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Leading human rights activist Basil Fernando faults the government for not pushing the good
governance agenda enough:
DEC
072015
Its time to come up with a proper implementation plan to investigate and
punish those involved in the corruption and crimes that occurred during the
previous decades, says leading Human Rights activist, Basil Fernando
Chathuri Dissanayake
The former Executive Director of the Asian Human Rights Commission
(AHRC) highlighted that if the positive tide created in January 2015 is to be
transformed in to a long-term movement, urgent legal reforms aimed at
tackling graft and serious crime is a vital necessity.
I dont say the government could have dealt with everything in eight
months. But they could have declared a proper implementing policy, let it
be known to everybody. By now, people should be talking of this policy, not
creating political gossip about who was arrested, claims Fernando.
The same fate may befall the current investigations into abuse of power
and resources by the former regime.
Curbing corruption
The government has indicated a broader policy framework for dealing with
corruption and crime but a practical policy is needed to put a broad policy
in to action, he said.
This is the main reason why we have not been able to achieve good
governance. Unfortunately everyone is talking about everything else,
claimed Fernando.
Accordingly, Fernando advocates the introduction of an implementation
policy that is designed to achieve the goals set.
We need the hands and feet necessary for achieving good governance.
The hands and feet are the Police Department and the Attorney Generals
Department. If the hands and feet are paralysed, then there is little one can
do, claimed Fernando.
It was a priority to identify shortcomings in the police, the investigating
bodies, the Attorney Generals Department, the Judiciary and the Bribery
Commission.
A key problem is the delay in court houses. The government must allocate
more funds to double the number of high courts and for training and
technology facilities, he said.
Reform the Police
Added to this, the countrys main law enforcement authority, Police, is not
disciplined to carry out their duties efficiently, Fernando claims.
Referring to the rape and murder case of Seya, he claimed that terrible
miscarriages of justice occurred in the hands of the police.
Under pressure to investigate and bring justice to the victim, the police