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New Legal Cases Loom Over Trump’s Campaign Trail Third Party Candidate Democratic Spoiler – Perhaps A Kennedy?

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by Vijaya Chandrasoma

Democrats have a masochistic tendency for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory . Sometimes they self-destruct all on their own, prematurely conceding elections patently in dispute. Other times, they are given a helping hand from third party candidates contesting a presidency they have no chance of winning, who “’steal” vital votes from the Democratic candidate, in spite of having complementary platforms.

Currently, this tendency seems to be ominously destined for repetition in 2024.

Al Gore in 2000 and Hillary Clinton in 2016 both conceded their elections prematurely, when their elections were either still in dispute (Gore), or provably corrupted by a false statement by the then Attorney General, 11 days before the election, against election laws; and Russian interference conclusively proved by the subsequent Mueller Report (Clinton).

Both these election irregularities could have been disputed with cases filed with the Courts, and either or both had fair chances of winning, with solid evidence. Unlike Trump’s 60+ phony cases filed in 2020, all of which were thrown out by the courts for lack of a shred of evidence.

Both elections were conceded by Gore and Clinton with honorable, patriotic speeches. Predictably, Trump has yet to concede the 2020 election.

Green Party candidates, Ralph Nader in 2000 and Jill Stein in 2016, acted as spoilers for the Democrats, “stealing” votes from the Democrats and probably “helping” them lose both elections.

Politicians/activists who have indicated their intention to run as third party candidates are:

Dr. Cornell West, Harvard educated Professor Emeritus at Princeton University, activist and author, is the declared 2024 presidential nominee of the Green Party. He is running a campaign centered around Medicare for All, public housing, action on climate change and drastically cutting the military budget, policies espoused by the progressive and popular Bernie Sanders wing of the Democratic Party.

Dr West is capable of diverting a significant percentage of the Democratic vote which would compromise the chances of the Party nominee.

So can Robert F. Kennedy Jr., though for totally different reasons. Junior has achieved nothing educationally, politically or in governance. He is best known for his anti-vaccine stance; he has racist, anti-Semitic views and outlandish conspiracy theories. He also hangs out with billionaire Republican donors and shares Republican policies. In fact, Trump’s senior adviser, Steve Bannon, has been floating the idea of a Trump-Kennedy ticket for 2024.

Kennedy’s personal life is a walking tragedy, with a lifetime of drug abuse and an estranged second wife, who bore four of his six children, and committed suicide at age 52. He has been spurned by his famous family for disgracing the family name.

Which is his only qualification, being the son of Attorney General of the 1960s, Robert F. Kennedy, and nephew of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Edward Kennedy.

RFK Jr. is currently running for the Democratic nomination for the presidency. He will not win a single state in the Democratic primaries, for which he may qualify only because of his “Kennedy Privilege”.

The real threat for the Democrats is if he decides to run as a third party candidate. His legendary name alone may garner him around 15% of the Democratic vote, which, coupled with Dr West’s likely 10% or more, could inflict a double whammy spoiler for the Democrats, and hand over the presidency on a platter to the Republicans. As of today, to Trump.

Joe Mancin, Democratic (?) Senator from West Virginia, has previous experience in acting as a spoiler to the Democratic Party in the Senate. Mancin knows he hasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell to win the presidency and has entered the race only to steal a few votes from the party he ostensibly represents.

All elections in the USA and throughout the world are contested on the popular vote system – the person who gets the most votes, wins. Except for the election for the presidency of the USA, which is contested according to the archaic conditions of a system devised 250 years ago, the Electoral College.

In addition to various racial and societal anomalies, the Electoral College makes it possible for a candidate to win the presidency without winning the popular vote. It also enforces the two-party system, which makes it impossible for a third party candidate to succeed.

This archaic electoral process gave us, in this century, two of the worst presidents in US history, who had both lost the popular vote. George Bush lost to Al Gore in 2000 by 543,895 votes and Trump to Clinton in 2016 by 2,865,075 votes.

Bush involved the nation in an illegal war with Iraq, with enormous losses in human lives (American and Iraqi) and property. He transformed a thriving economy and a surplus inherited from Clinton into a near recession and a deficit of over a trillion dollars by 2008.

