Columns

In my earlier articles in this newspaper, when lamenting about corruption and violation of human rights by state authorities, I have stated that people-power is the only answer to defeat state corruption.

In this context it may be appropriate to reproduce the last two sentences in my book, “Human Rights & Policing”: “I have been in a position to learn firsthand and tell the people about the travails of a police officer upholding the rule of law – how the corrupt systems work, often with the ‘complicity of trusty friends’ at unbelievable levels – systems that create monsters, who in turn become kingmakers and the ‘kings’ themselves are beholden to their makers, leading to the prevailing situation of lawlessness in the country. As I see it, only people-power can change this system”.
It was quite invigorating to work with similar minded people to achieve the end — to defeat the corrupt Rajapaksa regime with people-power and establish good governance. This campaign which was led by distinguished right-thinking people such as the Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera bore fruit when the corrupt regime was defeated on January 8.

The first step of defeating the corrupt regime with people-power has been achieved. Now what of the next step of establishing good governance? What’s going on indicates that chances of good governance are bleak, if left to the powers that be.

The present Government is back to the same old corrupt game of the past regime of bribing opposition parliamentarians with the ‘carrot’ of Cabinet portfolios, already forgetting the avowed promise of legal action against rogue parliamentarians of the previous regime. The explanation of means to an end is an old story, and the people have seen too well how the corrupt forces once given a little room go back to their old habits – the repeat of the old story of the Arab, his tent and the camel.

It is most distressing to see that the only criterion of the representatives of the people to support amendments to the Constitution of the country, are bribes of Cabinet portfolios. Worse still is that the Government that promised righteous governance is resorting to the expediency of bribing

Premier Wickremesinghe acknowledges that politicians could be bought

rogue parliamentarians in return for voting in favour of the amendments to the Constitution. This is huge corruption. Surely parliamentarians do not need cabinet portfolios to vote in parliament. One such parliamentarian is a woman who as a former cabinet minister disgraced the dignity of women by crawling in public to worship the feet of the former President seeking favours from him. Such corrupt means of offering cabinet portfolios to obtain votes can never reach the end result of good governance.

There is even more distressing news — several individuals who fought with us to promote people-power with a view to defeat corruption, have taken up positions in the new Government and are blinded to the glaring corruption already taking place.

For activists against State corruption who have no political aspirations under cover of anti-corruption and violation of human rights, the way forward would be to regroup forces, monitor the activities of the present government, and support the President in his endeavour for good governance.

(The writer is a retired Senior Superintendent of Police)