Justice DN Samarakoon, Rtd Justice of the Court of Appeal has been appointed last week as the fourth Commissioner of Sri Lanka’s Right to Information Commission (RTI Commission) by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Colombo Telegraph (CT) learns.
Justice Samarakoon was nominated by the Sri Lanka Press Institute to fill the seat of the nominee of editors and media organisations on the five-member RTI Commission left vacant after Justice R. Walgama resigned on January 1st 2025. Delay by the Constitutional Council (CC) in forwarding the selected nominee to the President after calling for nominations on January 30th 2025 and further delay by the President in making the appointment led to public concern over the National Peoples Power (NPP) Government’s commitment to transparency.
Former Speaker Karu Jayasuriya who heads Sri Lanka’s National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) issued a tough reminder to the Government, saying that while Sri Lanka’s RTI has brought ‘honour to the country,’ leaving the Commission in limbo is unacceptable. This will “risk echoing the 2004–2005 period, when the then Government weakened democratic governance by delaying appointments to independent commissions. We sincerely hope that the current Government will not follow that path,” Jayasuriya said.
He also pointed out that this questions the NPP’s rhetoric on fighting corruption, adding that it runs counter to the Minister of Media telling Sri Lankans seeking access to the recent India-Sri Lanka MOU on defence cooperation, to ‘get it from RTI.’
With the appointment of Justice Samarakoon, all seats filled through nominations on the Commission are complete with attorney-at-law Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena nominated from the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, attorney-at-law Jagath Liyanarachchi (civil society) and educationist cum retired public servant AM Nahiya. The President has the power to appoint one of the Commissioners as the Chair which he is yet to do.
Sources at Parliament told Colombo Telegraph that the remaining appointment of the fifth RTI Commissioner is pending. The CC which has called for applications from interested persons for the vacancy which arose in March 2025, is yet to commence even interviewing.
While the quorum for the Commission to sit is three Commissioners, public concern is increasing over delay in the appointment of the Chair as well as the suitability of the remaining appointment. The Commission has also been stripped of an independent line item in the National Budget with its funding brought under the Media Ministry. This prevents the Commission from independently appointing its staff though this is a condition of the RTI Act.
Globally hailed for its work in advancing transparency in Sri Lanka, with several decisions of the Commissions being upheld by the courts, the RTI Commission is however at the bottom of state funding for both Commissioners and staff, its website revealed when queries were made from the Commission office. 
This seems to have been the case since the Commission was established in 2017. 
The Commission’s Director General KDS Ruwanchandra confirmed to media that urgent requests had been made to the Ministry of Finance to approve a Head of Legal and three other legal officers on a basic government non-competitive salary scale in addition to the single legal officer that the Commission has been given.
Additional recruitments have been asked for to handle the hearing of more than 50-60 appeals per week with approximately 75 fresh appeals being filed to the Commission per week by information requestors denied the release of information by Public Authorities. Other legal duties include appearing in the appellate courts and magistrates’ court. That has now been outsourced to outside counsel resulting in heavy costs in legal fees. Requests for additional legal staff have not been approved so far.
Meanwhile, several information requestors and journalists have started angrily complaining on social media that key Ministries under the NPP Government are slow to respond to RTI requests with automatic denials of routine information. This has led to an overload of appeals at the Commission. Activists told CT that the Ministry of Media tasked with implementing the RTI Act, is “non-functional,” only engaging in trainings with support from non-governmental organisations.
“That part of RTI implementation has completely collapsed. If the RTI Commission continues to be undermined, it will only be a matter of time before the entire RTI regime becomes limited to paper,” they said.
Jit / May 1, 2025
“…..This will “risk echoing the 2004–2005 period, when the then Government weakened democratic governance by delaying appointments to independent commissions…..”
