The huge scam that is the personal staff of MPs and Ministers!

The personal staff of MPs amount to about 5 people with total income of about Rs200,000 a month and on top after 5 years there is a type of gratuity due them in lieu of pensions etc. as their service is NOT permanent like Govt. Servants.

In addition Ministers have another 10 position or thereabouts at their disposal at a cost of over Rs500,000 a month and some of these positions have expensive SUV as part of the fleet and petrol and the use of drivers from Ministry pools and this is in ADDITION to the Ministers own perquisites of pay, and allowances and vehicles.

Conniving ministers don’t even distribute these amongst those who have helped to put them there, but are even purloining some these benefits for themselves, which shows how greedy they have become. Many of these entitlements are from October 2015 so current appointments have a backdated amount coming to them that can add up to quite a bit.

The Media or the General Public are not told of all these, who are in these positions, as many who are in name only don’t actually get the money. Sometimes they may get the funds into their bank accounts, but they are supposed to hand over the money, so whoever the minster designates should get the money are actually given it. It may be an unnamed mistress, or a hangers-on which the people don’t know anything about. The official names are of different people, and they may even get an ID card with their status, or driver or media secretary or such like!

Most ministers don’t want their constituents to know who is on their lists receiving all this largesse, as there may be many who are appalled at the choices of people in these roles, usually rogues from the previous governments called into teach the Minister how to steal in the same way he did in the past. Whilst I may sound cynical, this is in fact how it is done.

There is NO transparency at all, and I trust the RTI will expose all these, so elected representatives have a duty to their constituencies to disclose, who actually gets what is dished out by the state for positions. It is important that this information is open for scrutiny, as otherwise there is sometimes inaccurate speculation on this information, as no minister actually divulges who is getting what.

The simple rule on RTI must be to disclose, as long as it does not compromise National Interest how EVERY PENNY OF STATE FUNDS ARE SPENT!!! That is the only way we can hold our elected representatives accountable. 

The Responsibility of the UNP now devolves to the future generation!

This is the PMs mantra today! However there is no one with any sense to devolve leadership to!

That is all very well in theory, but in reality there is NO ONE who has the tiniest bit of vision in this future generation to take the party forward. Just take the mental deviants who inhabit the National Youth Front. There is not one educated person who is doing a proper job in their ranks.

It is just people who have wasted the past 15 months waiting for a position in the party, rather than get themselves busy doing something productive for the Country. They finally received a commission to be Overseers of some RDA projects under the Ministry of Highways, that is a renewable contract every 6 months. These sinecures created more ill will in the ranks due to those who did not get them feeling they deserved, when those who have barely been around for 6 months were able to wangle a freebie, by sheer determination and tom foolery!

That in essence is the problem with the FUTURE. There are few people in the political spectrum who have the qualities the Country really needs as regards, an understanding of what is needed for all areas of governing. They maybe able to rabble rouse, and be able to speak at hustings, but being proven in a logical setting of grasping and problem solving, it is simply ZERO.

There in lies the rub. If the PM identifies people with a vision and capability, you can be assured that they have not done their time in politics, and therefore will not find themselves acceptable to the grassroots supporter and be damned as one who has been unfairly anointed, however much the PM imagines he can place them at the top. They will just not be acceptable.

How does one get away from this moniker, and yet get the needed leaders to set the strategy and plan for the future? I don’t think under the present crop of UNP leaders, there is even one with selfless motives, who really thinks of the future. His personal needs come first, and damn anything else, the future of the party or Country.

It is commendable that the Yovun Puraya will start today for 5 days, bringing 5,000 people together. However as this is apolitical and no UNP youth other than the opportunists who fill the NYSC will be around. So it is really not a future leaders program, in the way the PM envisages, as all the most productive youth have not been identified, as they are really busy in their jobs, or vocations, with only time for the underemployed opportunists to turn up! 

Even a Joint Opposition Member makes serious allegations about the CEB Engineers and their GREED!

Mr Tissa Vitharana a respected member of the Joint Opposition has made some extremely serious allegations against the SHENANIGANS of the CEB engineers and their possible COMPLICITY in the POWER CRISES TODAY. The Government MUST investigate and expose these corrupt officers and be prosecuted under the law if these allegations can be proved.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=142848

The short article in the link above is well worth reading, to note from a prominent OPPOSITION member, who says, CEB Engineers are selling power plants to the Govt. at a profit, as they are stakeholders of these power plants. They initially sold electricity to the State at exorbitant rates when the State was short of power, and when Norochcholai came on stream, saw their income fall as the power from these private plants were NOT needed and therefore shut down. Effectively their value fell to nothing!

Now with some say, CEB Engineer INDUCED Power Crisis, they see their Investment Worth a fortune, as they will have a chance to sell it to the Govt. which is desperate to get over the temporary power cuts, until the rains return in May! They are therefore opportunists trying to find a way to cash in on this, and if proof or motive for crime is needed this is an obvious one.

CID Investigations, MUST center around the CEB Engineers who own or hold shares in these power plants that the Govt. is considering purchasing. Their income can then be investigated, and their windfall calculated, before including them as prime suspects in the series of blunders that have taken place in the past few weeks to create this power shortage situation, and the unprecedented blackouts.

For an opposition member to make these statements, it is even more concerning than if a Govt. member made the same allegations. This therefore needs really close investigation, as the People of Sri Lanka are yet again held to ransom by the CEB, and NO Media has investigated this sufficiently and in depth to make bring to light this treachery of our own public servants.

