The judgment on the Waters Edge deal and beyond

12 Oct 2008

The recent Supreme Court judgment on the Waters Edge deal marked crucial people’s victory in fight against corrupt politico-business mafia in Sri Lanka. It all started in 2007 when then COPE committee under the chairmanship of Wijedasa Rajapakse prepared a report on 26 government institutions which alleges mismanagement of over a staggering Rs.150 BILLION. While most of previous reports mentioned there had been some corruption and some mismanagement, the 2007 statement specifically identified the mismanagement and culprits. The COPE was the ideal place where all the politicians and bureaucracy would have questioned and punished. However, unfortunately most of the main culprits had already crossed over from UNP to the government and it only fired back on political career of Mr. Wijedasa Rajapakse[2]. Until now Wijedasa Rajapakse is made to play very passive role in politics where culprits are standing both in the government and opposition.

The mere buzz of no confidence motion
The main opposition played their usual opportunistic role to try and corner selected individuals including Milinda Moragoda who had already crossed over to the government. However after all the buzz in no confidence motion against Moragoda, the corrupt politicians later came to consensus and the motion was put under the carpet and no one (including those media gurus that make noise only on according to the agenda of political parties) are no longer interest on that subject.[3]

People’s action in the absence of politician’s initiative
It is in this backdrop that the people in this country had to turn to the judiciary system to seek justice against these culprits who hold power or protected by political helm. The first victory came with the judgment against P.B Jayasundara and John Keels Holding (JKH) in the case dates back to 2002 following a privatization deal that led to the sale of Lanka Marine Service (Pvt) Limited (LMS) by state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings (JKH). With that historical judgment, both the state beurocracy and private sector company that involved in major corrupt deal was penalized, but the political leadership account for the deal was still escaped.[1]

One step forward
The recent Waters Edge judgment has gone one step further and finally penalized not only the corrupt privet sector, but also the political leadership behind it. More importantly the judgment is against the helm of then political monarchy, none other than Chandrika Kumaranathunga. CBK was paraded into Sri Lankan politics by so called civil right activists (later exposed and branded as INGO agents) as the mark of purity (Sudu Neluma) against corrupt political system. But it took only few months for the people of this country (who are not colour blind) to find the true feather of CBK and international and local agents behind her.

CBK came from London and played her role (assigned by INGO agents and corrupt business mafia) and now back in London enjoying her retirement. While CBK has not faced full justice for economical and political turmoil she has created in this country, the recent judgment is certainly some sort of consolation to patriotic citizens who really expect better future and prosperity for this country. [5]

Another crucial judgment pending
The day following the Waters Edge judgment saw the crash of Distilleries shares from 70.00 to 52.50. The uncertainty surround Distilleries is due to the pending judgment of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) of which Distilleries is the holding company and business tycoon Harry Jayawardana hold the major stake.

In the last two judgments, a government servant and a politician have been personally punished and corrupt money being transfered back to the government. We sincerely hope that the third landmark judgement will punish not only political and state related parties but those corrupt individuals in the private sector that is making illegal money out of government assets (The people’s assets) are also personally exposed and punished to the maximum.

Unite with lesser evils to defeat the big devil
While the present government has shown firm commitment in the fight against terrorism, so far it has not shown same intense for the fight against corruption in general. The government has to rely on the support of all the fractions to maintain the majority in parliament especially after JVP refused to take part with the government, instead nab in the back and now allied with UNP politics. On the other hand Mahinda Rajapaksa government seems to be in the view that they should unite all the fractions (even lesser evils) to fight against the LTTE terrorists that was once considered to be the deadliest terrorist organization in the world.

The measures against corruption in military: the forerunner in success in fight against terrorism
It was well known that ‘War’ has been made living for corrupt politicians and businessmen in this country. The very first act of Rajapaksa government in fight against terrorism was to eliminate corruption in military procurements by forming a centralized government institution that solely handle buying of arms and ammunition directly from foreign governments in most of the cases thereby eliminating commissions in deals. That move built up confidence in soldiers and it made huge difference in turning fight against terrorism in to winning path.

What next?
Once the fight against terrorism is won in few months time, the government’s second mission would be to expedite the development. Just like eliminating corruption in defense sector paved the way to fast track in winning the fight against terrorism, the full fledge mini war against corruption in Sri Lankan politico-business mafia will be the key to fast track into economic development of country.


