UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera has stated he believes that contesting under a common coalition is of paramount importance in order to prompt a regime change.
Mangala
In an interview with Sunday Lankadeepa, MP Samaraweera has stated that he is in favour of a coalition movement as it has been proven in Sri Lanka time and again, that in order to garner a marked victory during the elections – a coalition movement is a must, with the exception of the election in July 1960.
While stating that it is a practical necessity, he has stated therefore the movement to promote the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has the common candidate at the upcoming Presidential Election should be strengthened.
He has moreover noted that it is important that the present debate ongoing in the party concerning the appointment of Sajith Premadasa as the Deputy Leader therefore, should not in anyway disrupt the movement to promote the opposition leader as the Common Candidate.
“I have no issues with Sajith and there is no reason for me to have an issue with him. But this is not the time to fight over positions – rather its the time to work together to prompt a regime change. But if the ultimate priority of certain individuals is to secure positions in the party, we should dedicate ourselves to work for the betterment of the people and hand them the positions they demand,” MP Samaraweera has stated while adding that if appointing Sajith as the Deputy Leader would help keep the party together he supports the decision.
“But it should not be done in fear of any retaliations or threats by some of these media institutions with vested interests,” the MP has remarked.
He has gone on to state that the UNP has always been keen to maintain and preserve the unity within the party.
“Those who claim to support him now used to speak ill of him and degrade him using certain media institutions. Not just during this election, even during the previous elections he has always been keep on getting the various factions within the party to work together and iron out the differences. Although there was a media mafia continuing to disrupt these attempts by parties with vested interests of indirectly supporting the government, he didn’t give up and neither was he discouraged by the attacked leveled against him by certain media institutions,” he has added.
Amarasiri / September 21, 2014
Dear UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera
RE: A Coalition Is A Must To Prompt A Regime Change: Mangala
“UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera has stated he believes that contesting under a common coalition is of paramount importance in order to prompt a regime change.”
http://lankaenews.com/news/32
Elections Commissioner does a sudden U turn : changes duties
“Meanwhile, according to unofficial reports , when the Elections commissioner and the IGP toured Badulla and Moneragala districts last weekend , one night they were met secretly by Medamulana MaRa at the President’s house in Nuwara eliya . What were discussed were not revealed or reported however”
So, the Warning must go to the Elections Commissioner,m the IGP and Police that Not doing their duties will make accountable, and request neutrality in carrying out their duties.
If not be ready to face consequences.
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Kumar David / September 21, 2014
Good, Mangala has come some way.
But to get a common stand (or coalition as Mangala calls it) there has to be a common standpoint. The sure way to get the whole (or nearly the whole) opposition together is abolishing the Executive Presidency. It seems to me that this is the one thing on which most agree. So Mangala and the UNP must UNAMBIGUOUSLY declare this will be done within 6 months if the candidate they offer to the common pool wins.
Who is this common person to be? Mangala says Ranil – frankly I don’t care who it is so long as it gets done within 6 months.
What are Ranil’s chances? Uva will tell us; if the UNP polls over 40% in Uva, a UNP presidential candidate will do well nationally. The Uva result will be known within 24 hours of this writing.
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someone / September 21, 2014
Mr KD,
“Who is this common person to be? Mangala says Ranil – frankly I don’t care who it is so long as it gets done within 6 months. What are Ranil’s chances? Uva will tell us; if the UNP polls over 40% in Uva, a UNP presidential candidate will do well nationally. The Uva result will be known within 24 hours of this writing. “
Now that RW and UNP has done it, it will make easy for you to foretell and unfold the future course of events. Please elaborate based on the new situation.