Trump was the most corrupt president in history. He, his family and his cronies bled the country dry to the tune of billions of dollars. He polarized the country to the point of ethnic violence with his white supremacist, racist, phony evangelist policies, culminating in inciting a violent insurrection which nearly destroyed U.S. democracy and started a second civil war.

The 2024 election may prove to be one of the most divisive contests in US history. Around 60% to 70% of the American electorate do not favor either of the current front-runners, Trump or Biden. Republican support for Trump seems to be thinning as his legal woes keep piling up. Perhaps some Republicans have finally found a cure for the dread disease of white blindness.

It is staggering that the likely candidates for the highest post in the richest and most powerful nation in the world are two old white men, in or nearing their 80s. The incumbent, President Biden, with the achievements of a most successful first term, is sadly showing both physical and mental signs of senility, which will only degenerate during a second term. The challenger, twice impeached former President Trump, is himself approaching 80 years of age. He is a clinical psychopath who has been indicted on a medley of felonies of sexual assault, financial fraud, obstruction of justice, espionage and sedition.

The terrifying fact is, unless the American electorate comes to its senses, and quickly, either of these old fogies will assume the awesome powers of the US presidency, including access to the nuclear codes, for four long years from January 2025.

If Biden wins a second term, he has promised to finish the wonderful job he has been doing in his first term. However, most Democratic voters are of the opinion that he will be too senile to effectively carry out the duties of the presidency in his second term, at the end of which he will be 86.

If Trump wins the election, the New York Times, in a recent editorial, states that “Trump and his backers are planning a sweeping expansion of presidential power over government machinery if voters return him to power in 2024, reshaping the structure of the Executive Branch to concentrate far greater authority in his hands”. A political strategy known in Sri Lanka as “doing a Jayewardene”.

Two weeks ago, Special Counsel, Jack Smith sent a “target letter” to the Trump legal team, indicating that Trump’s indictment for his role in the incitement of the January 6 insurrection is imminent.

The danger of all these legal actions against Trump is that impeachments, indictments, even arrests, only seem to empower him and make him stronger. Republicans seem to be faced with an unenviable dilemma in 2024 – they are damned if Trump wins, they are damned if he doesn’t.

Strangely, even his declared rivals for the 2024 Republican nomination have chosen to turn a blind eye to his culpability of all the crimes he has so evidently committed. They know damned well that Trump is guilty of trying to illegally overturn an election by fraud, witness tampering and intimidation, inciting a violent insurrection and even attempting to have his vice-president, Mike Pence, hanged. After all, they were all present at the Capitol, the scene of the crime, with their own lives in danger.

But, even in their role as Trump’s declared opponents for the presidency, they stay dumb, unwilling to confront him or call him on these crimes. Even Mike Pence, whose life, and the lives of his family, were threatened by the Trump mob, dares not criticize him openly.

How can such cowards aspire to assume the duties of the US presidency, to act without fear or favor on behalf of all the American people? How will they find the courage, as the Leader of the Free World, to stand up to world leaders like Putin and Xi Jinping, who have the power to invade US allies with impunity?

They can’t and they won’t. Which is the reason none of these sycophants will overcome Trump’s stranglehold on the Republican nomination. They have shown their cowardice by their abject fear of standing up to the criminal, because they cower in fear of his vulgar bullying tactics and the violence of his white supremacist base.

They will soon realize the wisdom of the statement made by Presidential Historian, Jon Meacham, “They have sold their souls to Trump for power, and the check has bounced!”

Trump’s acquittal or a mistrial on any of these cases, even one caused by a hung jury, will not only automatically cement his Republican candidature in 2024, it may even help him win the election. Which will give him four more years to complete the job he started in 2016 of destroying democracy in the U.S. and taking America back to the good old days of white supremacy of the Jim Crow era.

One-term presidents are seldom given a second shot. Trump is a three-time Loser, having lost not only the 2020 presidency in a landslide, but the 2018 and 2022 midterms for his Party. Incredibly, he still has the confidence of his Republican base. Obviously, hope springs eternal in the white supremacist breast.