I hope the Govt. learns a few lessons from this, one being that no matter how highly paid CEB Engineers are, they are still only out to make a fast buck for themselves BY CREATING MISERY AND PANIC FOR THE GOVT. to force them to make irrational decisions, that are bad for the Country in the long run.

First name and shame these culprits, before the investigation starts! Starting with the Engineers who own shares in the power plants that the Govt. is considering buying for emergency use.

The Universal Claim – What have you done for us?

There is NO AMOUNT OF MONEY you can pay me to be a Minister in Govt. especially of the UNP today. Why? You just ask any of them how life is. Their universal answer is that the one set of people they really dread confronting are their own party supporters who whenever they meet bring out the long list of complaints.

All Ministers to a fault, try to avoid going to their constituencies as they have to face these myriad of allegations that they have done nothing for them!

We have a Government, but you are still acting as if you are in opposition and have not given anyone one of us anything worthwhile for all the support and suffering we endured for over 20 years in Opposition.

Look at the President he is helping his supporters by giving jobs, somehow, in places where you are telling us you cannot place our people because there are NO vacancies.

The previous Govt. has their people in all Ministries and are only informing their own Ministers of the SLFP of what they are and somehow are giving the positions to them, right under the noses of UNP ministers in those Ministries.

Constantly, when told that there are NO placements, they promptly refer to a case of a person who was somehow put in for a job by an SLFP Govt. MP or Minister! To debunk this point with a vengeance.

Due to the nature of the PM, Ministers are frightened of confronting the PM and conveying these grievances, lest they will be scolded like little schoolboys! In a sense the Ministers must collectively confront the PM to find some temporary solution to counter the allegation that the SLFP set of the National Government seem to somehow give their supporters something to be happy about, whilst the UNP have not been able to satisfy theirs, resulting in an unbearable life for them!

Actually it is for the sake of the Country, for the National Government that the UNP Ministers are paying this price, IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST but that does not amount to a hill of beans to the die-hard UNPer who is now hell bent on criticizing his MP, or the one he or she helped in the last election. There has to be a resolution to this uncomfortable situation one way or another.

Further this catch22 situation is so the new Constitution has a chance of seeing the light of day during this Parliamentary Term. So is in the National Interest.

It is the CEB – Stupid!

It is becoming quite clear that some within the CEB have created, exploited, profited and pimped themselves with this power crisis.

It is very sad to think that CEB Engineers who are the highest paid public servants, even more than the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice, and certainly more than the PM and President should behave in this very shoddy way, to bring their Country into a crisis, and put our economy at risk as many companies have to fulfill export orders, which with BOI Zones also affected by the Power Outages has caused a general lack of confidence in the economy.

If you were a potential foreign investor, and you heard about the recent power cuts, and inability of the Govt. to pinpoint the cause you would be highly suspicious of Investing in Sri Lanka, as NO ONE wants to take the blame nor admit failure, so that corrective action can be taken.

Just read the link below to determine for yourself

http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2016/03/29/local/77750

http://www.ft.lk/article/533625/CEB-mulls-power-management-strategies

http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2016/03/29/local/77745

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=142848

I would beg the reader, without believing a word I say, check out all the links above and make their own conclusion on who is wrong in this matter. It is a huge embarrassment to the Govt. that is fighting on all fronts, to sort out messes created NOT by them, but by the previous administration. However Mahinda Rajapakse quite cleverly has been able to deflect the blame back to the Govt. as they appear still to be behaving like bungling idiots in this area.

No wonder then that the public sincerely believe this is the fault of the Govt. and not due to the faulty premise on which Norochcholai was sold to the people, and a whole host of bungling failures on the part of the MR administration, that only emerged during a particularly sticky and crisis situation, caused by people using excessive power in this heatwave that put further pressure on dwinding supplies!

We need the Minister of Power to give a clear message in simple words to allay our fears.

We have ALWAYS elected third rate people to Rule us! Why?

I am NOT an elitist, however it saddens me that one can ONLY count on fingers in one hand those who we could truly be proud of as Sri Lankans who contributed to the well being of our society during the 70 years since Independence.

http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2016/03/27/we-as-a-country-are-poor-in-every-aspect-prof-desmond-mallikarachchi/

The link above tries somewhat to explain part of this problem, but where have we gone wrong, where all other countries starting with our infrastructure, international reserves, and public administration system in 1948 would have surpassed us by leaps and bounds.

If we ONLY look at the Railways, where the Tea from up country was even brought from Opanayake near the Balangoda Hills to Colombo, when now this line ONLY extends from Avissawella! To know that we have somehow REGRESSED as a nation, full of petty values and grievances, which are also reflected by the same of people elected by us, mirroring our society.

We Sri Lankans only elect those who are as dumb as we are, or DUMBER. In other Countries with the USA as a possible exception! Elect people by and large who are more sensible, and have the interests of their Country at heart, and therefore a little bit more knowledgeable than the General Public.

Is that WHERE THE PROBLEM IS? Are we so dumb, that we cannot even identify anyone who is actually better than us? Why are politicians bent on making elementary mistakes? Even in the current situation, where the Govt. has to balance its books and they have NO option but to tighten their belts are they giving MPs car permits which they sell for Rs29Million, and don’t pay tax on this profit, and at the same time allocate another vehicle for their use? They must be absolutely mad!

 https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/vehicle-bonanza-for-mps-as-country-plunges-into-economic-crisis/

I put the question to my readers. We elect our leaders, so cannot blame anyone else but ourselves for this mess. We have bungled along from one mess to another, and don’t seem to emerge out of it. SO what gives? I don’t have an answer except to say that NO ALTERNATIVE WORTH CONSIDERING has been presented yet. Who can come up with the better alternative, with a rational explanation, along with the capability to explain to fairly uneducated people, that it is the ONLY means to the required end. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE PUBLIC DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEIR REQUIRED END IS!!!!

