Columns

The mob attack on the Capitol Hill when the Senate and the House of Representatives were in session Wednesday to endorse the election of President elect Joe Biden turned the world spotlight on United States, the beacon of democracy and champions of human rights.

Former US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Atul Keshap

It is they who preached good governance, the right behaviour and sent troops to nations they perceived were rogues to change regimes, foist lackeys, and hand down codes of conduct. Alas, after over a century, what went on was described by a former US President George W. Bush as something that only happens in a Banana Republic. Little wonder, some of President Donald Trump’s supporters, whom he instigated had gone bananas. He now faces ouster through a second impeachment.

The social media, in the US in particular, made fun of the President Trump backed mob. One cartoon spoke of troops in Afghanistan and Iraq being rushed to Washington DC to restore democracy. Another said that troops from Sierra Leone were landing in Andrew’s Air Force Base for the same purpose.

In this midst, even a senior US career diplomat who served as their Ambassador in Sri Lanka from 2013 to 2015 Atul Keshap was miffed. After ending his tour of duty in Sri Lanka, it was the Trump administration that named him Principal Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. From Washington DC he also pushed for the signing of the Status of Forces (SOFA) agreement between US and Sri Lanka.

He quickly re-tweeted a message from former US President George W. Bush who said the incidents were a “sickening and heart-breaking sight.” He added “I am appalled by the reckless behaviour of some political leaders since the election and the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and out law enforcement.”

That is not all. Immediately after tweeting that message, Keshap also tweeted another. That was the text of an oath he took swearing allegiance to the US Constitution. The point was clear – he was serving under a Constitution to which he has sworn alliance and not to an individual.

Before being nominated Ambassador to Sri Lanka, former US President Barrack Obama named him to serve under Nisha Biswal, then Assistant Secretary in the State Department. Now, diplomatic circles are talking about her possible return though what position she will inherit is not known.

All at sea over cruise ships for Lankan returnees

The government parliamentary group meeting was held at the Presidential Secretariat this week though President Gotabaya Rajapaksa did not attend.

It was chaired by Prime Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Any meeting these days is incomplete without some reference or the other being made to the raging COVID-19 pandemic. So, at one point the discussion centred on issues related to quarantine, particularly the Sri Lankans who were returning from different countries.

One Minister came out with an interesting proposal that would cost millions of dollars for the government. He said they should be brought home in cruise ships that should be told to weigh anchor in Sri Lankan waters until the quarantine period is over. He noted that such ships were now easily available.

Besides the travel cost, what about feeding the returning passengers every day? That includes the quarantine period of 14 days. That was lost on the Minister.

There was another who complained that travel agencies and others were making money at the expense of the suffering undergone by Sri Lankans abroad. There were quite a few who endorsed the view.

It was former Minister, Patali Champika Ranawaka who coined a new phrase for this new racket – Covid Garana

The new face in Sajith’s team

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa on Wednesday called on the visiting Indian Foreign Minister along with a group of fellow Parliamentarians. There was a new face seated next to Mr Premadasa. It was the Opposition Leader’s senior International Relations advisor, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka, former Sri Lankan ambassador to Geneva during the previous Mahinda Rajapaksa Administration and the Russian Federation during the previous regime.

Days after his appointment, Dr Jayatilleka came under severe criticism after his confidential email to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa via ‘comrade’ Vasudeva Nanayakkara during the Constitutional crisis in 2018 was leaked in news websites. In the letter, the one-time Eelam Peoples Democratic Party PC Minister (Joint N&E-Provincial Council) offered some unsolicited advice on how to handle the Constitutional crisis and international pressure.

No change only filth

These days, passengers are very cautious in accessing public transport for the obvious reason of not coming into contact with any Covid infected person during the journey. But there is another reason why many choose not to get into buses nowadays.

With confusions over the revised bus fares in recent times, no passenger knows the exact revised bus fare but the bus conductors. In most instances, they simply do not return the balance money by saying bus fares have increased recently and walked away.

This week, a pensioner got into a bus from Mount Lavinia to Pettah and demanded the balance money. What he got was  absolute filth from the bus conductor embarrassing him in front of other passengers.

Meanwhile, the All Ceylon Private Bus Owners Association threatened to launch a strike on January 18 midnight claiming the Government failed to provide them relief as assured to continue service.

‘Failed to mention unavoidable circumstance’

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington DC said it will remain closed from January 4 to 10 due to “an unavoidable circumstance”.

The embassy failed to mention the unavoidable circumstance as Lankan Missions abroad commenced their work on January 1 in keeping up to implement President’s manifesto of ‘Vistas of Splendour’ as all public servants took an oath last week back home.

The embassy also notified that telephone numbers and emails are open for emergency service during this period. It said it is “recommended for email inquiries for easy follow-ups and further reference,”

It’s Major General Ruwan Kulatunga and not Ruwan Wanigasuriya

There was an error in our report in these columns about the new Chief of National Intelligence.

He is Major General Ruwan Kulatunga and not Ruwan Wanigasuriya as erroneously reported last week. Major General Ruwan Kulatunga is from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry. He was one time the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Kothalawala Defence University.

He has served as the Security Forces Commander, Wanni.

He has also been the Commandant of the Defence Services command and Staff College Batalanda.

His recent stints included the Directorate of the National Cadet Corps.