Republican Speaker McCarthy is now trying to muddy the waters with a threat to impeach President Biden for “weaponization of the Justice Department”. A desperate but futile act of revenge, with no evidence at all, which even if passed by the slim Republican majority in the House, will never reach the 2/3 majority required by the Senate.

There are a couple of Republican presidential hopefuls, who refuse to be bullied by Trump, and have no fear of the Trump base. These are former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, who are creeping up the polls as Trump implodes. Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, who was Trump’s main rival, has blown up his chances with incredibly stupid remarks about education and burning books, the “benefits” of slavery and LGBTQ rights. All these candidates run far behind Trump in current polls. It’s early days, though, anything can happen in 16 months.

There will be many others with presidential aspirations in an election at which anything seems possible. Third party hopefuls have no chance of winning the presidency. Their one intention, besides getting a modest and temporary share of the limelight, is the calculated motive of politicians everywhere in the world – to advance and consolidate their own political and financial futures, with scant regard for the future of the nation they are pledged to serve.

In any event, if Trump is defeated as the Republican candidate in 2024, he will once again call foul, and keep the circus going until 2028, when he will again be seeking that elusive second term at Biden’s age of 82. This could carry on ad nauseam, until the country’s sanity is finally restored by the merciful release of death, his or that of Americans’, whichever comes first. Prayerfully, his.



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Features

The heart-friendly health minister

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Dr. Ramesh Pathirana

by Dr Gotabhya Ranasinghe
Senior Consultant Cardiologist
National Hospital Sri Lanka

When we sought a meeting with Hon Dr. Ramesh Pathirana, Minister of Health, he graciously cleared his busy schedule to accommodate us. Renowned for his attentive listening and deep understanding, Minister Pathirana is dedicated to advancing the health sector. His openness and transparency exemplify the qualities of an exemplary politician and minister.

Dr. Palitha Mahipala, the current Health Secretary, demonstrates both commendable enthusiasm and unwavering support. This combination of attributes makes him a highly compatible colleague for the esteemed Minister of Health.

Our discussion centered on a project that has been in the works for the past 30 years, one that no other minister had managed to advance.

Minister Pathirana, however, recognized the project’s significance and its potential to revolutionize care for heart patients.

The project involves the construction of a state-of-the-art facility at the premises of the National Hospital Colombo. The project’s location within the premises of the National Hospital underscores its importance and relevance to the healthcare infrastructure of the nation.

This facility will include a cardiology building and a tertiary care center, equipped with the latest technology to handle and treat all types of heart-related conditions and surgeries.

Securing funding was a major milestone for this initiative. Minister Pathirana successfully obtained approval for a $40 billion loan from the Asian Development Bank. With the funding in place, the foundation stone is scheduled to be laid in September this year, and construction will begin in January 2025.

This project guarantees a consistent and uninterrupted supply of stents and related medications for heart patients. As a result, patients will have timely access to essential medical supplies during their treatment and recovery. By securing these critical resources, the project aims to enhance patient outcomes, minimize treatment delays, and maintain the highest standards of cardiac care.

Upon its fruition, this monumental building will serve as a beacon of hope and healing, symbolizing the unwavering dedication to improving patient outcomes and fostering a healthier society.We anticipate a future marked by significant progress and positive outcomes in Sri Lanka’s cardiovascular treatment landscape within the foreseeable timeframe.

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A LOVING TRIBUTE TO JESUIT FR. ALOYSIUS PIERIS ON HIS 90th BIRTHDAY

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Fr. Aloysius Pieris, SJ was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera on Nov. 23, 2019.

by Fr. Emmanuel Fernando, OMI

Jesuit Fr. Aloysius Pieris (affectionately called Fr. Aloy) celebrated his 90th birthday on April 9, 2024 and I, as the editor of our Oblate Journal, THE MISSIONARY OBLATE had gone to press by that time. Immediately I decided to publish an article, appreciating the untiring selfless services he continues to offer for inter-Faith dialogue, the renewal of the Catholic Church, his concern for the poor and the suffering Sri Lankan masses and to me, the present writer.

