The spectacle of infighting ministers

The Yahapalanaya Government is presently plagued by its Cabinet Ministers fighting with each other and conveniently deviating from the tasks entrusted to them by the citizens of this country when they voted them into power, or shall we say to establish good governance. 

Every day the electronic and print media carry a statement by one minister which is then contradicted by another minister the very next day. One may describe this as a sign of a healthy democracy. Certainly none are under the jackboot of an autocratic ruler, but the fact remains that the enormous volume of work that has to be done to rescue the country from economic downfall and bring in the ethnic harmony that the people desire so earnestly is getting pushed out of focus.

This Government certainly is burdened with the past sins and legacies of the previous regime and has succeeded to an extent in establishing democracy. The people are free to express their displeasure on omission or commission by the authorities, in the media, print, electronic and also in social media. No one needs to look over their shoulder to do so. 

It was heartening to see the Prime Minister and the concerned ministers taking positive steps to redress the grievances of the students brutally manhandled by the Police. The Law and Order Minister showed his stature by resigning when certain comments in his statement to Parliament were criticised by those within the Opposition and Government ranks.

The prime targets in this explosive atmosphere appear to be Tilak Marapone and Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, who according to their “legal opinion”, stated that it was difficult to accede to populist demands to take certain actions in the controversial Avant-Garde episode or to arrest former Defence Secretary Rajapaksa. They had to stand by the learned Attorney General’s contention that action can only be taken under different laws with the available evidence or to have more comprehensive facts to seek Court’s authority to seize the ship with the weapons or to arrest the former defence secretary. 

There certainly could be a deferring opinion on the issue but slamming the two ministers, going to the extent of accusing them of accepting bribes by certain politicians is taking things too far. The Avant-Garde enterprise came into being a long time before the present Yahapalanaya Government took office and the personalities accusing Marapone and Rajapakshe of all these sins were part and parcel of the previous regime and they blissfully kept mum when many things happened. 

They were silent and subscribed to the passing of  ‘Casino Business  ( Regulation ) Act No. 17 of 2010’ and ‘Betting and Gaming Levy ( amendment ) act No.19 of 2013’ supplemented by the Gazette notification granting  Strategic  Enterprise Development status to Major Hotel cum Casino establishments thereby granting legitimacy to CASINO business in Sri Lanka. The argument put forward at the time was that the Betting and Gaming Levy Act No. 40 of 1988 passed by the UNP Government during its time granted recognition to casinos. But the purpose of the Act was to levy taxes on operating and already established gaming parlours, which clearly stated that “nothing in the preceding provisions of this section shall be construed as conferring legality on any business referred to in this section if such business is prohibited by law.”

Then those accusing the ministers were also part of the Government which shot protesting fisher folk in Chilaw, killing a young man, and used brute force to quell a protest by the villagers of Rathupaswela who demanded fresh drinking water, resulting in the death of two students and a young man. The perpetrators of these dastardly acts have gotten away scot-free. 

The characters who try to portray an unblemished or pious outlook did not think of resigning when these nefarious acts were committed and now they try to remove the speck from “others’ eyes when they have planks in their own eyes.” (Mathew 7:5). 

The President should beware of this unhealthy rivalry among the ministers of his cabinet and rein in the belligerent to work towards the establishment of good governance rather than the practice of one-upmanship.

T. Mallawatantri