The much touted cabinet reshuffle proved to be an anticlimax with just a few changes being effected and these only with respect to UNP members. Accordingly only six ministers, two state ministers and a deputy minister were sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena at the President’s office today.
Apparently the other UNP ministers will retain their portfolios while the fate of the UPFA ministers will remain unknown for a further two weeks, which is when President Sirisena said relevant decisions will be made.
President Sirisena also struck an ominous note speaking at the swearing in ceremony, hinting that there could be changes in the subjects gazetted under each ministry, according to a release issued by the Presidential Media Unit.
However, while portfolios held by the UPFA members are intact and will be so for at least a further two weeks, there was only a minor ‘shuffle’ of portfolios, the key change being Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe taking ‘Law and Order’ under his wing, a subject formerly held by staunch loyalist Sagala Ratnayaka.
Critics observe that these changes are insignificant and even cosmetic, in particular Wickremesinghe taking over Law and Order. It is widely held that Ratnayaka was anyway doing Wickremesinghe’s bidding when he, Ratnayaka, was Minister of Law and Order, and that it was Wickremesinghe who was responsible for the foot-dragging on the enforcement of the law in several high-profile cases including that of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Ratnayaka had earlier wanted to be relieved of the ‘Law and Order’ subject while Sarath Fonseka expressed readiness to take it up. Ratnayaka retains the Southern Development portfolio while also getting the Youth Affairs Ministry. Fonseka has not featured in the reshuffle.
The overall ‘reshuffle’ therefore is a far cry from the complete overhaul talked of in political circles after Prime Minister Wickremesinghe vowed to take bold steps in view of the humiliating defeat of the UNP as well as its coalition partner, the SLFP at the local government elections.
Meanwhile the subjects assigned to Kabir Hashim and Lakshman Kiriella have been switched. Accordingly Hashim takes over Higher Education and Highways while Kiriella becomes Minister of State Enterprises and Kandy Development.
In other changes, Harin Fernando gets the Foreign Employment portfolio in addition to Telecommunications and Digital Infrastructure, while Ravindra Samaraweera has Sustainable Development and Wildlife. Piyasena Gamage was sworn in as the State Minister for Youth Affairs and Southern Development, while Ajith P Perera was made State Minister for Prisons and Rehabilitation. Harsh De Silva, the third State Minister to be sworn in got the subjects National Policy and Economic Affairs.
J.C. Alawathuwala was made the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Oracle / February 25, 2018
The joke’s on us , folks .
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Kamalawathie Sameer / February 25, 2018
The Oracle – “Law and Order” under Ranilpaksha means Rajafucksha and cronies go scot free. Miracle of Asia!!
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punchinilame / February 26, 2018
No one appears to know how and why MS has the Forces under him, rightfully, whilst the Police of 90,000 has been taken over by the other partner in this political marriage – are they seeking personal protection for themselves first with other matters left as secondary to their life?
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Percy / February 26, 2018
Rajafucksha and Allawhofucksha are acting together ?What about paedophiles and one eyed rapists? Are they also going free?
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Burt / February 26, 2018
KS:
Ranil should have stood his ground. Distributed the ministries the best way he thought to meet the set objectives before the next election.
Sirisena main objective is to protect the Rajapaksa’s , he knows he was taken to the cleaners at the LG elections. My3 is a curse for this country. He is not qualified for the job no wonder he never got anywhere in the SLFP other than rank by seniority.
Ranil too has not got the message from the LG Elections. In 2020 UNP plight will be the same as SLFP if Ranil does not grow a backbone quick.
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Thambi from the North / February 26, 2018
Burt
How can the spineless stand his ground? You need real leadership for that. Rajafucksha or allawhofucksha.
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Kawda hora / February 26, 2018
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Hatharabirikatharina / February 25, 2018
Law and order should go to anyone who unbiasedly do the job.
If PM would protect Rajapakshes further … it can grow p to the level of an incurable cancer in the days to come. That will be the end of the current govt.
I think current men were given a good mandate but they are not wholehearted enough to lock up Rajapkashe and the like high criminas.
