Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka’s largest selling privately owned daily newspaper, has removed the video of President Maithripala Sirisena’s controversial video from its Facebook page after increasing pressure from the President’s Media Division (PMD), Colombo Telegraph can now reveal.
In the video interview that went viral over the weekend, Sirisena was caught on record saying former President Mahinda Rajapaksa could not show a parliamentary majority, as the MPs demanded higher bribes than expected.
“Some MPs even asked for Rs.500 million to cross over. I personally know about such situations. It was like calling for tenders. That is why Mahinda Rajapaksa could not show a majority in Parliament,” Sirisena told Daily Mirror.
The video of the interview, however, disappeared from Facebook early this morning and was replaced with a audio-based short video with President Sirisena’s photographs. The second version did not carry Sirisena’s remarks about MPs asking for bribes.
The Facebook video was shared by thousands of Facebook users over the weekend and earned severe criticism from the public over President Sirisena’s irresponsible remarks trivialising bribery and corruption. The move to remove the video from Facebook was aimed squarely at suppressing the negative comments and feedback.
Colombo Telegraph learns Daily Mirror has made an editorial decision to remove the video from Facebook owing to increasing pressure from the President’s Media Division, a notorious outfit headed by former Maharaja employee Dharmasri Bandara Ekanayake.
However, the video is still available on the youtube channel operated by Daily Mirror.
Ajay / December 10, 2018
No wonder most Sri Lankans feel he’s truly mad and needs to be certified and impeached before he takes the whole country down with him.
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Amarasiri / December 10, 2018
Sirisena,
Ok, ok Daily Mirror removed your video. JVP is planning to bring 20A, that will remove the JR presidential system, and hopefully you will be impeached for your unconstitutional actions and criminal actions of trying to bribe the MPs. So no more presidential elections to select madman the late Dr. N. N. Perera described in 1978.
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Don Stanley / December 10, 2018
CT Eds: what is the relationship between the political economic crisis in Lanka and the US Navy setting up logistics ops. in Trincomalee port, while social media is gossiping with the President and cronies and tacitly supporting Trump’s puppet, Bondscam Ranil? [edited out]
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Estate Labourer / December 10, 2018
Ajay, What rot are you talking? He is the “strong and stable executive” that Dayan is harping on about all the time!
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Amarasiri / December 10, 2018
Estate Labourer,
“He is the “strong and stable executive” that Dayan is harping on about all the time!”
But Sirisena’s balls too dissolved, when the Parliament was unconstitutionally dissolved, and he went mad. Dayan, perhaps does not know that unless he peeps under the sarong.
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Lankan one / December 10, 2018
MS made his life in danger…….
MR made him a fool ….
Now; this problem cost billions to Sri Lankan economy.
Sri Lanka lost it reputation.
This is a man made disaster….
Who takes responsibility for this?
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Kumar R. / December 10, 2018
Wow!
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“Daily Mirror, Sri Lanka’s largest selling privately owned daily newspaper, has removed the video of President Maithripala Sirisena’s controversial video from its Facebook page after increasing pressure from the President’s Media Division (PMD)”
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To reiterate “increasing pressure from the President’s Media Division (PMD)!” PMD is not letting the President express his thoughts and comments he publicized? How dare they?
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How Trump must be wishing this is what Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression meant!
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Democracy at its best. Jaya wewa!!
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K.Anaga / December 10, 2018
KUMAR!
You may remove from the ‘Face Book’ but you cannot remove it from the minds of the people. “Poonai Kannai Moodi Kondal Pooloham Irundu Pohuma” A Tamil saying- meaning That just because a cat closes its Eyes the whole World Does not get dark.
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Kumar R. / December 10, 2018
Ananga,
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My point is not whether the President’s effort to hide or pull back will work. Just pointing out the audacity in the administration’s assumptions that they can take official action to supress freedom of press while claiming to be a “Democratic Socialist Republic”! That audacity needs to be challenged and Admin’s assumption of such powers be exposed for its dicatatorial direction.
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Unfortunately, the Press gives in and that spinelessness should be condemned as well!
