Friday, December 28, 2012

A Nation does not even pass a comment on insanity!



A front page of a paper yesterday clearly stated that the President offered the services of his personal physician to Hugo Chavez who was recovering in a Cuban hospital after undergoing treatment for Cancer. This was not a joke, but a very serious statement made in all honesty!!

You must be kidding!! We know that this person is a Charlatan, and the butt of jokes in this country, but no one dared to question the mental faculties of a person who can without humor make such a statement. He has by the use of steroids ruined people’s health, and as in the case of these drugs shown short term relief for long term disaster. So to offer to kill your friend is tantamount to taking part in murder and I am glad that Chavez had the good sense to ignore the call, pretending it was never made.

This is the state of the state in SL. As it is the state of fear or frailty of the populace who either do not care or are of a similar disposition so as not to raise their voices in shock horror, is what is troubling.

No wonder therefore that whilst the rest of the world understands the mind of persons in such a delusional state, the people in this country fail to do so. It boils down to the education and knowledge of the people which does not permit them to rationalize good from evil, and right from wrong.

It is this intrinsic basic concept that a whole nation seems unaware of. When the truth is pointed out they feign ignorance, for fear of being outed as a dimwit. It is a truly sorry situation to be confronted by.

In a country, when a person is revered to such a degree, that he can do no wrong, say no wrong and get away with wrong, those who are willing to accept this state of affairs have a huge debt to pay to humanity, when the truth finally comes out. They cannot then state that they did not know, and are ashamed of making such a big mistake. The signs are there, and they can clearly be seen, but due to some form of denial on their part the inability to accept what is fact, is what has permitted so many fool so many people on a daily basis in this country.

Despite the warnings on Pyramid schemes, people still submit to it. From the warnings of unauthorized money lenders, people still pursue them. From myths propagated by sects, people believe them and hence the situation is too dire for comfort.

What do you think? IS this just hallucinations of my part or a real wake up call to the public that we are permitting the rape of this country to those who possibly need to be confined to four walls! 

The Muslim Tamil National Front – A counter to the Bodhu Bala Sena..



An extremely worrying development has now begun to raise its ugly head. Following on from the earlier Dambulla Mosque incident, over which the Govt. did nothing to bring to book, those who broke the law, as it was led by the powerful Chief Priest of the Dambulla Temple, we are now seeing a more virulent force that has taken up where he left off.

Recently in Embilipitiya this Bodhu Bala lot raised a stir by publicly castigating the body that gives certification on Halal, accusing it of proselytizing the Muslim faith. In that incident two Muslim businessmen were beaten up. To add fuel to the fire on this, they are the ones who accused Muslims of bulldozing through an ancient Dagoba for desecration, when in fact it was Sinhala people who did it to find artifacts.

Another body of Law Students are now questioning the results of the Law College Entrance exams, accusing the examiners of bias, by making outrageous allegations, as the Muslim named students appear to have done relatively better than their Tamil and Sinhala counterparts, in the entrance and Muslims formed a very high proportion of those in the top 50 of the batch. They have asked for a formal investigation and a protest is expected.

They are accusing the Justice Ministry of bias, something the Ministry has vehemently denied, saying that they have nothing to do with the Exams setting or marking. Accusations have now been made that the translators have leaked the papers to Muslim students. All this amounts to a hill of beans, but easily believed by our gullible people including the Law students. I believe fewer than 5% gained entrance from an estimated 8000 students sitting the exams, and all those who failed are likely to believe such clap trap, as our students want to believe anything, other than they were not good enough!! To pass!!

It is this sort of unproven allegation that is at the lighting stage of a match for racial and religious intolerance in Sri Lanka today. This is the tip of the iceberg and I am afraid IF IT IS NOT IMMEDIATELY checked by the Govt. it will get out of hand. The fire brand Azath Salley wants to be a champion of the Muslims, seeing that there is no natural heir to their cause, and for that what better way than galvanize their fear of the Bodhu Balayas as being a real threat, when at the moment they can easily be suppressed and permanently shut up.
This Govt. IS creating a problem that will get out of hand. Instead of wasting time putting a few Jaffna University Students for rehabilitation causing a further stir amongst the Tamil community, something that MUST be avoided, they SHOULD concentrate their energies in preventing this issue escalating further.

Whilst no one should be afraid of any group, be it Bodhu or Salley, they must make sure that they DO NOT get traction amongst an easily aroused population. Muslims can easily spread a message at their Friday prayers and ask all to demonstrate. This causes anxiety amongst the Sinhala people which will spill into a form of racism, that is irrationally fed by the extremists, intent on mischief.

Let the Govt. be warned that they do not ignore this, as has been the case lately. They must take it seriously and catch it at this stage and ensure the Clergy of all Religions get together to appeal for calm and clarity.

Only one incident by the Bodhu Bala Senankaya will unleash Muslim fury on a scale of which the LTTE will look like a walk in the park. If it happens the communities WILL become polarized and all the work of years on race and reconciliation, to say nothing of the development of the Country will be tested. It is the duty of the Govt. to prevent communities making insinuating statements about other communities and thereby introduce a state of fear amongst all. This then results in the need for security and the resultant lack of trust between the communities.

You can be assured this kind of talk can be led by anti-patriotic forces, looking to make personal gains out of other people’s fears, and we should not allow that to happen. We cannot afford to ignore this.

Three incidents in the span of a few weeks may not seem a lot, but the vitriol that has now spread into the blogs and the words being used there is cause of concern. The rapid spread of false information, the lack of education of the people to determine right from wrong, and the dogged belief in what their elders of religious say is a recipe for communal disharmony.