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I thought Karu Jayasuriya jolly well knew when did independent commissions were initiated in SL? Theer were no independent commissions in SL in 04-05 period at all! In all fairness to Ranil W, he was the only politician who fought for those commissions, and it was only under his premiership after 2015 yahapalanaya government, that the independent commissions were first initiated. Neither CBK nor MR ever wanted to initiate them!
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Naman / May 1, 2025
In democratic country, there should be a clear unobstructed path to Right to Information[RTI].
MPs should be able to request clear cut to answers from the various Ministers for questions from their constituents. The Constitutional Council [CC] which is responsible for appointing the CORRECT /SUITABLE/QUALIFIED candidate for the high government posts.
Who are the current members of the CC? How many of them are there?
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Ratnam Nadarajah / May 2, 2025
If you ask me RTI in SL is a joke and non functioning entity from its inception
And non functioning inept
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Roxie de Abrew / May 2, 2025
The ‘L Board’ regime has no clue about governance.
Through this action, the L Board regime deprived the population of constitutional rights for over 6 months.
Now, the RTI Commission will say it has a backlog to clear and hence cannot respond to new applications promptly.
The regime has irreversibly buggerred the process of governance.
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nimal fernando / May 3, 2025
I’m not gonna dwell on little petty thangs ….. So far good ol’ AKD has shown nothing but class, decency, honesty, magnanimity, Integrity, compassion, discipline, generosity, kindness, leadership, patience, selflessness, frugality, good-breeding, utmost democracy, practice of true Buddhism, …………. all the positive things one can think of …….
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A Lankan rarer than hen’s teeth!
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If you can’t see it, it’s not AKD’s fault ……. but it’s nothing but the ‘Kuhakakama’ කුහකකම ………that ye carry in ye hearts ……. ye are born with it …… live with it ……. and die with it ……
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It’s a curse to be born in a country ……. with people like ye.
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No wonder Lanka is the shithole it is.
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nimal fernando / May 3, 2025
To all the teachers, religious-nutters, ideology-nutters, ……….. who ruin children’s minds with thought-control ……… and lay the foundation in minds to later tolerate unspeakable political/social/religious monsters …….
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This might not go down too well in Bandarawela …………. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWf-xWv6WIs
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LankaScot / May 5, 2025
Hello Nimal,
Brilliant Video😎
Even in 1979 we knew who Pink Floyd were referring to with these words –
“We don’t need no education
We don’t need no thought control
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
Teacher, leave them kids alone”
Roger Waters 1979 The Wall “All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall”
The ones we recognised in the song were our Teachers in the 60s. Some of them were still teaching in the 70s.
But the whole Ethos changed especially in UK Primary Schools primarily due to the increase in Women Primary Teachers. Only 14% of Teachers in Primary are Male nowadays, even in Secondary they are only 35%.
I pretty much agreed with Roger Waters Politcal Outlook however we disagree about Ukraine and a few other things nowadays. Piers Morgan doesn’t like him https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djgdjer0jOw
Best regards
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nimal fernando / May 6, 2025
LS,
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Have you come across her before? ……… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPH9j0qVM3A&list=RDNPH9j0qVM3A&start_radio=1
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I like the visual artistry ……. how the song is presented …….. like how OC approaches a subject …….. real or imaginary. :))
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There are many good artists …… away from the mainstream.
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What a great artist DTG could’ve been ……. if he had put his talents of imagination and make-believe into better use!
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nimal fernando / May 6, 2025
“Piers Morgan doesn’t like him”
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LS,
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I no longer know the real views/beliefs/stand …….. of “public personalities”/people. ……… I feel, many take their stand ……. after first looking at the filthy lucre ……. out there to make.
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As a Left or Centre-Left “public personality” Piers would’ve been a poor obscure another not-well-known.
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And his name would’ve been an ubiquitous John, Paul or George ……… not Piers ……. or Ringo ……..
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nimal fernando / May 6, 2025
LS,
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If you get my drift ……. most “public personalities’ ” public-image is crafted.