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K.Anaga / December 10, 2018
KUMAR! yes you are right. Most press and electronic media do given. except a few like CT.
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Strategist / December 10, 2018
Uneducated idiot makes statements without thinking of the repercussions. His stupid act only has driven SL to the brinks. Ranil should allow Mahinda to form the Government until end of Jan 31, 2019 to see how he is going to pay the debt of $ 1.5 billion maturing and then bring a no confidence motion to kick Mahinda’s government out. This will splash shit on Mahinda’s face. Either he will have to borrow more from China or default payment. By then the rest of the international community would have cut GSP +, brought travel ban against SL politicians, we would become a pariah state (as if we are not since 26th) and the voters would have had enough of Maithreepala and Mahinda Rajapakse.
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andre / December 10, 2018
They are only highlighting the 1500 M USD repayment besides that there is another payment of 6500M USD as interest to be repaid for the loans MR took during his 10 year in office. The funds of 1500M USD is syndicated from the budget of 2018 which was distributed for several projects these all have bee withdrawn to repay back the 1500M
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Strategist / December 10, 2018
There appears to be no end of his idiotic statements. In his speech to SLFP he has blamed the “Foreigners” for what he has done. It shows that this guy is lunatic. If we do not have foreign countries supporting us with loans and above all buying our products and services, he will not be in the Presidential residence but in a paddy field in his “amude”.
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rew / December 11, 2018
Brilliant comment – Men in amudes are not brainless like this idiot.
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Abey / December 10, 2018
Strategist, Poor strategy, MR will be a dictator and would not care about what the west says and will survive like Kim does in Korea
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Ajith / December 10, 2018
Dear Sirisena,
You are great laeder. You have exposed the real face of Mahinda Rajapakse & Joint opposition. There is no evidence to prove that Mahinda violated the law of this country and he is the head of corruption> Where did Mahinda got such money? It is our money. We should get our money back and the legal process should start immediately.
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Analyst / December 10, 2018
Shameless , Clueless, unintelligent village mad man our President. So shameful and an embarrassment to our country to keep this man as the leader of this Lunatic Asylum of a country.
We too as Srilankans are born cursed in this wretched country.
This man have had no clue that horse trading the democratically elected house of Parliament members in the open market is Illegal . Legally he can be proven guilty in the act of buying elected members of Parliament.
Disgraced our country ,disgraced us the people of SL.
It’s a common practice among the crooked Parliamentarians of SL. Those leaders who bribed for their benefit and the member of Parliament who accepted the bribe also have accepted the bribe unlawfully is also wrong.
They all should be charged on bribery and corruption charges.
This brainless man bragging in public is a shame.
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Analyst / December 10, 2018
…GODAYA…..GODAYA….Moda GODAYA? What do we do with the Moda GODAYA???
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Jon / December 10, 2018
Mr President
You are a psycho and a total misfit. Why do t you do the country a favour and go back to your village. You are a disgrace to mankind, an abosolute fool.
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Sinhala_Man / December 10, 2018
After that particular video was over, the computer segued to this:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEn5YadstQU
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I had just seen this admirable monk’s video getting into it from some other lead. He speaks sense, but the comments on it are appalling.
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By rights, Sirisena’s performance here should lead to more than disapproval from the public. This admission that Sirisena was banking on MaRa bribing enough people on to his side ought to be an offence which carries a stiff prison sentence.
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Bunjappu / December 10, 2018
Thank you Sinhala Man.
This monk has been telling the truth. We the ones living on the west have the same problems. Many known to me question me why and what happened to our President. There we become speechless. Not even school going children would do it the way our President did. As TV TNL discussion revealed it today, o level exam papers contained some questions based on ” when lanken parliament can be dissolved – that was after 4.5 years following 19th Amendment to the constitution”. However, President who has been the architect of the amendement himself has violated it according to OLpupils.
So we dont need to go after CONSTITUTIONAL experts on the issue.
And the fact, president the way he now makes public statements, anyone woudl easily notice that the guy should be mentally ill.