I appeal to the authorities to take steps to stop any spread of this religion based divisive talk, and request that leaders do not use this card for political gain, a tried and tested method by the Govt. to date, but one which could see the end of its peaceful coexistence.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Where is the Commander-in-Chief? His daily presence is missed!



Interestingly the President was last seen when he arrived to commiserate with Mr Wijedasa Rajapakshe on the 20th morning at his Nawala home following the incident where shots were fired at the latter’s home. He was conspicuous by his absence at the opening of the Baseball field, provided with Japanese assistance in the presence of the Japanese Ambassador at the MR sports facility in the Homagama area. He was supposed to attend but sent his son instead.

The Country has suffered 50+ deaths and possibly at least a Rs1B of direct damage to property, and the usual helicopter hopping C in C is hopping about seeing to relief efforts and ordering and making statements of comfort. There has not even been ONE offer of help or even a release from the President's press spokesman of how he feels about it! Isn't that a cause for much surprise? if not speculation! So what gives.

Of course there is much speculation as to the cause, and there is no press release saying he is indisposed. Anyone would be suffering from fury at the state of the state, with all the shenanigans with regards to the CJ’s impeachment and the President’s anger, that things have NOT gone according to his original plan.

If that was not enough there is a question of his health. After all being a highly superstitious person, what with the 21st prediction also part of it, he may be sick and or just taking a much needed break from activities, trying to re-charge his batteries for the fight in the days ahead and perhaps the beginning of the fall of the empire he has tried to so desperately create.

It is telling of leaders who try to create a legacy, fall by the same sword that they create. Just look at the legacy of President Premadasa, if one wants to look for examples of those desperate to leave things to posterity, and are now remembered for the horrendous loss of innocent young lives during his rule. At least Chandrika is remembered for doing nothing!

In a similar fashion, even if a leader does much good, he may be remembered just for the one bad thing he may or may not have been party to. In that latter respect the supposed killing of 40,000 innocents comes to mind. The problem is if there was proper accounting at the time of bodies disposed of, one could have brought this number down to a true figure, which could be in the region of 10,000. However in the insistence that not one unnecessary life was lost in the fog of war, people are now forced to believe in the larger figure in the absence of credible proof against it.

This gradual dawning that one has to pay for one’s sins in this lifetime is probably the hardest for someone to accept especially if all those around are of the opinion one is a demigod, and one suddenly realizes that to be bull!!

I presume soon there will be an awakening informing the public that the rumors of his disappearance in a white van were far too premature! More like an ambulance.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

All Editorials to a fault concentrate on the main issue of the Judiciary



All newspapers other than the Sunday Observer, which has nowhere to go on this issue, concentrate on the anachronism that is the verdict of the PSC and the inconsistencies pertaining to the daily pronouncement of the President at different fora. That is one thing to the Chartered Accountants, when opening their New Building, another to the Newspaper Editors after summoning them to a meeting at Temple Trees and yet another to the gathering at the opening of the new Building of the Minuwangoda Pradeshiya Sabha.

These statements are reflective of a schizophrenic personality or policies of both the President and Government, which in a dictatorship, is one and the same, not being indistinguishable.

It has brought the Country to gutter politics, and still there are cheer leaders for this personage. Not surprising given the misinformation politics and the resulting dynamics of survival in Sri Lanka today.

It is therefore most interesting that for the first time in my memory this President has been challenged by the very same Editors who he was trying to impress a few days ago, but who he managed to totally disgust by arrogance and pomposity, that resulted in this outburst of an unanimous call for reason and common sense, lest we be the laughing stock of the world.

The Underlying meaning of their written word is clear to those who can read between the lines. It may be OK for you to make a fool of yourself, but it is NOT OK to take the Country along with you down the same route, and that Sri Lanka has self respect and integrity that is worth preserving despite its leadership. Put all the Editorials today, side by side and to a fault it was the underlying message.

How perverse can life be? The mere act of taking revenge and teaching a lesson to someone who stood up to authority and bullying, was an act of Political Hara-kiri! In time history books will be written and this act placed at the beginning of the end of the RR Republic. Oh we can’t wait, but patience will rid this country of all the diseases in one go. It is worth the wait for the illness to take its course, and completely work through the body, so that once cured of this near malignant cancer, the country can get a new lease of life. We must rid this place of the curse that is of people who cry Patriotism to strip the land of any value, leaving nothing to posterity.

Cricket - What a farce? Mahela has to reprimand SLC and in turn he is reprimanded



In the typical fashion of how things are done in this Country, when one is the injured party and he reprimands those who injured him, they in turn throw the book at him.

This is exactly what happened to Mahela Jayawardena this past week. It is totally unacceptable to be threatened and bullied in this way.

Written into the players and manager’s contract is a clause that says, that they are not permitted to speak to the Media or make a statement to the Media, without express authority of the SLC which employs them, and pays their wages, according to the contract the players sign with the SLC. In fact after a disciplinary hearing they can fine a player or worse, sack a player for making remarks to the press, whether favorable or unfavorable is beside the point.

So when Mahela had sent a letter to the SLC requesting that all minor staff also receive some part of the money that was payable to the players, duly authorized by all the players concerned, this letter was leaked to the press. As it was a letter to SLC from Mahela, it can ONLY be SLC that leaked it or someone within SLC. So SLC MUST take FULL RESPONSIBILITY for it.