A safe method to exact your intentions against your Nemesis!

In the link attached, giving Professor of Anthropology Gananath Obeysekere rationale for intent to kill being transferred to sorcery, explains how the use of methods such as breaking coconuts at Seenigama which we witnessed recently relieve somewhat the anger against a person, by hoping that act of breaking the coconut will kill the intended person by remote control!

http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/In-Sri-Lanka-Sorcery-Is-Substitute-For-Pre-Meditated-Murder/2016/03/25/article3345998.ece

So if anything even less serious happens to that intended person, it is seen as the sorcery actually working. It is this kind of attitude that some of our supposed leaders still have over wishing their rivals clear out when beating them in an election fair and square does not do the trick!

What I found even more fascinating is that all religions have this type of unintended means, and that places like Munneswaram are used by those adhereing to different religions, but with the same belief in sorcery and its power!

The article is well worth a careful read, to understand the mindset of people who go to these sorts of places, and if it somewhat reduces the incidence of actual murder, what can I say, but suggest that it is a form of behavior that could be tolerated for the sake of keeping the peace, and the murderer to get his own satisfaction without actually committing the act against his intended victim. Smash the coconut instead and all will be well, your wish will be granted.

ONLY IN SRI LANKA you never miss a trick here!

Why is the real jackpot Bonanza of MP not questioned?

It was ironic and a bit rich of the Party leaders deciding to hold back on MP allowances, see link below
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=142537

When the real cost to the Country of the sale of MP vehicle permits now allowing purchases over US$62,500 cost of vehicles that are now sold on the open market as is now permitted for Rs29M.

Not one MP has so far declared this income in his tax return, and therefore paid any tax on it either, and so this is further flouting the rules, as in the asset declaration when the MP is asked how his wealth increased they have the gall to thickly say that they sold the Car Permit for even more than they sold it to hide their other forms of income!!!!

However why is the Inland Revenue going after this income for the tax declaration. Nowhere in the statutes is it said that the income from sale of permits is NOT taxable.

The fact that it is specifically NOT mentioned does not imply it is NOT taxable, as it is income from a sale. Are MPs treating this like a Capital Gain?

I am sure when new legislation is inacted on CGT even this will be excluded and so they will yet again escape.

It is this sort of behavior that discredits our politicians and as they are still infants open to enticements like this, they must be held accountable for their actions, in specific rules or legislation, rather than leaving it completely to the imagination, which MPs lack anyway.

It is high time the brainless Media take up this instead of harping on such insignificant news items, purposely fed by the Govt. to pretend to listen to the grumblings of the public .

If the Media do not take their responsibility seriously, then it is the public who must take action demanding that FB and Web sites are allowed to carry real news uncensored and without regulation!

Let the people of Jaffna use their common sense! Don’t assume

What a ridiculous argument by the Northern Province Chief Minister to say, that because Jaffna farmers want a return of their land in the vicinity of the airport, the plan to make Jaffna airport an International Airport, cannot have a lengthened runway so international airlines can use it with more modern aircraft.

These are the sort of hair brained attitudes that people have when they try and make decisions on behalf of their charges, and people yet to be born.

http://www.newindianexpress.com/world/India-Lanka-Agree-to-Upgrade-Jaffna-Airport-Without-Acquiring-More-Land/2016/03/23/article3341292.ece

When someone like Vigneshwaran who will NOT even be alive when the International Airport is complete, does he not want any planes to land once he is dead? This is the sort of thinking that will not allow Jaffna to develop to its true potential for the benefit of the people who live there.

Firstly, there is the Diaspora who have NO right to speak on behalf of Jaffna, as their money sent to the youth in Jaffna have made 50% of Jaffna youth alcoholics, (yes the Army is also to blame as they encouraged drinking) In the same way, a Colombo based or bred or employed Judge to speak on behalf of a few landowners who want their land back is unconscionable.

Yes pay them a reasonable compensation, but the land hitherto occupied for 40 years is better used for runway expansion, rather than return and then having to re-take the land once the absolute need for a longer runway is realized.

So all I say is don’t make an issue out of it. Explain the overall benefit to the people of Jaffna who can have an International Airport so that at least the biggest planes in the Sri Lankan airlines fleet can land there even in a case of emergency, and be done with it.

Tell me I am unreasonable, as I cannot think of ANY reason NOT to use this extra land now available, and UNUSED for this essential purpose. Jaffna has a water problem which is getting worse, and so the land use will have to very carefully thought out. Further, due to Global warming, how much of the Peninsula that will be lost to the sea has also to be considered, and flood retaining walls or dykes will have to be built with Dutch assistance.

Think about it, there are more important matters for the Jaffna folk than holding on to about 200 acres for the runway extension! 

Hello! The Principals of Royal, Ladies and Bishops must be sent to Montessori!

It is the height of disgust, to waste Police time, when on moment, you complain that students of some school have raided the premises of your girl’s school, and are a serious threat to the safety and security of your so perfectly virginal charges, and on the next breadth when these sons of wealthy families, some with sisters at the very schools they are raiding, are taken into custody, you change the story saying, “oh no we invited them in lift our students frocks!”

http://www.ceylontoday.lk/print20160321CT20160630.php?id=317

Get a life! Don’t you know how much a mockery you make of yourselves, and then ask the Law, to relieve you of your own shit! That just is NOT cricket! GET IT!

