The Debate in Parliament – 8th May 2012 – on the COPE report

The UNP demanded and got a debate in Parliament on the implementation of the recommendations of the COPE committee of parliamentarians on their investigation of the public enterprises that come under the purview of the COPE.

The Government members on the COPE committee failed to even turn up for the debate, and what was worse those government members slated to speak did not turn up to Parliament either. They treat this Governance attempt with contempt displaying both their ignorance and arrogance of the importance of the debate to help in good governance. This gave the opposition more of an opportunity to talk as the time of the Govt. members were given to the Opposition, where Mr Wijedasa Rajapakse and Mr Eran Wickremaratne conducted themselves with merit, but which was not well reported in the media whose staff at the Parliament do not understand COPE from COPY.

To be fair to Senior Minister DEW Gunesekera with a history of being a leftist, socialist or whatnot, he has lambasted his own government for the failures in instituting immediate reforms to a litany of corrupt and inefficient practices of these companies which are costing the country untold billions. However he is a lone voice on the government benches fighting a losing battle. Remember when Mr Wijedasa Rajapakse chaired the Committee a few years back he resigned and joined the opposition in disgust of the Govt. lack of interest in the COPE findings, and need to be more constructive in the way the Nation spends its scarce resources.

It is the waste that the JVP claims that can pay the Rs40/kg for the farmers for their paddy. A nonsensical argument, but nevertheless believable in light of Govt. inspired waste. This govt. does nothing in theory or practice to reduce waste in spending. It is the govt. that has presided over the record of waste, that in cumulative history of Sri Lanka to this date has not happened. For example the Cumutlative public debt when this administration took over was less than the public debt that has increased JUST during this administration.

It is easy to borrow and waste, but difficult to pay back. It is a future government that will have to make unpopular decisions to pay back the waste of this Govt. This argument however is lost amongst the people, as few people know how to manage their own finances, and resort to extortion and all other means available to them to fill the void, just as this government also appears to do.

The debate therefore achieved very little, as the Govt. side are not interested in debating the facts, but bent on pointing out failures of the opposition today in their infighting and in the past during their previous administration, none of which are part of the current debate. This kind of incompetence of the state machinery to face the elected representatives on the other side whose duty it is to question the lack of governance, make parliament irrelevant and all our democratic rights non-existent.

We must demand better attendance at Parliament. The government MPs are busy lining their pockets with shady deals, to waste time coming to parliament. How can this be achieved, without sounding too harsh. Let the public know the facts.

The subject of the debate is relevant, and steps must be taken to address this subject. However we have an administration that allocates time, just for the sake of exterior veneer, and has no intention of taking any corrective action, as all within the government are culpable of the crimes that are laid forth in the COPE report.

How can we get people of Sri Lanka to understand that their lives are manipulated by a state apparatus designed only to FOOL and to cream off the assets of this country for personal gain? This difficult objective is down to you and me by way of communication medium to attempt to educate the public to the TRUTH.

It is the duty of the Media to properly explain what it is that the COPE committee is attempting to do and why its recommendations are important and must be implemented if waste and corruption is to be reduced or prevented. If the people can understand the meaning of this, they will be better able to make up their minds about the performance and trust they have in the govt.

At Royal they start young! – a night of frolicking at an away Rugby game

It is incredible what a bunch of rich spoilt schoolboys with an unlimited budget seem to get up to today. So when the Royal College rugby team went up to Kandy to play a rival at the intercollegiate under 19 team, they did not let the evening go without trivial pursuits.

Remember that Royal College is a government non-fee-levying school, that is one of the largest secondary schools in the world. However it enjoys lavish facilities courtesy of the generosity of their OLD BOYS who are illustrious captains of industry and politics. So the generosity extended to the budget for Rugby as well.

These young guys flashed a couple of US$100 bills, which only rich kids have access to and hooked in the services of two Eastern European Hookers, not of the rugby scrum type. Once about five of the boys had filled the women up with their energy, others were turned away, as the women did not feel what was given was enough to service the whole team.

Those who were not serviced got most upset, that some of the juniors got the privilege that they could not obtain and started a rumpus that got out of hand, and so the secret was out due to greed and sour grapes, it seems, a Royalists nightmare!

So one might ask where were the parents? Where was the master in charge of Rugby? and where were the chaperones of the boys? Was it done with the approval of the people in charge? A lot of questions remain unanswered.

What disciplinary action would the Principal take? Should he fire the students, ban them from Rugby playing for the school or fine them for breach of ethics in sport!

Now we know there is nothing amiss with teenage libido in the team, but is it the example that is created, one to follow or emulate. If this is to be a warning for future generations, then all the players implicated along with those who were unlucky and were not able to participate must all be disciplined and at least removed from playing Rugby this year. It may sound harsh and destructive to the team’s performance this year, but that will then prevent a future occurrence this year or hereafter. It must be taken and discipline within the team restored.

The word discipline amongst school boys is what is at stake, and the whole country is watching to see, what punishment they will get. It will be a crying shame for the future of the game, and the respect we all have for schools rugby if one of the most respected teams engages in conduct unbecoming of a rugby team!