It was in 1988, when I was appointed Director of the Oblate Scholastics at Ampitiya by the then Oblate Provincial Fr. Anselm Silva, that I came to know Fr. Aloy more closely. Knowing well his expertise in matters spiritual, theological, Indological and pastoral, and with the collaborative spirit of my companion-formators, our Oblate Scholastics were sent to Tulana, the Research and Encounter Centre, Kelaniya, of which he is the Founder-Director, for ‘exposure-programmes’ on matters spiritual, biblical, theological and pastoral. Some of these dimensions according to my view and that of my companion-formators, were not available at the National Seminary, Ampitiya.

Ever since that time, our Oblate formators/ accompaniers at the Oblate Scholasticate, Ampitiya , have continued to send our Oblate Scholastics to Tulana Centre for deepening their insights and convictions regarding matters needed to serve the people in today’s context. Fr. Aloy also had tried very enthusiastically with the Oblate team headed by Frs. Oswald Firth and Clement Waidyasekara to begin a Theologate, directed by the Religious Congregations in Sri Lanka, for the contextual formation/ accompaniment of their members. It should very well be a desired goal of the Leaders / Provincials of the Religious Congregations.

Besides being a formator/accompanier at the Oblate Scholasticate, I was entrusted also with the task of editing and publishing our Oblate journal, ‘The Missionary Oblate’. To maintain the quality of the journal I continue to depend on Fr. Aloy for his thought-provoking and stimulating articles on Biblical Spirituality, Biblical Theology and Ecclesiology. I am very grateful to him for his generous assistance. Of late, his writings on renewal of the Church, initiated by Pope St. John XX111 and continued by Pope Francis through the Synodal path, published in our Oblate journal, enable our readers to focus their attention also on the needed renewal in the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka. Fr. Aloy appreciated very much the Synodal path adopted by the Jesuit Pope Francis for the renewal of the Church, rooted very much on prayerful discernment. In my Religious and presbyteral life, Fr.Aloy continues to be my spiritual animator / guide and ongoing formator / acccompanier.

Fr. Aloysius Pieris, BA Hons (Lond), LPh (SHC, India), STL (PFT, Naples), PhD (SLU/VC), ThD (Tilburg), D.Ltt (KU), has been one of the eminent Asian theologians well recognized internationally and one who has lectured and held visiting chairs in many universities both in the West and in the East. Many members of Religious Congregations from Asian countries have benefited from his lectures and guidance in the East Asian Pastoral Institute (EAPI) in Manila, Philippines. He had been a Theologian consulted by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences for many years. During his professorship at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was called to be a member of a special group of advisers on other religions consulted by Pope Paul VI.

Fr. Aloy is the author of more than 30 books and well over 500 Research Papers. Some of his books and articles have been translated and published in several countries. Among those books, one can find the following: 1) The Genesis of an Asian Theology of Liberation (An Autobiographical Excursus on the Art of Theologising in Asia, 2) An Asian Theology of Liberation, 3) Providential Timeliness of Vatican 11 (a long-overdue halt to a scandalous millennium, 4) Give Vatican 11 a chance, 5) Leadership in the Church, 6) Relishing our faith in working for justice (Themes for study and discussion), 7) A Message meant mainly, not exclusively for Jesuits (Background information necessary for helping Francis renew the Church), 8) Lent in Lanka (Reflections and Resolutions, 9) Love meets wisdom (A Christian Experience of Buddhism, 10) Fire and Water 11) God’s Reign for God’s poor, 12) Our Unhiddden Agenda (How we Jesuits work, pray and form our men). He is also the Editor of two journals, Vagdevi, Journal of Religious Reflection and Dialogue, New Series.

Fr. Aloy has a BA in Pali and Sanskrit from the University of London and a Ph.D in Buddhist Philosophy from the University of Sri Lankan, Vidyodaya Campus. On Nov. 23, 2019, he was awarded the prestigious honorary Doctorate of Literature (D.Litt) by the Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, the Most Venerable Welamitiyawe Dharmakirthi Sri Kusala Dhamma Thera.

Fr. Aloy continues to be a promoter of Gospel values and virtues. Justice as a constitutive dimension of love and social concern for the downtrodden masses are very much noted in his life and work. He had very much appreciated the commitment of the late Fr. Joseph (Joe) Fernando, the National Director of the Social and Economic Centre (SEDEC) for the poor.