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At one time, there were 5 tenors, better than Pavarotti at Decca alone ……. who they couldn’t market.
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Then Pavarotti came along with his handkerchief and the theatrics ……… and caught the imagination.
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The Beatles were a more rock-fied version of the Everly Brothers……. with hair and dress styles of swinging London of the era that caught the imagination. The Everly Brothers themselves were ripping off Sam Cooke.
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But away from the mainstream ……… there is great artistry ………. listen to the single string guitar runs of Pee Wee Crayton ……… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U-tKJWoGnI&list=PLPcIjNm9ZLHfiOMGxNBOpHOGpRczjX_gr
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The whole album is classic.
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nimal fernando / May 6, 2025
This track is better ……… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEIfeofb-JY&list=PLPcIjNm9ZLHfiOMGxNBOpHOGpRczjX_gr&index=5
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Mani / May 3, 2025
Well done, AKD! And how long do we have to wait until the commission does anything useful? What are the monitoring mechanisms in place to ensure that this happens? What instructions have you given and timeframes you have instituted for your ministries and departments to comply with RTI requests?
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leelagemalli / May 6, 2025
Dear Mani,
they simply don’t give a damn about deadlines or consistency. Their sole justification is to continue blaming the former governments.
If there’s anything worthwhile to take away, they don’t discuss the ardent accomplishments of former President RW, whose tax policies caused a great deal of suffering for the populace.
However, since AKD is carrying on everything the previous president started, nothing constructive is done, even if JANATHA BALAYA (legitimate mandate) was given to him. Neither the VAT nor the electricity bills have been lowered by one-third. They have also not extradited AM from Singapore or imprisoned Dudley Sirisena, the owner of the Araliya rice mill. These actions were merely added covertly to their pledge list in an attempt to deceive the ignorant country.
South Asians in general, according to experts, are easy targets for dishonest politicians. But we never imagined that AKD or lanken leftists would follow the other party’s crooks once they were given the opportunity to make the long-overdue corrections. The leadership of the AKD has also done nothing to change the law or enact new legislation to stop the sharp increase in high crime rates. Today, it is a klling city in the Chicago style. Who in hell believed that once AKD gained power, his public rhetoric would be meaningless?
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Ajith / May 3, 2025
These are Supreme Court Judges under AKD?NPP. What does it tell? AKD does not want or not aware of Tamil or Muslim names.
Who are the Supreme Court judges in Sri Lanka?
Hon. Justice Achala Wengappuli.
Hon. Justice Mahinda Samayawardhena.
Hon. Justice Arjuna Obeyesekere.
Hon. Justice K.Priyantha Fernando.
Hon.Justice Sobhitha Rajakaruna.
Hon.Justice Menaka Wijesundera.
Hon.Justice Sampath B. Abayakoon.
Hon.Justice Sampath K. B. Wijeratne.
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Good Sense / May 5, 2025
The list published, thus making an appearance of non-inclusivity, cause an inquiry as to why it does not include all social profiles.. But if we go on that criterion as a mandatory stipulation, then we must ask as to why the aborigines of Sri Lanka (Vedda Community) are not represented in various institutions citing lists of names. Not that I am white-washing Prez AKD, but after he came to the helm he consulted the upper echelons of the judiciary before he sent the names to the Constitutional Council. Social profiles apart, the country must appoint the best suited for the highest echelons of judiciary.
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leelagemalli / May 6, 2025
Good riddance to bad garbage.
There are few powerful voices in parliament today in support of minority Tamils and Muslims. There is not a single cabinet minister representing the Muslim community. That could be why the government today is more of an autocracy than a democracy. The opposition is completely weakened, with opposition leaders marginalized as a result of the tsunami wave. Overall, the people will feel the effects of the current situation in the coming months.
Ajith and other radical northerners duped their communities into supporting the AKD. However, the situation they face today is unbearable.
