Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and National People’s Power Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s revelations about corruption that had plagued the country over the past decade is a new experience to Sri Lankans, especially because it came at a time when the people are paying the price for acts of corruption by the leaders they elected.
Even though some of his revelations have already been rejected, disputed, and mocked by some, especially those in the political arena against whom allegations were leveled during Dissanayake’s press briefing, what he said has been welcomed by a majority of the general public, because it was an opportunity for them to know more about large-scale acts of corruption that remained famous secrets for years.
This is a positive development. However, the discourse on corrupt politicians should not end here, and the people should not be complacent about what Dissanayake revealed merely because he mentioned the names of certain politicians that the people thought were corrupt. If followed through, this could be the foundation stone for the new political culture that the general public, honest public officials, and uncorrupt politicians have been demanding for a long time.
Now is a good time to dig deeper into corruption by politicians and public officials, because the public is more enthusiastic about creating a better political culture than ever before.
One important thing Dissanayake said during the press briefing was that there are more files – i.e. details about corruption and the concealment of corruption by politicians and high ranking public officials – that are yet to come out, and that those must come out. He also said that some of the details that he is in possession of were given by public officials that like to see the truth about corrupt politicians revealed, in a context where what they can do with those details is limited.
In this context, even though the number of politicians or those closely associated with politics that want to see a corruption free political culture is a question, at least now, they should come forward, and reveal the information that they know. If they come out at this juncture, when the people have started taking a strong stance against several corrupt politicians, they will be remembered as those who changed Sri Lanka’s political culture and the country’s future for the better.
However, to achieve long-term changes in Sri Lanka’s political culture, practices that have weakened honesty, transparency, and accountability in the political culture should be addressed.
There were times in recent history where leading politicians stated that protecting the party and party members regardless of the nature of their actions is important. There were also times when Cabinet Ministers said that there is no need to read or scrutinize proposals put forward by certain Ministers, because they will not do any harm to the country. What is more, some Cabinet Ministers who revealed to the media certain things discussed in the Cabinet came under fire for violating the principle of collective responsibility.
There could be a multitude of reasons as to why politicians who are aware of corruption in politics do not come forward or try to reveal what they know even anonymously. However, the above mentioned peer pressure and blind loyalty are two of the main reasons. The truth is, regardless of the reason, not doing what honest politicians can do will only lead to the perpetuation of this cursed political culture, which in turn will nurture more corruption and weaken honest politicians. Breaching blind loyalty may be bad for politics in the short run, however, it will be advantageous in the long run, because the voters are now more concerned about who they elect than ever before.
The people can be a part of the necessary change by rejecting politicians that have failed to live up to the people’s expectations and giving more opportunities for politicians with a clean track record.
The veracity of what Dissanayake said is yet to be ascertained, and without proper legal action, the details he revealed are unlikely to lead to any actual change. However, to form new laws to deal with modern ways of corruption, or at the very least to enforce the existing laws, there should be proper political leadership. It is time for politicians to come forward and be a part of the change.Politicians as whistle-blowers
04 May 2022
Politicians as whistle-blowers
04 May 2022
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and National People’s Power Leader MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s revelations about corruption that had plagued the country over the past decade is a new experience to Sri Lankans, especially because it came at a time when the people are paying the price for acts of corruption by the leaders they elected.
Even though some of his revelations have already been rejected, disputed, and mocked by some, especially those in the political arena against whom allegations were leveled during Dissanayake’s press briefing, what he said has been welcomed by a majority of the general public, because it was an opportunity for them to know more about large-scale acts of corruption that remained famous secrets for years.
This is a positive development. However, the discourse on corrupt politicians should not end here, and the people should not be complacent about what Dissanayake revealed merely because he mentioned the names of certain politicians that the people thought were corrupt. If followed through, this could be the foundation stone for the new political culture that the general public, honest public officials, and uncorrupt politicians have been demanding for a long time.
Now is a good time to dig deeper into corruption by politicians and public officials, because the public is more enthusiastic about creating a better political culture than ever before.
One important thing Dissanayake said during the press briefing was that there are more files – i.e. details about corruption and the concealment of corruption by politicians and high ranking public officials – that are yet to come out, and that those must come out. He also said that some of the details that he is in possession of were given by public officials that like to see the truth about corrupt politicians revealed, in a context where what they can do with those details is limited.
In this context, even though the number of politicians or those closely associated with politics that want to see a corruption free political culture is a question, at least now, they should come forward, and reveal the information that they know. If they come out at this juncture, when the people have started taking a strong stance against several corrupt politicians, they will be remembered as those who changed Sri Lanka’s political culture and the country’s future for the better.
However, to achieve long-term changes in Sri Lanka’s political culture, practices that have weakened honesty, transparency, and accountability in the political culture should be addressed.
There were times in recent history where leading politicians stated that protecting the party and party members regardless of the nature of their actions is important. There were also times when Cabinet Ministers said that there is no need to read or scrutinize proposals put forward by certain Ministers, because they will not do any harm to the country. What is more, some Cabinet Ministers who revealed to the media certain things discussed in the Cabinet came under fire for violating the principle of collective responsibility.
There could be a multitude of reasons as to why politicians who are aware of corruption in politics do not come forward or try to reveal what they know even anonymously. However, the above mentioned peer pressure and blind loyalty are two of the main reasons. The truth is, regardless of the reason, not doing what honest politicians can do will only lead to the perpetuation of this cursed political culture, which in turn will nurture more corruption and weaken honest politicians. Breaching blind loyalty may be bad for politics in the short run, however, it will be advantageous in the long run, because the voters are now more concerned about who they elect than ever before.
The people can be a part of the necessary change by rejecting politicians that have failed to live up to the people’s expectations and giving more opportunities for politicians with a clean track record.
The veracity of what Dissanayake said is yet to be ascertained, and without proper legal action, the details he revealed are unlikely to lead to any actual change. However, to form new laws to deal with modern ways of corruption, or at the very least to enforce the existing laws, there should be proper political leadership. It is time for politicians to come forward and be a part of the change.Kapruka
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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!