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Whether or not Sri Lanka will be able to receive the much-awaited bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by March as President Ranil Wickremesinghe expressed hopes this week, securing further financing from other global lending organisations such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank is going to be more challenging in the future.

These donor agencies have already indicated they will consider fresh financing facilities for Sri Lanka once the IMF Board approval is granted and the country is on an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme.

Samantha Power

Recent developments at the World Bank management with the announcement of the early retirement of its current President David Malpass and potential candidates–one in particular–Samantha Power, the current Chief of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is something government insiders in Colombo are closely watching, given her active role in Sri Lankan affairs in the past.

Outgoing World Bank President David Malpass, who was nominated by former US President Donald Trump, announced he was leaving this week, one year prior to the end of his term. Earlier, he came under some criticism over his response to climate change.

According to an unwritten rule among Europeans and Americans, the Europeans choose the Head of the IMF, while the US picks the Chair of the World Bank. Other than Ms Power, USAID ex-Chief Raj Shah is also one of the potential candidates for the post.

Ms. Power was in Colombo last September as Head of USAID to oversee programmes undertaken by the organisation to meet food security concerns, and she sat with a group of farmers in a Colombo suburb to hear their grievances, amid media publicity.

Presidential office TU officer under fire for fuel

A Presidential Secretariat official who has been charged with getting involved in trade union related activities, and who has been under the impression that his fuel costs will be met, has been told to pay up in future.

The official has claimed for the concessionary fuel allowance which was nearly Rs. 5000 for travel from Colombo to Kandy and Nawalapitiya, a distance of 410km. He has also incurred a bill of more than Rs. 15, 000 for travel from Colombo to Badulla, Jaffna and Anuradhapura–a distance of 1290km according to the claim.

The official had reportedly been under the impression travel costs incurred by using his private vehicle would be met, but given that he also received a fuel allowance, the President’s office had said he should pay his bills just like everyone else.

Besides it had been revealed that the travel had not been for official purposes. Accordingly, for the final time, approval had been granted for the claim, but he had been told it would be the last time.

No way until some questions are answered

A controversy has arisen, after the Foreign Ministry recommended the name of an officer to be appointed as the First Secretary (Commerce) at Sri Lanka’s Embassy in Sweden.

Given the clear instructions issued to government institutions regarding the need to cut down on State expenses, the move has raised eyebrows at the Presidential Secretariat, especially given that it has also been conveyed to them that the officer will be taking along heavy luggage that will have to be uploaded into a 20-foot container.

The President’s Office has temporarily put the appointment on hold until the Foreign Ministry clarifies how much the officer’s three-year stint at the embassy will cost, the cost of her air travel, the transport cost of the heavy luggage, and the value of bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and Sweden over the past five years.

MC bites the dust for dog remark

A Jaffna municipal councillor, who compared his fellow councillors to “dogs in the manger” was forced to leave the MC’s meeting on Thursday and was banned from attending sessions for one month.

When the Mayor warned him and demanded an apology, he responded saying, “if the hat fits, others can wear it!”

Thereafter, the Mayor asked the council whether there were any objections to preventing him from attending the sessions for usage of indecent language. Since nobody objected, he was shown the exit gate and escorted out by council officials.

The ceremony which was held to mark the opening of the new cultural centre in Jaffna. Pic by Presidential Media Division

BJP tries to rewrite history of Palaly; signs of expansionism?

Tamil Nadu Baratha Janatha Party (BJP) President K. Annamalai was among the delegation that visited the North last week to declare open the cultural centre in Jaffna. The delegation was led by an Indian
State Minister.

Attending a cultural event of Kamban Vizha, he came up with a reasoning behind the place name of Palaly, an agrarian village at Kankesanthurai in Jaffna. He claimed the name was derived from the Sanskrit epic Ramayana, where King Rama was blessed with milk.

The audience was taken aback by this explanation, but not surprised since his party was struggling to get a foothold in Tamil Nadu with similar political stunts of rewriting history with Hindu mythologies.

One learned academic, said to his colleague who was in the next seat, that the name was derived on the basis that it used to be a place where peacocks gathered in groups. His colleague responded swiftly, saying: “This new reasoning is according to the Indian expansionism version.”

Jaffna Mayor wants Canadian mission in North

Engaging in periodic trips across the country, newly appointed Canadian High Commissioner Eric Walsh was in Jaffna this week meeting government officials, civil society representatives and local business leaders.

One of his engagements on Monday was with Jaffna Mayor Immanuel Arnold who was elected to the post just weeks ago after the council budget, submitted by the previous Mayor, was defeated.

During the brief meeting, which focused on issues faced by people in Jaffna, and potential Canadian support in the future, Mayor Arnold came up with a new request. He urged the visiting Canadian envoy to set up a Consulate General office or a Sub-Office of the High Commission in Jaffna considering the significant number of Jaffna-born diaspora communities in Canada.

The Mayor said at least 400,000 Sri Lankan origin people now live in Canadian cities after they were displaced during the northern insurgency, and they faced many difficulties to access consular facilities when visiting their relatives during holidays as they have to go
to Colombo. The diplomat responded diplomatically, saying, his office will consider the request.

Two Jaffna PCs not smart

Two Jaffna Police station constables have been sent on compulsory leave. The disciplinary action was taken because they allowed arrested protesters to keep their smartphones when they were taken into custody. The protests were against the 75th Independence Day celebrations in Jaffna.

The protest was organised by Ahila Ilankai Thamil Congress and saw at least eighteen individuals including one of its Parliamentarian’s, S. Kajenthiran, being taken into custody. After a few hours of detention, all of them were released on bail.

During this time, photos and selfies of protesters inside the detention cell emerged on social media platforms as their phones were not confiscated by the Police constables as they were instructed to do.

One party activist noted, that while the Police constables ended up in a disciplinary inquiry, protesters were able to receive some mileage on social media platforms using those photos.

 Former top official seeking election to local council

It is not uncommon to have former senior public officials contesting to become people’s representatives, but more often than not, they prefer to contest for the Parliamentary elections with the aim of becoming an MP.

However, a candidate from a leading political party contesting for the Kalutara Municipal Council at
the local council elections happens to be a former senior public official who served
as a divisional secretary,
an assistant district secretary and as a former ministry secretary.

The candidate served as the Secretary to several key government ministries during his lengthy career in public service.

Some parties questioned as to why such former senior public officials were contesting to become local council members–a position some might say was beneath their former status.

Others however, argued that it meant certain parties were attracting some of the best candidates they could hope for, and that it was an encouraging sign that such former senior public officials were willing to represent the people starting from the grassroots level. While still others say, what do you expect, when former Presidents become ordinary MPs. That seems to be the trend nowadays in public life, they say.