More than twice the defence bill
by Zacki Jabbar

The projected loss due to corruption in 2009 was between Rs. 350 and Rs. 400 billion, the Opposition’s Common Presidential Candidate, Sarath Fonseka said yesterday.

The staggering figures translated in terms of ministry estimates was more than twice the Defence Bill and 15 times that of the allocation for education, he told the “Sunday Island”.

Fonseka said that Professor A. D. V. de S. Indraratne, a senior advisor to the Central Bank and President of the Sri Lanka Economic Association, writing in his book “Impact of Corruption on Poverty and Economic Growth”, states that the “loss due to corruption in 2006, worked out to 9 per cent of GDP. If not for corruption, Sri Lanka’s growth rate could have increased at the very least by an additional two percentage points without any further increase in the rate of gross investment or productivity”.

The statistics reveal that if not for rampant corruption in the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration, the state could have collected more revenue. An increased inflow of funds would have resulted in a lower cost of living, more money for social services, investments and job creation, more hospitals, better quality medicines and schools with all the necessary facilities, he said.

The main reason for the government not activating the 17th Amendment to the Constitution, Fonseka said was its fear of corruption being exposed.

Fonseka confident of a comfortable win
by Zacki Jabbar

General (Retd.) Sarath Fonseka was quietly confident that he will win Tuesday’s presidential election giving himself a 10% margin in a free and fair poll. Excerpts of an interview done yesterday:

Q-Your manifesto pledges to abolish the executive presidency. But can you abolish yourself?

A-Parliament will have to do that. A two thirds majority is required to do any changes to the constitution.

Q- That would be after the next parliamentary election?

A – Yes

Q- You have been speaking of immediate changes?

A- That is the implentation of the 17th amendment. I will dissolve the government and appoint a caretaker cabinet. We will endeavour to get a two thirds majority at the next general election.

Q- What is the guarantee that you, like previous Presidents, will forget abut abolishing the executive presidency once elected?

A-I was never a professional politician. For 40 years in the army, I did everything I promised. When elected President, I will do likewise. All the executive powers that are being abused right now, like immunity etc. will be got rid off. Sufficient powers will be retained to remain as the head of state. I will work with parliament unlike at present where one family is running the country.

Q-The cross over provision has become the bane of Sri Lankan politics. This has led to the appointment of 115 ministers which the treasury can ill afford. But your manifesto fails to specifically highlight this all important issue which the UNF has been speaking about for months on end?

A-We will amend the constitution to prevent crossovers. The new constitution itself will be a broad document. The ten point plan in my manifesto broadly deals with the economy and administration of the country including good governance. The prevention of crossovers will be part of good governance.

Q- Both you and the Defence Secretary have been leveling allegations against each other?

A-The Defence Secretary acted unethically and gave stupid instructions to my troops from the day he assumed office. What right has he got to be instructing the soldiers when there is an army commander? This is just one example of the indiscipline that prevails in the Mahinda Rajapaksa administration.

Q- Who do you suspect killed the Sunday Leader Editor Lasanth Wickrematunga?

A-I know it was done through an underworld gang on the instructions of those who manipulate them. So you find out who controls the underworld. There are `doctors’ who manipulate the underworld. We will reveal the truth after January 26th.

Q- By what percentage do you hope to win the election.

A-If there is a 85 per cent voter turnout,I will win by a margin of 10 percent. I am confident of getting 55 per cent of the votes to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s 45 per cent.

Eighty per cent of the postal votes cast by security forces and police personnel has been for me. In Minneriya of the 195 postal votes,193 were for me and one for Mahinda. A Buddhist monk, we learn, had spoilt his vote.

Q – How are you handling the change from military life to politics?

A- The challenges are mostly similar. We fought and won a major military battle. Politics too is like a war. But in the army there is discipline and orders are carried out on time. In politics schedules are hardly met. I also have to deal with several parties and different ideologies. The main thing is that we are all agreed on a ten point plan for restoring democracy, establishing good governance, eliminating corruption and developing the economy.

I decided to run on an invitation extended by several parties who are backing me. Their invitation was obviously based on the peoples’ request. We are conducting a clean and straight forward campaign but the other side, which is now on a flat tyre, is making false allegations and promises, resorting to mud slinging and violence.

The government is trying to rig the poll everywhere including in Jaffna. Military commanders in Jaffna,have been changed without any reason. Some have been called to Colombo. The Jaffna Commander has been replaced by Mahinda Hathurusinghe who was earlier in Killininochchi. The Vadamarachchi Commander has been brought to Colombo and posted in Ratmalana. This is all being done to intimidate the people and rig the election. Leaflets calling on the Tamils to boycot the poll are being distributed in the guise that it has been issued by the LTTE. The objective is to reduce the voter turnout. Although there are some corrupt elements, the majority of security forces and police personnel are trying to do their duty properly.

Q- The government has expressed fears that if you become President, there will be military rule?

A-Look at the state of the country today. There is no equality nor is there discipline. Corruption is rife and killings occur frequently. Can you expect reasonable justice at a police station? It is to change this state of affairs that the people are clamouring for a leader who can implement the rule of law.

We have sufficent laws to combat violence and corruption, but due to political interference they cannot be implemented. A politician can get away with any crime but a journalist who expressed his views was given a 20 year jail term. I have come forward to restore democracy, not enforce military rule.

There is an effort to reduce the voter turnout by increasing the intensity of violence. The rank and file of the STF and Police are opposed to irregularities. I did not check my horoscope when I was conducting the war and it is the same now. It is Mahinda, who keeps consulting the astrologer all the time.