Mother lanka is weeping. THere is no even the signs of the light at th end of the tunnel.
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Sarrij / February 26, 2018
H.
Mother Lanka got screwed royally.
The Gong show continues.
What next?
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Mallaiyuran / February 26, 2018
“நான் அடிக்கிற மாதிரி அடிக்கிறேன்., நீ அழுகிற மாதிரி அழு” (I pretend like beating you up, you pretend like crying)
This not going to be solo on Ranil. The game is going to start from New King. Game will start with Ranil He will act like prosecuting somebody. (Instead of AG or Justice department). Then New King will swing Therikkai Wall on Ranil. Ranil will cry “He doesn’t want mee…………. Then New King will find out Mahendran & Aloysius. Ranil will pretend like saving them. Then they together plug out the Tamils properties; when they becomes naked without anything, the duo will convert the Tamils into KP or Pillaiyan(Either dump or keep in prison)
Even if Economic Sanction come from UN, they have generations worth of saving. They will be fine until Buddha come back after 2500 years.
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Sam Fernando / February 25, 2018
62- Mandate was to see if Rajapakseh would ahve been hung by their balls for all the high crimes they deliberately commited, Not even a single man is arrested and put in jail is a curse sofar.
Good luck to lanken folks
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Burt / February 26, 2018
It is Sirisena’s fault. If it was another country he would have been impeached for obstruction of justice but this is Sinhala Bauda Lanka we are talking about.
Anyway Ranil will pay the price at the next election for leading a party without having a backbone.
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Emil van der Poorten / February 25, 2018
The Oracle:
Truer words were never spoken! Instead of a bunch of monumentally unscrupulous and corrupt politicians being between a rock and a hard place, it is the citizenry of this country who are in that position.
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Anonymous / February 25, 2018
We don’t want anymore stories about needing more time to go after the Rajapaksas Criminal Network we need to see action now…
International community has given more that enough time…
The legal system in the USA is going after Trump and the investigations are swiftly making progress starting with those around the president and making its way closer to Trump while in Sri Lanka nothing is happening to the Rajapaksas Criminal Network!!?
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Anonymous / February 26, 2018
President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte seems to have already sold his country to China!!?
“If you want, you can make us a province, like Fujian. Province of the Philippines, Republic of China,”
Will Mahinda Rajapaksa follow in his footsteps and handover our country to China!!?
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1G31KQ
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Burt / February 26, 2018
Blame the kangaroo justice system. In case of Aloysious assets of the company are frozen, people are in remand without bail.
I you look at the last govt you got over a score of politicians who accumulated millions and billions of wealth within a period of six years and cannot explain.
Still they are waking free and moving in and out of the country without any restrictions. None of the funds are frozen.
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Ben Hurling / February 25, 2018
Arrogant, inefficient RW & his bunch of UNP cronies just announced their collective demise in 2020. The ‘re-shuffle’ is a humiliatingINSULT to law abiding citizens of Sri Lanka. Scheming, back-stabbing Sirisena & his corrupt SLFP henchmen can expect people’s wrath in 2020. Mahinda Baba & SLPP 40 murdering thieves can laugh all the way to their secretive banks worldwide in 2020. Memories of LW, Wasim Tajudeen and countless other’s are being mercilessly murdered again & again. PEOPLE’S UPRISING, where are you?
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sach / February 25, 2018
BOO HOO HOO….
RW bad man did not make super duper SF, law and order minister…
BOO HOO HOO…
then he would have jailed whole Rajapaksa clan….
BOO HOOOO HOOO…the chance was missed……………BOO HOO HOOO we did everything to bring democracy and good governance no…BOO HOO HOOOO
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Namal / February 25, 2018
Fully agree . This pure hogwash with SF holding the Law & Order portfolio.
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Amarasiri / February 25, 2018
The Oracle,
Yes, this is joke on We the People, Part 1.
Await, Part 2 of the joke on We the People, after the intermission.
Part 2 will be announced by President Sirisena,
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Hatharabirikatharina / February 26, 2018
I think next week they have to do lot more changes. They have to make an announcement else, people would rally round to bring back WADAKAYA who would even have the guts to rape anyone in the country.