He therefore has the right to place on record, this time by writing to the Daily Mirror which published the leaked document, what he felt about this leak. By doing so he fell foul of the contract that he signed, and SLC lawyers may have advised the SLC of the legal grounds to hold Mahela accountable.

SLC on the other hand has announced that he was in violation of his contract with the SLC and will hold an enquiry to determine what action to take on this matter if at all. That to me is tantamount to revenge harassment and intimidation of the Captain of the Sri Lanka Cricket Team that is playing a Test and One Day series in Australia at present. This is unnecessary pressure at this crucial juncture. It can affect his performance and Sri Lanka’s ability to defeat Australia.

SLC by so acting in this rather belligerent manner, when their faults are pointed out, is doing a grave injustice to the game of cricket, and to the Sri Lankan Cricket in particular. I implore the SLC to immediately make a statement dropping the case and bowing out of the issue gracefully.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

They had no other choice!! But to be a parrot – Repeat Repeat!!



In my previous entry I questioned why there was no response. It just took a while in coming and what better way than give the task to the Deputy Speaker, to say, as I said they would, that they will ignore the Notice.

As I said, the Court had no option but to come to the conclusion they did and further the Speaker had no option but to make the statement he did, in that they will DISREGARD the notice of the Court of Appeal. Of course they cited Anura Bandaranayake’s citing of “Parliament being supreme” argument, which overrides any ‘BODY’ trying to overrule them.

SO we are back to the status quo and the direct conflict of the Legislature with the Judiciary. It appears that it is a stalemate with Parliament bent on pulling rank, citing that the people have directly entrusted this responsibility on them, and the Courts Job is merely to interpret the law and the Constitution that has been duly approved by the Legislature.

This is another reason the Leader of the Opposition gagged his parliamentary colleagues NOT to make any statements regarding the Impeachment as they will contradict themselves and may make statements they will come to regret. SO only the General Secretary will be permitted to make any statements, no doubt after consulting Ranil Wickremesinghe who is on a European Trip, with a scheduled meeting with the Pope.

In this instance the Parliament made the easiest decision, as I noted yesterday, as they had NO other choice. What does all this boil down to? The Chief Justice of Sri Lanka has no recourse to the Law when injustice is done to her. That is now a fact. How does she seek legal redress for that right? Does she have to go to an international Tribunal to rule on this? If so, does it have jurisdiction over Sri Lanka, and if so how is it enforceable?

It all amounts to a hill of beans, there will be a debate UNLESS the Govt. decides to drop the impeachment, and the CJ will be impeached and she will just be removed. The Judiciary will have NO more powers over that decision and will not be able to contest that. If that happens and BASL does not accept a new CJ, then we will be in a state of anarchy as there is no judiciary that anyone can go to in the event of a wrong being done to them, and they seek recourse through the courts. We are near that state of Anarchy/Chaos.
Let us hope it does not come to that and Common sense prevail.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Shell Shocked – Why no response? To the Court of Appeal Notice



The Court of Appeal (CA) today issued notice on the respondents including the Speaker, not to deliberate on the verdict of the PSC until they have been able to give sufficient explanations on why there has not been a fair hearing.

How will the Govt. react to this huge SLAP IN THE FACE? They have only one course of action. Just say they ignore this and will continue, as Parliament is Supreme and the Court has no business in interfering in a matter that is none of their business. They will say that the FR laws do not apply to parliamentary internal procedures, as otherwise Parliament will be constrained in acting in the best interests of the Citizens of this Country which is the paramount duty of the Constitution, which the Parliament chooses to defend to the hilt.

If they succumb, they have lost the plot, the game and the match. They may as well concede defeat and go home, and more importantly resign, as they have effectively conceded all power to the Courts.

Now no one who has followed my blog will believe I am saying this as this is playing straight into the hands of the egotistical and blindfolded government that seemingly is deaf to the demands of the people.

Well what else can I say? After all if the Court Acts on behalf of the Chief Justice, the court seems to be partial towards the most senior member of the Court, on whom they are now ruling. Actually Law and Precedent, precludes them from coming out with any other verdict, as they are bound to uphold the law as they see it. So they came up with the only verdict they can in the interests of justice.

It will be interesting to see the reaction of the govt. They have a civilized way to argue their point, or a totally perverse way to do so in the ‘ANOMIE’ Led regime that I described in the previous blog. That we are in a state of Anomie will be proved or disproved by this reaction.

I am no lawyer and excuse me if I displayed ignorance of the law in some of the statements made here, but I do so as an interested party, who wishes that Sri Lanka get back onto a path that is fair and reasonable, and where the citizens rights are not subservient to a few people who purport to speak for them on the grounds that they received their plebiscite.

'ANOMIE' – The Current State of the Leadership



I quote from an article in today’s Daily Mirror by a regular rabidly anti- American columnist, Ameen Izzadeen

“A famous French sociologist, Emile Durkheim called this condition in society, ‘ANOMIE’, which is now an established word in the English Dictionary.

According to him, Anomie sets in, when rules on how people ought to behave with each other break down, and thus people do not know what to expect from one another. In other words, ‘Anomie’ is a state where norms are confused, unclear or not present. Normlessness leads to deviant behavior.”

Ironically he was using it to describe present day America, without realizing or purposely forgetting that the best example of this lies in Sri Lanka no less of 2012, and now sadly going on to 2013. It is only the totally blind deaf and dumb who cannot realize this.

Deviant behavior is the norm of the leaders of Sri Lanka today, as that is what is considered by them to be correct, as they are not sufficiently aware of normal society to understand what is normal and acceptable, let alone moral and just!! Perhaps their background has roots in that explain.

