By Shamindra Ferdinando

Former Cabinet Minister and Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to take hold of two reports that dealt with the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

Attorney-at-Law Gammanpila has said that President Dissanayake should get in touch with Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe in case he couldn’t obtain the same from Saman Ekanayake, Secretary to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The former Colombo District MP was referring to investigations called by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe in June and September last year to examine the conduct of the intelligence community with the focus on the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI).

Addressing the media on behalf of Sarvajana Balaya at Pita Kotte, ex-MP Gammanpila questioned why President Dissanayake didn’t disclose the contents of the reports during his much publicized visit to St. Sebastian’s Church, at Katuwapitiya, on Sunday (06).

Multiple blasts claimed the lives of over 270 people. The dead included over 40 foreigners. Over 400 suffered injuries.

“We are aware former President Wickremesinghe received both reports in the run-up to the Sept. 21 presidential election. President Dissanayake’s Office should act now,” Gammanpila said.

In June last year, Wickremesinghe established a Committee of Inquiry to investigate the actions and responses of the intelligence and security authorities.

Retired judge Ms. A.N.J. De Alwis was tasked with examining the conduct of the SIS, the Chief of National Intelligence (CNI), and other relevant authorities.

At the time of the Easter Sunday attacks, Senior DIG Nilantha Jayawardena headed the SIS whereas retired DIG Sisira Mendis functioned as CNI, a post previously held by intelligence veteran General Kapila Hendawitharana.

In September, Wickremesinghe named a three-member Committee to probe allegations made by Britain’s Channel 4 regarding direct involvement of Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in the Easter attacks. The President made the announcement close on the heels of Defence Ministry denial issued on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka. At the time of the Easter Sunday attacks, Sallay had been overseas on another assignment.

The Committee, headed by Syed Ishrat Imam, a retired Supreme Court Judge, included retired Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody, a one-time Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), and Harsha Soza, President’s Counsel. Sarthanjali Maheswaran, a Senior Assistant Secretary to the President functioned as the Secretary to the Commission.

Former parliamentarian Gammanpila said that had President Dissanayake perused the reports received by Wickremesinghe he could have comfortably responded to those who questioned him over the conduct of intelligence services and the overall failure on the part of successive governments to address the grievances of the public.

Responding to The Island queries, Gammanpila emphasized that President Dissanayake couldn’t absolve himself of the responsibility for revealing the truth. “The entire country, including families of Easter Sunday victims, want to know the truth” Gammanpila said, demanding to know whether former President Wickremesinghe refrained from releasing the two reports as they weren’t compatible with his agenda.

The former Minister said that President Dissanayake couldn’t, under any circumstances, delay the releasing of so far hidden reports unless he was trying to protect the interests of Wickremesinghe.

The crux of the matter is why the Yahapalana government failed to act on specific intelligence on the impending attacks provided by India, the ex-MP said. The other issue is that those who had carried out the Easter Sunday massacre, including Zahran Hashim, were under investigation for many years but the Yahapalanaya political chief conveniently failed to take tangible measures, he said.

Yahapalana Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, earned the ire of his colleagues after he declared, in Parliament, in Nov. 2016, that 32 Sri Lankan Muslims from “well-educated and elite” families have joined the Islamic State in Syria. The Minister vowed to clamp down on extremists.

Ex-parliamentarian Gammanpila urged President Dissanayake to conduct a comprehensive study to find out the truth as wealthy spice exporter Mohammed Yusuf Ibrahim, whose sons carried out suicide attacks in Shangri-la and Cinnamon Grand hotels, was accommodated on the JVP National List for the 2016 general election. Gammanpila said that instead of seeking political advantage, President Dissanayake should allow a thorough investigation to establish the truth.

The bottom line is that the terror project appeared to have been launched even before the 2015 general election, the ex-parliamentarian said.

The World Bank and the government yesterday signed the Second Resilience, Stability, and Economic Turnaround (RESET) Development Policy Operation (DPO) for $200 million. This is the second operation in a two-part series that began in 2022. The first operation, totaling $500 million, was disbursed in June and December 2023.