Like for exmaple going by his statment ” now without properly functioning cabinets, things move much better according him”.
How can he have the audcity to issue such statements while millions of school goers are now worried of their school uniforms for the next years.
And public sector workers are worried how they would have been paid off their salaries in Janurary not having passed the sums in the parlament yet.
All in all, I think PRESIDENT has beocme the nation’s clown to this date.
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Kumar R. / December 10, 2018
Sinhala_Man,
You are right — Sirisena is not only exposing MaRa on the bribe, but is admitting that Sirisena himself is part of that horse-trading scheme where he expected and shows regret that MaRa was unable to get the number of cross-overs only because the cost hd risen so high! So, stiff prison sentence to both – MaRa as well as Sirisena, in addition to those MR/MS can identify as ones who took part in the solicitations, at the other end of the deal and the agents facilitating it.
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Don’t forget – I am still wondering if the Elections Commission has a responsibility or at least a say in this matter of great public interest.
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Sinhala_Man / December 11, 2018
Kumar R.,
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I’m getting fed up with the traps you set for people. I’ve just posted some responses to you here:
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https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/sirisenas-casual-remarks-on-bribing-mps-in-parliament-sets-off-firestorm-on-social-media/comment-page-2/#comments
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There are many contending forces in Sri Lanka. We don’t know who will prevail. Our faith in Law Courts is just getting restored, but we are still unsure. Judges who are worth their salt should administer Justice. What we fear is that mere forensic cleverness may triumph over what is right and proper.
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The Elections Commission can only carry out the orders that they are issued, is what I feel. I think that they have all gone beyond that, ignoring personal risks. Especially Prof Jeevan Hoole, with people like you, anonymous Kumar R., waiting for him to stumble, so that you can jeer. Readers who see only what is on this page may think my charge against you is unwarranted.
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There is a link here to a speech by Kumara Welgama, an SLFP M.P. who is not servile to the Rajapakse Family. He says that the SLFP should go ahead with nominating Mahinda Rajapaksa as the next Presidential Candidate. The Elections Commission will be powerless to disallow his THIRD candidature. Once he is elected, by the entire country, “Who dares receive it other?”
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https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/silver-lining-amid-the-chaos-hats-off-to-the-gentleman-politicians-welgama-the-jvp/
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That Sinhalese speech is a good 45 minutes long; in some earlier comment I indicated what he says at different points. I’m sorry that I’m not up to repeating that exercise again.
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Kumar R. / December 11, 2018
Dear SInhala_Man,
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What traps? Just checking what mandate the Commission has in as far as the critical “checks and balances” go. Who better to ask than Jeevan who among the Commission has shown the most interest in this forum regularly.
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You have repeatedly expressed unmatched compliments on Jeevan’s expertise in election related reforms, not just in Sri Lanka but in several other countries as well. Jeevan, on his part, has expressed his vehement disapproval of even the minutest of bribery solicitations, accusing even an under-paid traffic cop in Vavuniya for soliciting a measly Rs. 200 bribe. Tell me why I am setting trap when, based on the strength of your confidence and Jeevan’s convictions explicitly declared voluntarily through these columns, if I get curious whether Jeevan, either at personal level or at an official level, will be able to intervene in the current critical issue of large scale (Rs 500,000,000 per MP) bribery solicitations that the President himself confessed to in a publicized interview? Can you think of a more critical issue facing the country at this point. Are you not curious as to who has the responsibility to investigate and propse corrective action?
Your undue trepidations just go to betray the confidence you show on the Commission, on Jeevan, and perhaps on yourself. If you stick to the subject and be forthright in the arguments and not look for escape routes, nothing I say should become unnerving.
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I assure you I will not be spending a fraction of the efforts in responding to you if I did not respect your views, but will not be truthful if I do not express my disappointment seeing your responses tending to be increasingly lame and accusations utterly unwarranted as you yourself realize.