Frankly, this puerile behavior of the Principles give a bad name to education, and the prestige of the schools they are now pretending to uphold. It is most important that standards are maintained and consistency is the order of the day, especially when it comes to showing examples to students.

Inconsistency creates confusion, and then questions arise as to what is right and wrong. So when a student leaves school not knowing the rights and wrongs, and acceptable norms, society as a whole has to deal with the resultant fallout.

Why am I preaching to these babies who seem to run around in the guise of the Principles of these well respected schools? When they should know better! Simply because they don’t know any better.

We must remember another matter of importance. This big match fever was fine in the days that the whole Country only had 50,000 vehicles. Now we have 5 million, 100 times that, so we must also change with the times, AND NOT CLOG THE STREETS WITH VEHICLE PARADES. It may be tradition, but is it so last century, as it is simply inconsistent with a traffic clogged up Colombo, which is further clogged up with schools concentrated in Colombo, where 90% of the students come from elsewhere to school there, further clogging the roads on a daily basis.

Remember we are the only CAPTIAL CITY which buses in 250,000 students each day to a bunch of schools, due to their prestige, who despite that send all their A level students to Tuition classes! Just go to any of these schools and you will NOT find any students in the A level classes, as they are all at Tuition even during the day, and there are accordingly no teachers to teach the rest, so even they stay away and study at home. 

What is the joke of having them (the schools) in Colombo?

Who is conning whom? 1,000 Houses to 65,000 Houses! Who do you believe? Its a US$2B investment after all!

It is time to revisit this humungous DEAL in the offing, which will have repercussions, and reverberations for the next 10 years, none of the idiots involved are bothered, as it is ONLY dollar signs that are involved for them! Half of the commission agents will be dead in 10 years when these allegations arise and so are not the least bit bothered.

Please read through the link very carefully in the Daily News today, and you will notice a numerous amount of anomalies. It is so biased towards the DEAL, you can be assured that the journalist who shall remain nameless is a beneficiary too. That is how the game is played in Sri Lanka, and it is the public as always who is the loser.

http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2016/03/21/local/77088

As a public interest activist who has NO personal motive, but to ensure the people of Sri Lanka, get value for money in all investments made on their behalf, I would like to see a completely transparent transaction, at a cost of 25% below that which has been allocated, as the difference is just for bribes as not for the real cost of the operation!

I am not blaming Mittal who is a businessman, but I know that 25% can be shaved off the cost in one swing, WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE to Mittal, but not to the hordes of middle men who want to skim off this contract to buy their Range Rovers to show-off! Of course here NO commissions to anyone please!

So if the reporter had the gall to misquote to say only 1,000 houses have been built, even the Indian Grant for 50,000 houses would then seem to be a lie, and it would or should be the Indian people who should complain that their funds were misused, after allocating the promise of 50,000 houses!

As usual, even the reporting on the President being happy, and the people being happy with the house is all smoke and mirrors, as the show house is a show house! What guarantee do we have that this will be how all the others will be?

More importantly, one has to live in a house for 5 years to realize the quality of the Construction. We don’t know if the roof in this prefab construction, will merely produce a furnace, and the Solar, and AC they talk about is from technology so last century as to be insulting even to those recipients.

The most important matter is that the public of Sri Lanka have NOT been informed of the annual cost of paying back this loan, and over which period. Until that is clearly stated we cannot say what a white elephant and a colossal waste this project will be. If you read this entry in 10 years you will see who is telling the truth, and if this segment is merely a figment of my imagination! 

Protection Rackets are costing the Consumer a fortune! Time to take stock - STOP IT

It is simply ridiculous that the media and government behave as if they have no idea on the level of protection rackets in Sri Lanka, which now results in consumers paying on average 2% more for their purchases as the shop owners and small time businessmen are passing it on to the hapless consumer.

Just to inform you the reader, how inept this and past governments have been in identifying and helping to prevent these has been, there has NOT BEEN EVEN one MP raise questions in Parliament about.

The problem I am told is because many in Govt. and Parliament are beneficiaries in some form or another in these rackets and so they are all swept under the carpet courtesy of the police who are further paid off by these gangs.

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/160320/news/2-victims-identified-dna-tests-on-three-corpses-while-police-interrogate-suspects-187147.html

http://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-121613-news-detail-mod-crackdown-on-underworld-in-swing.html

I am told that this problem has suddenly got worse as the new Govt. in its Good Governance Cap on are completely oblivious to what is happening under their noses, as broadly speaking they do not confront the problem and no one complains for fear of retribution.

At present it is estimated that 250,000 people pay for protection each week, and the total weekly cost amounts to about Rs10B a week, which is a colossal sum, as it annualized is Rs500B none of which is taxed or is recorded in the books.

Many wealthy provincial businessmen pay this TAX even though they dont pay a dime in Income Tax, as they are all or should be in the Taxable Category, but are not!!!

The tragedy is they don't pay the due tax to the state, so the Govt. can be bailed out of its mess in funding, whilst the underworld thugs are benefiting as well as the Govt. and opposition members from this largesse, that explains how some Politiicans are able to spend such fortunes, when they have no income to show for it!

It is high time the new IGP makes this a priority as it is bleeding the hardworking businessman dry. No foreign inward investment will occur until even this threat is removed, as they come after all these people, and foreign companies have means to pay off the amounts to save their lucrative trade too!