Related articles:
1. P.B. Jayasundara Saga and Triangle of Corruption: politicians, bureaucrat and businessmen (August 02, 2008)
2. Before the judge is hanged (September 21, 2007)
3. No-confidence motion against Milinda Moragoda - Insight story (October 27, 2007)
4. Back to the mercy of her own masters (October 16, 2007)
5. The pageant queen of post independence era (August 11, 2007)
6. Chick and egg story of corruption in Sri Lanka (October 27, 2007)

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Reality of Sri Lankan politics and Killing of Major General Janaka Perera

7 Oct 2008

Major General Janaka was the mastermind of the counter attack at Welioya where LTTE terrorists lost approximately 500 carders in a single night. It was the worst debacle of LTTE terrorist organization prior to the current final operation against terrorism that currently undergo in Wanni jungle. He not only defended strategic Welioya area, but provide moral and at time political leadership to those innocent people in the absence of proper political leadership from then UNP government. It was valiant Janaka Perera – Sarath Fonseka combination that withhold the LTTE thrust in Jaffna peninsula in April 2000 when the political leadership in Colombo was under mental trauma due to LTTE propaganda machine in South of the country and Western world.

This very fact is more than enough for any ordinary citizen to identify who was behind the assassination of Major General Janaka Perera. That is why whole nation mourn in hearing the brutal killing of war hero and patriotic son of mother Lanka. It is more pathetic and heart breaking to see the behavior of UNP leader Ranil Wickramasingha and his political junta at Sirikotha. Ranil Wickramasingha is pointing his fingers at various parties ranging from government, police, defense sectary, TMVP and many more. Still he has not enough guts to look straight at media camera and say that it is LTTE that killed his political partner Janaka Perera.

Ranil has every right to request for independent inquiry and also question lack of security provided. But above all he should have guts to name the killer (LTTE) by name that very ordinary person in this country know. His mere inability to publically name LTTE as the killer due to his inner fear psychosis has lead to pointing fingers at every nook and corner. If he categorically named LTTE as the killer and then formed his argument for lack of security measures provided by the government, the common people of the country may have heard his point.

Firstly, LTTE strategically eliminate the UNP’s genuine leaders R. Premadasa, Lalith Athulathmudali, Ranjan Wijayarathna, Gamini Dissanayaka and many others from Sri Lankan political arena. It is due to this very fact that Ranil Wickramasingha had wind fall grabbing the UNP party leadership. The name of the game of terrorism is inflicting fear across the nation including political leaders and it is under weak leadership that terrorism gets dividends.

When Ranil Wickramasingha grab legislation power for little more than two years (still the executive power was not with UNP at that time), he showed his real white feather. It is under his rule that so called peace truce was signed legitimating Ealam boundaries. Our elite long range brigade was branded as traitors and all key intelligent figures in the military forces were exposed. When LTTE brutally killed Major Muthaliff during so called Ranil-Praba peace honey moon, Ranil Wickramasingha was behaving as dumb as ever.

It all turned round when people of this country took a brave decision to elect Mahinda Rajapaksa as president. Now Prabakaran is witnessing his due destiny at his Ealam grave yard. Ranil Wickramasingha continue his struggling to retain his party leadership (that political leadership vacuum that LTTE killing made) rather than eying for national leadership.

Ranil Wickramasingha always needed battle hardened people to collect some patriotic votes, but he never needed true leaders when he has power. Firstly, he dig the grave yard of Major-General Lucky Algama by inviting him to politics. But he never justify that undue killing when he grab power. Instead this feeble character opted for peace honeymoon thinking that he can pass his political term while giving political and military ransom (just like his political uncle JR) to terrorist leader. Now he has brought another general to grave yard by inviting into politics. With the tragic death, now Ranil Wickramasingha has done with the service of Major General Janaka Perera and he does not care to get justice for this killing by at least calling the real enemy by name.

It is pity that a great people like Major General Janaka Perera trapped in Ranil’s last minute survival drama risking his own life. Janaka Perera was finally targeted by LTTE to take long due military revenge. But it is unfortunate that this war hero’s own political leader is finding it hard to name LTTE terrorist leader as his killer. It is even more unfortunate that still there are handful of people who are willing to vote for this type of Muppet characters who can not give due respect to their own party members who try to uphold the slipping flag of the party.
Related posts:
- Dumb and Dumbers

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Major General Janaka Perera – Meaningless political end to a meaningful military career

6 Oct 2008

A war hero and great son of mother Lanka, Major General Janaka Perera has fallen due to a wrong decision that has cost his own life together with number of innocent people. In his distinguished career in the army, he has served the nation as a heroic, but his tragic death is meaningless end in a contradicting path.