Moneragala they say is an exception, they say, because many a voters there are those who came from the South and hence they tend to vote for the “man from the South”. Badulla would be more the general pattern in the other parts of the country in future election. Also during a national election the kind and scale of state patronage, misuse, corruption, thuggery and bribery would be impossible to carry out in large scale hence the vote would be more free to come to the polling booth to unleash his discontent and anger against the regime. In the more “educated” south Rajapakshas lack the support base of the “ignorants” they enjoyed in Uva. Rajapakshas would be compelled to go for Presidential Election in and around January because the construction gimmicks they have started in the sough are midway or nearing completion and Rajapakshas must reap the benefits of voter bewilderment before reality dawns on the voters. The longer the elections are prolonged the greater would be the reaction among the oppressed and suppressed masses who are facing all sorts of day to day existential problems. Also there are the international issues stemming from HR violations, war crimes, ethnic issue, extra judicial killings, sullying of commonwealth and internationally recognized institutional norms and a host of other issues Rajapakshas have created through their inborn ignorance and klepto-happy genes. Given the ominous signs of coming xx embargos, international tribunals, debt trap, corruption and inefficiency issues, health and education sector issues, lack of jobs and opportunities etc. people would not be satiated with war victory gimmicks forever. Common Candidate or no CC people would long to see the end of the despot, and Uva have shown where they are going to lay their eggs. SF is definitely for the common cause, it is the JVP and those very government supporters who have to make their mind to vote for the right candidate to salvage themselves from the clutches of the tin pot dictator. Will they choose to perish separately or win together. The key word is they do not hold exclusive say in deciding who the CC is nor does the perennial curse and bane of Sri Lanka Kili Maharaja and his voice-cut media maphia herd.
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Kanga / September 21, 2014
There are two people who are for the “common candidate” idea. Kumar David (the [Edited out] of the CT village) and Mangala (select me, me, and me).
Should the two meet and have a sesion to sniff eath other’s views?
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Leelananda / September 21, 2014
Common presidential candidate Dr. JAYANTHA DANAPALA. Educated SLFPs also will vote for him.
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Native Vedda / September 21, 2014
Leelananda
“Common presidential candidate Dr. JAYANTHA DANAPALA. Educated SLFPs also will vote for him.”
Have you run out of wise people? Instead of supporting educated crooks search for people with wisdom?
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Tamil from the north / September 21, 2014
Mangala, my advise to you is to tie this bugger Basil Horapakse to a tree and do not let him go anywhere near the polling station or the election central office. Then it will be an easy win for the UNP or whoever is running against them. But I also do not want to see this bugger Sajith or that lazy bugger Ranil coming to power either. You may be a good choice or CBK. If you can form a union between yourself and CBK, that will be a winner for the people of Lanka………….I mean everyone in Lanka. We Tamils do not mind a decent Sinhala leader as the leader of the country, not a Sinhala guy who is going to pander to the monks. You and CBK……………in my opinion is a good pair.
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someone / September 21, 2014
Tamil from the north,
It seems ugly pig from the north has not seen the election results as yet!
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Tamil from the north / September 21, 2014
@Someone, are you Horapakse’s toilet cleaner. That is his support base. If I am an ugly pig, then you must be a slum dog, which feeds off Horapakse feces.
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punchisingho / September 21, 2014
If Mangala’s project is to promote Ranil as the common candidate he is only helping Mahinda. Ranil , even if he was elected, would be a far worse president than Mahinda.We know how the UNP behave when they are in power.
To defeat Mahinda we need the following.
1 A United Front of the Opposition forces
2 A manifesto
3 A road map
4 A common candidate that does not represent political parties
5 Rs.1 billion (at least)
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mechanic / September 21, 2014
Defeat MR and then what. Do you think there will be a political stability and every thing will be honky dory?
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Native Vedda / September 21, 2014
mechanic
“Defeat MR and then what.”
For a start we may not have to put up with your stupid comments.
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Amarasiri / September 21, 2014
mechanic
First clear the deck of Raja-Paka cronies.
Prevent a dynaasty being formed.
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Greenman / September 21, 2014
We lost again!
No surprise.
