President Maithripala Sirisena has disregarded requests from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to give Sarath Fonseka the Law and Order portfolio and instead sworn in Ranjith Madduma Bandara as the subject minister, Colombo Telegraph learns.
Fonseka
Earlier, Wickremesinghe conferred upon himself the portfolio which he is said to have handled unofficially although staunch party loyalist Sagala Ratnayaka had held it. It was to be a temporary arrangement, he said.
It was reported that although Wickremesinghe had urged the President to appoint Sarath Fonseka, Sirisena had only said he would consider it.
In an unprecedented development, several DIGs had made representations to the President pleading that Fonseka not be appointed.
Fonseka, meanwhile, is said to have drawn up plans to appoint persons to key positions in institutions he expected to be in charge of.
Pal joey / March 8, 2018
Sob sirisena u r a fu…..ng rouge skunk n slimeball. Hoping that the fukshas come back to power and send u six feet under the ground for the shit that u r.
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Buramphisincho / March 11, 2018
May President be blessed with more wisdom !
We always saw it sofar, it takes some time current Prez to do the right job.
Like for example appointing a committee at the time, BOND scam broke out – it took him two 2 years to stand against it.
He was also the person to have agreed to appoint former CBG, Mahendran.
Anyways, also with LAW AND ORDER MINISTRY; he will have to come to the point, that SF is the person to do the job, no body else.
General has already shared it not once but several times, that he will clear the issues as is expected by the people.
That is why he joined lanken politics.
Just stay mum but not to have the due, is what he has been pointing out even today.
Not PM but Executive president should act with balls.
Just stay half hearted is dangerous to entire country.
They the criminals have now against made a Jana mathaya, that they are the ones to do the job properly.
But in the same time, they have been spreading all the channels to work on RACISM.
State should reveal it to the nation, who is behind all the harthals.
Who are behind them if not FORMER man s rascal groups:
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CHARLES / March 9, 2018
LAW AND ORDER MINISTRY SHOULD GOTO A PERSON WHO HAS PATIENCE AND WHO GOT A KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CIVIL LAW. IT SHOUD NOT HANDLE BY DUMB AND TO A GUY WHO WANTS TO TAKE REVENGE.. RW DID NOT WANT SF AS THE MINISTER OF L$O FIRST PLACE. BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE FROM IN SIDE THE UNP, HE NOMINATED SF. RW KNOWS THAT SF IS WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR POWER. RW KNOWS HOW SF WENT AGAINST MR. THAT IS THE BITTER TRUTH.
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Sarrij / March 11, 2018
C.
You seem to be a RW fan and an opponent of SF failing to understand that RW is a blatant opportunist and a failure in politics and a disaster to the country. THINK BOND SCAM. THINK SF AS FIELD MARSHALL WHO SAVED THE COUNTRY FROM BEIGN SPLIT.
SADLY, THE COUNTRY HAS OPTED FOR A SPINELESS PRESIDENT.
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Simon De Silva / March 12, 2018
Was Leequan you that patient ?
He implemented the law and order to the top.
What BS you ve been bubblling.
These criminals dominated current day lanka can only be tamed by Sarath Fonseka or any similar army men.
That is all.
Now the wound has reached to the levels nothing else can help healing.
Rajapakshe idiots keep taking people as their human shields.
They made all various high crimes, now it is time to face it.
Why those men are that shy to face it if they are clean ?
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Sinhala_Man / March 17, 2018
There are enough cowardly, calculating, crooked lawyers around.
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The Minister must have courage. If he is dumb, the attorneys will be able to do all the talking and warning to him.
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It is not revenge that Sarath F. will exact; he will bring both MR and Ranil to justice.
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Lanki / March 9, 2018
As per Sarath Fonseka the weak President did not even have the guts to inform the new Minister that he is to be appointed to the post. This shows the weakness and the backbone less mentality of the President. When Sirisena became |President with promises to voters I was so happy. But my wife said he cannot be trusted. Today what my wife said has come true.
Should a person hold on to a position when the position was given without even any discussion? The whole country, other than Rajapakse and his gang of rouges, is dissatisfied with this appointment. If I was given such an appointment I would have resigned. Shame on the person who accepted it and shame on the person who appointed him. Its time UNP young MPs and back benchers to rise up against this appointment and openly talk about the weakness and the intention to protect Rajapakse family by the President. President has become the biggest TRAITOR to the voters.
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Kalu Nangi / March 9, 2018
The new Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara has been more “absent” than “present” in parliament during the period 2017 – 2018 as from May 2017. Absent 63 days to Present 16 days! What a joker….President Sirisena is an even bigger fool to appoint such a “Non-worker” as the Minister of Law and Order! President is now simply a puppet. He is now only a shadow President and acting under the instructions of MR or a stooge of MR.
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Sarrij / March 12, 2018
K N.
SL Presidency is a joke.The present occupant has a poor educational background; is spineless and stupid and not trustworthy..
Thankfully, the people have to endure this disaster only for about another two years.
Sadly there is no guarantee that the next one will be any better.