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Policy – the management of diplomacy – Acts of Traitors

It is no secret that the whole subject of Foreign Policy and the way the Diplomatic Missions receive stepmotherly treatment is a disgrace. I firmly believe it is bordering on being traitorous in the sense that the whole policy objective of defending the country from external forces, who threaten to destabilize it, gives all the ammunition our enemies desire.

That said, the responsibility and the persons who must answer to this disgraceful performance are the Foreign Minister and the President. In reality they can overrule most sane decisions in favor of the insane ones currently being adopted.

If one takes this argument to its conclusion, it is the mental stability of both the above that requires questioning. There is no doubt, and overwhelming evidence that even the recently adopted resolution that slapped Sri Lanka as being a bunch of incompetent buffoons unable to implement their own decisions could easily have been avoided if we had people of sound mind in the seat of power.

It is time a resolution calling for the impeachment of the President be brought to Parliament, so that history will look kindly at those who vote for and those who vote against will forever be doomed as contributors to the destruction of the state.

We who are genuinely patriotic, those who only wish to sacrifice our lives, so that those who come after us will benefit from what we leave for them, cannot stomach the traitors who in the name of patriotism rule us. After all Patriotism it is well accepted is the refuge of the “Soundrel” and in this context I would add the plural.

The latest fiasco, of switching the important post of the Ambassador in Geneva, when so much counts is an instance. After all 4 Ambassadors in 4 years to Geneva is unprecedented and a clear indication if ever we wish to find any of the incompetence, impotence and the insanity of the Administration in Colombo. I hasten to add that I know new replacement Ravinath, who is a dedicated, honest and competent career diplomat, who is up to the job. However that does not deny the point above, as it is impossible to present a consistent face, to defend the country from unreasonable accusations, showing schizophrenia of the worst kind.

The only saving grace the administration has is that it has no desire to win in the global stakes, as it is good for local politics, to be seen as defending the indefensible. That fools the populace that the Govt. is defending the country against an imperialist order hell bent on destroying Sri Lanka, while they are doing a super job destroying the country for personal greed. That is a patriotic traitor!!! 

Where to next? Bumbling from one deception to another

The hens are finally coming home to roost. Following an unprecedented hike in fuel prices, from which the bus fares rose 20% and other items such as flour, cigarettes and alcohol we had a great Vesak present of a huge hike in the cooking gas prices, along with Milk Powder as being the hikes with the most impact, and then sundry others such as Cement and we will see a hike in processed food prices, for lunches and restaurant meals etc.

All these cost increases affect the average home, pocket and lifestyle. People are shell shocked but are unable to react, not even coming onto the streets to protest. The govt. believes this is a good sign, that the people are more concerned about their tall stories of the imminent arrival of the Western Armies to take over Sri Lanka and so the people will bear any cost increase to save the nation from the Capitalist imperialist invaders.

The people are now caught between a rock and hard place in this scenario, not knowing where to turn. They are confused with the level of misinformation courtesy of the govt. This is a very wrong method of fooling the masses that has destroyed any sense of trust people may have had for their rulers. It is a sorry state of affairs that require exposure of the facts to the people.

So what are the essential facts? It is simply that the Govt. took the decision of delaying all these price increases till 2012, by keeping the exchange rate unusually strong so that their duty reductions, and ability to transfer massive funds outside, by selling inflated stocks and all the loot they managed to amass by siphoning off a high percentage of the funds borrowed for his expense capital items abroad into their or their nominee bank accounts. It was a simple process of highway robbery of the worst kind. Once that was done, the market plunged to depths and then the rot started.

The rot continues unabated and the intention is to work it all through in this year, so that come the next set of elections next year, people would have forgotten this increase and other goodies will fall just in time for a new spate of disinformation meant to win the next series of elections.

It is a simple plan to stay in power indefinitely taking full advantage of the stupidity and the short term nature of the people, which is part of the education process. It directs them into slavish behavior. This is further proof that they have no intention of educating the masses to truly understand life. If that latter happened then the lie will unfold and the established order would collapse.

As always the JVP May Day Rally was the best organized and planned

The JVP May Day Rally at the BRC grounds was the best organized rally of May 1^st 2012. Historically they use this occasion to give the country a peep into their organizational capability and to show how disciplined their followers are.

The buses were hired and paid for by individual contributions. They gathered their faithful from all over the country to come in an organized and disciplined manner. They needed to show a force due to the emergence of the new breakaway faction, the Peratugami Peramuna, or the Frontline Party which was also in the news and has taken some temporary shine off the old party. They brought 10,000 there.

The stages were beautifully designed, reminiscent of a bygone age in which they still live and hold views that most of their originators have long since departed from. It is therefore amazing that they have been able to keep the faithful to the core principles in tact to the day they expect to take power, as if nothing has happened to the structure of society since their time.

The parade from the two places, Saranankara Road and another point to the grounds was well organized. They marched in formation and did not deviate to get water or to a kade for a smoke. All smoking and drinking was taboo and nothing should be thrown on the ground. So when they passed by there was nothing that a neighbor could complain about, and the police had nothing to fear from the orderly behavior. Considering how other people behave in Sri Lanka, it is an eye opener.

