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| Sunday, 10 August 2003 |
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Code of ethics: UNP to go solo by Don Asoka Wijewardena The United National Party will go ahead with its plan to introduce a code of ethics for politicians, despite the proposal for a common consensus being rejected by opposition parties. UNP General Secretary, Senerath Kapukotuwa, last week wrote to the General Secretaries of 14 political parties inviting them to join the UNP in introducing a common code of ethics, with tough disciplinary action to create a new political culture. But the opposition parties while welcoming the initiative, have rejected the proposal saying that each party had its own set of code of ethics to abide by. However, the UNP General Secretary told the Sunday Observer that on a directive of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe the UNP was determined to implement the new code of ethics to prevent politicians from abusing their powers. He stressed that due to non-implementation of stern action against politicians involved in corruption, murders and several nefarious activities, there had been a number of untoward incidents that had tarnished the image of the party. "Whatever the response of other parties to the newly prepared code of ethics,the UNP has decided to go ahead and introduce it shortly," he said. PA General Secretary, D. M. Jayaratne, said that the People's Alliance comprising eight parties had discussed the letter at its Executive Committee and decided not to comment on the code. However, D. M. Jayaratne noted that the PA had appreciated UNP's new move to discipline politicians. General Secretary of the LSSP, Batty Weerakoon, said that the UNP's initiative to arrest the increasing state of indiscipline among its members in representative bodies should be appreciated, but pointed out that the LSSP does not concede that this state of affairs could be changed by introducing a code of conduct. He described the proposal as a measure to deflect attention from the main problem which was the devaluation of Parliament effected by the UNP with its introduction of the Executive Presidential System of government by its constitution of 1978. The device of a code of ethics that the UNP proposes can only result in the miscreants being suspended from his party membership. A suspension of membership does not result in the ousting of the offender from the membership he holds in a representative body, he added. General Secretary SLFP, Mathreepala Sirisena, said that a strict code of ethics was absolutely essential to eliminate aggressive behaviour in politics. He said the SLFP was not against the implementation of the new code of conduct but pointed out that the UNP must ensure that no politician was above the law. New Left Front Leader Dr. Wickremabahu Karunaratne said that it was up to the election commission to introduce a code of ethics for all politicians, and suggested that it was the duty of the Election Commissioner to convene a meeting for all politicians and inform them how to maintain respective parties with high degree of discipline. "Unlike in the past, indisciplined politicians have entered politics and have misbehaved in contravention of the law enforcement bodies," he said. General Secretary of the CP, D.E.W. Gunasakara said that most politicians who break the law are from major political parties. He also said that it was better to implement a strict set of code of ethics for politicians, but said that when politicians were found guilty of offences, action must be taken against him without delay. Politicians must always remember that they have been elected by people to serve the country but not to abuse or disregard the law of the country. Meanwhile,the Leader of the Opposition, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has written to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe requesting that an impartial inquiry be held into the assault of police officers by some politicians and to mete out justice without delay. |
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