Columns

The Government is to hire a leading British firm specialising in currency printing and is in partnership now to prepare the groundwork for electronic passports for Sri Lankans.  This new generation travel document will contain in a microchip the holder’s biometric data in electronic format.

The University of Moratuwa has just completed a comprehensive assessment on the Department’s readiness for migration to e-passport. The Department of Immigration which has begun preliminary work in this regard has been advised by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM), chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to call for an “overall implementation approach” with key stakeholder organisations including ICTA (Information and Communications Technology Agency).

ICTA has now proposed the existing Private-Public-Partnership venture between De La Rue Lanka Currency and Security Print and the Government of Sri Lanka. The British firm is to finance 100 percent investment to implement the project, bringing in a saving of some Rs 1.2 billion.

According to Internal Affairs Minister S.B. Nawinna, the general assumption is that other countries benefit more from an e-passport than the issuing country. “However, such a solution has the potential of bringing in new regulations to facilitate e-passports issued by other countries in Sri Lanka’s border control,” he has noted.

The Government proposes to engage De La Rue Lanka Currency and Security Print through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the first work study on the e-Passport. ICTA is to serve as partner. Among the areas of study will be the current passport printing and the personalisation system of the Department of Immigration with the preparation of a detailed system design including the e-Passport booklet.

Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe remains in Constitutional Council
President Maithripala Sirisena unceremoniously removed Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe from his portfolio of Minister of Justice and Buddha Sasana.

The former Minister is also a member of the Constitutional Council and his presence there is now the subject of attention of the coalition leaders. Some legal advisors opine that he cannot be removed and would have to complete his three year term or submit his resignation.
Rajapakshe was nominated by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in accordance with provisions of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

He is one among five persons appointed by the President, on the nomination of both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The 19th Amendments says of these five, two should be Members of Parliament.

This amendment makes no provision for the removal of a member. The relevant provision of the 19th Amendment says a member “shall hold office for a period of three years from the date of appointment unless the member earlier resigns his office by writing addressed to the President, is removed from office by the President on both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition forming an opinion that such member is physically or mentally incapacitated and is unable to function further in office or is convicted by a court of law for any offences involving moral turpitude or if a resolution for the imposition of civic disability upon him has been passed in terms of Article 81 of the Constitution or is deemed to have vacated his office……”

The question is whether Rajapakshe will remain a CC member until his term ends?

Laptops for MPs in e-Parliament
The transformation of the chamber of parliament to an e-Chamber began in earnest this week with each Member of Parliament (MP) being provided with a laptop computer.

It is part of the Chamber Management Information System (e-Chamber), Speaker Karu Jayasuriya announced on Tuesday. A laptop computer each has been installed on the tables of all MPs. The intention is to assist the MPs especially in the Parliament Chamber and it will help them to obtain data necessary for their efficient functioning including internet and e-mail facilities. Wi Fi is available in the Chamber.

The laptops of this project were received as foreign aid from China, while the needed software was developed by the Department of Information Systems and Management of the Parliament.Members of Parliament can obtain services such as legislative information (Bills, Petitions, Questions, etc.), personal information (salary particulars, attendance details, etc.).

Information with regard to the Business of the Day (Order Paper, Order of Business, Committee schedule, etc.) and archival information (Hansards, Committee Reports, etc.) will also be available via this system.

Also for the first time, an electronic voting system was tried out in the House on Friday. It was the vote on the Local Government Elections (Amendment) bill which was passed with 120 voting in favour and none against with 44 abstentions.

AG’s Dept. may come under President
There was speculation in political circles yesterday on whether President Maithripala Sirisena will bring the Attorney General’s Department under his purview.

This is when he issues a Gazette notification assigning the subjects for the New Minister of Justice, Talatha Athukorale, who was sworn in on Friday.There was no official confirmation on the matter yesterday. The move, according to sections in the Government, is in view of criticism levelled against the AG’s Department.

President Sirisena in fact held a news conference on Thursday to condemn those who criticised the Department.
However, when former President Mahinda Rajapaksa took the AG’s Department under his direct control, the then Opposition criticised the move and accused him of influencing cases.

Ravi-Ronnie rendezvous
Soon after he resigned as Foreign Minister two weeks ago, Ravi Karunanayake, now a Colombo District UNP MP and back-bencher, paid a courtesy call on the nonagenarian one-time Finance Minister Ronnie de Mel at his Charles Drive residence in Colombo’s Kollupitiya zone.
Mr. Karunanayake had called on Mr. de Mel, a one-time SLFPer turned UNPer turned SLFPer, even while holding the Finance Ministry portfolio.

The one-time Finance Minister told Mr. Karunanayake that he was saddened by the events that led to his resignation recently. Mr. de Mel also quit his portfolio during the latter stages of President J.R. Jayewardene’s Government and the height of the JVP uprising.

Deadlines and deadlocks  keep SriLankan down
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has placed a deadline of August 31 for the internal re-structuring of the virtually bankrupt national carrier SriLankan Airlines.

The idea behind the move is to cut down on colossal amounts of money going from state coffers to keep the airline flying. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has directed that the matter be given high priority as the airline has still not been successful in securing foreign participation for a “Public-Private Partnership.” The work is now under way with help from consultants.

One of the much publicised offers for collaboration from two different airlines in a leading Asian country has turned out to be a non-starter. Sources familiar with the matter said that the offer had in fact come from an investment company. The company was later told that for its proposal to be considered, a written offer from the two airlines referred to should be made available. However, these sources said the company not successful in providing such a letter.

As a result, these sources said, a key player in the proposal had approached a Government leader and made an appeal. He wants the leader to make a personal request from his counterpart in the country where the airline is operating to persuade them to send a proposal. “That will not work. The Government will not negotiate business for another firm to enter into deals here,” these sources added.
The latest offer came as efforts by coalition leaders to work out a management deal with Emirates Airlines fell through.