Mansion plans on hold for Chandrika
Ravaya editor Victor Ivan says the former president’s handing back the land she got for her future home should not signal the end of the controversy.
The editor, who filed the petition claiming the action of the cabinet was illegal, says that he is pleased that former president had finally decided to give the land back. Former president Chandrika Kumaratunge had decided to hand back the plot of land designated for her future residence near the parliamnt in Kotte. The land was gifted to the former president after a decision made by the cabinet. President Kumaratunge was the head of state and the head of cabinet at the time of the decision. want to avoid court appearances Chandrika Kumaratunge’s Secretary Piyasena Dissanayake said the decision was conveyed to minister Dinesh Gunawardhana. “Mrs Kumaratunge was reluctant to go to courts over the issue. But this is not a legal matter. She had not broken the law. It was a cabinet decision, and no member of the cabinet had objected to it even today,” added the secretary. Speaking to BBC after the former president’s decision, Victor Ivan said that it is a victory for the people of Sri Lanka. “If this was not challenged, however corrupt or unlawful it was, it would have gone through. Most of the politicians in our country misuse their power. If people have the strength to challenge these misuses of power, there is an opportunity to reverse these abuses.” Broken the law He says the decision was a clear violation of the law. “The Head of state, as the leader of the cabinet had used her own cabinet to approve government owned land to be given to her. This is not only corrupt but also illegal.” Ravaya Editor says even after handing back the land, the former president does not escape from wrong doing. “This is an incident of embezzlement because one has knowingly performed an illegal act. This is a punishable offence by seven years in jail.” Explaining his intentions, Victor Ivan say, “My aim was to expose her and humiliate her in front of the people for engaging in this fraudulent act. I also wanted to see how the judicial system would behave in a case like this.” Wanted to humiliate the president He sees the outcome of his action as positive. “I am glad the former president had felt ashamed of what she did and decide to return the land. This does not end here. It exposes how much the rulers of our country abuse power for their own gain.” Ravaya Editor see the incident as a way of sending a signal to the present and future rulers of the country. “The point I wanted to establish was that no one is immune from the law. An earlier decision from the Supreme Court established that any president of the country could be summoned to court after they had left office. Former presidents do not have any immunity. More than that, they can be taken to task for what they had done during office.” “This sends a clear signal to the present and future presidents to be more careful with what they do.” says Voctor Ivan.