Executive, Judiciary and Legislature shouldn’t show their might:

President firmly believes in people’s power

The Executive Presidency has been the most powerful post since it was introduced by former President J.R. Jayewardene way back in 1978. The 1978 Constitution gave sweeping powers to the Executive President, undermining the country’s Legislature.

Perhaps, that would have prompted the then President Jayewardene to state that all what the Executive President could not perform is to make man a woman and vice versa. That statement alone is enough to understand the wide range of powers entrusted on the Executive by the Jayewardene regime.

However, such thinking has gradually changed since President Mahinda Rajapaksa took office in November, 2005. He has been a people friendly President who always believed in parliamentary democracy and the power of the people. Hence, President Rajapaksa not only visited Parliament more often to follow important debates but also introduced legislation to make it compulsory for the Executive President to attend Parliament at least once in three months. Until then, the Executive President attended Parliament only once a year, that too for the ceremonial opening of the annual parliamentary sessions.

Last week, President Rajapaksa went a step further when he declared that the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature should not show their might to the people but should be more committed to serve the people. This is an important statement by none other than the country’s First Citizen who firmly believes in the power of the people and prefers often to conduct various types of elections to have a better understanding on the pulse of the people.

President Rajapaksa, addressing the Special District Development Council meeting of the Ratnapura district at the Sabaragamuwa Provincial Council auditorium last week, said no person has the right to suppress or deprive people of their sovereign rights. He added that all stakeholders should work in unison to make the people’s aspirations a reality and nobody can shun their responsibility by merely saying that it is not their duty.

The President said the government’s development march could be crippled if politicians and the government officials do not discharge their duties properly. He said their shortcomings may lead to the government’s development drive being hindered.

The President said nobody should allow such a situation to take place in Sri Lanka. “Government institutions are duty bound to remedy the issues of the people with a more practical approach. Development programs on track should be completed on schedule,” President Rajapaksa told government officials in Ratnapura. He instructed them to closely monitor development activities, focussing on approved quality standards.

The President instructed the officers to complete development and infrastructure programs without delay. President Rajapaksa said a person winning an election should not take it as a personal merit but work for the people and the country.

“Parliamentarians, Provincial Councillors and local government agents are people’s representatives. They should bring forward issues to obtain timely and adequate attention,” he said. President Rajapaksa said the government allocated funds for many development activities to uplift people’s living standards.

When the President was informed that work on the Kalawana bus stand has been stopped for years, he called upon the officials to utilise funds for development according to a proper plan designed in consultation with government authorities, without squandering public money.

President Rajapaksa said the benefits of all these projects should pass on to the public and the money and lands utilised in a manner that generate maximum benefit to the country.

The progress and the flaws of development projects implemented in Ratnapura and Kegalle districts and public complaints were discussed at the meeting. President Rajapaksa said political authorities and public servants are duty bound to take prompt and adequate steps to resolve issues in their fields for the benefit of the people.

He said they must not allow things to drag on causing the subject to surface over and over again.

Government officials are entrusted with the responsibility to assist the public to obtain redress to their problems, while performing an exemplary role in the service of the state, the President said.

President Rajapaksa instructed officials to take measures to solve the shortage of government officials, drinking water, issues relating to farming, animal husbandry, health, irrigation, urban development and road construction. The President directed officials of the Environment Ministry and the Gem Bureau to take measures to rectify issues related to gem mining.

The LTTE rump and shadow organisations abroad have been working overtime to capitalise on the US-led Resolution to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) earlier this year. But world opinion has changed drastically after many positive developments and the successful resettlement of all displaced persons.

Lanka changes world opinion

The resettlement programs, infrastructure development projects in the North and efforts made by the Government in the reconciliation process have won the hearts of the international community.

Last week’s disclosure of a possible LTTE uprise overseas would not only be a threat to Sri Lanka but also to India and has caught the attention of many in international circles.

Though the LTTE rum has been trying hard to take Sri Lanka to task at next month’s UNHRC sessions in Geneva, world opinion has changed remarkably as the international community seems to have understood the sincere efforts made by Sri Lanka since the vanquishing of the world’s most ruthless terrorist outfit which had brutally killed thousands of innocent people.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon last week appreciated the willingness on the part of Sri Lanka to engage with the UN system as demonstrated by the invitation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the recent visit of the technical team from her office.