The World Bank has, in a statement, said that the Second RESET DPO aims to support reforms that improve economic governance, enhance growth and competitiveness, and protect the poor and vulnerable, helping to build Sri Lanka’s resilience and fostering an equitable economy.

It said: The operation focuses on improving economic governance to create a stable macroeconomic environment and restore investor confidence through key reforms. These include enacting a new Public Debt Management Act to better inform borrowing decisions, implementing tax administration reforms to boost revenues, and addressing financial sector risks by tightening single borrower limits and improving mechanisms for resolving non-performing loans. To improve living standards and boost private sector development, the operation includes amendments to the Telecommunications Act and a new Electricity Act to improve services in these markets, as well as measures to enhance export competitiveness by phasing out para-tariffs and lowering customs duties.

Central to the operation is the protection of the poor and vulnerable. This will be achieved by revitalizing the social protection system to help the poor and vulnerable cope with the lasting effects of the economic crisis and price adjustments resulting from macro-fiscal reforms. Enhancing women’s empowerment and reducing gender discrimination to promote higher and more sustainable growth in Sri Lanka is another key feature.

“We are very proud of the excellent collaboration with the authorities and their steadfast dedication to addressing the needs of the Sri Lankan economy. This operation represents support for critical reforms over the past two years, which were central to economic stabilization,” said David Sislen, World Bank Regional Country Director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. “Moving forward, Sri Lanka will now have the opportunity to focus on maintaining its hard-earned stability and investing in the private sector to transform the national growth trajectory. Doing so is vital to boosting economic growth, creating jobs, and ensuring that everyone benefits from a stronger, more resilient economy.”

The first operation in the RESET DPO series, which provides budget support to the Government of Sri Lanka, was approved by the World Bank’s Board of Directors on June 28, 2023. The first operation supported foundational reforms to restore macroeconomic stability, mitigate impacts on the poor and vulnerable, and support an inclusive, private sector-led recovery. Specifically, it facilitated the establishment of a new social welfare benefit payment scheme with improved targeting and adequate budget allocation for its first year of implementation, initiated the simplification of the tariff structure by reducing para-tariffs to enhance export competitiveness, and strengthened Sri Lanka’s deposit insurance scheme and problem bank resolution framework to boost confidence and stability in the banking sector. The DPO support is contingent on prior actions or milestones that need to be completed before the funding is released. The funding is released after assessing the government’s satisfactory progress in carrying out the broader macroeconomic and reform programme.

South Asia stands as one of the most vulnerable regions to the impacts of climate change, threatening its peace, security, and sustainable development prospects.

In a statement released yesterday, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) highlighted the considerable challenges the region faces concerning health, the rule of law, and human security amid emerging global threats.

With over 1.6 billion people—more than 20% of the global population—South Asia has a youthful demographic, with individuals under 24 making up over 40%. While the region has made commendable strides in development goals and navigating conflicts, it continues to contend with instabilities influenced by global dynamics.

In light of these challenges, the UNODC has launched its new Regional Programme for South Asia (RPSA) for 2024-2028—a five-year strategic framework aimed at enhancing justice, health, peace, and the rule of law across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

Last week, senior representatives from these nations convened at the UN House in New Delhi to formally launch the initiative. The framework delineates the UNODC’s programmatic focus, which includes five sub-programmes: addressing the world drug problem, countering organized crime, combating corruption and economic crime, preventing terrorism, and enhancing criminal justice.

At the launch, Bo Mathiasen, UNODC Deputy Director of Operations, along with other officials, called for collective efforts to tackle emerging challenges. UNODC Regional Representative Marco Teixeira and Deputy Representative Suruchi Pant outlined key areas of cooperation under the new RPSA, emphasizing the importance of unified action against shared threats.

Mathiasen reiterated the need for collaboration in addressing security challenges, a sentiment echoed by UN Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp, who emphasized the pivotal role of the Regional Programme in fostering cooperation among South Asian nations.

Developed through extensive consultations and assessments, the RPSA aims to reinforce the rule of law, bolster regional cooperation, and protect vulnerable communities from the threats posed by drugs, crime, corruption, and terrorism. The initiative aligns with the UNODC’s corporate strategy and the broader UN approach to promote sustainable development in the region.