handed on serious Insider Trading rackets not long ago – a serious crime attracting long prison sentences in the West as the Raj Rajaratnam case shows. But here? All one needs is a telephone call from some disrepuited VIP character and crooks are let scot free. Any wonder we are not attracting the US$5 billion FDI or even a fraction of it.

Anura Dissanayake, a JVP front-liner expresses his views of the State of the Finances in the country thus "There is a gang which gambles with public funds. They get involved in the financial market very intensively and engage in dubious deals. They make use of monies in the ETF and State banks to play the financial market. The ETF, National Savings Bank, and Bank of Ceylon are all threatened. From where are all these controlled? By the Ministry of Finance. At the top is the Minister of Finance"

Sri Lankan Airlines, Mihin Air, CEB, CPC are only a few of the heavy loss-making SoE’s that continue to gulp down enormous losses – all a massive burden to the near-bankrupt Treasury. Media reports today the cost of Jumbo Tamasha visits by the Presidents, his friends, relatives and cohorts - the last being in June to the Jubilee celebrations in London - have added a further burden of Rs.2 billion to the Treasury.

In the 6 years in power the Rajapakse regime has been able to do nothing to reverse the trend of the downward trend in the economy. This is nothing but a crime against an entire nation. This is what a highly respected former Central Bank official Dr. W. A. Wijewardena has to say “Losses in Public Enterprises, however, much they are justified - are a violation of Public Property Rights”

The galloping cost of essential foodstuffs, healthcare, education, travel and so on – well beyond the reach of the ordinary folk , the lower and upper middle-class in the country - presumably contributes to the rise of crime reaching epidemic proportions. Police soures say even law-abiding citizens are driven to the edge by the punishing rise of prices. The more wealthier sections of society in the rural and suburban areas appear to be more vulnerable judging by the number of theft-based killings - particularly of widows and old ladies of wealth. I am reminded here of the arrest of a former Soldier, along with 2 other complices, in a theft-based killing of a rich merchant in the outskirts of Colombo. One of the investigators – a man working towards a Law Degree in the Police said the young man (34) had a totally crime-free record. He is reported to have won the admiration of his unit and the various officers under whom he had worked. He had married a pretty teacher in his area – an early love affair – and had a son who was showing good signs in his curricular work. The parents wished to school the child in one of the leading Buddhist schools in Colombo to guarantee him a future. The problem was a large sum of money needed to have the child admitted – with all bureaucratic rules in operation. The only way out to get this child to the preferred school was a substantial sum as bribe. They could not afford it and the young father felt he was failing in his duty if he could not provide for the son’s future. He has, therefore, reluctantly agreed to be part of this Contract-killing admitted the young man sobbing uncontrollably. His words were “Just this one only. I would have not done this again” Last week a house of wealthy residents at Kirindiwella in the Gampaha District was broken into in broad-daylight when the occupants were away at a wedding in the District. Loss of jewellery, cash and other valuables alone was reported by the Police at over Rs.2 million. An armed gang killed well-liked local businessman Sarath Kumara (37) and harassed villagers in the usually peaceful village at Rabbotha in the Mawathagama area. Rs.70,000 cash and jewellery was reported stolen. The gang is reported to be directly involved with leading politicians of the area.The breaking into the home of the Chairman of an airline in a more expensive part of Mt. Lavinia gained for the thieves who broke in more than Rs.9 million – in cash, foreign currency, jewellery and a very expensive watch. The man was a brother-in-law of the President of the country is something the thieves would have all too well known. If the home of such a close relative of the powerful regime is not safe in today’s Sri Lanka what chances do you and I have.

And, as to whatever is happening to the Mother of them All – the resolution of the National Question. That that has brought this country to the very brink of enforced disintegration does not seem to bother the Brothers Inc at all?

Whatever the government mumbles the Rajapakses are under pressure to deliver on their earlier promises to the USA, the India, Japan and the EU. The release of Sarath Fonseka – coinciding with the visit of Foreign Minister Dr. G.L. Peiris is one such. The unverified claim by the Army they have reduced their street strength in the North to 1/3rd of its earlier strength from 50,000 to 15,000 is another – and needs to be welcomed in the interest of peace and unity. However, sources within the government often find themselves in difficulty to remove themselves from the mendacious culture the regime has created for itself both locally and abroad. Governor of the bifurcated Northern Province Maj. Gen. C. A. Chandrasiri claimed (Ceylon Daily News) a sum roughly equivalent to Rs.1.5 million per family in the Jaffna District has been spent on infra-structural and other development efforts in the North in 2011/12. This, if true, is a significant contribution to national reconciliation, if confirmed by neutral sources.

Many leading citizens working for peace in both sides of the divide, called upon the Government and its many agencies to confirm this fact in detail. I have added my own voice to this in these pages. So far the Govt. has not given a breakdown and, therefore, the Governor's claim is in doubt. Meanwhile, bloggers in regular spaces focusing on the contemporary Lankan scene point out what Chandrasiri has calculated are more the capital expenditure on building army camps, roads, bridges, railway lines – all more to facilitate the movement of troops and ensure a long and protracted stay for the army in its determined stand to overwhelm the Tamils in the North, in particular, irrespective of the protests of the Tamils concerned. Civil society sources point out only a fraction of what is claimed by the Governor has gone to infra-structure development benefitting the local people. Predictably, there is growing anger in the Jaffna District. Recently on the occasion coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the 1972 Republican Constitution a group of youth number over 40 - under the very eyes of the army - had gathered at Orani in the grave-site of the Mother of LTTE Leader Prabakaran also to commemorate the 2nd year of her passing away. This is the spot where allegedly army men had bulldozed the burial site and desecrated the grave-site with the dead body of 2 dogs - clearly in deliberate insult. The Tamil youth on this day have burnt several copies of the 1972 Constitution - an indication Tamil anger, fuelled by total inaction to address their major grievances, is on the rise. The Rajapakse regime is well advised to take careful note of the feelings of the Tamil people in the Jaffna District.

It was John Stuart Mills who reminded the British people that a Government, in reality, is a Trust bequeathed on them by the people in full confidence that which is in power will discharge its duties honourably, ethically, efficiently and responsibly.

How do the Rajapakses and their sycophantic regime - in a country where the Opposition is a joke and Parliament an apology - measure upon this scale?