Today, they the rogues have been made popular becuse the rulers have not good backbones to stand against the rogues.
What will happen, if Gotabaya the master of murders would have been arrested .
What happened to the 34 investigations that were submitted by FCID to finalize.
What woudl be the next step, if Ballige putha et al would be set free ..
People will listen to them than the rulers. 7
If Late golden son of th enation Sobitha thera would have been there, he would stay sick not being able to the silly and powerless steps being taken by TODAYs men.
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nimal fernando / February 26, 2018
“The joke’s on us” …………Divine Comedy ……70 years long ………and still being written …………..longer than Dante….
–
One has to remember that the main culprit of this shameless saga is Sirisena himself. ………..His shameless and extraordinary attack on the FCID and the lady who was the head of that institution; Dilrukshi (someone) ………Sirisena’s brother Dudley guy is always playing games behind the scenes to protect Gota…………….
–
Ranil is one guy whose epitaph can be written while still living and relatively young …………. Born gutless, Lived gutless, Died gutless.
–
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Men are creatures of habit; never change ………….. the way they behave is written even before they are born…………….Well, women; that’s a different shindig ……….I wouldn’t even dare to go there…………….
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Leonard / February 26, 2018
Proof is in the photo two discredited men grinning and going for high fives.
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YakkalaSimon / February 25, 2018
I started a joke which started the whole world crying
But I didn’t see that the joke was on me oh no
I started to cry which started the whole world laughing
Oh If I’d only seen that the joke was on me.
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Janaka from Matara / February 25, 2018
RW and MS has learnt nothing. Therefore they are bound to go thru ignonimty all over again, or worse.
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Dharshana W / February 25, 2018
What is My3 Thinking, giving the portfolio oLawand Order to RW, thus strengthening him with more authority, and obviously less accountability.
Anyways the portfolio of Law and Order was nestled with Ragala R, up until now, who is the “Golden Boy”of the RW group. BTW, Sagaala R was parallel to me in Uni during my first degree, and he was a real Nangi malli”even then.
Those facts aside, RW by crowning himself as the minister of Law and Order, is really creating “hara kiri” not only for himself, but the entire UNP since the Expectations “BAR”for corruption of the previous government has been reset with this reassignment of portfolios.
Whatever he does, RW will NOT be able be bring to justice, even a minute faction of the so called corruption.
Instead, he will work overtime to put the Bond scam under the rug and also destroy any remaining evidence.
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Amarasiri / February 25, 2018
RE: Cabinet Reshuffle: UNP In Minor Tweaks, UPFA No-Show
“It is widely held that Ratnayaka was anyway doing Wickremesinghe’s bidding when he, Ratnayaka, was Minister of Law and Order, and that it was Wickremesinghe who was responsible for the foot-dragging on the enforcement of the law in several high-profile cases including that of Gotabaya Rajapaksa.”
Now the former crooks and the current crooks will be well-protected, and will be free to roam at large.
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nalmen / February 25, 2018
what a a reshuffle -changing pillows to cure a headache
who is the joker ? sira or local marie antoinette ranil wicks
bye bye yahapalanaya
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shrikharan / February 25, 2018
Nalmen
Else to say same old wine in a new bottle! Nothing has changed and nothing will change, because anyone doing his job will just do the same.
The fault is not with the individuals and is with the system where somehow rules have crookishly allowed legislature to infiltrate or influence the administration and thus broke all checks and balances. Just like a judge being allowed to be a policeman as well! Until we could clearly separate both nothing will change. When the Golden opportunity is there for you to rob with impunity why not and of you do not then you are a fool. So when I am outside the system I will criticize Ranil and Ravi Karunanayake but if I am given the job as it is without clear checks and balances then I will also do the same.
I can say Ranil Wickremasinghe and Ravi Karunayake are decent people from well to do families and went to good school but when a golden opportunity is smiling at you to ‘rob’, actually it is not ‘robbing’ is really gold mine for you to take. Honestly I too would have done the same if not am a fool!
Change the system then no one will rob and Sri Lanka will be free of crooks.
