Letters
View(s):Presidential system and the sins of commission and omission
This is a response to the letters published recently in the daily papers from respected scribes and intellectuals like M. Chandrasoma, Prof. Carlo Fonseka, Mr. Laduwahetty et al.
The core argument in their letters is that the Presidential system has contributed towards stability in the government which in turn has led to development.
It is presumed that stability has brought about good governance though stability does not ipso facto lead to good governance by which I mean inter alia, not only the absence of abuse of power, corruption, acts of violence but the more positive ingredients like the rule of law, poverty alleviation, provision of facilities/amenities to vulnerable sections of society (eg. bridges in remote villages instead of ‘edandas’, potable water, access to hospitals and schools through road networks in remote villages, decent houses instead of shanties or line rooms or ‘mudukkus’), employment opportunities and a proper meal.
I am actually referring to the very poor, the lowest 10%-15% of the Sri Lankan population who suffer in silence and have remained poor for generations.
Corruption is rampant in small segments of any society, be it in the socialist and communist countries or in capitalist countries as was the case in Korea. Its incidence in various countries is a matter of degree only. The question is how there could be “development” concomitant with corruption? We see smooth roads, expressways and highways all over which don’t satisfy the basic needs and wants of the poorer classes.
If one tots up the 100% to 200% commissions earned in the so-called development front, as reported in the media by a former Minister of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the losses on Public Enterprises like the two airlines, the Ceylon Electricity Board and the Petroleum Corporation, the value of the emoluments and perks of the legion of ministers and their staff and the colossal amounts spent on the infrastructure works in the Hambantota area without proper cost-benefit analysis nor prospect of returns, there would be an ample amount of money available to be distributed among the families of the very poor to ensure a decent standard of living for them.
Incidentally, none of the Ministers in the government against whom charges of corruption were brought in Parliament and in the media dared to rebut in defence. I must admit that none accused the President.
A matter of economic importance comes to my mind about the Central Bank’s policy of liberalisation of the capital account in the recent past, paving the way for money illicitly-earned to be stacked away in banks overseas at a time when the government has been borrowing foreign exchange ad lib at high commercial rates of interest and is struggling to meet commitments of an overburdened and everlasting debt servicing process in foreign exchange.
Though the rich and middle class members of our society are impressed with better parks, walkways and roads and cleaner townships, who can ignore the traffic jams and the indirect taxes entrenched in the high prices of imported commodities like flour and kerosene needed by the poor ? These poor folk lead a hand-to-mouth existence, lacking basic necessities like good drinking water, some suffering from kidney disease, facing threats from elephants or death from snake-bites lacking transport facilities to reach a hospital in time.
Besides corruption, the Presidential system has right from the beginning when the late J.R. Jayewardene launched his Dharmista Chintanaya led to a series of instances of abuse of power. One cannot forget the incidents of stone-throwing on the Judges’ residences and the hooting, then the pardon given to a party member convicted of rape, the forced resignation of the Chairman of the Education Service Commission, a very honourable member of the Civil Service.
On this account I shudder to list the sins of commission and omission of the current regime. When I thought it opportune to list the litany of sins I was discreetly prevented from doing so by my better-half.
Perhaps the violence and deprivations visited on the defecting politicians and those of the Opposition may have been responsible for her “obsessive compulsive disorder” about white vans.
The views of the Friday Forum, Verite Research and Pathfinders groups and writers like Drs. Uswattearachchy and Visvalingam and Prof. Savitri Gunasekera should be given serious consideration.
Dr. Leo Fernando
Pelawatte
He has restored the shattered image of the police
The resignation of Inspector P.L. Keerthi, the Officer-in-Charge of the Wanduramba Police Station, will be etched in letters of gold in the history of the Sri Lanka Police.
He has had the courage to do something that no Inspector General of Police or any other member of the entire bureaucratic officialdom of this country has been able to do since Independence.
IP Keerthi who was compelled to refrain from performing his lawful duty by the powers above him and threatened with charges of cowardice for dereliction of duty, has showed the entire nation the stuff that he is made of.
The entire police service including the old and feeble retired ranks should stand up together to the sound of the traditional trumpets of the Police Band and salute this great son of Lanka.
IP Keerthi by sacrificing his career has restored the shattered dignity and honour of the Sri Lanka Police. This courageous act is indeed a shining example to the entire public service of the country.
Edward Gunawardena
Battaramulla
Crowds at meetings no indication which way the poor man will vote
Every time the government increased the prices of fuel, gas and electricity, the cost of various other things including food and bus fares were increased. Now clearly, for election reasons, the prices have been reduced. However, the price reduction has not been passed on to the people yet.
A cup of tea is still sold at Rs. 35 or 40 and the price of a packet of food which had been raised by Rs. 10 or Rs. 15 remains the same. So the ordinary people have not benefited.
Highways and jogging tracks have been built but to whom are they useful? Clearly they are for the rich. There are no bridges for villagers to cross rivers because such contracts bring only small commissions.
It is surprising that fuel prices have been reduced further though the Petroleum Corporation is running at a great loss. It is the same with the Ceylon Electricity Board. Surely the prices of all items will be increased after the election.
As to who will win the election cannot be judged by the crowd that attends a political meeting. At the same time, just because party leaders jump this way or that, it cannot be taken as a fact that those who voted for them would vote again in their favour. For example, the United Left Government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike was reduced to only eight seats in Parliament though the relevant May Day procession had a massive crowd shouting: “Shall drink tea without sugar”, “Have rice without dhal” etc.
