Ambitious plan by professionals to promote accountability

• Citizens for Accountable Governance Lanka launch program aimed at promoting accountability and transparency in public office
• Under motto ‘I am Accountable,’ CAG seeks to introduce ‘Accountability Accreditation’ elected and public officials
• Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith says politicians have carried on for too long without any form of accountability to public
• Says public used as ladder to get to high office and then discarded

By Chandani Kirinde

A group of small but determined group of professionals who make up the Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG) Lanka launched their website on Thursday with the aim of promoting public accountability and transparency in all forms of public office subsisting on public funds.

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith

CAG Executive Member  Dr. Janaki Kuruppu

Along with the executive committee members of CAG Lanka, Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Venerable Elle Gunawansa Thera as well as members of the clergy representing other faiths were present at the launch of the ambitious program directed at ensuring good governance.

Under the motto ‘I am Accountable,’ CAG seeks to introduce a ‘CAG Accountability Accreditation’ to contestants for any elected office and public officers based on their suitability, background and the level of commitment to uphold principles of good governance.

The purpose of this is to provide the voter a mechanism to select suitable candidates to be elected as politicians or appointed as public officers so that the people of Sri Lanka can ensure that the representatives they appoint to govern them represent their aspirations.

Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith who spoke at the event said that the organisation had undertaken an arduous task given that politicians in the country had ruled without being accountable to the public for years.

He recollected an event that took place more than 30 years ago in a constituency he was serving in at the time.

“There was a politician who had risen to the rank of deputy minister and when the next General Election came, he had decided not to contest. I met him at an event and inquired why he had decided not to contest again. His reply was, ‘What’s the purpose, Father? I have already made enough money.’ I was taken aback by his admission. This unfortunately is the situation that exists in this country till today,” the Archbishop said.

He said that today the people were only the ladder which politicians used to climb to high office and once there, they kicked the ladder, adding that it was this kind of mindset which led to excesses and made politicians take the law into their hands.

“Corruption, taking of commissions, white van culture, etc. are all there because they forget they are only temporary custodians of the country, given power for five years by the people. Once in power they think the country is their personal property and they are permanent custodians of it,” he said.

The Archbishop also said that it would be good if members of the clergy distanced themselves from politics. “We as members of the clergy are on the side of the public and we uphold the aspirations of the people. Members of the clergy must distance themselves completely from politics and when this day comes, the country will be blessed.”

Dr. Janaki Kuruppu, an executive member of CAG who spoke at the event, said that the organisation was completely apolitical. “We have no hidden agendas. Our only interest is to do something for this country and we are driven only by our refusal to sit around without taking no action while the rights of the public are being destroyed,” she said.

She added that CAG Lanka was a non-partisan, non-profit advocacy governed by a board of directors in the name of ‘Executive Accreditation Board’ and a ‘Board of Governance,’ which oversees the performance of the ‘Executive Accreditation Board’.

CAG Lanka also works as a monitoring watchdog, with the objective of ensuring the formulation and presentation of policy-driven alternatives to activate and strengthen State institutions in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial arms of Government at all levels, Local, Provincial and Central in order to construct and give life to a true Republic within the meaning of the Constitution.

The Executive Committee of both CAG Lanka and CAG Lanka Trust Ltd. are Attorney-at-Law Mangala Niyarepola, social activist, entrepreneur and Mother Sri Lanka founder and Chairperson Dr. Janaki Kuruppu, Attorney-at-Law Rohan Dunuwille, former Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) Deputy Director/Multinational Group of Companies General Manager Finance & IT Himani Weerasekera, Marketing and Management Consultant Nalin Attygalle, Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Chartered Institute of Management Accounts Shantha Kurumbalapitiya and MJF Group Ltd. PCL Solutions MD Thushantha Karunanayake.