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Ajay / December 10, 2018
This says more about the Daily Mirror than the lunatic President. The newspaper has bowed down to pressure betraying even the most rudimentary ethics of journalism. How can we believe what the Daily Mirror publishes as ‘news’ ever again? If you’re so afraid of the President’s Media Division – when there’s relatively more media freedom – why are you even in journalism. As it is, your newspaper is already a joke. Your ‘articles’ are full of grammatical mistakes and are even shorter than their cheap headlines.
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Thushara / December 10, 2018
Many thanks Ajay.You exposed the nudity of the Daily Mirror that didn’t come to our minds. Sad thing is that the Daily Mirror is owned by the uncle of RW.
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punchinilame / December 10, 2018
The snowballing acts and silly speech making of MY3 after Oct. 26th is more telling than ANY political leader that ever existed in Sri Lanka. The media has gone riot with him & made him a confirmed knave (insincere, liar, rascal, rogue, scoundrel, cheat, hypocrite etc – appaya?) He is a write-off to any Political Party in future.
He has screwed-down his own coffin!
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Amarasiri / December 10, 2018
Sirisena,
The cat’s out of the bag. The going rate for a MP to switch over to the Fake PM is Rs. 500 million, and Mahinda is short, and the Chinese won’t lend any more money.
Remember, this is the internet age.
Is switching and getting paid Rs. 500 million a crime? Or is this a minor crime in the context of all thecrimesinscluding the constitutional crime??
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Chitra / December 10, 2018
This idiot president, has no guts to say something, and stick to it, whatever the consequences. If he is so tough why is he trying to hide his own words and statements.
What is he afraid of? Like so many other things, he is trying got hide his mistakes from the people.
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Vanguard / December 10, 2018
Truth first. Good show.
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HL Seneviratne / December 10, 2018
According to the president, the reason for the entire deadlock costing the country dearly, is the fact that he doesn’t have the kind of money, 500 million per head, to bribe MPs to buy their vote towards a Rajapaksa majority in Parliament. He has forgotten that it is he who brought about the deadlock by his October 26 action of disbanding an elected, legitimate government.
Besides being an outrageous defense of bribery, this is a confession of what is not news to anybody, that it was to buy the needed time for bribery that he kept postponing convening Parliament.
It is the hope of responsible citizens that someone capable and qualified explore whether the president’s confession is grounds for impeachment.
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Uthungan / December 10, 2018
To an ordinary lay person it is very clear, let alone myself that the president’s confession has enough material to warrant a case for impeachment.
When he says that ‘because the MP’s were demanding extremely large amounts of money as much as Fivehundred million rupees or more to switch sides’, it is apparent that he is in sympathetic understanding about Rajapakse’s inability to satisfy such unreasonably high demands.
It shows how much he is in tune with the illegal attempt by Rajapakses unabashed predisposition to achieve an objective via bribery.
That itself is enough, in an ordinary person’s view, to explore if My3’s confession has grounds for impeachment or not.
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Amarasiri / December 10, 2018
HL Seneviratne,
“According to the president, the reason for the entire deadlock costing the country dearly, is the fact that he doesn’t have the kind of money, 500 million per head, to bribe MPs to buy their vote towards a Rajapaksa majority in Parliament”
Since Sirisena has no shame, he can ask the people to come up with a donation, do that his constitutional coup can be successful
After he collects the money, the MP’s should raise the price tag to 1,000 million.
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Wera / December 10, 2018
This man has got to be the craziest moron to be head of state of any country. He needs to go. If he wont leave peacefully then he needs to be pushed out forcefully. Crossing over for money has to be banned. Crossing over for any reason has to be banned. Taking bribes to cross over has to come with a mandatory life sentence in jail. These are the worst abuses of our rigths as citizens of this country. If any Sinhalese Buddhist who thinks he or she can justify or deny what just happened they too need to be condemned. If a segment of the Buddhist clergy think they can mindlessly go on supporting these kinds of scoundrel politicians they too need to be condemned. All leaders of religeons should come out united and demand that this man depart. If they cannot do so then they need to be condemned as co-conspirators.
