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Current regime is as corrupt as the former – Nihal Galappaththi

Current regime is as corrupt as the former – Nihal Galappaththi

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Member of Parliament Nihal Galappaththi says that the current regime is as corrupt as and no better than the previous regime.In an interview with The Sunday Leader he says that the present Maithri-Ranil administration is the one that became most unpopular in the shortest period of time, and they too have sold the country to powerful nations, disregarding the plight of the people who voted for them.

The bankrupt capitalist economic system can no longer take the economy of our country forward, he says adding that the people of this country can take two moves. The first is to struggle against the economic pressure Ranil-Maithri administration has burdened the people with. The current government should take the responsibility for making the citizens of this country indebted to the tune of around Rs. 250,000 per person.He points out that the previous regime too had no economic vision for the country and had no intention of uplifting the domestic economy and instead they keptborrowing money from other countries. The current regime too is trading on the same path as their predecessors.

Following are excerpts of the interview:

Q: The current Maithripala-Ranil coalition severely criticised the previous Rajapaksa regime’s dependence and inclination towards China. However, now this government has changed its tune and is praising China and has turned to China for the development projects in Sri Lanka. How do you see this situation?

A: The Mahinda Rajapaksa regime and the UNP led coalition have both been following the 1978 UNP open economy concept. J. R. Jayawardene commenced the first innings. Then after 2009 Mahinda Rajapaksa commenced the 2nd innings and now the Maithripala-Ranil so-called coalition is carrying on the 3rd innings. This certainly is not a national government and they are no better and is the same as their predecessors. The concept of this government is entirely based on loans, taxes and fines. Instead of developing the local industries and uplifting the economy through domestic means, this government too has sought a process of foreign loans for development and they recover this by piling up unbearable taxes on the people.

The former regime too put the country into severe debt where every citizen was in debt to a tune of over Rs. 250,000. Now what this government is doing is the same thing. The previous regime uplifted only their family and close friends and relatives. Now this regime is also doing the same no matter what they spoke earlier. They too have to proper domestic development plan. These consecutive government’s follies will only result in the people of this country being burdened further. Hence we believe that the country cannot progress unless the domestic economy is developed. This regime too is going on the same track as the former regime with no difference whatsoever.

Q: The current regime condemned the Port City Project claiming that the environmental factors were being ignored by the previous regime. However, now the green light has been given with no changes made. What impacts do you think Sri Lanka will have to face?

A: The same impacts that were predicted during the Rajapaksa regime still remain and nothing has changed. Hence the impacts of this project on the marine life and the fishing industry are still the same. Hence it is the people who restarted this project that should be held responsible. But the culture in our country is such that the politicians always do whatever they please be it at the expense of the people, environment or otherwise. They just don’t care as long as they can make a killing out of it, and it serves them well.

Now the only thing that has changed is that instead of a part of the project being given to China completely, it will be leased on a 99-year lease. Eventually what will happen is that our country will be divided and sold to all these countries and the rulers will wash their hands off the blame. They have no desire to develop the country for the benefit of the people but only to fill their pockets at the cost of even destroying the country.

Q: Do you think that our rulers are just puppets in the hands of powerful countries?

A: The United States is trying to maintain supremacy worldwide, be it economically, defence wise and in every other aspect. Hence they will do anything to keep that supremacy.

Hence countries like Sri Lanka will always have to dance to their tune as long as we don’t have a proper method of governance and economic independence. Right throughout what has happened is that we have always bowed our heads to these countries because our rulers were never honest and straightforward. This so-called National Government too, just like their predecessors, do not have any proper economic plan. Neither are they honest or straightforward.

Therefore we will be bowing down to India, China the US or any other powerful country. We are like faithful servants of theirs and we just do as we are told and the rulers are well rewarded for their obedience, so they are happy and don’t care a dime as to what happens to the country or its people.

Be it India or China, there are many in those countries who are starving and are in a dire situation, but these countries are helping us. Why do you think they are doing that? It’s because they want to establish their supremacy in our country and this region. They do not sincerely want to help us as a country, but they are doing it for their benefit. We are the fools who are getting bought over by their false pretexts.

Q: The good governance regime raised huge concerns during the election campaign over the corruption of the Rajapaksa regime. However, just around seven months since the good governance regime was established, do you see a reduction in corruption?

A: Certainly not. On January 8, 2015 this government gave great promises to eradicate corruption and set up a just government. However, now what is happening is that they have kicked aside the people’s mandate and they are engaged in their own regime of corruption. What we ask of them is to keep to their promises.

This regime was deprived of power for the past 20 years and now that they have been given power, they are trying to capitalise on that and make merry while the sun shines. They don’t care about the people nor are they interested or concerned about the country. The people and the country can suffer and all they are concerned with is making their own money, which is something that they were deprived of for the past 20 years.

(By Camelia Nathaniel - thesundayleader.lk)

Last modified on Monday, 18 April 2016 08:03