A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Ravi removed at Malik’s behest, says Salley
By Shamindra Ferdinando-June 26, 2017, 12:00 pm
deprived Ravi Karunanayake of the finance portfolio as a result of UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrema’s intervention.
Salley strongly regretted President Sirisena giving into Development
Strategies and International Trade Minister Samarawickrema’s demand.
Salley named Minister Samarawickrema in the wake of Minister
Karunanayake blaming black sheep in the party for his removal at the
Sirikotha media conference on Sunday.
President Sirisena in consultation with UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe
assigned Karunanayake foreign affairs portfolio. Mangala Samaraweeera
succeeded Karunanayake as Finance Minister.
Salley was on live TV 1 news line hosted by Faraz Shauketally.Former UNP
Working Committee member and one-time UNP Central Provincial
Councillor, Salley faulted President Sirisena for not being constant in
responding to complaints received from others in respect of some.
The UNPer quit the CPC in March last year.
Responding to a query, Salley asserted that as a result of the UNP-SLFP
coalition’s failure to adopt a result oriented strategy over two years
after the change of government, the country was in turmoil. The
administration had been sharply divided over national policy in respect
of vital sectors with various people pulling in different directions.
The yahapalana proponent cited recent declaration made by Premier
Wickremesinghe at a meeting with some investors to underscore the crisis
within the administration. Salley quoted Premier Wickremesinghe as
having requested investors to get in touch with a committee appointed by
him without seeking the assistance of the Board of Investment (BoI) of
Sri Lanka.
Comparing the ousted Rajapaksa administration and Yahapalana
administration, Salley said that the former in spite of waste,
corruption and irregularities at every level was able to achieve
development objectives whereas ineffectual UNP-SLFP coalition was
struggling. The incumbent government hadn’t been able to achieve even
the basic requirements, the former PC member said.
Salley flayed the government for the shocking state of mismanagement at
every level and further rapid deterioration of the national economy for
want of proper strategy. The UNPer asserted that national carrier
SriLankan had been severely hampered by ill-fated government strategy.
Responding
to another query, Salley said the government had included provision in
the 19th Amendment to the Constitution to prevent wartime Defence
Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Economic Affairs Minister Basil
Rajapaksa contesting parliamentary polls. They had been deprived of
their right to seek office on the basis of them being dual citizens of
Sri Lanka and the US whereas dual citizens now hold various positions,
Salley said. President Sirisena should decide on dual citizens holding
key positions, Salley said. The ruling coalition couldn’t adopt double
standards on the contentious matter of dual citizens receiving key
appointments.
The outspoken politician said that President Sirisena had caused a
debilitating setback to yahapalana ideals by taking over the SLFP to
pave the way for those who had served the Rajapaksas to switch
allegiance to the new government. Salley faulted President Sirisena for
accommodating those who had been rejected by the electorate at Aug 2015
general election through the UPFA National List.
In his interview with Shauketally, Salley faulted the government for
seeking to privatize loss making SriLankan without taking tangible
measures to revive the airline.
The UNPer also emphasized the need to examine the circumstances under
which yahapalana government had made massive payment to cancel state of
the art aircraft ordered by the previous administration. Salley said
that Sri Lanka should have explored the possibility of going ahead with
the arranged transaction and work out a deal with an airline seeking to
expand its fleet.
Salley said the UNP leadership denied him promised National List slot at
the last general election. "I didn’t go behind anyone seeking NL slot
or sought an explanation."
Following the interview, Salley told The Island that Karunanayake losing
finance portfolio should be examined against the backdrop of the
government turning a blind eye to unbridled waste, corruption and
irregularities taking place in every sector. Having supported successful
yahapalana campaign against the Rajapaksas, Salley said that he
couldn’t believe what was happening now.