He said so during a meeting with External Affairs Minister Professor G.L. Peiris in New York on Tuesday and added it would be a positive step for such engagement to continue at a senior working level to be updated on developments in Sri Lanka. The Secretary General welcomed the positive developments in Sri Lanka, including the complete resettlement of internally displaced persons and the closure of the resettlement village at Menik Farm, holding Provincial Council elections in the Eastern Province, steps taken to reach out to civil society and the action plan to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.

He said mutual understanding and continued cooperation would assist Sri Lanka to benefit from UN expertise. Moon also briefed the Minister on the management reforms of the UN including the mobility of the Organisation’s staff.

He said the UN will also seek to strengthen partnership with member states, by forging relations with the business community, philanthropists, religious leaders and civil society through a formalised mechanism. Minister Peiris outlined the significant measures undertaken by the government to bring about reconciliation including rehabilitation of ex-combatants, complete resettlement of IDPs, ongoing de-militarisation of the Northern Province with a reduction in the number of military personnel by 50 percent as well as the type of functions handled by the military, the holding of Provincial Council elections and the effort to bring all political parties together through the Parliamentary Select Committee consultation process.

He said the preparations for the Universal Periodic Review in November commenced with all relevant agencies coordinating their efforts towards this end.

Noting that the climate in the country was now conducive to trade and investment, Minister Peiris said the Commonwealth Business Forum would be held in Sri Lanka in 2013 on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). He briefed the Secretary General on Sri Lanka’s hosting of this international event.

Responding to the Secretary General regarding youth employment, Minister Peiris said the entry of foreign companies and hotel chains to Sri Lanka as well as vigorous activity by its own private sector after the eradication of terrorism, opened many opportunities for the employment of youth. He said Sri Lanka laid much focus on the social mobility of youth and that the World Youth Conference would be held in Sri Lanka in 2014.

Remarkable growth in human development

International Monetary Co-operation Senior Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama disclosed last week that Sri Lanka has recorded a remarkable growth in human development, while in the South Asian region, it is on top.

Participating as the Chief Guest at the launch of the Sri Lanka National Human Development Report 2012 at the Institute of Policy Studies yesterday, Dr. Amunugama said according to a recent Central Bank report, there was a significant growth in the GDP in several provinces, especially in the Northern and Eastern, partly due to the end of the conflict.

The Minister said government investment in these areas increased dramatically. “The allocation of resources for the country’s development depends on the wealth of the State,” he said. “The government allocates resources for the development of both rural and urban areas,” Dr. Amunugama said.

He said the country’s GDP recorded a favourable growth. “Everybody is talking about poverty. No one is talking about the rise of the middle class population.

The rise of the middle class population proves poverty reduction. The middle class population can push the country’s economy,” the minister said. He said a new class of people will emerge and will transform Sri Lanka into a strategically important economic centre.

GL on human rights

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Professor G.L. Peiris, addressing members of the academia, the diplomatic community and think tanks at the Institute for the Study of Human Rights of the Columbia University in New York last week, said that establishing an international mechanism for accountability is misplaced as primacy needs to be given to local remedies rather than have external entities seeking to prescribe solutions.

Relating this aspect to Sri Lanka, he questioned the need for external expertise as the country has highly developed institutions and therefore would be against its national prestige and pride. The Minister said the people of Sri Lanka are proud to be heir to their political culture and he was confident they would surmount all challenges in the same manner as overcoming the world’s most ruthless terrorist organisation three years ago. Referring to the recent Provincial Council elections in the Eastern Province, Prof Peiris pointed out that although demographically there are approximately only 27 percent Sinhala voters, the ruling party emerged as the single largest party, which was a clear indication of the extent of appreciation and support of all communities.

He said each country had its own culture and mechanisms to deal with the respective issues and it is inappropriate to thrust external solutions as the people are best placed to decide on the required options.

Minister Peiris said Sri Lanka needs time and space to deal with the plethora of challenges faced and was making clear progress in this regard. Prof Peiris provided an overview of the developments relating to the post - conflict era which included the successful completion of resettlement of displaced persons, status of demining, rehabilitation of ex-combatants, demilitarisation of the former theatre of conflict and repeal of the Emergency Regulations.