Sadly the US has Israel as its Achilles heel which the writer in the Column, generalizes as a form of behavior that is normal. I agree when it comes to Israel, they are the most irrational arguments put forward, that baffles the mind and frustrates the rest of the world. But let not one weakness cover up a nation of greatness, of people who are far more open hearted and united and forgiving, unlike the destructive elements of divisiveness and difference with which we in Sri Lanka seem to thrive.

The Anomie of Sri Lanka, has created a schizophrenic outlook, where there is confusion as to what is right or wrong, and good or bad, and is reflective of the leadership that encourages this behavior as being natural. When it is a friends and family run place; that if one is not in that clique, they are those who are bled, blood sucked and weakened by every means at their disposal. Even those who know it is wrong are in fear of being found out and so live in a state of denial, as the best method of survival. It is time we moved out of this state into one of realistic rational refinement in a new realm. 

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Wimal and Dilan have met their match!! – Shiranie B the CJ



The above two are part of the GOON SQUAD sent in by the President to insult and threaten the CJ within the PSC, hoping she would buckle under. Weren’t they in for a surprise when she turned the tables on them, announced to the world they were some street urchins in the guise of Ministers of the Republic, and a formal request has been made to the Speaker of the Parliament by her to take legal action against these aforesaid SCOUNDRELS for conduct unbecoming of humans.

Of course they do not believe they are scoundrels, but then again who does not believe the way they speak? Just go to parliament and listen to them speak and you would know the “Maskade Mudalali” is far more restrained than they are with their words. I cannot understand how they can allow school children to listen to their antics in Parliament!

Anyway it is time, the Govt. press stops saying that they did not insult, and that all the proceedings are on video! SO let us see this video and judge for ourselves. I am sure one day soon this will be leaked and we can enjoy some PSC Entertainment for the masses to show how those in responsible positions, who we have elected to handle our affairs actually behave.

The ‘Roadshow’ of the PSC proceedings and the way the President seems to distance himself from it now, is shameful. Is the President so aghast at the goings on by his men who he appointed, that he is not bothered in letting down the 116 MPs who signed the petition of Impeachment request, into now saying it was not correctly carried out?

I am speechless as to the actions now, when yet again he appears to want to slime out of a problem he alone has created, upon the bad advice of his advisers. He does not wish to be associated with the result and so has agreed to a so called “independent” biased committee as he is unable to appoint people who are considered without reproach.

Remember anyone without reproach does not wish to be associated with this administration, even in the independent commission. It is the nature of our society and the level and depth to which governance has now fallen. We shall further see if the impeachment debate is dropped and a new tactic used to get rid of the CJ, by finding her husband guilty so she resigns and takes a top job at the ICJ in the Hague as an international Jurist. Let us see!

Friday, December 14, 2012

This is not the forum to make a fool of yourself! But then again



The President’s minders if they have any sense will be cringing after the speech he made at the opening the 5 story building on Malalasekera Mawatha a few days ago. After all it was not one would make in such a forum of professionals who have to deal with a very unprofessional administration. There were too many frank admissions as to how this administration thinks, which is why it will not be taken seriously by anyone, and consign thinking to the same plain, attributed to Idi Amin, Ghadaffi and a few of the world's despots, past and present.

These minders, one of whom who would have written the speech he delivered should also be hauled over the coals, however they would have been relieved when the Accountants actually clapped the President. That signifies their approval, and further, that they are not worthy of the ethics they are bound to keep in their profession. Shame on them who represent the profession.

Suffice to say therefore that when senior accounting professionals are willing to compromise their profession for a piece of the action, they are no different to prostitutes on the road, willing to perform any trick for the hope of future payback!

As a rule all professional bodies MUST hold themselves to a much higher standard than Parliamentarians. This will force Parliamentarians to get a qualification in one of the professional bodies, as some already are, and lessen the incidence of Neanderthals, so that the quality of our legislators will improve and accordingly, their behavior, their standards, their laws and their effectiveness in the same vein.

In time, I am sure this will happen, but in the meantime we have to suffer these fools ‘gladly’ or for ‘our sins’ in electing them. We must make every effort to be critical of anything that is foolish, childish, bizarre and petty, so that the incidents of such behavior will be minimized. Only then will order be restored and some modicum of civilized behavior emerges from them. Once that happens we are on the road to recovery and health as a nation.

We expect that in time there will be a better caliber of person in power, who is actually worthy of respect and admiration, not for what he says, but for what he does. We must in future take words with a pinch of salt and deeds as gratitude of a grateful nation.

What a load of gibberish? And we seem to swallow it too!!



The President, at a breakfast meeting of the Editors yesterday, alluded to the fact that the UNP wanted the CJ impeached, due to her connections as the Spouse of a person directly involved in questionable dealings!

Actually the UNP did not want her appointed the CJ in the first place, as it was considered political for many reasons. That was at the time of appointment. There is no point using that same argument two years ago, to say that the UNP wanted her impeached and that is why they did it!! Further the NSB scandal warrants prosecution of 20+ President’s men before the CJ.

It was rightly felt that it was a political appointment and the “Independence of the Judiciary” was therefore compromised. It was under that basis that the appointment was considered suspect by the UNP. However the impeachment clearly is not under this premise, but under retribution for NOT giving the Divi Neguma Bill the seal of approval. So it is a question of MR not knowing the difference between apples and oranges. SO EDITORS Please say in your Headlines, “The President of Sri Lanka does not know the difference between apples and oranges!” If you value your integrity.