So this is a plea to the Govt. to set up an independent UNIT to investigate this NOT using existing Police Officers, and asking people to notify directly of these protection rackets, by just sending names, amounts and frequency to them with no personal sign off,

AT LEAST THAT WILL BE A START PUTTING THE THUGS ON NOTICE

As for the 5 in jail for the recent killing of Navy Kapila are now in fear of their lives, as the Police are NOT able to protect them either, for taking the law into their own hands, and a contract has already been put on their lives,

I say they will be better off in remand, but the moment they come out God help them!!

Navy Kapila and the prevalent protection racket in Makandura

There are certain aspects of life in Sri Lanka, that the general public just don’t have a clue about, and even certain investigative reporters dare not write for fear for themselves on these exposes.

It has come to light that owing to a massive protection racket, where people were squeezed out of their hard earned money, a group of people who had come to the end of their tether finally found a means to simply kill the gang who came to collect the protection money, and then burn their 5 bodies beyond recognition along with the van they had come in!

Actually it did not take the Police too long to solve this case, as nothing was really hidden in this retaliation, and so the people who were involved in the murders have been taken in.

This is not the end of the story, as there are plans afoot for someone to be the fall guy for the murders proper, to take the blame and hence do the time, so the initial bunch of people who had the most to gain from the killings can go about their business!

The main accused was a man who earned over Rs120,000 a month as a boiler engineer in a local business, a trade which is almost extinct and few can do the job, and hence the high wage rates charged. So when the market determines the pay, the protection racket been informed of this person’s income level, come in to take a third of his earnings, which apparently over a period of months this Navy Kapila chap has received over Rs500K for protection.

Frankly, this guy should go to the Police to report this, but is too frightened to make an entry of this nature, as he does not trust the Police NOT to be entangled in this, by also creaming off some from the top to allow the protection racket to continue. That is in essence the problem, which lead these people, WITH NO ONE TO PROTECT THEM, LEAST OF ALL THE LAW, for them to take the law into their own hands, and deal summary justice.

No one is shedding any tears from Navy Kapila’s murder, and even his wife refused to accept his charred body! However those who have had to take the law into their own hands, and who have saved numerous people from this racket will have to face the music. HOW MANY MORE OF THESE INCIDENTS are we to see before the Police are forced to do their job? Until everyone is dead I suppose! 

The contrasting rallies – if roles were reversed how would it have been?

Our education system is so weak, that it does not teach people to think of what if scenarios, and in that context I am giving you an example of what I mean by that.

All talk was about the rallies firstly by the UNP (not the coalition) on Tuesday, 15^th March, ending up in Lipton Circus, and that of the Mahinda faction of anti-govt. REBELS held at Hyde Park on the 17^th of March.

People only read and think of what was reported by the mentally retarded media, who are more parrots than humans, reflective again of lack of learning!

So we saw, the PM just came in as a bystander to watch the proceedings, and not rise up to the podium to make any derogatory or inflammable comments on his detractors, smiling instead by watching the proceedings. By contrast MR got up to the podium for the long awaited roar from the crowd, and proceeded to ask the Govt. to hand over he power to him, if they cannot govern!

So think about this proposition. Were MR in power, would he have in a similar situation, where there was imminent international action for war crimes, merely be a spectator? NO he would have got up to the podium and blasted everyone in opposition, as a Western Spy, intent on destroying the motherland for the Sinhala people!

The other side, namely Ranil W would have got on the podium and said that MR was merely putting the Country in harm’s way by the international community threatening sanctions against the Country, because he could not admit to his personal failures, and is putting the whole Country at risk, and the people fed on a diet of treachery will unlikely believe the RW theory, even if true! 

This time the journalists reported the nuisance to the traffic of the UNP rally, and comments from motorists fed up with these demonstrations making commuter and transport in Colombo a nightmare, whilst in a reversal, they WOULD NOT DARE report what people think, and NO PERSON who valued his life would complain against the Govt. even if he was angry, for fear. The opposition rally would be facing severe restrictions and difficulty in congregating in a public place, because of all locations being booked in advance by other people for other activity, even if none was taking place on that day!

Do our stupid public realize this simple fact of how much freedom we have gained owing to the January 8^th revolution of last year! I rest my case. 

FOR THE RECORD - I personally disapprove of both these rallies, as being counter-productive for both sides, Frankly they are so last century, the people must realize their leaders mindset is also still in an era that has long past.

It is time to think differently with the future in mind!

No Tobacco by 2020 (45 months from now) practical! priority! Or pusillanimous?

In a little over 45 months, 2020 will dawn, and the President who will still be in office, will have to eat his own words by making statements like this, but why?

http://www.dailymirror.lk/106983/No-tobacco-by-

Currently Tobacco Tax yields the Govt. Rs100B per annum from payments made by Sri Lanka’s highest market cap company Ceylon Tobacco. This amounts to more than the amount received for a year from Personal Income Taxes! So if this is what our leader is saying, he MUST follow this up with alternatives to compensate, one for wiping out the most efficient and productive Company in Sri Lanka, that has the most effective and advanced outgrower incentive and cooperation system in Sri Lanka.

I don’t smoke, and I want everyone in Sri Lanka to stop smoking, but I am practical and see far more important challenges that we must face and overcome by 2020, and I put eliminating the scourge of drugs by then in the top of my bucket list! Why is he not making that his priority too? Is he the biggest drug dealer in the land who wants to protect his turf by abolishing tobacco? It sure seems like it with such acinine statements. Coming from a leader of a Nation is frankly simply out of order and SHAMEFUL!

The fact that NO one picks this up, and challenges this in Sri Lanka, says a lot for the mental capacity of the journalists, who simply have failed in every respect in reporting objectively and further making constructive comments for the benefit of the Country.

Mix the two, Our present President and the Media, and you have a poisoned Cocktail, ready to destroy Sri Lanka, and the people don’t even realize it!

