Change of guard at TISL

By D.C. Ranatunga

“It is not the political leadership who tried to derail us, but a morally bankrupt coterie of political appointees who felt exposed naked under the gaze of our scrutiny of their actions.

If I am to give a message to the political leadership of this country, I have many, but the first would be to take cognisance of these corrupt individuals who mislead the political leadership for their personal gain. Let us not forget that thieves cannot advise their masters not to rob but to rob more and share the ill-gotten wealth.”

So said the outgoing Executive Director of Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) J.C. Weliamuna at a simple handing-over ceremony held at HNB Towers amidst a gathering including TISL directors and members, diplomats, civil society activists and staff. Executive Director – Elect Dr. Wijaya Jayatilaka takes over in January.

Explaining why he is leaving TISL, he gave three reasons – the need to have a full time executive director who has higher capacity to manage the organisation in its next phase, the need for an organisation not be a victim of the founder, and the fact that one must leave an organisation “when people are asking why are you leaving and not when people begin to ask ‘why aren’t you leaving?’”

“Have no mistake that it is not due to any pressure that I am moving out. I quite enjoyed taking up challenges and will never bow down to pressure or strong arm tactics. That is how I was brought up from my childhood by my parents, who are now not with me, and that was the environment I was brought up in my village – Walasmulla in the Hambantota District. I must say straight away that I am not going into retirement in public or professional life or within TI global movement,” he stressed. He was recently elected to the TI Board of Directors.

Summing up his eight-and-a-half years service at TISL as “fulfilling and satisfactory,” he thanked everyone whose cooperation and commitment helped to make TISL the effective organisation it is today.

They include several public institutions, the donor community, media, the community-based organisations and civil society organisations which stood with TISL at critical stages. “The Board Members and staff present, and past, all did their duty and stood firm and unshaken. I remember them fondly and with a deep sense of gratitude,” he said.

Assuring that he will continue the good work done by TISL, Dr. Jayatilaka reminded that “we do not live in the ‘promised land’ but definitely in a land of promises, ever so often made and broken and often in the air and sadly not realised.”

“Our core business, so to say, is to eliminate corruption and increase integrity. Human history can be seen as a struggle between those who tried to do good and those who did not and the tension affected the lives of the people. Strengthening integrity and eliminating corruption or breaching public trust is a struggle that goes as far back as human history could,” he added.

Describing his new task as a challenging opportunity for himself as well as the TISL team and the partners TISL works with, he emphasised the need to get the act together and forge the path ahead with confidence, well-informed, evidence based and with strong alliances that will provide the strategic strength to forge ahead.

Founder Chairman of TISL Board lawyer Arittha Wickremanayake, German Ambassador in Sri Lanka Jens Plötner and lawyer and journalist S.G. Punchihewa also addressed the gathering.

‘In Search of Integrity’, a book relating the story of TISL over the past decade, was also launched.