The President is wrong when he says that the normal procedures, as laid out in the constitution, have been followed, as here again as a lawyer he should know better about due process being followed. Yes I agree with him when he says that the proposals in the draft amendments made in 2000 for firing Judges of the Supreme Court are irrelevant, as that was what was suggested by the CJ’s lawyers. However more to the point, the speed of hearing, the inability to cross examine relevance and accuracy of details given by witnesses and even the constitution of characters of the PSC all amount to an inquisition, which is the way the intelligent man in the street sees this process.

Yes it was wrong of the President to appoint the husband of the CJ as the Chairman of the NSB, a political appointment for the CJ’s husband. Further if the CJ asked for this appointment she was WRONG, but then we must impeach the President before impeaching the CJ for that wrong. After all it can easily argued that by giving him the job, the President was assured of the FEALTY of the court for whatever he wished to do! However in the context of this impeachment, there was evidence long before the current impeachment, which was instigated for other causes as referred to above. This was grounds for impeachment of the President, but as the majority is with the President it is not practically possible.

So for Editors not being able to put the President in his place is because they are CUCKOLDS and are afraid to admit it! Shame on your profession.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Not another ‘INDEPENDENT’ Commission!



It is now a bad joke when we the gullible public are treated to another taste of the erstwhile brigand trying to slide out of another self created mess, by appointing yet another Independent Commission to look into the veracity of the procedures adopted by the PSC.

After all we were told that the PSC was independent and would objectively review the evidence presented and after due process, arrive at an opinion. Now we are told that, after the huge outcry, the report is likely to be biased, and we need to appoint someone to look into the allegations. So if the President appoints, then as he is biased, as a party to the impeachment motion, no matter what spin his supporters try to put on it, will not arrive at an acceptable evaluation.

Actually, the President does not have any option if he is sensible, but to set aside the report, as being prepared without recourse to proper procedures and throw it out, and with the same vein, throw out the impeachment motion, as being tainted and not worth the paper it is written on, as being inherently flawed. We can then set aside this bad dream of this country being dragged through the mud due to the personal beef one person has with another! It is sad for a whole country to suffer for the sins of a person.

I am sure the outcry arising from the conclusions of a flawed report has woken up the President to answer  these allegations, and this is the most face saving way out for him, who has suffered humiliation at the hands of the learned public, the unlearned not having much direct say on it as yet.

I trust this action will then do away with the need for a debate, a waste of public funds over trivial pursuits and will instead see the CJ exonerated of all charges. We will go on next to a serious debate on the Divi Neguma Bill which is also inherently flawed. I hope allocation of more than one day is given to that, as a day is not sufficient to debate some of the finer points. I hope amendments that are sensible will be made to the bill to ensure that there is accountability and governance in how the funds are distributed and spent. Giving one ministry newly created, the power of administering such a large budget of Rs100B is open to violation and huge scale waste and fraud, and will expect the Govt. to do something concrete to satisfy the agitators that the hitherto wasteful expenditure on Divi Neguma is not repeated. So Mr President please decide not to go ahead with the Impeachment.

Monday, December 10, 2012

Another instance of the Pot calling the Kettle black!




It is incredible, if not embarrassing for the President of Sri Lanka who just lynched the CJ in public, to state that “the dignity of the Judiciary should be safeguarded” stated at an event in Minuwangoda of yesmen, when opening the New Pradeshiya Sabha Building there.

Click here for article      http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/12/10/news03.asp

It is the Govt. Press and Media that has singularly defiled the Judiciary these past few days, and for anyone to say that it has no bearing on the President, I would beg to differ. There has been singular criticism of the way the state media has dealt with the issue of the CJs impeachment even before the PSC had concluded their case.

So to go on further and state that “Judges should be of exemplary conduct …..” is to ask the impossible of a nation, government and culture that has been recently reduced to only admiring and being the wrongdoers, crooks and criminals as examples of people to follow, and the rights of honest decent hardworking law abiding citizens have been not just trampled, but steam rolled by dictats and proclamations against all norms of justice.

The administration seems to have forgotten the meaning of ‘due process,’ therefore when a conclusion is reached without due process, it is invalid. So whatever result the Parliament of Sri Lanka adopts from this event, if due process has not been applied, it can at a future date be overturned, even by the same body, in this case a future parliament, which will undoubtedly censure the present body and those who voted in favor, for its biased decision ignoring all norms of Natural Justice.

The citizens of Sri Lanka MUST now learn to analyze these statements of double speak, where the actions and the intentions are at odds, and either determine that Executive President is a liar, who has no intention of telling the truth, or someone who can lie believing it to be the truth, a rare mental condition afflicting a few in this world. Whatever the determination, we must protect the interests of the Citizens of Sri Lanka from undue influence by people not able to stick to their words. Do we want Insanity at the top?

It is time the media rise up from their fear of telling the truth and resort to informing their readership of the list of instances where words and deeds are in conflict, for the reader to make his or her own decision on the truth or lie of any statement, their highest elected citizen of this country makes. 

Saturday, December 8, 2012

The Executive just lynched the Judiciary with the help of the sycophants in the Legislature – the people for the most part are in slumber or stupor!



In typical fashion after the CJ walks out and the Opposition refuses to participate in what essentially is a lynching, with no impartial hearing, the remaining sycophants in Govt. got what they want, a unanimous report that was presented to Parliament (with non dissenting in writing) to impeach the CJ.