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Shrikharan / February 25, 2018
Again to say, no one is a crook. It is the opportunity that creates crooks. So do not give the opportunity to rob and especially with impunity and that simply lures any decent person to ‘robbing’.
Honestly I will not blame Ranil Wickremasinghe, Karunanayake, or call anyone including Mahinda Rajapakse, Wimal Weerawanse and you name it. The opportunity was given along with the impunity so why not. Otherwise you are fool.
Only that we were not given that chance and so we are shouting but try and see just if you are lucky to sit in their seat then you will slowly become silent and do what they were doing – making hay when the sun shines otherwise you are damn fool.
There is only one solution the legislature and administration must be clearly separated. Government can only lay the policy but should be carried out by the administration. Government cannot say appoint Mr. A to the post. Its selection is done purely by the administration provided by the general rules set by the Government
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Jagath Fernando / February 25, 2018
Bloody good reshuffle.
Crooks from the previous regime are safe for another two years.
Bond scam fellas are also safe now.
The prisoners who died in the prisons attack, Lasantha and Thajudeen murderers will never be punished.
Atleast for the moment, UNP will blame Sirisena for not being interested in punishing offenders since he refused to appoint Sarath Fonseka for law and order who promised to catch the murderers in 6 months.
What a country !!!
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Kamalawathie Sameer / February 25, 2018
JF – Comedians and comedy country !
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thilan / February 25, 2018
As i have discussed this in colombo telegraph by various comments i written before i have clearly mentioned that mahindas modern slfp (SLPP) has a block vote of 58 lacks 47% votes and UNP only has a vote base 27 lacks with 23% in srilanka. And i always mentioned unp always depends on the 12 lack floating voters but mahinda always win with his strong 47 % of his block votes. Consider the last LG polls mahinda got 49.4 lacks with out anamaduwa, ridimaliyadda, and ugana results. With all three LG bodies also won by mahinda. Then the mahindas vote base coming to 5 million. Apart from this he has nominated other parties and gave his full vote base to that parties in maharagama, thirapane, mahiyangana, weligama, beruwala, bandarawela, weligama. The total votes casted in this areas closer to 150000 then mahindas vote base in this election is closer to 5.2 million and 46.5 % as a single party. In unps case they got 3.6 million votes as a alliance. From that 3.6 million votes 900000 votes were brought by other parties like muslim cobgress 400000 votes digambaram 200000 votes ,hela urumaya, fonseka, rishad baduyudeen and all other small parties brought 300000 votes. Unp only have a vote base less than 2.7 million 23% in srilanka. It is 50% of the largest single party in srilanka modern slfp. This is the real situation of unp in srilanka since 1994 but it was not clearly shown since slfp always in an alliance. Always the vote base of unp is only a 50% of slfps block vote base. Unp always depends on floating votes. This situation get very bad after 2005 after mahinda took the power And the revolutionary extra ordinary neo liberal economic management of mahinda the economic management the people like jr.,premadsa even do not have a skill to think about this economic management. Unp people first have to accept this truth. Below mentioned are the chalenges tha unp have this moment. 1.mahindas modern slfp are the architects of this huge 82 billion srilankan economy that people like jr, premadsa s unp even do not know the bacic of this huge neo liberal economic management.
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justice / February 25, 2018
Law and Order are non existent in Sri Lanka, especially in the north and east where citizens are shot dead and court cases regarding unlawful events take months.
Latest is vandalization of three Saiva temples, in close vicinity of military camps.
If Sagala could not, what can Ranil do?
This cabinet reshuffle will have no effect, especially as the 84 lawmakers lacking even O Level qualifications and thus unable to read and understand the constitution,
are/were mere ‘Yes Men’.
Loosing state enterprises are being allowed go on in the same manner.
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thepanis / February 25, 2018
MS’s motive is very clear; protect the murderers and thieves while peeing at the wrong tree. Could be….. MS’s family too got the taste of looting:-)
Wish Sri Lankan citizens a great future with bunch of cronies at the helm. Those who voted for Yahapalanaya…… please take cover…. Your beloved country is doomed for good:-)
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kolla / February 25, 2018
With Ranil as law and order minister he and Mahendran/Aloysius will go scott free ! The rogue is in charge of the Police and attorney general !