Major General Janaka Perera is one of the distinguished generals serving our mother land. As a Colonel, Janaka Perera took a significant role suppressing the JVP insurrection of 1987-89 and this earned him both praise and blame in the South. In the following years he played a significant role in combating the LTTE terrorists in the North, especially in the Jaffna and Welioya areas. LTTE terrorists faced their most pathetic military debacle in their long futile struggle when they attacked Welioya Army camp which was then under the military leadership of Major General Janaka Perera. It was reported that almost all the tiger carders who engaged in that attack were trapped in and killed in the battlefield with minimum destruction to the government forces. Later, Brigadier Pererea played a major role during Operation Riviresa which led to the liberation of the Jaffna peninsula, during which he commanded the 53 Division.

Following the fall of Elephant Pass in April 2000 which forced the SL Army units in Jaffna to fall back due to lack of fixed defense positions, Perera was appointed Overall Operations Commander (OOC) and tasked with countering the LTTE offensive, along with Major General (now Lt. General) Sarath Fonseka. When immature political leadership (CBK government) was appealing for foreign intervention to flee, the military leadership of Janaka Perera and Sarath Fonseka counter the terrorist offensive effectively serving thousands of Sri Lankan youth who are now battling the final war against terrorists.

While then UNP politicos were busy distributing Sirrens to lead the fleeing the Sinhalese from then so called border villages, Major General Janaka Perera had a clear vision and therefore provide not only security but also development to the Weli Oya area so that the people of the area has no reason to flee in fear of terrorists.

Major General Janaka Perera ended his elite military career as a war hero who devoted his military life for integrity and freedom of mother land. However, he became a victim of bankrupt political leadership of Ranil Wickramasingha. He was previously offered the post of UNP organizer for Maharagama electorate that is renowned for patriotic and heroic people, but wisly Janaka Perera rejected the offer.

When indifferent UNP leader Ranil Wickramasingha was desperate for some avenues for his political survival, he was looking for people range from Sannasgala (who is infamous for exam cheating, copyright violation, INGO links) to Ranjan Ramanayaka ( a petty sookiri star), it is unfortunate that Major General Janaka Perera accepted the offer to contest for the chief ministry post for North Central province.

It was not only a contradicting political decision, but a risky one too. UNP leader Ranil Wickramasingha is known to be a feeble character who will never even think of fighting against terrorism. Ranil is only renowned for holding the white flag for his mere survival. It was very evident that Major General Janaka Perera has no political role to play in UNP government under Ranil Wickramasingha, but merely a part of last minute survival drama of indifferent leader. However, battle hardened Janaka Perera was not matured enough to understand this reality. Major-General Lucky Algama has already paid his his price when he was assassinated in UNP political rally in Ja Ela when he was canvassing for Ranil Wickramasingha in presidential election in 1993.

It is pity that former war hero has lost his life while trying to serve a political movement which has trait this country. It is even more shame that at this tragic death of former war hero, there will not be a single person in his political party (UNP) who will call his assassinators as terrorists. UNP will try to get even the last opportunity to point fingers at all the parties other than the true enemy (the terrorists) to cement their traitorous political path.

It is sad that there are still handful of followers to this political party which has not identified its enemy in the form of terrorist even after they have completely prune their potential political leadership starting from R. Premadasa, Lalith Athulathmudali, Gamini Dissanayaka, Ranjan Wijayarathna, Weerasingha Mallimaracchi to Janaka Perera and many more.

Ranil Wickramasingha got the UNP party leadership because LTTE killed all the senior UNP leadership. Still he does not have the slightest leadership quality to fulfill his goal by convincing the public even at desperate times. More and more secondary UNP leaders will sacrifice their life while this feeble character enjoying the dignity of ‘leader of UNP’ and ‘leader of opposition’ posts. Those who lost their life while serving the UNP leadership will not even get justice for their death because the UNP leadership has no guts even to point the finger directly towards the enemy and call him by its due name (Terrorist) !

Related Posts:
- Struggle of UNP leadership and Major General Janaka Perera’s enter into politics (June 21, 2008)
- Maharagama Chinthanaya (August 20, 2007)
- The factual biography of Ranil Wickramasinghe (August 6, 2007)

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