Sunday Times 2
President accuses media of criticising Govt., but they’re only telling home truths
Accusing the media of criticising the Government, President Maithripala Sirisena has said that media personnel have forgotten the sufferings they underwent during the Rajapaksa regime. He claimed that it was his Government that freed the media and had given the freedom they now enjoyed. Of course, it is common knowledge that there are plenty of Rajapaksa stooges all over, including in the media. It is said that these Rajapaksa mercenaries, stooges and ghost writers exploit every possible opportunity to discredit the Government.
Issues such as SAITM need to be sorted out immediately
However, the media in general are telling home truths for which the Government is fully responsible. The media is reflecting the mood of the people who voted for this Government in the hope that it would bring to book all those who brought misery to the country. The people and the media which supported the Government are deeply disappointed with the Government’s dismal failure to fulfil its promises to prosecute those responsible for large-scale fraud, corruption, crimes, murders and the plunder of the nation’s wealth.
If we are to go by reports in the media, the so-called patriots only developed themselves under the guise of developing the country through various projects.
These projects include the Hambantota port, the Mattala airport, the Suriyawewa stadium, the Hambantota conference hall, the Colombo port expansion and the so called financial city. The previous regime virtually sold out the country to foreigners through these projects which increased the country’s debts beyond its financial capacity to repay. The country was financially mortgaged to foreign countries. This is one of the reasons why the Rajapaksa government was thrown out.
Although highly disappointed, the people who voted for this Government do not want to see it collapse. Now the question is why is the Government which came to power on the slogan of good governance not taking firm action to deal with all those who ruined this country?
Most responsible media personnel who do not want the return of Rajapaksa government point out that the media are not trying to topple the government. They are, instead, highlighting the Government’s failure, in the hope that even at this late stage the Government would wake up, fulfil its promises and avert any economic disaster.
Unfortunately, the current policy of virtually doing nothing has resulted in people losing confidence in the ability of the Government to deliver on its promises to the nation. This means the Government is, willingly or unwillingly, playing into the hands of those who are suspected of plotting and conspiring to topple it. This is what the media do not want and this is why they are highlighting burning issues.
The questions that are being raised in almost every social gatherings and functions are: “Why can’t the government arrest the rogues, thieves, frauds and looters who thrived under Rajapaksa government. Why doesn’t the Government bring to book those who committed crimes such as the killings of national rugger player Wasim Thajudeen and journalists?”
To cite an example time and again, the media raise questions about the wisdom behind government approving millions of rupees to import cars for parliamentarians at a time when the country’s almost bankrupt economy is run by the International Monetary Fund. Foreign debts exceed US$ 60 billion, almost 83% of the GDP, while the people are subjected to immense problems and hardships in their day to day lives.
People are fed up of empty slogans such as turning Colombo into a financial centre between Singapore and Dubai. Sri Lanka was more than a financial centre in the early 1950 when the late Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew said that he would make Singapore a Sri Lanka. Dubai then was an unknown desert strip used for drying fish.
Almost every Government institution, it appears, is mismanaged and Sri Lanka is one of the most mismanaged economies in the world today despite all its natural blessings. It is also becoming more disaster prone than it has ever been before.
The people feel there is a crying need to sort out problems such as the dispute between doctors and the Government over the SAITAM issue. This issue, coupled with regular student protests, has caused immense hardships to people. Solutions to issues such as SAITM need to be found at the first sign of protests, without allowing the crisis to drag on and take a heavy toll on the country and the people. However, this does not seem to happen. Instead of solving burning issues at home, government leaders are travelling worldwide signing bilateral agreements. But the people are yet to see the result of these visits, Neither have they seen a surge in foreign investments.
To date neither the President nor the Prime Minister has thought it fit to visit Gulf states which provide employment to more than a million Sri Lankans who send in more than seven billion dollars to prevent the economy from collapse.
There was a time when decent and responsible officials in the bureaucracy kept the corrupt politicians in check. However, in the recent past especially during the Rajapaksa regime, many politicians and a section of the bureaucracy joined hands to plunder the country and ruin several vital establishments. It is alleged that this unholy alliance misappropriated around US$ 3.5 billion tsunami aid while some tsunami victims continue to live even today in temporary shelters.
The situation is such that seven decades after Independence, the country could not find a solution to garbage crisis while an airline has been almost grounded due to mismanagement.
The Government came with a pledge to stop hate crimes and bring about reconciliation among communities. However, when racist thugs began attacking mosques and Muslim-owned businesses, even this Government remained indifferent, with many accusing it of giving a free hand to thugs. These are the reasons why the media and the people are critical of the Government and it is time for the Government to wake up from its slumber and save the country and save itself.