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Justice & fairplay / February 25, 2018
Shame on everyone concerned that we reached such an anticlimax.
No one knows which of the top two is pulling the wool over us.
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Burt / February 26, 2018
J&f:
In this screwed-up system the PM can only put forward candidates the President has to approve and give that portfolio to the individual.
To make matters worse we got a PM without a backbone that cannot get his people in place or reject the thieves and crooks My3 picks from SLFP for cabinet.
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dharshana / February 25, 2018
Exactly, we are the subjects of these great court jest of larger proportions simply trying to intimidate the general public.
My3 and RW should not be allowed to get off this stint.
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Isharath / February 25, 2018
I am starting to feel the entire saga since the elections has been preplanned. Just in few months, we will come to know how Min. of Law & Order does. no need to wait for 2 years.
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Quraish Moulana / February 25, 2018
Why jittery to give law and order to SF? It’s obvious that Sirisena having secret deals with Rajapaksa. Only a face wash to deceive the public that he’s against corruption.
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Buddhist / February 25, 2018
President has not appointed Sarath Fonseka as Minister of Law and Order. President Sirisena has once again proved that he has no back bone especially to fight against Mahinda Rajapakse. Although Sirisena is the President the feeling in the country is that Mahinda Rajapakse is the President, especially after the local government election. Sirisena has surrendered to the Puppeteer Mahinda and has become a slave of the SLFP Mahinda surrogates who are now acting as Maithree SLFP MPs. Shameful act and a let down of the people who appointed Maithree as the President. He has also put a noose around Ranil by offering him the Law and Order Ministry whereby he can continue to blame Ranil for his own failures to deliver the promise he gave to the people. If President Sirisena was a strong person he would have appointed Sarath Fonseka as the Minister of Law and Order. Do we need such a President, do those who voted to make him the President deserve such a weak President? Sirisena has done another “Appa Act” by not appointing or changing any SLFP Cabinet positions. Does this mean he wants to put the entire blame of his Government on the UNP? Is he so weak as not to accept his failures? Still there is time, he can appoint Sarath Fonseka as the Minister of Law and Order.
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Amarasiri / February 25, 2018
Buddhist
Yes. Sirisena does not want Sarath Fonseka as the Law and Order Minister, knowing what happened to VP and Cronies, will happen to Mahinda Rajapaksa and cronies, and does not want to run as President against Sarath Fonseka in 2020.
What can you expect from a Gamarala who lacks leadership and guts.
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ramona therese fernando / February 25, 2018
This Sarath Fonseka……if he can start an uprising, then……is he national-socialist minded?
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ramona therese fernando / February 26, 2018
Ok….not him….We’ll wait and see if Ranil is good within the next 3 months……..otherwise……..
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Fathima / February 25, 2018
That hangover saluting says much more…
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K.Pillai / February 25, 2018
So this is how the minds of our politicians work!
The SLPP used the LC elections to throw a veil around the culture of corruption. In due course this will be molded into an acceptable commodity.
The LC debacle is now being used to veil the bond issue. Penthouse is all but forgotten. The Russian frigate is on its way.
All but the suffering Lankans will live happily ever after!
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Plato. / February 25, 2018
Cabinet reshuffle?
Much ado about nothing!
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Mallaiyuran / February 25, 2018
Ranil playing the cheat of his life time by taking over the Law and Order. His master plans have been working fine until the election. By that time he arranged with India to meet Mr. Modi demand for GSP+ from India. But two disappoints recently. America had put a halt on GSP+. Earlier, when every time India wanted to negotiate of ETCA, Ranil has been showing his art of kicking on the butt to all Indian diplomats. When America gave him trouble, he was planning to lean with India once again and kick back America. But election has disturbed that. He need time to recover from election and recover from GSP+ affect. He need time to meet Mr. Modi.
