NO MORE FRAUDS, HANDS OFF CJ

Mahinda announced that he will appoint a committee to look into the CJ issue, before taking a decision on the report of the PSC. This change of heart, which he claimed to be the result of a problem of conscience, really took place after the huge protest in the judicial sector combined with mass agitation led by trade unions and the Protest of the Opposition. It was obvious to any body; a mass revolt combining all communities was developing. Because, it was clear to all, that not only the PSC investigation but also the charge sheet itself a fraud. Hence there is no need of a new investigation into the same accusations. These charges, though related to happenings long time back, was formulated only when CJ gave the judgment against the Divi neguma bill. The main charge as Mahinda emphasized is related to a share market transaction done by the National Savings Bank when the Chairman of the bank was the husband of CJ. However Mahinda explained when this misconduct was reported, he called Chairman and instructed him to return those shares and closed up the matter. In his own words he shaped up the matter. This clearly shows that bank Chairman, an appointee of Mahinda, worked according to latter’s instructions. Hence if there were to charge Chairman on that matter it has to be connected to an impeachment to the President and not to CJ!

Clearly this charge of complicity and two other minor charges, all were activated when the judgment was give by the CJ on petitions made by us against Divi neguma to the Supreme Court. She forthrightly stated that Divi neguma bill, as it is, violated fundamental rights of peasants and fishers; furthermore it violates the power sharing given in the 13^th amendment. This judgment which confirmed the need of power sharing is a blow to the chauvinists entrenched in the government. On the other hand, this bill virtually makes all poor villagers, debtors of an intricate matrix of rural banks controlled by a super Minister, without any democratic intervention by the people. In addition it gives power to take over the savings of millions of poor people made under poverty alleviation programmes in the past. This is comparable to the attempt of the government to rob the Provident Fund of workers in the private sector, which was defeated by heroic struggle of workers. Thus this attack on CJ is entirely a reactionary political action. Hence we cannot accept that there is a need for any investigation in to three charges mentioned in the PSC report. Mahinda should abandon this dirty project and apologize to Shirani Bandaranayke.

NSSP
12. 12. 2012

See also on this question (ESSF article 27279): http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article27279