ith the all-party National Unity Government headed by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe moving into its third week, much attention is focused on massive corruption in mega deals of the Rajapaksa regime and how the new government will deal with this unprecedented plunder of public money and other resources. According to the new Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe—widely respected as a corruption fighter for more than ten years—the National Democratic Front Government is considering urgent legislation for the setting up of special Tribunals on the lines of the Criminal Justice Commissions set up in the aftermath of the abortive insurrection in 1971. The CJCs conducted fast-track trials on the insurrection and on massive foreign exchange rackets.



In addition to the CJC type tribunals, two special committees—comprising leaders of all parties will gather evidence to be provided to the current Commission probing allegations of corruption and bribery. One of these committees will decide on which cases should be given priority because thousands of complaints are being made ranging from multi-million-rupee deals by VIPs in the Rajapaksa regime and business magnates linked with it, to small-scale bribes sought by public officials.




The Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera, leader of the National Movement for Social Justice and now the spiritual guide of the new Government said on Saturday all those involved in the mega deals and massive plunder of public funds should be brought to justice as a lesson to politicians and public officials that their role is to serve the people and not to rob.       



                 
Another important dimension of the Maithri Palanaya is based on the hallowed motto of acting justly, being merciful and walking humbly. In line with this, the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) leader Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera last week released 208 cattle that were being kept for slaughter in Ambalantota. Giving these voiceless and helpless animals to poor families in the area, the monk said this act of mercy would be the first step in a mission to ban cattle slaughter. This will also be a move towards religions unity in diversity. Buddhist and Hindu precepts do not permit cattle slaughter and it would be an important act of unity if people of the other minority religions also co-operate willingly in this humane act. The Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera said the ban on cattle slaughter should go along with new and effective moves to revive Sri Lanka’s once thriving dairy milk industry which was slowly killed in the 1980s by agents of trans-national corporations. Time and again the defeated Rajapaksa regime had pledged to revive the local fresh milk industry and in 2013 the then Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa allocated a huge amount for this purpose but little was done and Sri Lanka continues to waste more than Rs.15 million a day on the import of powdered milk, mainly from New Zealand.




We hope the new Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, a key figure in the Government and the new Food Security Minister Gamini Jayawickrema Perera will not allow trans-national corporations and their wheeler dealers here to deny the people the right to get safe and good fresh milk at affordable prices. Informed sources say a former Director General of Health Services, who later became a consultant to a milk powder giant--has approached the new Government for an influential consultancy post in one of the ministries.  Civic action groups handling food security and safety, nutrition and health are urging the Government to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing and others who might ruin the image, the vision and the mission of the Maithripala era where good governance and democracy, accountability and social justice are being given the higher priority.