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someone / September 21, 2014
Mr. Mangala Samaraweera is among the few genuine UNPers who are working for the victory for the party and the country. That he came from SLFP is no disqualification for him to do his work. If one were to argue along those very lines of some of the critiques of MS then the very founder of SLFP is a breakaway member of UNP, Basil was in UNP, Gamini D was in UNP and even the very R Premadasa was not from UNP originally! And why don’t this bankrupt media outlet and the nobodies coughing for it find fault with the powers that be when they are using all the UNP crossovers to fortify its position and weaken the UNP? This type of hypocritical traitors are the real bane of the social advancement and they must be lynched and hung on lamp posts to set an example to deter other would be traitors of nation. The famous Matara Kurundupolu Army attack on UNP traitors and MARA acolytes is an incalculably valuable contribution Mangala Samaraweera made towards the rescue of UNP battered from all around. It is an act wherein he compensated UNP for the damage he did while he was with SLFP which anyway was his duty at that time. Any sensible UNPer or anybody for that matter would agree that UNP must preserve and use this valiant political soldier and strategist for the advancement of UNP.
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Vibhushana / September 21, 2014
He is young and lacks experience. Although the only candidate that can challenge the Rajapaske seems to be Harin Fernando.
Uva was a perhaps a reflection of the presidential contest. Surely, the internal polling would suggest Ranil W. has no chance.
The party should appoint Premadasa the leader and Harin Fernando his deputy. Premadasa will most likely lose himself at the next Prez Election. Although it will give valuable experience to Harin who will be working with him.
In a future election, perhaps 12 years from now Harin Fernando will be the leader and he will face a Rajapaske, possibly Namal Rajapaske. By this time the population would have had enough of Rajapaskes and Harin will nicely fit the bill as a replacement.
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Gen Gon Fonseka / September 21, 2014
Aney Mangala; [Edited out]
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Afzal / September 21, 2014
MR regime won UNP lost. This is the fact. Yes the margins have dropped but still they are in power which will have a huge impact come presidential elections.
This reflects what majority of our voters think, maybe they are thinking known devil is better than unknown ghost.
Unless the UNP come up with a solid plan and convey that message to masses through mass media from now on, the presidential election will see less margins but still a MR win.
Best possible option is a common candidate, I don’t think our rural voters are knowledgeable enough to understand what benefits they will get by abolishing executive presidency. If they are able to grasp what this Gov is doing we will not be having this kind of results in UVA elections.
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Fathima Fukushima / September 21, 2014
Common candidate = Ranil.
Otherwise we don’t vote.
If JVP cannot come to the party we do it alone. In 1977 we won alone. We can do it again.
Trumpet!
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Thondamannar / September 21, 2014
Mangala the once Blue idiot had come out with a statement which to him appears ROCKET SCIENCE………..
He is of the opinion that the masses & the Intl community are idiots.
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The Professional / September 21, 2014
Between 2001 and 2004 the UNP had a “breather”. They failed in breathing and UPFA won. In 2005 MR used the “basket of projects”, collected by the UNP during the breather, to prepare “Mahinda Chinthanaya” and won. The UNP had had discussions with international lending institutions to raise funds for implementing the projects in the basket. International Lenders, wherever they are from, are all out to lend and they were ready with handouts when Prez MR came into power. He has implemented what the UNP was planning to implement.
Party Manifestos have never influenced voters People in this country. However, “Mahinda Chinthanaya” conceptualized from the “basket of projects” created an investment plan for Prez MR because he knew that the international lenders were ready to finance the projects. RW failed to read the mindset of Sinhala Buddhist majority, when he went for a “peace accord” with the LTTE, which had ulterior motives. So he was sent home leaving the basket in the treasury.
With Prez MR in power, the battle style changed from fighting while negotiating to fighting till end. And when it ended he picked up the basket of projects, which RW left in the treasury and waived it at international lenders, who were looking for places to invest after the burst of US housing bubble in 2008. South port expansion and Port City project are such projects from the basket.
Now the UNP cannot shout “foul” after playing into their own goal and claim that foul play should be the common standpoint for a regime change.
Now the UNP cannot say
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douglas / September 21, 2014
All political parties must realize one thing: Can we go one like this for ever and ever on the theme of “Regime Change”? We are a nation who have done this “Regime Change” since Independence. Yet we have not leaned or realized what is necessary and urgently needed now. Do we not or when are we to realize that what this country and the nation needs is a “Good Governance System” that is made accountable and transparent in all its Administrative Machinery, so that the Leadership and the Legislative and Executive stake holders are brought to book as and when they default in managing our affairs. We must give up this theme of “Regime Change”.
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