The rally proper was on time well organized and to the point, with the old stalwarts not veering from their original stance, and it was music to the faithful, but only music, with no command performance in the end to grab their attention.

It is important to state; once the event was over, within 24 hours they had cleared all debris and left overs, without even a poster left behind for the Municipal Council to clear. This is a factual account, not meant to influence, but from which the rest of us who do not adhere to their policies nevertheless have much to learn from their actions, to carry out parades and rallies to a point that all those who participate know why and when and how. Hats off to the JVP Organization.

In contrast the Govt. one was a forced march taking people against their will, at a huge cost to the state, to a rally which was totally disorganized with different factions all converging on the Town Hall. They could not find their buses, they were a bunch of hungry lost souls, not knowing where they are and how to get to their destination so let us take a leaf from the JVP and improve our productivity. 

The Combined Opposition – A Jaffna first – about time too!

It took a lot of courage for the Leader of the Opposition to join hands with the various dubious forces on the fringe, all mavericks, to hold a joint rally in Jaffna. Many of the UNP party faithful fearful of the inevitable LTTE partiality label thought it was not playing to the gallery. However all who went to Jaffna realized how important it was for the truly faithful to ascertain some of the ground realities of Jaffna which are hard to understand if one does not actually go there.

The long drive through almost derelict landscape, with hardly any humanity or habitation or even proper cultivation is what strikes one on the way up. The totally devastated state of the Peninsula with the odd new govt. building here and there is all that greets us. There are few if any non govt. private new buildings going up, with the obvious implication that people fear to invest in the north, in case their assets are seized by a greedy govt. A sort of self fulfilling prophecy!

The other point that was too obvious and which was capitalized by the Govt. speakers on the May Day rally was that it was they who enabled the Opposition to be free to go North to hold a rally, as they freed the North from the terrorists. That dubious distinction is completely lost on the people of Jaffna who certainly DO NOT feel free at all! They are under occupation, with little done to return seized property and to give them a sense of entitlement in their area of habitation.

Both labels are incorrectly applied and should instead ricochet back to the person making the allegation as being racist, bigoted self interested. They cannot see the wood from the trees and only wish to perpetuate a myth to keep power they have retained by resorting to trickery and deception. It will take a little time for the fooled masses to see the light, as the level of deception is a daily event, and as the saying goes, if you lie and deceive long enough those who you lie to will believe the lies, and that seems to me to be the Government’s modus operandi.

It was therefore very interesting to see that the Opposition kept to the message, not wasting time except with some antics of music to add some light to the occasion. It was a simple demand of 5 things, of which the most important was the need to stop taking revenge on those who do not agree with them. The other was the Rs7,500 monthly pay raise for those in both the public and govt. service.

While the latter is a populist one, it can be achieved by making the state sector more efficient and possibly getting rid of about 300,000 dead wood in the sector resulting in a huge productivity increase that will justify the pay raise rather than one that will just increase the deficit. 

The Forced March on May Day – Courtesy of the UPFA

Reading Newspaper reports of the UPFA rally, it was a sorry excuse for a May Day rally. There were 5 bus loads of mainly old people on SLTB buses (adding to their losses) with mainly old people and kids being forced to go to Colombo from Jaffna at around 4pm on Monday, April 30^th, who returned to base between 10am and 2pm on Wednesday May 2^nd dead tired after more than 42 hours on the road with little to eat or drink! And who had to walk and then attend a rally, they did not understand a word of. The Buses had photographs of Namal Rajapakse so I do not know if the young people were supposedly his version of the emaciated 'Tharunaya' who does not have a 'Hetak'. Now I call that a violation of Human Rights!!! What do you say – a small price to pay for the possibility of receiving some future goodies, like a stolen house courtesy of the govt.

That is just one example, but there are many dotted from all parts of the country where buses were provided and people asked to fill them up with bodies and bring them to Colombo. This time the usual Rs1000 and a bottle of arrack was not even offered, so it was nothing short of being compelled.

As for govt. servants, in various departments, despite different political affiliations, they were compelled to attend using the threat of disciplinary action or the lack of a future promotion as the stick for non attendance.

All this amounts to a gross travesty of justice, where the mighty use the power of the state and the resources to waste colossal amounts of money on cutouts and notices to get a tiny crowd to attend a very dubious rally.

To cap it the main theme of the President at the rally was that he will not permit foreign forces to take over the country a very populist theme constantly used to distract the populace from the real issues at hand. This fear of foreign invasion is very strong amongst a large part of the electorate due to the shortfall in the education system that prevents them from logically realizing what a bunch of baloney this is that is being rammed down their throats.

In reality this so called threat is preventing the much needed foreign investment in to the country that with the other end of their mouths the Govt. is supposedly encouraging and there are too few takers. In reality it is akin to working against the interests of the citizens in this country making this sort of erroneous statements that is nothing more than treachery.

In summary the whole May Day rally of the UPFA achieved nothing, other than a hugely expensive event at the expense of the people, to attempt to heap glory on a few leaders, by warning he people of a massive foreign conspiracy. God Help us!