In Sri Lanka, a few religious Congregations – the Good Shepherd Sisters, the Christian Brothers, the Marist Brothers and the Oblates – have invited him to animate their members especially during their Provincial Congresses, Chapters and International Conferences. The mainline Christian Churches also have sought his advice and followed his seminars. I, for one, regret very much, that the Sri Lankan authorities of the Catholic Church –today’s Hierarchy—- have not sought Fr.

Aloy’s expertise for the renewal of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka and thus have not benefited from the immense store of wisdom and insight that he can offer to our local Church while the Sri Lankan bishops who governed the Catholic church in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council (Edmund Fernando OMI, Anthony de Saram, Leo Nanayakkara OSB, Frank Marcus Fernando, Paul Perera,) visited him and consulted him on many matters. Among the Tamil Bishops, Bishop Rayappu Joseph was keeping close contact with him and Bishop J. Deogupillai hosted him and his team visiting him after the horrible Black July massacre of Tamils.

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A fairy tale, success or debacle

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Ministers S. Iswaran and Malik Samarawickrama signing the joint statement to launch FTA negotiations. (Picture courtesy IPS)

Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement

By Gomi Senadhira
senadhiragomi@gmail.com

“You might tell fairy tales, but the progress of a country cannot be achieved through such narratives. A country cannot be developed by making false promises. The country moved backward because of the electoral promises made by political parties throughout time. We have witnessed that the ultimate result of this is the country becoming bankrupt. Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet.” – President Ranil Wickremesinghe, 2024 Budget speech

Any Sri Lankan would agree with the above words of President Wickremesinghe on the false promises our politicians and officials make and the fairy tales they narrate which bankrupted this country. So, to understand this, let’s look at one such fairy tale with lots of false promises; Ranil Wickremesinghe’s greatest achievement in the area of international trade and investment promotion during the Yahapalana period, Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA).

It is appropriate and timely to do it now as Finance Minister Wickremesinghe has just presented to parliament a bill on the National Policy on Economic Transformation which includes the establishment of an Office for International Trade and the Sri Lanka Institute of Economics and International Trade.

Was SLSFTA a “Cleverly negotiated Free Trade Agreement” as stated by the (former) Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate on the SLSFTA in July 2018, or a colossal blunder covered up with lies, false promises, and fairy tales? After SLSFTA was signed there were a number of fairy tales published on this agreement by the Ministry of Development Strategies and International, Institute of Policy Studies, and others.

However, for this article, I would like to limit my comments to the speech by Minister Samarawickrama during the Parliamentary Debate, and the two most important areas in the agreement which were covered up with lies, fairy tales, and false promises, namely: revenue loss for Sri Lanka and Investment from Singapore. On the other important area, “Waste products dumping” I do not want to comment here as I have written extensively on the issue.

1. The revenue loss

During the Parliamentary Debate in July 2018, Minister Samarawickrama stated “…. let me reiterate that this FTA with Singapore has been very cleverly negotiated by us…. The liberalisation programme under this FTA has been carefully designed to have the least impact on domestic industry and revenue collection. We have included all revenue sensitive items in the negative list of items which will not be subject to removal of tariff. Therefore, 97.8% revenue from Customs duty is protected. Our tariff liberalisation will take place over a period of 12-15 years! In fact, the revenue earned through tariffs on goods imported from Singapore last year was Rs. 35 billion.

The revenue loss for over the next 15 years due to the FTA is only Rs. 733 million– which when annualised, on average, is just Rs. 51 million. That is just 0.14% per year! So anyone who claims the Singapore FTA causes revenue loss to the Government cannot do basic arithmetic! Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I call on my fellow members of this House – don’t mislead the public with baseless criticism that is not grounded in facts. Don’t look at petty politics and use these issues for your own political survival.”

I was surprised to read the minister’s speech because an article published in January 2018 in “The Straits Times“, based on information released by the Singaporean Negotiators stated, “…. With the FTA, tariff savings for Singapore exports are estimated to hit $10 million annually“.

As the annual tariff savings (that is the revenue loss for Sri Lanka) calculated by the Singaporean Negotiators, Singaporean $ 10 million (Sri Lankan rupees 1,200 million in 2018) was way above the rupees’ 733 million revenue loss for 15 years estimated by the Sri Lankan negotiators, it was clear to any observer that one of the parties to the agreement had not done the basic arithmetic!