Why is the Speaker saying that it (the impeachment motion recommended by the PSC) will be debated in Parliament in a month? Surely he could do it today. No, the Govt. wants a whole month to tarnish the CJ and perhaps the Judiciary along with her, using the excuse of ‘the parliament requires notice of an impeachment debate’ to gather facts hitherto not presented to the CJ to use in the debate with none able to contradict for lack of evidence to do so!

Here again Parliament is being fooled by accusations hurled in a debate, that the opposition is not made aware of in advance, so that proper counter arguments can be made. In this case again the Legislature will steam roll the impeachment and a new yes man will be appointed the CJ, as good as zero.

The hollow words of the President in saying that he respects the Independence of the Judiciary will ring loud in the portals of power, with the public unable to comprehend by ignorance what has been done in furtherance of autocracy.

Any student of history will see the parallels with Hitler in this instance, when only Idi Amin’s name is used for comparison. The latter was nothing compared to the former, and we sadly have to eviscerate this cancer from our midst, if we are to continue with any form of decent living sans disease.

It is now the turn of the apathetic public who have been used, manipulated, lied to, and taken the mickey out of to stand up for justice and human values. Only then can we restore the sense of safety, security, and sanity to a completely schizophrenic way of governance that must be removed.

It is the duty of every knowledgeable person in Sri Lanka with any degree of common sense to explain to his neighbor and friend, why it is that checks and balances are necessary in any society, however defined if it is to prosper, and be accountable to all its citizens, without fear or favor. 

Friday, December 7, 2012

ALL MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITION WALKED OUT OF PARLIAMENT


 – It had to come to that to show who is left in Charge! Of the cattle shed.

In the War that has just erupted “the CJ salvo” has had the most effect, the Govt. response is weak. They have NO artillery and this time they cannot rely on the American Satellite Intelligence either! They will rely on the white van! They have no other arms to defend themselves.

The Govt . is now in a position of ruling by decree, with only sycophants to back them. The CJ said that “She will continue to safeguard the Independence of the Judiciary, which is the heritage of the people of Sri Lanka who alone are the Sovereign of this Country”.

To get her to say this must have taken a much careful consideration and is in the nature of a Supreme Court Verdict on the status of the characters of the PSC and is not about the PSC itself or Parliament, though the cast will try and hide behind the Parliament is Supreme veil.

Yes. Parliament is supreme, but the characters now in it are a disgrace to that Sovereignty and Supremacy. To behave in such a way to get this accusation from the CJ is an incredible insult to the 7 members who are so implicated. The fact they do not realize this insult is itself an indication of their level of knowledge over the responsibility given to them.

Why doesn’t99% of the country realize that they are Supreme and the people are Sovereign? It is simply because they have elected a Government which wants to keep them ignorant of that fact. It is only the people of this country who can take a stand over this behavior and until they become sufficiently educated to understand simple logic and actions of a cornered animal that leads to crazy behavior, we are no different to these cornered persons.

How can we educate our people to the reality that there is NO Law Enforcement in this land? The people can be bought or compromised and so everything is forced on the people against their knowledge and therefore against their will.

It is only the people who can adjudicate on this matter, and I do not believe the constitution is clear on the remedies or course of action to take to establish law and order and the dominance of the people’s sovereignty. 

THE OPPOSITION WITHDRAWS FROM PSC - KANGAROOS REMAIN


MPs who insulted the CJ yesterday calling her a “mad women” are in fact people voted in by our masses

We in Sri Lanka have now got used to electing riff raff to parliament based on their notoriety and not on their ability. It is a few who get elected in the latter category and we citizens must be ashamed of our conduct so to do, especially as they do not learn to behave once they enter parliament, and believe their boorish behavior is accepted practice there. Shamefully the speaker has not been able to discipline this rabble and therefore they are now beyond redemption as they consider that behavior OK!

It is therefore no wonder when the Chief Justice could not be controlled by them, and not willing to accept their terms, they insulted her by calling her a mad woman inside the PSC Committee Room where she was answering and making requests with regard to fair treatment within the law.

Is it any surprise then that the opposition MPs who requested the PSC to follow formal and established proposals in their investigation, were refused that? They had no option than to withdraw from proceedings. So what is left? “A ZILCH of Kangaroos!”

So now it is the PSC with 7 Government Goons (the same Zilch referred to above) and no one else NOT EVEN THE CJ. Who the hell are they investigating? They should first investigate themselves, asking why they are licking the bum of their leader. It is shameful of them not to have a backbone in their behavior, instead of undertaking to follow orders for favors to be handed out in the future. I know they have been bought but there is a price that is worth defending their honor as they will forever be remembered as MPs who were not reasonable and would follow orders. When they themselves face the firing squad there will BE NO ONE TO defend them. Is that any surprise? The history books will record all this.

In all honesty it will be only Ranil Wickremasinghe, who will eventually, despite all the mud that the Wimal of this world hurled at him, who will have the grace to defend the rights of this worthless hound! Such is the irony of this world and the hollow bravado of the personage.

Either way it is up to the people to petition the Govt. and the President in particular to desist from this asinine behavior. He is bringing hastening his Waterloo, by this action and not prolonging it. If they don’t it reflects on their ignorance, which again the powers are banking on – uneducated masses

Inquisition instead of an Impeachment – not unusual in a Banana Republic



Surprise surprise! The principles of Natural Justice does not apply to the CJ. I hope she got a good taste of what we have been seeing for so long in this country, especially since MR became President of SL in 2005. No one will argue that justice is dispensed in an AD HOC and predictable way only against those who confront the Administration with its wrongdoings.