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UncleTots / December 10, 2018
Mad chameleon
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Suren / December 10, 2018
My God, where Sri Lanka is heading to, if the President of the country is saying and admitting this publicly which even an ordinary man is so scared to do. This shows his mind is clouded and is not in a stable state. This is the solid audio and video piece of evidence to impeach him, and send him and all those involved in this bribery episode behind bars for their crimes. He took oath to uphold laws of the country but here is breaking and violating the law which is purnishable. Aiding, abbeting and hiding a crime too are crimes which warrants the full force of the law. Not sending people to Hong Kong to get voice recording but this needs urgent attention of the law enforcement agencies. Bribery Commission, and all the other law enforcement agencies should move swiftly on this, and book all the culprits.
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Pygmalion / December 10, 2018
There are more than 300 GSN divisions in the country. Most, if not all of them follow a long established tradition of soliciting a] something b] anything after performing some duty like signing a form,including a name in the voters list etc etc etc.
President Sirisena who also began his career [?] as a GSN still behaves as one to this day!
Its a knee-jerk reaction.
By his utterances he has told this country that Bribery and corruption is part and parcel of political life in the country.What better proof when it comes from the Head of State!
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Wadekar Arthij / December 10, 2018
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Dulci aachchi / December 10, 2018
I say this Sirisena is not suitbale even to do toilet cleaning job. Such a useless buggar.
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Chokka Malli / December 10, 2018
We need to check DNA of Vasantha Senanayake and Gewindu Kumaranathunga. Are they really the grandchildren of those who they claim to be? Their behaviour tell me they are not.
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K A Sumanasekera / December 10, 2018
Can’t understand why all this Fuzz about Dr Ranil lickers asking 500 Million to change sides.
UNP has only 44….
But Dr Ranil’s Lap Dog Speaker counts 122 every time he calls the Parliament. in Kotte.’
TNA 14 have a clear Goal.
They wouldn’t change for even 5000 Million,.
Even 5000 Mil is only worth 2.5 Mil Greenbacks now a days.
And Diaspora 4 Billion is there as Insurance in case….
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The rest are there to grab what ever they can .
Specially the ones who fooled our Dalits in the Village and crept into Parliament holding on to Sira’s Saron and Dr Ranil’s Westminster Kit…
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Whether Dr Ranil gets his Partition Constitution past the Post or not those Dudes cant go to the Villages at the next election.
Because people will ask what they have done with the 34 Million Free Car Permits. the Million each Santhosams from Aloysious and the extra Monthly Bonus of LKR One hundred thou from Dr Ranil?.
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Even Keselwatta Kid will have his work cut out, although most of his supporters are on Premadasa Family Treasure Charity Fund ….
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Native Vedda / December 10, 2018
KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera
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“Even Keselwatta Kid will have his work cut out, although most of his supporters are on Premadasa Family Treasure Charity Fund ….”
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Do you think Navin Nayakka is going to put up with Sajith.
Navin Nayakka is secretly aspiring for the job which his arsonist and crooked dad never managed to grab. You know he writes to his former colonial masters in English.
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What did Sajith do at London School of Economics almost for two years?
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By the way do you know what is happening between Namal Baby and his uncle Dr Gota in respect of presidential elections?
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K A Sumanasekera / December 11, 2018
Dear Native,
I don’t know much about this Nayakka…
Can He write English too….How cool.
I didn’t know there are” cool” Sinhala Buddhist Young Dudes aspiring to be the Boss of the UNP..
After the sad story of my fav, Keselwatta Kid , whom Dr Ranil banished to a suburb in Medimulana.
-.
They must also learn to read the English Translation of our Mahavamsa Constitution, like Dr Ranil does.
Otherwise they wouldn’t be in Synchro with those big ass Lawyers in ASEA Something ,who recently said that “English Mahavamsa Constitution” is perfect and there re no ambiguities what so ever..
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That is of course to tell our Learned judges that Dr Rail’s copy is perfect .
And there won’t be any issues what so ever..
Wonder whether your other buddy Abraham made an appearance to help Dr Ranil & Uncle Karu…free of charge of course…
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Native Vedda / December 11, 2018
KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera
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Is uncle Karu planning to place his son in law Navin Nayake at the very top? Being a rich 49 years old kid, thanks to his rich dad Dutta Gamani he had a very expensive education in the UK not every inhabitant could afford.
