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March 12 Movement calls on voters not to elect misfits at polls
The March 12 Movement for Clean Politics, a collective of civil society organizations, last week called on people not to vote for any candidate who fails to declare his or her assets prior to the forthcoming local council polls.
In a statement issued subsequent to a press conference in Colombo on Tuesday, the organization said that people who had voted in the previous elections to elect governments in the past were the main responsible party for the present crisis in the economy and the breakdown of law and order. The first accused for the crisis in our society is the voter. The electors have not used their vote wisely to promote policies that could uphold democracy and other social values. It is clear that they had voted and cast their preferences without giving due consideration to the policies of the candidates. Time has come to understand that every single vote is a step towards taking the country back on the path towards the right direction. The electors must not fall prey to the candidates asking for their votes in return of promises of this and that. The electors must critically review whether such parties or candidates could deliver those promises.
“We hope that the electors would be prudent enough not to vote for any candidate who fails to declare his or her assets prior to the elections. Before you mark your ballot card, think whether the person of your choice could safeguard public funds and be able to uplift the community and village to greater heights from the present crisis. It is your citizenry duty,” the statement said.
The forthcoming elections to select members for the local government bodies is the 75th election Lankan people face after their gain of universal franchise. The electors are frustrated with politics and prevailing political culture. One of the main reasons for the present plight was the consequence of electing corrupt and dishonest candidates to govern the country, the statement said.
The March 12 movement also called on political parties to inform the public of the criterion they would use to select their candidates. It is also a duty incumbent upon the political parties to get their candidates to declare their assets. The majority of those who had been elected so far were proven to be persons irresponsible of their duty. The majority of candidates the parties had placed before the public were wasters of public funds, said the March 12 movement’s statement.
At the press conference Convener of the March 12 Movement Rohana Hettiarachchi appealed to political parties to take into consideration the criteria issued by them on March 12, 2015 when selecting candidates for the LG polls. The criteria by the movement demand political parties to adhere to eight preliminary principles in selecting their candidates for elections. The eight preliminary principles of concern are: The persons nominated by the political parties as the candidates in the forthcoming parliamentary election;
1. Should not be a person who had served a jail sentence for a crime, or a person who has received a suspended sentence by the courts of law
2. Should not be a person who had been proven guilty for bribery and/or corruption, and should be acceptable to society as a person of good character (be cautious when considering people who are widely alleged of bribery and/or corruption charges)
3. Should not be a person who is engaging or had engaged in the past in the trades such as alcohol, drugs, gambling, casinos and prostitution, that are detrimental to the wellbeing of the society and country
4. Should not be a person who is engaging or had engaged in trades, which destroys the ecological life support systems and the environment
5. Should not be a person who has abused political power
6. Should not be a person who had entered into financial agreements prejudicial to the country before becoming a people’s representative; who has abused power as a people’s representative and entered into such financial agreements with the government; or has been a party to such agreements
7. The candidate should be either a resident or have an amiable relationship with the residents of the area that he represents
8. The political party should provide adequate opportunities for women and youth representation when nominating the candidates.
The latest fuel price increases have sparked widespread concern among transport operators and raised questions about the government’s supportive measures. Cabinet Spokesman and Minister Dr Nalinda Jayathissa told a media briefing yesterday that the government was incurring a monthly loss of Rs. 20 billion by maintaining subsidies on fuel. According to the Minister, the state loses Rs. 100 per litre of diesel and Rs. 20 per litre of petrol under the current pricing system, a burden that the Treasury continues to absorb as part of a “supportive mechanism.”
The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) revised fuel prices from midnight on March 21, raising the price of a litre of Lanka Auto Diesel by Rs. 79 to Rs. 382, Super Diesel by Rs. 90 to Rs. 443, Octane 95 petrol by Rs. 90 to Rs. 455, and Octane 92 petrol by Rs. 81 to Rs. 398. Lanka Kerosene was increased by Rs. 60,bringing the price to Rs. 255 per litre. Other suppliers, including Sinopec and Lanka IOC, also implemented similar hikes, with Sinopec’s Super Diesel rising sharply by Rs. 219 to Rs. 572 per litre.
The surge in fuel prices has had an immediate impact on public transport. The Chairman of the Lanka Private Bus Owners’ Association, Gamunu Wijerathne, told The Island that 90% of private buses were off the road yesterday (22). He called for a 15% increase in bus fares, raising the minimum fare from Rs. 27 to Rs. 35, warning that services could be suspended if fare adjustments are not approved.
Three-wheeler operators have also pressed for immediate fare revisions. L. Rohana Perera, General Secretary of the National Joint Three-Wheeler and Industrialists’ Association, said the rising fuel costs have made it difficult for drivers to continue operating. The Association has proposed a Rs. 20 increase for the first kilometre fare for all meter-operated three-wheelers and plans to present its concerns to the Presidential Secretariat.
Fuel price monitoring has also intensified amid concerns over potential smuggling. A senior police officer told The Island that intelligence units have been deployed near fuel stations to prevent hoarding. The police suspect that certain fuel station employees and owners could be facilitating stockpiling.
Political leaders have warned that the hikes will ripple across the economy. SJB MP S.M. Marikkar said transport cost increases will drive up the prices of essential goods such as rice and fish, leaving consumers struggling under rising costs.
Import and export container transportation charges will be increased by 20% from midnight yesterday (22) due to the recent fuel price hike, according to the Container Transport Vehicle Owners’ Association.
The latest increases follow two rounds of price hikes since March 9, driven by surging global oil prices amid the Middle East conflict. Since then, Lanka Petrol 92 Octane has risen by Rs. 105 to Rs. 398, Petrol 95 Octane by Rs. 115 to Rs. 455, Auto Diesel by Rs. 101 to Rs. 382, and Super Diesel by Rs. 114 to Rs. 443 representing an overall increase of around 35% across key fuel categories.
by Norman Palihawadane and Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon
At the award presentation ceremony of the International Rehabilitation Institute last week, Professor G.L. Peiris, as Chief Guest, in his keynote address, dealt with the special relevance of rehabilitation at this time. The traditional criminal law makes provision for punishment after a crime has been committed, and punishment usually takes the form of a prison sentence. It is even more important, however, to explore practical means of prevention and also to have recourse to a custodial sentence as a last resort rather than as the typical response.
The modern approach is that punishment is seen not as retributive but as a means of rehabilitating the offender in society. Prison sentences, bringing a first offender into the prison environment and association with habitual offenders, carries the risk of recidivism, the available statistics indicating the likelihood of return to prison on repeated occasions.
He placed emphasis on the importance of informed social attitudes to ensure that an offender does not carry a permanent stigma, reducing his opportunities for employment and acceptance in society. The importance of religious instruction in early childhood, and the close connection between temple and village, was stressed.
Professor Peiris was honoured with an award of appreciation by academic colleagues.
The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) has resumed parking fees in the city with effect from today (23).
Parking management and fee collection will recommence from 6 am, following a decision by the Finance Standing Committee of the Council.
Charges were temporarily suspended from March 18 due to heavy traffic and long queues near fuel stations. Authorities said the situation had improved with the introduction of the QR code system and odd-even rationing.
Showers may occur at several places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara and Nuwara-Eliya districts after 2.00 pm.
Fuel price hikes trigger transport disruptions and calls for fare increases
Prof. Peiris honoured by International Institute of Rehabilitation
CMC resumes parking fees
Substandard coal deepens energy crisis, warns former CEB Chief
Sri Lanka, ICRC to develop unified national database for missing persons
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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