ECONOMYNEXT – Under a Samagi Jana Balawegaya an independent public prosecutor will be set up, and rule of law will be established, state procurement will also be revamped to eliminate corruption, Eran Wickremeratne said.
Corruption cannot be tackled by depending on individuals, but systems has to be put in place that last beyond them, he said.
“When people ask what is the biggest problem in the economy, I never say it is the economy,” Wickremeratne told the business community unveiling the party’s platform.
“This is so small it can be put right. The biggest problem in this country is the rule of law. If the rule of law is working and every citizen feels the law equal and have dignity we can fix the economy.
“Even foreign direct investors will have confidence because they know that the law actually works. From the President to the man on the street the law must actually.”
Wickremeratne said he strongly believed that the Supreme Court must be independent. The Supreme Court has given two orders recently about the President violating the constitution.
“We are going to create an independent public prosecutors office,” Wickemeratne. “At the moment the government’s lawyers is the Attorney General Department. Clearly there is a conflict of interest.
“He is my lawyer one day. I rob and steal the next day and he is supposed to put a case against me. It just does not happen. We studied the model in Hong Kong, I have been there a couple of times.
At the moment the sole discretion of withdrawing the case is with the Attorney General.
“We want to do away with that,” he said.
The CIABOC law will be strengthened.
Wickremeratne said he presented a private members bill on asset declarations.
Now there is discourse about asset declarations.
“I am glad the government accepted that,” he said.
E-Procurement will be used and a new law will cover all public procurement.
“You know that, you may have been a victim. There will be a platform. All global best practices will be in the law.”
The stolen asset recovery law will be passed.
Like the asset declaration law, there was also a private members will on stolen asset recovery.
“Lets get out of the mindset that we are going to look at individuals,” Wickremeratne said. “We need system schange. And we need to put systems in place. It does not matter who sits on the chair today. But we need a system change.”
“A good leader is measured not when he is office. But once he has left office if the good things he has put in place continues, then we know we have had a great leader.” (Colombo/Aug05/2024)