Readers, put on your thinking caps and make rational comments on such wayward statements. We owe it to Sri Lanka to prioritize what is urgent and work as a Nation to overcome those challenges, rather than resort to paying lip service to asinine statement of our leaders, and I might ad the previous President who said yesterday, to hand the Country over to him, if we cant run it! The most bigoted and dumb statement that could ever be made from a sane man, and proves his level of pig headedness, and perhaps insanity too!

We are like a pack of animals being lead to slaughter by our Politicians, who frankly have lost their rights to make any decisions on our behalf, anymore. We must take over the decision making processes our selves, by being able to vote on all these rulings directly by plebiscite, now possible through smart phone technology, from anywhere in the world that will make us truly democratic!  

Singapore Economic Summit – On Sri Lanka – successful because Govt. not involved!

It is important to realize from the point of view of a potential overseas investor, the Govt. sponsored summits of the past Govt. and other summits underwritten from public funds, have NEVER proved successful on reflection, as the attendee, knows this is pure Govt. bull shit.

http://www.ft.lk/article/531407/-Sri-Lanka-is-open-for-business--echoes-at-Singapore-summit

Therefore it was refreshing that the Standard Chartered sponsored, summit on doing Business in Sri Lanka, which was represented by many distinguished Sri Lankan companies and officials, yesterday was well attended by interested parties, and did not result in ANY COST to the Sri Lanka Govt. and the potential investor did not feel stifled by a biased group of people telling a story for profit!

Granted, Harsha de Silva attended as a Minister, as well as Ravi Karunanayake, to add weight to the event on behalf of Sri Lanka, but they saw clearly its use for Sri Lanka and to themselves in attending, speaking and putting forward the official line, despite its funding from private entities who had a business interest in inward investment in Sri Lanka.

I hope it is now understood that this type of private sponsor is the need of the hour in order to portray Sri Lanka in the eyes of businesses who invest in Sri Lanka, and not in the eyes of the Govt. who must necessarily tow the party line!

It was important that someone like the Loadstar chairman was able to speak to the audience to tell his story, on how his company in Sri Lanka became the world’s largest supplier of Solid Tyres from a small beginning.

http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/sri-lanka-on-cusp-of-growth-say-officials-at-singapore-investment-summit/

It is as well to note that Perpetual Treasuries is also a co-sponsor of the Summit, as they also hope to gain from this to benefit themselves. It MUST be understood that unless there is a personal benefit, the objectives of summits are distorted out of a purely economic benefit to that of trying to achieve a Govt. objective that sometimes is purely political and NOT economic.

We trust the reader to make their own conclusions so that they will be able to better understand the rationale of getting private sector to sponsor such events.

The Power Outages – a time for CEB Engineers to be penalized

It is all very well for the CEB to issue a statement explaining why the outage occurred and worse why it seems to happening with greater frequency and Lakvijaya at Norochcholai adding to the woes, but the responsibility MUST lie with the HIGHLY paid CEB engineers.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/106877/CEB-engineers-rule-out-sabotage?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook

For starters, immediately put a 50% garnish on their paycheck they are about to receive at the end of this month. In an instant the blame game will spread, and we will find what they think of the whole system. Something they have kept mum about, as many have been on the take in recommending faulty technology.

A withholding of pay for a year, until NO significant outages occur will put them on their toes, and will not result in their current lackadaisical attitude to blame. Anyone but them type!

Of course some in Govt. and social media are blaming the moles of the Mahinda faction in the CEB for this to discredit the Govt. We must not jump into that conclusion, as there are two committees already in place to investigate the causes and report back.

We must understand that this is causing a lot of disruption in the private sector businesses, as some of the standby generators cannot carry the whole load during the power blackout periods, and the cost of diesel that is running these generators means a considerable loss to them.

It is IRONIC that the non-productive Govt. sector have generators, and acs running all paid for by the tax payer, when businesses are contributing to the development and growth of the Country are suffering needlessly!

If there is one occasion cost consciousness MUST be driven into the empty minds of Govt. servants it is NOW, that they are dragging the country backwards instead of forwards, and decisions taken by various entities of the public sector is currently contributing to this scenario. Is a new highway the most important or ensuring that all substations have machines that are NOT ancient and can carry the loads that are being put through them. After all this is basic stuff the CEB engineers if they have had any kind of training should be very familiar of, and it is obvious that they have collectively let the Country down, and like the Chairman who offered his resignation, the whole UNION must offer their collective resignation in shame as to what happened!

I don’t know what to make of this story – can you?

All I know is that the Police in Kotadeniyaya are still seething with the embarrassment and allegations thrown at them for accusing this school boy of her murder, and interrogating him, which later resulted in his life being made very hard!

So now some months after the event, when the Police say they got a tip-off and arrested the boy in possession of heroin, I don’t know what to believe as the parents are alleging this is a set-up.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=141978

The reason I decided that this was worthy of a blog entry, is because it goes to the heart of the behavior of the Police force in Sri Lanka, that MUST learn to take mistakes in their stride, in the Good Governance era, as they are used to acting with impunity in all cases, as hitherto no one has contradicted their right to misbehave, and to do things outside of the law, in their own sometimes, cavalier manner.

It is very important that whatever they do in future is within the law, and legitimate, and not out of any sense of revenge, or absolute authority of the Officer in charge who in the past has acted as if they rule the village they lord over, instilling fear in the subjects, and getting together with all the wrong people, usually the rich, powerful, and underworld to involve themselves in all sorts of misdeeds to pad their meager earnings with ill-gotten gains.

