A Country of Parliamentary Select Committees - For What?

Will Sri Lanka be able to field so many Parliamentary Select Committees for every event? After the recent Impeachment motion giving rise to the PSC, I hear that there is a request for a PSC for the prison riot. The PSC s are therefore an indication of the issues that seem to be cropping up and it appears that they are serious in nature, and require a proper investigation and evaluation, without a hatchet job being done on them.

In that event, the value of a PSC in a Government that has a two thirds majority does not make sense UNLESS the opposition has more appointees than the ruling party, so that they are more able to give a more balanced report or recommendation. Otherwise with an inbuilt majority, whatever the outcome, the result is that the Govt fixed the result to suit them.

Further, this mushrooming of PSC’s seem to take an awful long time in coming to a conclusion, by which time all the interested parties, would have moved onto more urgent matters to the delight of the Govt. This method of delay on important issues is not good for democracy, nor is good for governance.

What can we do about it under the current regime’s vice like grip on all axes of power, with no room for anything other than spontaneous explosion? It is up to the legal fraternity, both lawyers and judges to make a stand. Will they? They might, however the legal fraternity want to have their cake and eat it being too selfish to act in the Nation’s interest. They protect their rights over those of the public. It is to their personal goals that they first go.

The public therefore must understand the ground situation in making up its own mind on what is needed. This poses risks, and threats and there are many who are unwilling to risk their lives in the course of Justice. The biggest issue now is that there is NO obvious body to turn to for support, and no one wants to be first in the firing line not knowing who will join, whilst those at the back will reap all the benefits. We are passive, lazy, greedy or just cowed down with fright to challenge the status quo for the greater good. The coward in us has permitted the administration to massacre an institution, neighborhood, or an environment daily, for short term gain.

Don’t stand on ceremony whilst the ship sinks, dive in and salvage what you can. Once sunk in deep water, there is no telling if anything can be salvaged.