He said the Sri Lankan government embarked on massive programs for infrastructure rebuilding in the North, based on its firm conviction that reconciliation can be sustained only with economic development.

Further, in consideration of the diaspora as being an essential part of the country’s development process, the minister encouraged efforts at bringing them on board.

Observing that it was incorrect to assume that if results are not arrived at speedily, it is the fault of the government, the minister noted that while the government is ready to move forward with the Parliamentary Select Committee, this was not possible without certain stakeholders who were delaying their participation, since an open and sincere dialogue involving all political parties was required to address the issues.

He said political talks with the Tamil National Alliance had been useful in identifying some of the issues and seeking possible options.

Further, with regard to the holding of Provincial Council elections in the Northern Province, he pointed out the necessity to conduct a census and thereafter compile the electoral registers, which process is now nearing completion.

Making Colombo cleaner without State funds

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa met media heads at his ministry on Tuesday. He disclosed how Colombo city was developed without spending any Government funds. “People may think a colossal sum of public funds would have been used to develop the city. But it was the Colombo Municipal Council funds that were used to make Colombo a cleaner and brighter capital city,” he said.

The Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development disclosed how he found an effective solution to the long-standing garbage problem of the Colombo city. “When I looked into Colombo’s garbage issue, I found that the CMC spends Rs. 70 million a month to remove garbage. But the officials had pocketed exactly half of it. I summoned the people concerned and managed to keep Colombo clean for the same amount spent by the CMC,” Rajapaksa said adding how Singapore media recently highlighted Colombo’s cleanliness as an example.

He said the Mayor of Colombo, A.J.M. Muzzamil is extending a good support to develop Colombo and to keep the city clean. “I told him the credit would go to him if Colombo is developed further and remains a clean city because he is the mayor,” the Defence Secretary said.

He also disclosed that many valuable state properties had been occupied by parties who had acquired them on long-term lease. “Some of these had been on 99-year and 33-year-old lease. Since these agreements are not computerized, there is no method to sound the UDA when a lease agreement comes to an end.

As a result, parties who had acquired the properties continue to occupy them without paying a cent even after the lease period. We scanned through the records and managed either to get back these state lands or to sign fresh lease agreements,” he said.

The Defence Secretary also outlined the transformation at the Urban Development Authority (UDA) since it came under his purview. “All this time, the UDA had merely acted as a regulatory body, deviating from its original goal of urban development.

I summoned the officials and told them that their task is to develop urban areas and not just to act as a regulatory body on constructions,” he added.

Rajapaksa disclosed how certain past UDA officials had illegally transferred certain prime properties to them, without declaring them at relevant court cases. “We found such a case when developing Parliament Drive and the Diyawanna area. The property had been under a former Director General of the UDA. We have put an end to all these illegal transactions and given the properties back to the state,” he said.

Lavish funding overflow FUTA coffers

The recent protest march of the university dons from Galle to Colombo has made FUTA one of the richest trade unions with lavish foreign funding pouring in to FUTA coffers.

Several INGOs, foreign elements which daydream of a regime change in Sri Lanka and the JVP activists who had fled the country during 1988/89 terror, have lavishly contributed to the FUTA. This has prompted Nirmal Ranjith and his company to even grant loans and other financial assistance to university lecturers who are on strike.

Though FUTA earlier said the Opposition politicians joined their protest march uninvited to gain political mileage, it has now been disclosed that FUTA had sent written invitations to selected Opposition politicians, seeking their participation at the protest march.

When one FUTA activist, who was unaware of their own trade union sending invitation letters to Opposition politicians, confronted a UNP parliamentarian that the Opposition politicians took the glamour out of their trade union action, the MP said they never gatecrashed but only joined as invitees.

The striking university dons have now taken a few steps back and said they will be flexible with the government when they meet Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa at his ministry to discuss their demands, to call off the strike that has crippled university education in the country for the past three months. The meeting was scheduled to be held yesterday.

Meanwhile, Chief Prelates of Asgiriya and Malwatte Chapters, who advised higher education authorities and leaders of the striking university teachers’ trade union to be flexible in their approach to resolve their problems, promised the latter that they would discuss the issue with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on behalf of the students affected by the trade union action.

FUTA Secretary, Terrance Madujith said yesterday the Mahanayake Theras promised to discuss the matter with the President. Asked if there was any possibility to meet President Rajapaksa to discuss their problems to end the strike , FUTA officials said they had to first end the strike before they can meet the President.