Let us hope that due to the history of poor police work at that station, that their superiors will see fit to independently carry out this investigation outside of the Kotadeniyaya Police Station, so that the student will have a fair hearing, and if he is guilty of a crime, face the judge independently of his past fame!

It is by this slow and steady action to convince the general public that the Police can once again be trusted to be fair, can we the general public have confidence in our Law Enforcement Services, as we MUST be protected from criminals and not be protected BY criminals as has been the case in the past.

Regaining Good Governance, which the combined opposition are intent to discredit at its rally on March 17^th MUST not be allowed to gain traction, as it is going to reverse some of the gains in democracy and governance, we have so far painfully and slowly been able to bring about. There is a long way to go, so don’t try and deny progress by vengeance! 

The First Son syndrome pictured in all its lurid detail!

I don’t know how the President’s son went to Royal but from what I understand his admission into Royal would not have occurred due to NORMAL entry into whichever year it was, but at the discretion of an admitting Principal, though it appears THAT NO ONE DARE ASK, as that again will be reserved for the next Government when they decide to investigate the circumstances over which Daham Sirisena was admitted into Royal.

You can come to your conclusion, on firstly why the President himself wanted his son in Royal, and secondly how he was admitted, and thirdly, what his education, sport or extra-curricular contribution to Royal was, as I understand it the latter was nothing at all!

I have nothing against the man himself, but his psychological make-up for wanting to get on stage without invitation is called into question, as being abnormal, as he already would have had security clearance, that other mortals would NOT and hence the security would NOT have stopped him in getting on the podium with the PM.

In reality he has embarrassed his father, as I am sure, his father would NOT have approved of this conduct, which I put as a consequence of the disease called FIRST SON SYNDROME that some children of leaders of Countries seem to suffer from.

http://asianmirror.lk/news/item/15390-daham-sirisena-invades-stage-at-royal-thomian-big-match-prize-giving

Social Media and media in general is now questioning this behavior which was certainly unwarranted, and has exposed the organizing committee to ridicule NOT of the their making, but as is usual when the behavior of others is not as a consequence of what you have done, (ala CEB power failure) it is usual for someone (not the culprit) to share in the blame.

In this case I don t believe it should be the Organizing Committee guys who should be facing these uncomfortable questions because of some mental retard getting on stage, but it should be an open apology of the father for the son’s behavior. 

I understand that this is NOT the first time he has embarrassed his father, who is finding it exceedingly difficult to control his only son, which I am sure his mother is also suffering with. I have also alluded to the problem of Sri Lankan parents poor ability to discipline their sons. I have called it the “mamma titty” syndrome of Sri Lankan mothers overlooking their son’s misdemeanors due to the lack of affection from their husbands being transferred to sons!!!  

Any psychologist, psychiatrists would care to comment on this type of behavior. After all if he was NOT the President's son he would not even have been allowed anywhere near, even if he wanted to without causing a security alert, resulting in the firing of the personal security office of the PM!

A fair approach to arresting all Elephant Snatchers needed!

It does appear to me that during the past Regime’s 10 years of Rule, people thought that owning an elephant was a status symbol higher than that of having a Range Rover or S class Benz! In that respect with people like Sajin Vaas being a Presidential favorite was able to dispense favors, ostensibly with Presidential Authority, and people like the misnamed Ali Roshan (more like hora Roshan) was able to go into National Parks and capture innocent babies, sometimes even killing their mothers in the process, under the noses of the National Park Wardens, who were unable to resist this daylight robbery.

So this pastime resulted in well known Priests acquiring babies under false papers, whether they knew they were false or not, they are now hiding under the I did not know they were stolen moniker and this whole putrid tale went on.

With the advent of the new Government, and with laws still in the stature books that strictly forbid the capture and taming of Wild Elephants under flora and fauna ordinances, teams of investigators have spent months firstly going through the forged books of Elephants in captivity, and have begun scouting the Island in search of Elephants, checking if the ownership is legitimate, and then if not, getting an arrest warrant issued via a magistrate capture and take the Elephant and prosecute or arrest the purported owner.

Due to the massive scale of this theft, and possibly 75 young elephants involved in this, we are talking of taking 75 rich people into custody! It is not a joke. Some of these people are powerful of the land. It was alleged that Gota had a couple with him, and now their whereabouts is questionable, but he is still free from prosecution.

What I am saying is that the law must be applied fairly and equally to all no matter who you are, and by just making an example of the Ven. Dhammaloka, you get a famous name, but where are the other 50 big whigs. If I was the Ven. Thero I would be pissed that I have been singled out and I could take out a FR case of unfair treatment on the grounds that I was specifically picked out, when there were more influential people who could be arrested.

As a mere amateur observer of the proceedings, I just don’t see that there has been fair treatment on this issue, free of bias, and so wish that the authorities concerned take this allegation to hand and do that which is necessary to bring everyone involved in this scam to book.

I have no doubt that some may claim that they are treating the elephant with the best care any elephant could receive in their lives, but that is beside the point

Ignorance of the law of the land is NOT AN EXCUSE – Baby Elephant!

The Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera was arrested on account of a criminal breach of the Flora and Fauna Law, for keeping an unregistered elephant in his custody.

The AGs department after a thorough investigation, was able to convince a Magistrate that there was sufficient evidence of a crime, and arrested the Venerable Thero.

It is a wake-up call to all who would in future wish to get hold of an elephant, and to know the legal means of so doing. Of course all this was done under the lawless regime where everyone was permitted to take the law into their own hands on the proviso, that you were a Govt. supporter.

