Anti-corruption drive must scrutinise government members equally: Mano Ganesan

Tamil Progressive Alliance leader Mano Ganesan has backed the government’s anti-corruption campaign but warned that it will lose credibility unless allegations against ruling-party members receive the same scrutiny as those involving the opposition.
Ganesan said he fully supported efforts to eliminate corruption, regardless of the political party, ethnicity or position of those accused.
“Sri Lanka must eliminate corruption without considering rank, party or ethnicity,” he said. “Only then can the country make a fresh start.”
He said the government had pursued investigations and court cases against opposition politicians through the police, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and the Attorney General’s Department.
Ganesan said this was the correct democratic process. Investigating agencies should examine allegations, the Attorney General’s Department should institute proceedings where sufficient evidence exists, and the courts should determine guilt or innocence.
However, he said the authorities appeared to move more slowly when allegations involved members of the government.
Formal complaints had reportedly been lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department and the Bribery Commission against individuals connected to the ruling administration, but the response appeared delayed, he said.
“I see a certain slowness in dealing with those allegations,” Ganesan said. “The government must correct that. Otherwise, it cannot say that everyone is equal before the law.”
He stressed that Parliament could not determine whether a politician or public official was guilty merely because an allegation had been raised.
“No one can come to Parliament and declare that a person is guilty,” he said. “The courts must decide whether Mano Ganesan, Ashoka or anyone else has committed an offence.”
Ganesan identified the anti-corruption campaign, the government’s administrative capacity and equality before the law as the three main standards by which he assessed the National People’s Power administration.
He said the government deserved strong support for its efforts against corruption, which had weakened Sri Lanka’s institutions and economy over many years.
“I raise both hands in support of action against corruption,” he said. “I do not mind which party or which president carries it out. The work must continue.”
However, he expressed concern about the government’s ability to administer the country effectively, saying weaknesses in governance and implementation had become increasingly visible.
Ganesan acknowledged that most government MPs had entered Parliament for the first time and that many ministers had no previous experience in executive office. The administration should therefore receive reasonable time to improve, he said.
He also rejected attempts to remove the government through unlawful means or political conspiracies, noting that the administration held an overwhelming parliamentary majority.
“No one should attempt to bring down the government through conspiracies,” he said. “We will not support or participate in such efforts.”
At the same time, he urged the government not to portray routine meetings and discussions among opposition parties as plots to seize power.
“A government with 159 MPs should not be frightened,” he said. “It should get on with governing.”