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Bureaucrats at the Foreign Ministry were surprised at a TPN (third person note) they received.

Noting that Sri Lanka had made known its decision to seek a seat in the United Nations Security Council in 2040, they were seeking reciprocal support for the country, which also planned to make a bid in another year.  

Officials made inquiries and found that Mohan Peiris, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, had made the application after Foreign Minister G. L. Peiris had granted approval. However, he had not intimated the move to officials.

Now, officials say the matter has also not received Cabinet approval. The reason–the exercise of becoming a UN Security Council member, entails a large amount of expenditure for lobbying and other related matters, a local diplomat said. This comes at a time when staff in some foreign missions have not been paid their allowances due to a lack of foreign exchange. Maybe the Foreign Minister thinks after the IMF bailout Sri Lanka will be ‘paradise regained’ and a country flowing with milk and honey and US dollars by 2040.

Politicos take cover in their official homes  as the people take to the streets

As people are out in the streets protesting against the increasing cost of living and the shortages of essential items due to the Government’s mismanagement of the country’s economy, ministers, Government parliamentarians and ruling party supporters are in a difficult fix.

First, they have to check whether the routes they take have any lengthy queues near fuel stations or domestic gas cylinder distribution centres as they might attract violent reactions from the angry people suffering in the pre-monsoon heat at such locations. Second, their personal safety is at stake. Considering these two issues, many of them are forced to remain in their residences or official bungalows.

Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) Parliamentarian Jayantha Samaraweera was turned back at Moratuwa when he was on his way to attend a ceremony in his electorate.

At least two incidents were reported this week where angry protesters pelted stones and eggs at the vehicles of ministers and government parliamentarians. No one was hurt.

On Friday, in Nuwara Eliya, the seasonal festival near Lake Gregory was scheduled to begin with the participation of Minister C.B. Rathnayake, State Minister Jeevan Thondaman and others but not a single prominent politician was
there other than municipal council officials.

The event was disrupted by a protest organised by private bus operators and passengers who were stuck in the city due to a limited number of bus services. Police had to intervene and the event concluded ahead
of schedule.

In Jaffna, things went further awry when a group of Government supporters organised a counter protest for the protest march organised by the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Women’s Wing led by Hirunika Premachandra.

Agitated protesters were furious about the fringe group voicing slogans supportive of the Government and the President. One of them took off his slippers and started chasing a heckler from the scene.

Police personnel who were standing a few metres away quickly intervened and tried to remove those who came under attack. One Police officer stopped a passing tuk-tuk on the road and urged them to get in immediately. When the driver was still trying to fathom what was happening at the scene, the Police officer himself drove the tuk-tuk with the driver still catching his breath.

How can they work from home when the CEB cuts the power?

With the Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) imposing power cuts lasting up to 13 hours a day, the power sector regulator–Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL)–proposed a Work From Home (WFH) system for public sector employees this week, until the present fuel shortage for power plants is sorted out.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa soon issued instructions for staff at his office and all ministries under his purview to work from home while Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa did the same for his ministry.

But the instructions left staff in a dilemma. Many were facing extended power cuts at home, some lasting even longer than the scheduled hours. The PUCSL’s request and the instructions from the two Rajapaksas seem to negate the purpose when one could not work from home due to the power cuts.

Hurricane lamps, chimney lamps and charcoal irons make a comeback

With the fuel shortage and long standing power outages during the day and the night, there has been a huge demand for kerosene lamps in the market.

Traders in Jaffna said even hurricane lamps and chimney lamps are in short supply and prices have skyrocketed over the weeks. Right now, one hurricane lamp is being sold at a price between Rs. 3200 and 3500, while chimney lamps are being sold at Rs. 2500.

Parents of school children are forced to buy these items at exorbitant rates to ensure their kids can study at night rather than them spending time with mobile phones, one such parent lamented.

Charcoal irons priced at Rs. 1500, also made a return replacing electric irons.

“It is like the wartime period before 2009, where we had to bear extended power cuts and fuel shortages. We were able to survive amidst many hardships then but I am not sure if we can tackle the current crisis since many things changed over years including peoples’ lifestyles,” said a parent of three school children.

Angry Lankans vent their current frustrations via the President’s Facebook pages

In recent months, social media platforms have become the main tool for the people, particularly the youth, to express their political opinions, frustrations and criticisms of the government.

Popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok are full of creative content ridiculing the Government for its inefficiencies,  failure to ensure adequate essential supplies for the people and mismanaging the economy.

Earlier this week, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s official Facebook page made changes to restrict the comments under each post, as thousands flocked to the page to ridicule the Government, while alleging that the President’s policy decisions had led to the current crisis.

The comments urged the President to “just resign from office and go back to the United States.”

Ahead of the media briefing organised by the President’s Media Division (PMD) on Friday, in the aftermath of the Mirihana protest, angry social media users started dropping comments on the PMD’s Facebook page while the media briefing was being live streamed. The banner behind the briefing table had the words; ‘The Truth’ in three languages under the state emblem.

Social media commentators even pooh-poohed the remarks made by the three ministers defending the Government’s action at the previous day’s protest outside the President’s Mirihana residence.

The CEB Chairman says he is waiting for rain to resolve the electricity crisis. Pictured here is the Victoria Reservoir in Teldeniya

CEB Chairman waiting on God for rain and CPC for fuel to resolve electricity crisis

Power Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi and Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Chairman M.M.C. Ferdinando had no answer on Thursday when journalists questioned them on when the current power crisis would end.

Ms. Wanniarachchi said any increase in hydropower generation would happen when areas where hydropower reservoirs are located experience rain.

“I cannot tell you when that will be. That is a matter for the Meteorology Department,” she said.

A journalist pointed out that the Met. Department had predicted that rain may not take place until the end of April. This odd exchange happened thereafter:  

• Minister: But it is already raining in some reservoir areas. Do not try to get us to predict when this will end. Do not try to frighten people by saying this is the situation and the power cuts could go on for this length of time.
• Journalist: But don’t the people deserve to know?

• Minister: We can not say when it will rain.
• Journalist: I am not asking you when it will rain. I can ask that from the Met. Department.

• Minister: The water levels in the reservoirs will depend on when it rains.
• Journalist: Is that your answer then?
• CEB Chairman: When God gives us rain and the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) gives us fuel, we can resolve this crisis.

Essentially, the Government is relying on divine intervention for rain. Given how bankrupt the Government is, it might as well pray for fuel too, said a scribe as he walked away from a useful presser.

In times of violent protest, media ID has little value

Three Cabinet Ministers Prasanna Ranatunga, Keheliya Rambukwella, and Dilum Amunugama appeared on Friday at the media briefing organised by the President’s Media Division (PMD) following the previous night’s incident at Mirihana.

When asked why some journalists were also taken into custody despite identifying themselves as media personnel, Minister Amunugama said the Police could not be checking IDs during mob violence and downplayed the incident.

Maybe the ministers were not aware of what the official ID issued by the Government Information Department to journalists states. “The department requests to co-operate/assist this journalist to perform his/her duties without let or hindrance,” the ID card cleary states. Many wore their ID cards round their necks to distinguish themselves from the protesters.

Minister Rambukwella, who once held the media portfolio, also scoffed at a question posed by a journalist on the huge queues for domestic cooking gas. He said “he needs to check with his wife on that.”

One of the senior journalists at the briefing was heard saying to his colleague that “Maybe he should bring his wife too to the next briefing so we can ask some questions on queues and other matters as well.”