How about your own kids, (your partner must be very stupid to have kids with you) where did you send them to study, IIT in India, with your meagre income?
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When is your Mango friend Dayan going to complete negotiation for the floating iron mass?
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Manel Anoda / December 10, 2018
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Craig / December 10, 2018
Hot news
Petition Seeking Writ Of Mandamus Directing An Inquiry Into Maithripala Sirisena’s Mental Health
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/petition-seeking-writ-of-mandamus-directing-an-inquiry-into-maithripala-sirisenas-mental-health/
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Ranjith / December 10, 2018
How much did you buddy – Sumanesekera – got for licking the anus and eating the shits of Shitsena, MR and their goons? It’s because of you shits, this country and the people are in this plight. Man forget about Ranil and UNP but your buddies committed open, grave and unpardonable crime of bribery which your buddy Shitsena admitted well and clearly in that video. Now it’s time to haul the whole bunch of them – Shitsena, MR and goons – to the courts and send them behind bars.
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K A Sumanasekera / December 10, 2018
Mate,
Are you an ex UNP Cadet trained at the HQ, and a member of the Elite Anglican Faction to know so much about Posterior Affairs …..
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Native Vedda / December 11, 2018
KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera
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Probably part of Single Handed Kamal Gunaratna’s team which examined VP’s posterior (were they digging for gold) with a hot iron rod at Nanthikadal or a highly trained team member headed by Sisira Mendis.
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K A Sumanasekera / December 11, 2018
Dear Native,
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How come you love to bat for Dr Ranil’s Boys?.
About time you let Him Rest in Peace ..I mean not Dr Ranil..
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Native Vedda / December 11, 2018
KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera
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“How come you love to bat for Dr Ranil’s Boys?”
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Bear with me I am only supplying you with forgotten “alternative truth” as we have noticed your ability to apply “selective memory”, unsuccessfully of course.
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” About time you let Him Rest in Peace .”
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Are you sending in Wimal Windbag’s mob?
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K.Pillai / December 10, 2018
The price of a horse: SLR500 millions?
Will take 2000 typical Lankan families 20 years to save this kind of money.
Provided of course, the families survive the depreciation and inflation.
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K A Sumanasekera / December 11, 2018
Pillai,
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The Price of a Horse 500 Million Yahapalana Ruppiahs _ LYR
You are spot on mate ,
With the Ruppiah hitting the double century soon, it is only 250,000 Greenbacks.
In Kentucky and Ascot Punters pay even more for a Thorougbred ,some of whom can’t even run.
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But your ” TYPICAL FAMILY” is way off the mark.
You must have used Colombo Elite, Anglican and Vellala average to work out the savings capacity of the typical family .
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Most of our inhabitants close to 80 percent of the total, still live in non urban village areas.
5 Million of them are less than 500 Rupiahs a day.
If you take a Typical Family there, I don’t think they can save 500 Million even if they live until the next Armageddon.
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Native Vedda / December 11, 2018
KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera
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“Most of our inhabitants close to 80 percent of the total, still live in non urban village areas.”
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You were boasting during Mahinda’s rule the country had attained middle income country status. What happened between 2015 and 2018?
When Rajapaksa clan lost the elections did they take all those income with them?
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Why hasn’t Bandula Jayasekera interviewed Namal Baby in English yet?
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K.Pillai / December 10, 2018
One wonders whether there is a prod behind MS.
He was probably assured of a majority and he did what he did.
He found to his dismay the way the majority’ is cobbled up, and in a weak moment spilt it.
This will result in more revelations. Should we give him the credit?
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Shrikharan / December 10, 2018
Well I have the video in my site. For me to pull it down I want Rs 500 million. This is the current market value. It is his reputation at risk if he wants to save there value for it. Thank you
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renu / December 11, 2018
He is definitely off his rocker will need immediate treatment to bring back senses. he talks bull dust
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