I can’t remember the Ven. Thero’s politics, but though he was a JHU MP at one time, his allegiance changed with the winds of power, or so it seems.

http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=2016/03/09/local/ven-uduwe-dhammaloka-thera-arrested

While it may sound rather harsh, and could be perceived as part of a revenge against the excesses of the Previous Govt. it is only by taking high profile suspects into custody, that a Nation can remind the people that NO ONE is safe from prosecution if they break the law of the land.

Buddhist Priests in any case receive preferential treatment whilst on remand, and I am sure this incident will be used by the Ven. Thero for his own advantage, as I am sure the young Rajapakse boy is also of the same view. Until Sri Lanka stops venerating criminals, people will want to be criminals, and I don’t know who is going to teach them right from wrong, as clearly their parents did not know what was right, in both these cases.

I also know that the team entrusted with finding all 55 baby elephants, who were captured in the last 4 years with Ali Roshan being a major player in this scam, are doing a painstaking job to find, identify, and prosecute the culprits, and there is still a way to go. However I am convinced that this action, has sent a CLEAR message to the Country, that picking out abandoned babies from the wild, however it is done, is not right. This no matter how much money you have to give the elephant the best care in the world.

We now must consider the plight of Pinnawala Elephants, and how elephants can be bred in captivity to be used for perehara’s under strict supervision. 

Harsha v Sudarshani spat not relevant in such a forum – Women’s Day

As I have already reported, the hype of the Kingsbury Forum of empowered women did nothing to further the cause of women in Sri Lanka, especially those who are actually looking towards empowered women to help those needing empowerment.

http://pattapalboru.blogspot.com/2016/03/international-womens-day-womens-forum.html

Ridiculousness of the Pledge for parity is clear if you read the attached link!

http://www.dailymirror.lk/106534/International-Women-s-Day-Pledge-F-r-Parity

So when Harsha says correctly, that women who follow Higher Education but don’t work, are a cost to the Economy he is right. Sudarshani says, it is the women’s right to study if she so wishes but she can stay at home after that if that is her choice, is also right! So where is it a problem?

http://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-120514-news-detail-65-of-sls-women-are-eligible-to-work.html

Well as long as the poor people of the Country pay for this higher education, and the person receiving it does not do anything with it, there are two negatives. Firstly they deny someone else who would take advantage of it from getting an education, and secondly, the State cannot afford to pay for something that is not made use of. So what is the solution?

The issue with Free Education is that its value is NOT appreciated by most who receive it, and so in the Tertiary sector at least, one would recommend, a token payment of say Rs5,000 a month, until graduation, and if unpaid a debt to the state arises until they sign off as either finished or dropped out. This will prevent those who engage in Student Politics for 10 years from hanging around!

Sudarshani also exposed another anomaly, as she is one who received free education to become a Medical Doctor, costing the state over Rs10M, and she is now an MP NOT using her education. So should she not repay the state the cost of her Education? I think she should, so she can exercise her free will.

This is a super example of the reason for payment, deferred or not, for Tertiary Education. In summary this was NOT a topic for discussion at this forum, and should be reserved for a Policy Framework, and that is why I said in by blog entry, that Politicians should not have been invited, especially to speak.

The Chickens have come home to roost – we are in a debt crisis!

I found it amusing when I saw that Fitch had downgraded our Sovereign Debt, that there was a threat to arrest the head of Fitch in Sri Lanka and imprison him for treason! Yes when you downgrade debt, then our cost of borrowing goes up.

This means that in a stroke of a pen, we have to pay Billions more for borrowing, and EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS TO PAY IT, so we should all go and lynch him, right!

http://www.w3lanka.com/2016/03/blog-post_9.html

The link above in Sinhala describes this problem quite sensibly and is worth reading.

As usual we have put the cart before the horse! We should be lynching the Rajapakse Administration, and Mahinda Rajapakse himself for getting us in this mess in the first place. If he had not borrowed so much on white elephants, we would NOT be in a mess. He understands politics and how to fool people, but he DOES NOT understand economics and that you have to repay loans with interest, and to pay interest the investments must earn a rate of return in excess of the cost of that borrowing.

Having said that THIS GOVERNMENT ALSO MUST SHARE some of this blame, as they added to the woes of the Country, by promising the most incompetent and inefficient and resources draining section, namely the Public Service, a pay raise of Rs10,000 per month per head, which we just cannot afford to pay! We in the private sector are working doubly hard, so that the wastrels in the public sector can earn more, and make life in our area more difficult, because all our workers want to leave, as the Govt. pays more for less or no work!!

Mr PM and MR President we really feel it now, as you are rewarding incompetence, and you are generating dissatisfaction amongst the most productive workers of Sri Lanka, the private sector, to the point they want to leave as it does not pay to work, when they see their neighbor leave for work later, and return earlier, is not stressed, and has a bigger paycheck, and further is taking bribes, just to pass the files from one desk to the other.

WILL YOU NOT BE MAD IF YOU ARE THE WORKER? The trouble is you are the MP, in Parliament, completely oblivious to the suffering of the Private Sector, burdening him more with 15% tax rate that he has to pay for the TV or Fridge that he is saving to buy, by working overtime, too.

Mr Prime Minister, you and your MPs, only see the lazyness of the Public Sector every day. You don’t see the productivity of the Private Sector, so you cannot appreciate its sacrifice, and in turn being given a RAW deal by you! 

It is time you announce a PRODUCTIVITY DRIVE FOR PUBLIC SECTOR NOW to put the fear of God on the 14lakhs of workers who are bleeding this Country dry - Most are traitors of the Country.