The people know in their minds to whom they should vote for. They will attend meetings to listen to politicians, eat whatever is offered to them, receive gifts, kiss the hand that serves them, but they will think carefully before voting.
Priya Perera
Colombo 9
Gone are the days of Civil Engineers of this calibre
Recently it was revealed that the cost of construction of a kilometre of highway and laying of railtrack is colossal. Generally, tenders are called and the lowest or the lowest acceptable tender is awarded the contract, but in this instance it would appear the donor country or countries have stipulated that the work should be undertaken on the terms and conditions laid down by them.
This means the donor country or countries make use of the funds to pay themselves, utilising their own labour, material and machinery and leave us to pay the loan back with interest.
This brings to my mind — subject to correction as this happened over 50 years back — of a loan granted by the World Bank for the construction of nine bridges. One condition was that only member-countries could tender and the country which receives the loan is not entitled to tender. This condition annoyed the then Chief Engineer (Bridges) Public Works Department (PWD), M. Chandrasena, who vehemently objected and met the then Transport and Works Minister Montague Jayawickrama and requested that at least a few bridges be given to the PWD for construction. I believe, two bridges were allowed and completed successfully, within the assigned period.
That is how our engineers showed their competence and capabilities in the international arena and also saved the prestige of the profession.
What of today? The government calls upon professionals to come forward for development, but that call is restricted to mere words only.
Where are those Civil Engineers like M. Chandrasena and T.P. De S. Munasinghe of the PWD and N.A. Vaithialingam and L.S. De Silva of the Way and Works Department of the Ceylon Government Railway?
G.A.D. Sirimal
Boralesgamuwa
A day-night public nuisance
Navinna was a peaceful town till a few years back. But now it has become a hub of activity as a playground has been built near the entrance to the town. Managed by the Maharagama Urban Council, the playground has become a popular venue for sports and musical events.
Recently, two day-night events were held here — one was aimed at collecting funds for Buddhist temples in remote areas and the other a ceremony to honour war heroes.
Residents of Navinna have no objections to such events as they make the town come alive. But the unpleasant side of this exercise is the noise pollution. Loudspeakers are fixed along High Level Road up to the campus junction, blaring music that begins during the day and goes on till the early hours of the following day. What is the point of having loudspeakers along the road when those who want to listen to the music are within the grounds?
The two events disturbed the students studying for the Ordinary Level examination and deprived the sick and elderly residents of much needed rest. Citizens dare not complain as politically-powerful and influential people are behind these events.
We as residents only demand what is lawful — that the music or whatever other noise be restricted to the playground area. We would be grateful if the new rules of the Government regarding sound pollution are applied vis-à-vis this playground.
Danistor Don Seneviratne
Navinna
The North needs a ‘Movement Joint’
One of the features about the run-up to the January 2015 Presidential Election is the uncertainty about how the Northern voter will vote. This short piece cannot cover all the nuances of the ‘national’ problem as it is called. However, at this time of elections, it may be pertinent to consider two approaches towards seeking national integrity (i.e. integrating the South and the North).
Structural and geotechnical engineers know that when a long building is constructed especially on weak soil, it is almost mandatory to have a ‘movement joint’ to separate the building into two. To the non-engineer that building will appear and function as a single integral structure. But careful inspection will reveal that there are double columns and beams at the joint, to allow one part of the building to settle differentially with respect to the other.
Such differential settlement is imperceptible to users of the building, but real; and it allows a long building to exist without developing unsightly cracks. Even reservoirs can be constructed with movement joints; the 10,000 cubic metre Jubilee Reservoir which supplies Colombo with water from the Kelani River has a movement joint right through the middle of its length – but it is nevertheless a single integral reservoir.
The alternative to providing a movement joint is to have a very stiff structure that somehow tries to force the entire building to settle uniformly. Most structural engineers would not opt for this, because uneven soil conditions will eventually cause differential settlements (in spite of the stiff structure) and generate unsightly cracks in the building – this creates de facto ‘separations’ while compromising the integrity of the building in the process.
The approach of Southern politicians to governing the North seems to be similar to the ‘stiff structure’ approach, presumable because tight control is seen to be the antidote to separatist tendencies. This approach does not appear to be working and is probably counter-productive, fuelling the very separatism it tries to suppress. And national integrity is showing cracks in various forms – those who have eyes to see can see them. At a time when the country goes to the hustings, it may be wise for the entire Southern polity (and especially their elected representatives) to think about switching to the ‘movement joint’ approach.
There is probably a good case for Southerners to give their Northern counterparts greater freedom of ‘movement’. Northerners are very independent by nature. Although the North is accused of receiving educational and other favours from colonial rule, the Northerners themselves have tended to preserve their culture (rather than capitulating to colonial culture) more than those in the South. For example, it is the Northerners who run virtually all our vegetarian restaurants.
So at a time when Southerners themselves are trying to forge a distinctive Sri Lankan identity rather than aping the west (which is another ‘national’ problem of a different sort), it may be of value to take a leaf out of the Northerners’ book. In other words, the Northerners may be the vanguard for the entire nation to develop an authentic Sri Lankan identity, as they arguably were (together with Southern leaders) when we got independence from the British.
In order to be part of this vanguard, the Northerners need greater freedom; and the North needs a movement joint to settle differentially, while preserving national integrity.
Professor Priyan Dias
Via e-mail