He has been protecting Old King from the time he went to New York, when he was opposition leader. Then he confirmed that to Old King in Temple Tree House. After election, UNP backbenchers, who were devastated by the SLFP’s and Slap Party’s success in destroying UNP with its CB looting, are pressing to investigate Old Royals Crimes so to balance with the opposition success. In the meantime UNHRC’s 37th siting is starting too. So as two birds with one stone, he has taken the Law & Order hoping to thaw those demand in long term. Colombo Media reports that he has ordered to Rajitha to take care of 30 files he had with him, without releasing for investigation to Sagala or AG until now. So by constraining the ministry to his wills, he will not let the Law and Order be independent and build cases on their own.
If there is a way to bring Chandrika to Law and Order, she knows way to act beyond the cabinet. But, until the New King and Ranil are heads of the cabinet, it can be even Ponny as the L&O minister, only Box Ticking for UNHRC will take place, no real investigations.
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Real Revolutionist / February 25, 2018
Oh boy; what shall we do now?
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ramona therese fernando / February 25, 2018
This Sarath Fonseka…….is he national-socialist minded?………if he can start an uprising, then…..
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Lanki / February 25, 2018
Should UNP bring a no confidence motion against the President for he has shown he is a weak President with no back bone!
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UJ / February 25, 2018
Sadly the UNP is now terminally ill. No hope of recovery at all. People had very high hopes when we all voted yahapalana government in to power in 2015. What did they do? They thought people who voted them in as stupid idiots. I didn’t vote them this time in mere frustration. Looks like these guys haven’t learnt any lesson and they never will. Hence we all should not waste our time any further on expecting these guys to reform and fulfil people’s expectations. Let’s work towards forming a powerful civil movement to get rid of all corrupt and deal making politicians and bring in a brand new and capable set of people to govern.
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Jim softy / February 25, 2018
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Jim softy / February 25, 2018
I heard Ranil Never goes to get instructions from three Mahanayakes. Earlier, he was used to go to Thirupathi Kovil in KErala. Now, he instead goes to Meera Makkam Mosque in Srilanka. Even when he was used to go, the way of presentation, approach was different.
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Champa / February 25, 2018
BRAVO to the President for blocking UNP’s attempt to appoint Sarath Fonseka as the Minister of Law and Order.
I am glad he had the guts to exercise Presidential powers even where there is no power :) ——- No, I mean, 19th Amendment doesn’t give room for the President “to choose the Cabinet”, but “he has the power to not to approve PM’s choices.” Weirdo……
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Jim softy / February 26, 2018
They want Appoint Sarah Fonseka as the LAw and order minister for some reason.ITis HORU #1, #2 and #3. they all play they same game.
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Good Sense / February 25, 2018
It was made to understand that MY3 wanted RW to leave the premiership. But the end result is that he becomes the Minister in charge of Law & Order, officially. So the fight is essentially cosmetic to create a high drama. I think Sri Lankan politicians are much better than Machiavelli. In 1964, a vote of No-Confidence was passed against the Government of the day in Sri Lanka. A similar situation in Sri Lanka was averted through a prorogation of Parliament in early 2000’s. Canada subsequently copied Sri Lanka in proroguing the Parliament under similar circumstance to avoid passage of a no-confidence motion. Boy! Our fellows can easily set up a school on “podi-tricks” for all the politicians in the world. (It was Dr. W. Dahanayake who said “politics kiyanne podi tricks” – politics means small tricks.)
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Rishard / February 25, 2018
Probably RW depends on collective votes of all parties, minorities, CBK, India, US, EU and a Common Candidate again to rescue in 2020, so LG polls does not seem to worry him a lot
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Jim softy / February 26, 2018
NEw LAw and order minister or the UNP Bnk robber’s LADKI – Purohitha says that there is no need to clean the dirty Colombo. the reason is even if it cleaned, it would be dirty again. they ar eno employees only the contractors. so, the money finisher sin six months. I heard, some times, the boss is iendified as Urumota. Idenficiation bak to the person in turn is also not that pleasant.
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punchinilame / February 26, 2018
No one appears to know how and why MS has the Forces under him, rightfully, whilst the Police of 90,000 has been taken over by the other partner in this political marriage – are they seeking personal protection for themselves first with other matters left as secondary to their life?
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