Sri Lanka: Country needs honourable politicians, doing right

The politicians who failed to live up to people’s expectations of propriety and honesty are the reason many people become cynical about politics.

by Raja Wickramasinghe- Jan 22, 2018

( January 22, 2018, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Why are some politicians so bad at politics? You can find so many examples of the clueless imprudence that is peculiar to so many in politics; where otherwise well-meaning people become so lost in their own self-belief that they fail to see themselves as others see them, or who stall inexplicably the moment the opportunity to do the right thing presents itself. These few examples are illustrative.

Former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake failed to imagine the inevitable backlash that would occur when he occupied a house for which rent was paid by the owner of a company involved in the Treasury bond issue.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe selected Arjuna Mahendran as the Governor of the Central Bank while his son-in-law Arjun Aloysius’s Perpetual Treasuries Ltd, was a Primary Dealer.

The Finance Minister issued a gazette notification removing regulations banning women from buying liquor, working in liquor shops, and extending the business hours of liquor shops, and subsequently revoked it on the advice of President Maithripala Sirisena.

MPs of both sides behave in Parliament in such disgraceful manner, bringing disrespect to this august assembly disrupting its business with no end in sight.

In so doing, they arouse cynicism that causes a severe erosion of public confidence in the civil institutions that require the trust of the public to function effectively.

Karunanayake’s position was that the family needed to move out to a temporary residence to get their house renovated. He was not bothered about how they had found it, what the rent was and who paid for it. Well, this explanation is good enough for a well mannered and organized business executive staying in his corner office.

As for the appointment of Mahendran, the Prime Minister was fully aware of the conflict of interest. Even if Mahendran had kept his word that his son-in-law would sever his ties with the company (PTL), and even if the bond fraud never had happened by his influence, the PM would still have been in the wrong. You cannot have someone overseeing an institution while also being someone whose son-in-law’s business is tied to this institution – not if you want the trust of the public.

Those recruited to top positions of the government need to be free from conflict of interest. A high ranking official’s continued interest would raise questions in the minds of any reasonable person. If he has a conflict of interest, then leave him in his corner office and get someone else. To believe that nothing will happen is delusional.

The changing of liquor regulations at hand is, in fact, a non-issue that requires no action. The Finance Minister has chosen the same illusory path that only politicians can see, and which doesn’t exist in reality.

The Opposition as usual took it as a card to fool the voters. When support was forthcoming to the amendment from women they slowly backed down. The President, himself, from the election platform promised to revoke it forthwith, and attracted condemnation and criticism for being against equal rights for women and gender equality. Now the issue is before the Supreme Court.

The behaviour of the MPs of both sides was seen by the whole country on January 10, when they met for the first time in the new-year, greeting each other with physical blows, hurling abuse and shouting filth, the less said the better. They once again proved their uneducated and uncivilized nature in unmistaken terms. They aren’t the representatives of the civilised, decent people. These are far from the only sins of our politicians. It shows the gross incivility in the political sphere.

On the Treasury bond issue, all agree that a fraud has occurred. The commission has recommended a forensic audit examination of the Treasury bonds issued since 2008, as it was believed that similar incidents having occurred in the period 2008 to 2014. That was the period the Central Bank was under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Finance Minister and Ajith Nivard Cabraal as the Governor.

Reports have also been handed over to the President concerning 34 investigations conducted by a presidential commission into serious frauds, corruption, and misuse of public funds etc. occurred during the previous government,

There are some politicians who held Cabinet positions in the previous government, currently indicted in courts of law and having trials in progress into acts of frauds, corruption, bribery and misuse of public funds, committed by them. Yet others under criminal investigation by the law enforcement authorities for similar offences, and at present bailed out by the courts of law. It’s ridiculous to hear, the way they talk about frauds, corruption, bribery and misuse of public funds on election platforms and at press briefings. The impression one gets from their speeches is that the Treasury bond fraud has redeemed all of them.

There has to be a national debate on the complex issues being brought to light. At the same time we cannot lose sight of the larger picture – the flawed system.

The politicians who failed to live up to people’s expectations of propriety and honesty are the reason many people become cynical about politics.

Voters have to act wisely.