“We are prepared to show and put into act a great deal of flexibility provided there is flexibility and validation to our demands by the government. Asked if they had a solution to their demand for a salary increase, Madujith said Treasury Secretary Dr P. B. Jayasundara had told them that he would present a long term proposal for the resolution of their salary issues. “Dr P B Jayasundara had said he would present his proposal by Monday,” he said.

President at ITU Global Symposium

The wonders of ICT should not alienate our children from what is best in their culture and traditional values, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said. Addressing the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) 12th Annual Global Symposium of Regulators in Colombo last week, the President said it should also not be a tool to sow hatred and which pays no heed to the values of decency, tolerance and humanity.

“It is timely that this Symposium with focus on ICT takes place the day after the International Day of the Child, because it is technology that has great attraction and meaning to children. It can take their thinking and skills to new heights of achievement. It can promise them a great new world of ideas and innovation,” he said.

“But, it can also lead them to dangerous influences which draw them away from tolerance and towards extremism of many kinds. It is a technology that needs to be handled with great care imposing much more duties and responsibilities on parents in the guidance of their children. The wonders of ICT should not alienate our children from what is best in their culture and traditional values,” the President emphasised.

The President also referring the audience to the events of recent weeks said he believed that they would think of ways and means of preventing this great technology being used to sow hatred. “Examine how to avoid the advances of instant communication being the source and cause of violence against faiths, against cultures, and traditions that need respect and protection,” he said.

He added that the ICT must not be the tool of societies that pay homage to material values and pay no heed to the values of decency, tolerance and humanity. He said the ICT sector stands out in the progress made by Sri Lanka in the past seven years and accelerated in the three years since the defeat of terrorism. Our emphasis on communication as a key path to peace and reconciliation can be seen by the speed with which we restored the communications tower in Kokavil in the North destroyed by the terrorists. This opened speedy communications to the area most damaged by them. Two weeks ago, we also linked the entire North, earlier ravaged by terrorism, to the national power grid, which will add to the progress of telecommunications and ICT in this region.

He said Sri Lanka recognises the need for rapid progress in the ICT field, a technology that is racing ahead with innovations and new applications that make our world smaller each day. It opens pathways to progress to the people, breaking down the barriers of race, ethnicity, community, faith and geography.

No change in CPC diesel prices

Last week’s diesel price increase by the Indian Oil Company (IOC) did not have any adverse effect on the masses as the Ceylon Petroleum Company (CPC) declared that it would not increase fuel prices. Though the private bus operators demanded a fare increase or a concession, hours before the IOC decision was announced, the CPC move forced Gamunu Wijeratne and his men to think twice and take a step back.

The diesel price increase by the Indian Oil Company will not adversely impact on the general fuel consumers because the company caters to a very limited market and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation which caters to over 95 percent of the fuel market will maintain prices at the current level, the CPC said.

The CPC had not made any decision to revise or increase fuel prices although the IOC announced a price increase of Rs. 4 per litre on diesel.

The CPC also had adequate stocks in hand to cater to the entire diesel market and as such consumers need not panic over the IOC price increase.

Relief for farmers

The Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) has purchased over 11,000 metric tons of paddy from the Yala harvest so far , at a cost of Rs. 300 million. Cooperatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando said that the highest paddy harvest of 7,154 metric tons for the Yala season has been obtained from the Ampara district.

The quantity of paddy purchased from the Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts was 65 metric tonnes, 1,302 metric tonnes and 758 metric tonnes respectively.

The minister said following guaranteed prices offered by the Board, the private sector has also started purchasing paddy at competitive prices. He said it is the objective of the PMB to provide a reasonable price for the farmers and maintain affordable prices in the market.

“The government’s paddy purchasing program is being carried out successfully. The PMB is engaged in buying standard paddy produced by farmers throughout the country despite efforts made by the Opposition to sabotage the program by misleading farmers,” he said. He said sufficient storage facilities are available.

Arrangements have been made to purchase paddy produced by farmers through Co-operatives directly under the supervision of District Secretariats. “The PMB will purchase any quantity of paddy, which meets basic standards, from farmers. It will purchase quality paddy which has a moisture rate of less than 14 percent,” the minister added.