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Good Sense / May 5, 2025
Let’s go into fundamentals. Is an institution created by law deemed to be independent? Independence means the right to act within the framework of the Constitution and the Law in a transparent, professional manner to the best of knowledge and ability, without fear or favor, affection or ill-will. As seen in the past, the Elections Commission could not conduct the local government elections upon stifling funds. Therefore, the ability to have one’s own funds is paramount. The law should be such that a block sum of money should be voted and the monies transferred into the funds of the institution at the very beginning of the year and enabled to receive from acceptable sources. The institution must announce its budget. I was appalled to see the pittances of allowances paid to the Chairman and the Commissioners of RTI. There is an old saying of Chinese traders in then Ceylon, namely, “Good things no cheap, Cheap things no good”. That is very true for payments made as allowances/salaries for Commissioners and Staff. The penalty for underpayment is the fostering of corruption and the loss of productivity. We talked of “System Change” and “Clean Sri Lanka” and now blown away.
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deepthi silva / May 5, 2025
Will Hajiar OC be a good judge ? He will forget justice and will only try to show how much he knows !
OC while you are sweating away in that paradise island Leela and I enjoy cool climes.
Today it is 26C , yesterday was 14 C !
Envious ?
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leelagemalli / May 5, 2025
Dear Desperate DS,
Although we recognize that you would never be able to rise above your “EGO”—even if Sri Lanka is in decline—do you not think that you ought to end your covert “love affair” with OC and allow us to focus on the subject matter covered in the CT articles? Please wake up !
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We can tell that your genetic condition is incurable because it resembles that of an inborn female human being. We are only able to assist you with your mental health. Please allow those who plan to talk about the topic of timely needs to do so. Much obliged.
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leelagemalli / May 5, 2025
It sounds like we’re expressing deep frustration or disappointment with a political movement or leadership—possibly one that claimed to be reformist or anti-corruption but is now seen as acting hypocritically, such as violating traffic or highway laws under the leadership of Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) in Sri Lanka.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsTbc-cde6I
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This we call “grotesque” suggests a sense of betrayal or moral outrage—especially if the same group once positioned itself as a champion of justice or transparency. totally u-turn….. never expected them to act like this.
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TBC
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leelagemalli / May 5, 2025
cont.
We’re highlighting two critical concerns here:
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Persistent Misinformation: You believe that President AKD is repeatedly making public statements that are factually incorrect or misleading.
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Complicit Media: Some media outlets, in our view, are intentionally backing or amplifying these statements—possibly due to political alignment, financial incentives, or ideological bias.
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This type of dynamic—where misinformation is both produced and supported by parts of the media—can be damaging to public trust, governance, and democratic accountability. If you’re hoping to expose or counter this trend, you might consider focusing on:
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Documenting Specific Instances: we have to Compile examples of statements by AKD that have been proven false or exaggerated, alongside evidence (such as fact-checks or expert analysis).
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Identifying Media Patterns: we Point out which media outlets have consistently repeated or supported such claims, and examine whether their reporting lacks balance or verification.
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Calling for Transparency and Accountability: we should Encourage citizens, journalists, and civil society groups to demand more responsible communication from both political leaders and media institutions.
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leelagemalli / May 5, 2025
[Edited out]
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In addition to issues pertaining to RTI, commuters’ conduct on Broad Day is also violated on the Southern Highway, with their responses being perceived as intentionally blinding.
They signed bilateral agreements with India, I believe, a few weeks ago, but the contents of those agreements have not yet been made public as promised. The leadership of the AKD has copied many other aspects of the previous government. People’s suffering is increasing dramatically every day.
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leelagemalli / May 5, 2025
Where in the world does a prime minister encourage electoral ambiguity by requesting that their supporters do so? Sadly, our prime minister herself frequently addresses the public, urging her supporters to vote for them despite the two days leading up to the election. This goes beyond all morality and ethics in a PM reaction. Under Thambuthegama Andare’s leadership, Sri Lanka has descended to much lower levels of law and order today.
