Ranjan Jayalal's 'Eating and Drinking' Story (Audio)

The National People's Power (NPP), which came to power on the promise of building a new political culture free from privilege and corruption, has faced severe social criticism due to a controversial statement made by a local politician from its own party. This occurred after Kaduwela Mayor Ranjan Jayalal requested the 'December gift parcels' that state employees traditionally receive from private institutions.

This controversy, which began recently, has escalated to the Cabinet and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption as of today (10).

The origin of this incident dates back to an event held on November 08 in Arangala, Malabe. Addressing the gathering, the Mayor stated that since the current administration came to power, the December gift parcels traditionally received by the Municipal Council from private institutions have stopped. He mentioned that a public perception has emerged, stating, "These are not people who eat and drink (i.e., take bribes)," and openly requested that if an institution had a custom of giving a portion of its products as gifts, they should continue to do so.

His statement, "We are also people who eat and drink well. We know what we have eaten after going to the Municipal Council," is currently circulating widely on social media. The Mayor recalled that he and his group made significant sacrifices, even risking their lives, to gain political power, and emphasized that they should be the last mayors, ministers, and MPs to suffer. He further added, "Because we don't need to suffer."

This controversial statement was also subjected to intense questioning by journalists at today's Cabinet decision briefing. Responding, Cabinet Media Spokesperson, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa, stated that if a complaint is lodged by any party regarding the incident, an investigation would be conducted, and necessary disciplinary action would be taken internally by the party. However, the Minister pointed out that the Mayor's true intention cannot be understood solely from the short video circulating on social media, and that the entire statement should be considered beyond that.

The Minister stated, "I don't know what he meant. We need to hear the full story. The video was cut after he said the 'eating and drinking' part. I checked to see what was said beyond that, but it stopped there." He also expressed his strong belief that no representative of the National People's Power is involved in bribery or corruption. He emphasized that since he and his group have made various sacrifices to gain political power, he does not believe that any mayor or chairman would act for personal gain, contrary to that journey.

While the Minister highlighted the need for a complaint, an official complaint related to this incident was also lodged today with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. Jamuni Kamantha Thushara, Chairman of the 'Citizen Power Against Bribery and Corruption' organization, filed this complaint, requesting a formal investigation into the Kaduwela Mayor's statement.

A new public debate has now emerged regarding how far the justification of public representatives' comfort and the direct or indirect expectation of receiving gifts from the private sector by state institutions align with the government's policy foundation of a new political culture that does not exploit public money. Strong criticism is being leveled in the political sphere regarding potential conflicts of interest in decision-making within the public service and the risk of appearing to re-endorse the forms of past 'gratification' or bribery culture.

Given the assurance from the Cabinet Spokesperson that internal party action would be taken if a complaint is received, and with the official complaint lodged today with the Bribery Commission, there is now significant public attention on how the next chapter of this issue and the related legal and disciplinary actions will unfold.