By Dharisha Bastians
Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has hailed President Maithripala Sirisena’s fiery speech on Wednesday that drew sharp criticism from civil society and opposition political parties and exposed a major rift in the ruling UNF-SLFP coalition.
Speaking to the BBC Sinhala Service from China, where he is currently attending a defence summit, the powerful former official in the Rajapaksa Government said he was “happy the President had finally understood the truth” state institutions probing corruption allegations.
Denying that he had spoken with Sirisena before the President’s outburst earlier this week, the former Defence Secretary vowed that there was no ‘secret pact’ between the current President and the former ruling family.
In a widely publicized speech on Wednesday, President Sirisena railed against the three main anti-corruption bodies of the Government and criticised the Bribery Commission for ‘hauling’ former military officials including Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to court.
“I am happy that the truth has finally dawned on the President about these things,” Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said referring to the corruption probes by these agencies, “I believe that as he says, he will now take direct action, without being influenced by people with various political agendas.”
He said over two years they had been making it clear that corruption probes conducted by the anti-graft bodies were politically motivated. “Now President Sirisena is giving the same explanation of these investigations,” Rajapaksa asserted. Staunchly defending the President, the former Defence Secretary also criticised anti-graft agencies for filing cases against former armed forces commanders.
“President Sirisena himself said that military personnel were being held in custody for 16 months. Does it take 16 months to conduct an investigation? Is that justice? Why aren’t the NGOs talking about that? Now everyone is opposing his speech. So are they saying he must do what they say? Doesn’t the President have the right to express how he feels?” Rajapaksa said in defence of Sirisena’s outburst.
The endorsement from the former Defence Secretary came amidst a storm of controversy over President Sirisena’s remarks which were roundly criticised by the JVP and civil society movements that heavily backed his candidature in the January 2015 election.
President Sirisena’s speech before an audience primarily comprising military officials also exposed a major faultline within the ruling coalition, because it was perceived as being directed at his alliance partner, the UNP, and alluded to the party’s alleged hold over the anti-corruption bodies.
Courtesy:Daily FT