She might be a curse on all women. Given that she holds a doctorate in sociology, I assumed the female PM would lead by example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erxDwQgGyEE&t=111s
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deepthi silva / May 6, 2025
Leela do you think only Ranil or Sajith can rule ?
What happened for seventy years ?
There is an election in Sri Lanka this week and let the people decide.
Coming back to our judge Hajiar OC , can you picture him in a wig and that red cloak !
Anyway the South Asian male body does not fit well in those European dresses.
The climate certainly not
Silly looking Sri Lankan faces don’t look dignified on august occasions. Especially when you study their careers you realize they have no principles or even capabilities ( Ranil, MR,Namal,Sajith…) only silly men pretending to be serious. They are only interested in a career for themselves.
Their silly faces really explain their careers !
Imagine Hajiar OC the judge hearing the Mahendran/Ranil corruption case !
Like you, they should have become clowns .
That is what nature intended for them
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leelagemalli / May 6, 2025
DS the desperate,
.
If an island nation’s savages are helped by a political leader, I don’t care about party politics. You don’t need to vent your resentment on me or OC, who have always been acting appropriately in regards to the sinking country, DS. SJ is one of the few that fall into the category, along with HT, MF, and NV. The more I know them, the more I respect them. Conversely, you and your naive brother, Lester, are constantly advocating for the Thakkadiyas of this country. Currently, things are getting worse for a donkey that was born and raised in a rural area where people are poor. While we were at Peradeniya, we observed a certain amount of mistrust.
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Together, developed and developing nations combat the growing threats posed by Trumpism. However, our people, under the leadership of a Buramphi-style man, have failed to engage in proactive negotiations and save the garment industry, which contributes significantly to the nation’s GDP.
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Tbc
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leelagemalli / May 6, 2025
cont.
In my opinion, since the establishment of the new government, Sri Lanka’s diplomacy has deteriorated. A week ago, the US vice president, James David Vance visited India for a week, and our foreign ministry was not interested in meeting with him to begin discussions about the high tax on lanken exports to the US.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VwsAiJWcak
Because his wife is originally from the Indian subcontinent, the vice president has strong ties to India. After the 90-day halt of his tarrfis impose, I, along with a number of others, believed that it might have been the best course of action if the incumbent government had been pragmatic and had anticipated the serious danger before the island nation.
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The entire world ought to unite in opposition to Trump and his autocratic rule. The entire world will be concerned as long as he remains president. This may be closely related to the way he thinks. This man may not be properly examining the situation because he is over 75. Medical professionals ought to take a closer look than they have so far.
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deepthi silva / May 6, 2025
Not only silly you guys have conman written all over ! Look at Ranil ,MR, Namal, OC ( imagine this rascal from a third world culture !)
Any way , Hajiar OC as a judge will benefit all you guys .
Leela can become the court crier
Vedda can be the middle man for bribes ( being what he is ,he will take half of it !)
Scotty man can be the ghost who writes all the judgments ( he knows all the laws because one time he had repaired some computers in Old Bailey )
And SJ ? Well he can be the court clerk ( very pedantic and a painfully slow bureaucrat )
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leelagemalli / May 6, 2025
Dear Thanakola (grass) eaters, dear DS the insane,
Would things ever function, at least to the extent that they do now, if RW-led 26 months had not laid the groundwork for the savagery of the mess that Rajapakshes, SLPP, and murderous JVPs purposefully created? Unappreciative?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t1B6ex-x2s
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Another foolish politician, Vijitha Heratha, boasting that they received the most votes in the most recent election, dares to claim that “who else strengthened the dollar and economy, if not their six months hard work”? How cruel can someone be to openly deceive and lie to the people who elected them to office? I believe that VIJITHA HERATH or someone similar would have long since been stoned to death in a civilized society. Awaken, DS… awake!
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