So is it any surprise that the 7 sycophants appointed by MR to finish the job by the year end impeach the CJ and appoint a so called yes man, as new CJ to begin the New Year with a more dictatorial authority.

When pages of evidence was given to her in a bundle and asked to explain, she naturally asked for 5 weeks. It was NOT GIVEN. Further it is also presumed in law, that the accuser must prove guilt, not accused prove innocence, especially when the evidence is not forthcoming to the full extent of the accusations.

No wonder then that a learned justice, a PhD no less, has a right call the Kangaroos what they really are and walk out saying she will not deal with a bunch of idiotic bandicoots,  who like penguins have asserted superiority over the Judiciary. It is galling in Sri Lanka that professionals work very hard in every field of activity in Sri Lanka, and they are lauded over by a bunch of bumptious thugs! How can we have any faith in the Legislature?

It is the citizens I grant who elect these penguins or kangaroos, it does not matter what they are, to act on our behalf. Is it that they have completely fooled the electorate by stating half truths and lies to get elected and now show their true colors? When will the electorate learn that they have been had? If they allow this state of affairs to carry on any longer, we will certainly become the predicted failed state, if we have not arrived at that state yet?

I was talking to a professional who is excellent in his field and a dedicated Sri Lankan who has given more to this country than he has received. He was saying when we have to take orders from these goons, who do not know what the law is let alone how to obey the law, and worse take credit for everything I do, I must be a fool to live in this Country and take this shit when I can live just as happily if not more, if I left and would be appreciated, and my contribution, truly recognized for what it is!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

The Army intervention in Jaffna on a Civil matter – another cause for National Shame



The recent attack on University Students in Jaffna, by the Army is regretted and the GOSL must tender an apology to the students and release the 4 people still held for questioning as they must either be charged or released.

This kind of bombastic behavior by Army personnel in the North gives all the ammunition needed for people outside the country to show why the GOSL cannot be trusted and why the world MUST watch the behavior of the regime towards its own citizens. We in Sri Lanka don’t want that do we?

The students were commemorating the dead and they may be Tamil and perhaps even LTTE, but human beings anywhere have a right to commemorate the dead, even their parents, on a day they may so chose and hold a candlelight vigil. Traditionally a vigil of this sort is known as the most peaceful of protests and the fact that they were attacked, threatened and worse beaten up and remanded is beyond the pale.

How can we believe what we wish to believe that the Army is incapable of killing 40,000 people in the past two weeks of the hostilities, when 300,000 were saved? I ask you if peaceful people are attacked, I dread to think how armed and warring people must have been treated.

Hey you high ups in the Army please do not let the rest of the country down by your bumptious behavior. It earns no friends anywhere and you boss Gota sounds like a racist pig, who will attack Tamils even in peace time. Do not get to that state for the sake of really Patriotic Sri Lankans, and not bogus Patriots. You are certainly not if this behavior is any indication of the past and neither is your boss.

We in Sri Lanka are doing our best to put a brave face to the rest of the world and your actions further put this chance back, and it affects all our countrymen. The Army senior who attacked the Editor of the Uthayan must be ashamed of himself, and should be interdicted, to make sure it does not recur and others do not follow his despicable example. It is time the Army is confined to barracks, and only be taken out when they go home on leave in civilian clothing without arms. Let the Police takeover their role of policing the area, I am sure they are capable of keeping law and order and ensuring that none of the citizens break the law. So your time is up chum. Leave us alone you are surplus to requirements.

Army surplus can be sold to highest bidder! Any takers?

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

What kind of Court in the PSC? – it has not produced one iota of evidence



In the CJ impeachment process, there have been 117 MPsign a motion they have not seen. The order paper in Parliament yesterday, 4th December 2012, contained the 14 charges that led to the impeachment motion, and the setting up of the PSC, but there has been NO evidence from the PSC to these charges or corroborating these charges.

All that the lawyers representing the CJ can do is refute the charges with whatever evidence they can summon. Isn’t it the duty of the PSC which has been appointed, to ask for evidence from the accusers? (including 7 MPs in the PSC)

Now who are the accusers, the PSC or the 117 MPs to the motion? If it is the 117 MPs then the least they should do is present the evidence that they have to corroborate these charges. In a normal court one can sue for defamation of character if these charges cannot be proved or unfounded. Is the latter the case?  and therefore it will be merely a Kangaroo Court, which will not hear any evidence to back the charges, and only consider one side, namely the reasons given by the accused to defend herself from the myriad of charges.

What kind of mess have we got ourselves into? When a PSC is not a court and tries to act like one, and does not understand its true remit, we the general public are left wanting to know if all this is a witch hunt to hound our of office by fair means or foul, anyone this administration from time to time decides to dislike for whatever reason if any!!!

It is time that this whole mess is removed. There is only one option open to the Government. Namely to withdraw the motion on the grounds of insufficient evidence and let bygones be bygones.

We are then faced with face saving ways to do it as the parties to the impeachment do not wish to look like fools at home, however idiotic they may seem to anyone outside these shores, as that is a foregone conclusion.

It is time for us to move on to more important areas. We have been purposely misled by unnecessary distractions, and have taken our focus away from the important areas of the Government’s own misbehavior on account of its day to functions with regard to managing this economy and ensuring the best value for money for its citizens.

Has our democracy been sold for a “bath packet and arakku kala?”