Six years later, according to a report published by “The Morning” newspaper, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) on 7th May 2024, Mr Samarawickrama’s chief trade negotiator K.J. Weerasinghehad had admitted “…. that forecasted revenue loss for the Government of Sri Lanka through the Singapore FTA is Rs. 450 million in 2023 and Rs. 1.3 billion in 2024.”

If these numbers are correct, as tariff liberalisation under the SLSFTA has just started, we will pass Rs 2 billion very soon. Then, the question is how Sri Lanka’s trade negotiators made such a colossal blunder. Didn’t they do their basic arithmetic? If they didn’t know how to do basic arithmetic they should have at least done their basic readings. For example, the headline of the article published in The Straits Times in January 2018 was “Singapore, Sri Lanka sign FTA, annual savings of $10m expected”.

Anyway, as Sri Lanka’s chief negotiator reiterated at the COPF meeting that “…. since 99% of the tariffs in Singapore have zero rates of duty, Sri Lanka has agreed on 80% tariff liberalisation over a period of 15 years while expecting Singapore investments to address the imbalance in trade,” let’s turn towards investment.

Investment from Singapore

In July 2018, speaking during the Parliamentary Debate on the FTA this is what Minister Malik Samarawickrama stated on investment from Singapore, “Already, thanks to this FTA, in just the past two-and-a-half months since the agreement came into effect we have received a proposal from Singapore for investment amounting to $ 14.8 billion in an oil refinery for export of petroleum products. In addition, we have proposals for a steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million), sugar refinery ($ 200 million). This adds up to more than $ 16.05 billion in the pipeline on these projects alone.

And all of these projects will create thousands of more jobs for our people. In principle approval has already been granted by the BOI and the investors are awaiting the release of land the environmental approvals to commence the project.

I request the Opposition and those with vested interests to change their narrow-minded thinking and join us to develop our country. We must always look at what is best for the whole community, not just the few who may oppose. We owe it to our people to courageously take decisions that will change their lives for the better.”

According to the media report I quoted earlier, speaking at the Committee on Public Finance (COPF) Chief Negotiator Weerasinghe has admitted that Sri Lanka was not happy with overall Singapore investments that have come in the past few years in return for the trade liberalisation under the Singapore-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement. He has added that between 2021 and 2023 the total investment from Singapore had been around $162 million!

What happened to those projects worth $16 billion negotiated, thanks to the SLSFTA, in just the two-and-a-half months after the agreement came into effect and approved by the BOI? I do not know about the steel manufacturing plant for exports ($ 1 billion investment), flour milling plant ($ 50 million) and sugar refinery ($ 200 million).

However, story of the multibillion-dollar investment in the Petroleum Refinery unfolded in a manner that would qualify it as the best fairy tale with false promises presented by our politicians and the officials, prior to 2019 elections.

Though many Sri Lankans got to know, through the media which repeatedly highlighted a plethora of issues surrounding the project and the questionable credentials of the Singaporean investor, the construction work on the Mirrijiwela Oil Refinery along with the cement factory began on the24th of March 2019 with a bang and Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his ministers along with the foreign and local dignitaries laid the foundation stones.

That was few months before the 2019 Presidential elections. Inaugurating the construction work Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the projects will create thousands of job opportunities in the area and surrounding districts.

The oil refinery, which was to be built over 200 acres of land, with the capacity to refine 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, was to generate US$7 billion of exports and create 1,500 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs. The construction of the refinery was to be completed in 44 months. Four years later, in August 2023 the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal presented by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to cancel the agreement with the investors of the refinery as the project has not been implemented! Can they explain to the country how much money was wasted to produce that fairy tale?

It is obvious that the President, ministers, and officials had made huge blunders and had deliberately misled the public and the parliament on the revenue loss and potential investment from SLSFTA with fairy tales and false promises.

As the president himself said, a country cannot be developed by making false promises or with fairy tales and these false promises and fairy tales had bankrupted the country. “Unfortunately, many segments of the population have not come to realize this yet”.

(The writer, a specialist and an activist on trade and development issues . )

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