Is the independence of the judiciary at stake?

We are faced with a different political agenda to challenge the Judiciary, by diverse means, a very unhealthy sign indeed with a clueless ‘Honourable Speaker’

By Nihal De Alwis

Judiciary is the only legally empowered institution left to ensure the legal rights of the Sri Lankan citizen and this too is threatened by corrupt, incompetent, immature and uneducated politicians who have gained entry into Parliament. We are faced with a different political agenda to challenge the Judiciary, by diverse means, a very unhealthy sign indeed with a clueless ‘Honourable Speaker’.

We, the public, are helplessly watching the damage done, with no effective measure taken by the leading opposition parties, nor the so-called “Human Rights” organisations and independent international organisations being completely “silent” without initiating legal action. Where are these so-called “Watch Dogs”? In the wake of legislation being drafted to control the media, most media organisations have taken the path of least resistance or are they only interested in “surviving”?

There are many issues which demand the safety of the public at large, not excluding the rights of the people to conduct peaceful protests, the right to have basic medical care, to have a right to live without crime, with adequate food within the reach of the poorest citizen, to have access to public officers to display their displeasure in the manner, public servants who are in cahoots with politicians indulging in corrupt practices, lack of medicine, and the negligence caused by medical staff being completely ignored.

The public need to exercise their right to vote, whether it is Local Government, Provincial Councils, Parliament or Presidential. The creation of “committees”, commissions of inquiry are only measures to employ those unemployed, to enable them to wield power in anticipation of an election so that the governing parties and their allies will be financially sound and have sufficient avenues to provide their supporters with earning their income.

No Government in power has the right to misuse the funds of the EPF/ETF, or the Police Reward Fund to fund the activities of the Government against their main objectives. What if the Police Officers stop making detections or fail to move half the fines towards the Police Reward Fund? Where is the Auditor General in this instance? The Governor of the Central Bank has no authority to misuse these funds as he has no legal right.

Out of all official bodies only the Bar Association of Sri Lanka is active. Where is the Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA)? Why is the Police Inspectors’ Association completely silent? What is the Retired Senior Police Officers Association (RSPOA) doing?

The Government must learn to master its finances as the saying goes “It’s not about the money, but it is about, seeking greater confidence in order to make more money” is topsy-turvy. However, being in control of your finances is an important stepping stone. Making a financial plan for the future aiming to be debt-free and living within a budget is a way of saying “I am in control of my life. It’s all my decision.”

This Government has completely lost the basics in accounting.

If the Government does not budget accurately and control expenditure, it has no right to sell or mortgage their assets, but need to stop corruption, waste reduction, overheads, and develop new ways of generating an income, by enticing investors from abroad and within. This is common sense!

It is certainly sad that none of the political parties are venturing to demolish this power hungry Presidency. The voters must be more active.