Yes that was what happened yesterday, December 4th, when “kana mile” the Mayor of Peliyagoda, shipped in a bunch of people with the above promise to hold placards at the Parliament square with banners and placards saying “lajjai” which means ‘shameful’ for the arrival of the Chief Justice for the second time to Parliament to be present at the impeachment proceedings against her by the Parliamentary Select Committee appointed to investigate the motion.

It is shameful these people shipped in buses to demonstrate on a subject they have no clue as they are generally people with little to do and easily swayed by the promise of some goodies to do the beckoning on behalf of someone else. If I told them that in effect they were supporting the Govt. they would say no! That is the extent of the eye wash created for the Media.

It was correct of the Leader of the Opposition to ask the Speaker, why this was going on when there should be no threats against anyone in a hearing of the PSC in Parliament and this action usurped the sovereignty of Parliament.

Further it is obvious when the petitioners are themselves the ones hearing the case against the CJ, that there is a miscarriage of justice and that it should be open to independent observers like the BASL or an overseas UN Legal Group to see if ANY judicial ruling can take place in such a biased arena and if there is any presumption of lack of prejudice on the part of the quasi court!

The principles of Natural Justice not being accorded the CJ is an insult to Sri Lanka if we maintain that we have a democracy that the overall sovereignty of the people has been enshrined in the Constitution by the separation of the Legislature and the Judiciary, and both from the Executive!

It is also unseemly for a President to force the issue, especially as he was implicated in the Helping Hambantota scandal of purloining Tsunami funds for personal use. We now know his guilt was admitted by the then CJ as a mistake in his 2004 ruling. Had he ruled then as he says he should have, the President being a convicted criminal would not have been permitted to contest the election.

Bearing all this in mind, the order paper yesterday (available in www.parliament.lk) in Parliament again was the list of the 14 point impeachment motion with the list of MPs signing it, just for good measure!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Wimal sees ‘GOOD’ in public service employment rising from 800K in 2004 to 1,400K now!!



We are the only country on the face of the Earth where its Cabinet Ministers pat themselves in the back for increasing Public Service Employment. In this case since the Govt. took over from the Ranil Wickremasinghe Govt in 2004, they have increased the non forces, public service carder from 800K which RW had reduced it to, to balance the budget, reduce inflation and manage Balance of Payments, to 1,400K now, when the budget deficit is over Rs1Trillion, Balance of Payments deficit for 2012 at US$10B and inflation back to double digits.

Is there anyone who reads this blog who can approve of this state of affairs? Isn’t it then surprising that we do not have even one member of Govt. being critical? (except for Sarath Amunugama – deputy minister of finance – who said we may have to print money to plug the gap!) is it due to the lack of knowledge of MPs in govt. about what is going on, or is it out of fear of a backlash if they point to the colossal waste, which could be more productively deployed to a ‘human resource starved’ private sector?

Just last week the Wimal who is open to making the most ridiculous statements, that are just swallowed by a fawning if illiterate electorate, made the statement I refer to at the heading, when appointing Govt. servants to permanent grade. This was from the temporary appointments given to Graduates throughout the country (52,000) who were paid a stipend of Rs10,000 a month to warm chairs, who now are being hived off to different ministries as permanent staff at a certain grade. 16,000 are being allocated to the Ministry of Economic Development to distribute the largesse of Divi Neguma estimated at Rs 80B for 2013, but which could be more depending on funds allocated, borrowed and misspent.

We have consigned our citizens into believing “GOOD IS BAD AND BAD IS GOOD” so it will be a huge task for them to re-learn right from wrong and good from bad, a necessary first step before people understand what has happened to them, the country and the state of their finances since this administration took control over matters.

Let’s bring to light instances of rape of national assets, even if it includes waste of time, & procrastination, a hallmark of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service, that is holding back development without responsibility.

Divi Neguma Bill is yet another attempt to dip into the kitty



The Divi Neguma Bill, which will be up for a ‘one day debate’ in Parliament on January 8th 2013 is a direct means of another huge expense, possibly amounting to in excess of Rs80B per annum, to be controlled, and therefore (due to the lack of governance) can be pick pocketed by the Minister in charge, I believe falling within the Minister of Economic Development.

This was the Bill which the Chief Justice and her court determined, required assent by the Provincial Councils before being presented in Parliament. This therefore is the reason and only reason the CJ is being impeached on a load of spurious charges, because it piqued the govt. that they were not able to steam roller another act. A vicious act of revenge!

The Tragedy of this whole thing is that this is yet another means at spending money the Country CANNOT afford on spurious development that DO NOT yield results. The whole Divi Neguma concept is flawed, but the Govt. has done an incredible PR job to convince people that it has merits. An electorate used to obtaining free items, including headaches, sees this as a bounty for them getting something free.

It is BAD economics to give something free. Worse still in Sri Lanka as the products delivered to be distributed free, are themselves shoddily produced, even if it is a seedling, with cheap quality input raw material.

These items distributed at huge expense to the Public Purse have incurred commissions, kick backs and fraud including the cut of Mr 30%, before the people see one grain of it. This colossal waste of public funding on a hoodwinking harebrained scheme in the guise of another extravagant Divi Neguma Bill, for which a further 16,000 unqualified graduates have just been appointed is cause for further soul searching of a bankrupt administration’s final rites, in emptying the exchequer and indulging in a Houdini disappearing act before they can be caught and lynched.

When will the people of Sri Lanka learn that it is they who must decide how their money is spent and not a cult of double crossing mischief makers in the guise of people’s representatives? It is better to be forewarned and forearmed, rather than come across a country that has been denuded of its wealth, with little else left to mortgage and forever consign its citizens to perpetual serfdom of their new lords and paymasters.