Columns

President Wickremesinghe receiving an engraved fountain pen from Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) Chairman and Managing Director Ronald Perera, PC

At the largely attended felicitation ceremony for President Ranil Wickremesinghe completing 50 years as a lawyer, Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) Chairman and Managing Director Ronald Perera PC presented the President with a Mont Blanc fountain pen with the initials “RW” engraved.

The President was quick to respond saying “now I have a nice pen to sign Detention Orders.”

Mr. Perera in his welcome address said; “The President has an inspiring vision for Sri Lanka and he is deeply knowledgeable about our history. I remember him giving a long explanation to a journalist about King Manawamma. I think he has good reason to compare himself to King Manawamma, who had to wait for more than twenty-five years before he finally became King, after overcoming several conspiracies. King Manavamma went on to rule for thirty-four years.”

When he was Opposition Leader for quite a long time, many asked Mr Wickremesinghe to follow the Royal College motto, Disce aut Discede – ‘Learn or Depart’. He did not.  

What Mr Wickremesinghe seems to have followed are the mottos of his rival school, S. Thomas’, and another school which is yet to produce a Head of Government, Trinity College. Like a Thomian, he has followed ‘Esto Perpetua’ – Be Thou Forever – and, like a Trinitian he has followed its motto ‘Respice Finem’ – Looking to the End.

What we Sri Lankans would like President Wickremesinghe to do now is for him to follow the motto of his very first school, Bishop’s College, which he attended its kindergarten: “Non Sibi Sed Omnibus”, Not for Self, But for All.

Former Attorney General and one time Defence Minister Tilak Marapana PC, Faiz Mustapha PC and Romesh de Silva PC also spoke at the event while Kushan de Alwis PC gave the vote of thanks.

Ugly words hurled at Diana

The final day of the Budget debate was marred with some un-Parliamentary actions, from both opposition and ruling party members.

Words were exchanged between Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Nalin Bandara and Diana Gamage, who still claims membership of the SJB. Others joined also joined in.

On Friday SJB Parliamentarian Rohini Kaviratne was among those who stood up to condemn the abuses hurled by her own party members against Ms Gamage.

Few months ago SJB Parliamentarians rallied around Ms Kaviratne to condemn Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Janaka Thissakuttiarchchi who used abusive words against her.

Now it was an SJB Parliamentarian condemning the actions of one of her own party’s members.

GSMB employees celebrate sacking of Chairman with kiribath and firecrackers

For the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau (GSMB) employees, it was a day of celebration following the news that the government had finally taken action regarding two top officials accused of corruption.

The employees went on to share milk rice not only among their colleagues but also served villagers. They were seen lighting fire crackers to celebrate.

Environment Minister Naseer Ahamed this week sent a letter to the President’s Office recommending the replacement of the GSMB Chairman while sending the Director General on compulsory leave pending an investigation.

The GSMB employees who have been exposing corruption are now waiting to see what action will be taken for those responsible.

It was just few weeks’ ago that the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) Chairman was replaced following allegations he was involved in putting up a hotel in a sensitive area of the Matale district without proper approval.

Magistrate raps lawyer for collecting signatures for malicious petition

A chief magistrate at a court in a Colombo City suburb has strongly condemned the practice of sending petitions with malicious and baseless allegations against fellow lawyers and court staff.

This was after it was brought to his attention that a lawyer was collecting signatures from her colleagues for a petition against another lawyer.

Only seven lawyers signed the petition, with all others refusing to do so.

The lawyer who was collecting signatures for the petition had also come under criticism for her conduct in the past.

An additional magistrate had previously warned her in court over her behaviour after an outburst following the delivering of a judgement that went against one of her clients.

MPs play different games at sports tournament

Government and Opposition MPs found time to play some different games in Parliament, other than the political ones, at the 3rd annual sports tournament for Parliamentarians, that was held this week.  

The tournament was held under six categories: Snooker, Pool, Chess, Carrom, Table Tennis and Daam (Checkers). Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Dr. Gayashan Nawananda was the star, emerging victorious in Snooker, Pool, Chess and Carrom. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Waruna Liyanage won the Table Tennis championship while SJB Parliamentarian W.H.M Dharmasena emerged the winner in Checkers.

Dr Nawananda was the runner-up in the Checkers championship while SJB Parliamentarian Nalin Bandara was runner-up in both Chess and Snooker. Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Parliamentarian Duminda Dissanayake was runner-up in Carrom.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa were among those in attendance.

Bandula’s bittersweet lamentation about former President Gotabaya

Speaking during the debate on the Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill and the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill on Friday, Transport and Media Minister Bandula Gunawardena expressed his continued frustration over politicians being solely blamed for the country’s economic crisis.

Mr Gunawardena has continually pushed back at what he calls a false narrative being pushed by interested elements, including the media, which lay the blame for the economic crisis at the feet of politicians.

Anyone listening to his lengthy, and at times, rambling speeches during the weekly Cabinet media briefings knows he never misses an opportunity to push back at claims that politicians were mainly responsible for the crisis. Instead, he has accused a cabal of senior officials, mainly based at the Finance Ministry and unnamed advisors of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, of misleading the Cabinet and the President towards taking decisions that worsened the crisis.

He recounted that the now infamous reduction of the tax on sugar to 25 cents happened when he was in charge of the subject as Trade Minister.

“I only learned of the tax reduction through a news bulletin I saw while I was at the Abhayaramaya Temple,” he said.

Mr Gunawardena said he clashed repeatedly with then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Cabinet, arguing that the reduction was wrong.

“However, the President’s advisors told him to stand firm, insisting this was the correct decision,” he said, noting that the President chose to listen to these advisors.

“You think that in any country a Cabinet can do whatever it wants. That is not the case. There were others who took the decisions. There was a cabal of officials. The Parliament needs to understand this. Even the people do not know the truth,” the minister claimed.