The SL constitution framed by local talent ensures continued chaos and a culture of impunity and corruption.
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Rajan Wahab / March 9, 2018
Govt has lost a good chance here. Sack MB and appoint Fonny to have peace. He can bring these Singhala rowdies under control. We have seen hundreds of mosques damaged the culprits must be caught.What is MY3 doing.
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Crusade1 / March 9, 2018
But can he bring the wahabi muslim thugs under control? That is the main question.
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Sarrij / March 12, 2018
R W .
What is MY3 doing?
Doing bugger all. That’s his forte.
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Good Sense / March 9, 2018
Politicians are quite good at playing double games. If Ranjith MB was Aiyo Sira’s choice, then why appoint a green boy for the post? Might as well put one of his blue boys there. Wasn’t Sira contemplating (as per rumors) to appoint his lackey Dumi-Dis for Law and Order some times back? I understand that Ranjith was sick and he needs rest and recuperation. Putting two and two together in my view RW has a share in appointing Ranjith to the position and if so, RW wants to direct the wrath of SF on Aiyo Sira.
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Armyman / March 9, 2018
We need an HONEST dictator for awhile. Fonseka should mobilize the Army and take over the country by hook or coup. Expose and clean up the place of all racists, rouges, corrupt, and leave so it can start democracy again with a cleaner slate. All this should be done with discipline and without any bias religious, ethnic or otherwise.
I think majority of Sri Lankans will support him in this endevour and no one else has this capability or capacity to do it.
It is too much to ask a mad to save the country twice but as a proven hero lets hope he might step up.
Enough of this nonsense. The current lot of ‘leaders’ including the police are corrupt and crippling the only chance we have to move on a be the great nation we could be. Every time we take 1 step forward we then take 10 back. We have tried democracy and ‘yahapalanaya’ which has all failed miserably. There is nothing to lose!
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Lankan / March 9, 2018
Absolutely correct! A very common theme for true Buddhist, Christian, Muslim and Hindus is honesty. Majority of Sri Lanka wanted it when they supported Rajapakse’s to win the war. Over time they become corrupt and got booted out. Lets hope SF will step up and clean up the mess!
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Good Sense / March 9, 2018
Dear Armyman
Do you know inside out of the man before you recommend him for the job? Were you an actual insider and worked with the man? With my knowledge I would not recommend the man. It is true that the system is rotten but that does not mean that we should make it worse out of sheer frustration.
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Kamalawathie Sameer / March 9, 2018
Armyman – I concur. Even my good for nothing uncle got me a job in Saudi Arabia by doing what Medamulana did for his mongol son, thus making him a synthetic “lowyer”. BTW I am talking in terms of “by hook or by crook”. May my uncle who had power and authority then R.I.P.
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Jayasingha / March 13, 2018
You will regret all the rest of your life if SF takes power through a coup. We will lose democracy and the country will be a military state under western powers.
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Gem / March 9, 2018
President Sirisena did not listen to PM RW! Why? He burnt his fingers by listening to him over Arjun Mahendran’s appointment as CB governor. Now he thinks twice before making a decision. That’s good news about him.
Look at those who make comments for Sarath Fonseka. We don’t need to go too far to find out the motives behind this ‘trend’ in favor of SF.
There is a common belief among most Sri Lankans that those who make the most comments in CT are no more Sri Lankans. Look at those who write articles like Shyamon Jayasinghe, Kumar David, Thisaranee G. another dozen with Tamil and Muslim names. They don’t live in the country but write as if they have witnessed everything with their naked eye.
Just take an example about the Feb 10th LG polls; all of them predicated that a split vote of the SLFP (between SLFP and SLPP) will give an automatic victory to UNP. We all know now what happened and they all desperately look for answers.
95% of those who write comments do so with malice, jealousy, greed for power, hatred, and lunacy. They have no genuine intention to bring peace and prosperity to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankans are lucky since these ‘devil worshipers’ can not write and publish anything in Sinhala/Tamil within Sri Lanka, since there is no readership for such ‘devil worshipers’ among genuine Sri Lankans.
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Emil van der Poorten / March 9, 2018
GEM:
Your pseudonym cannot conceal blatant racism and xenophobia.Plainly put you are KNOWINGLY lying or are TOTALLY IGNORANT when you accuse all the people you do of not living in Sri Lanka.
I have had lunch with Kumar David at his home and have visited Tisaranee Gunasekera at hers.
When you say, “95% of those who write comments do so with malice, jealousy, greed for power, hatred, and lunacy,” I presume you were looking in the mirror and missed seeing 5% of yourself.
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wannihami / March 12, 2018
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K.Pillai / March 9, 2018
The darkest cloud in the appointment of Law and Order Minister is our general acceptance that the minister gives direct orders to “Yes Sir, Yes Sir” police. A civilian minister cannot do that. In well governed countries a minister does not tackle any day to day activities of department in his/her charge. We have a situation where the IGP and DIGs have a say in who the minister should or should not be.
Can we ever stop this backward slide?
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smoked before the fire / March 9, 2018
Sarath Fonseka condemns appointment of new Law & Order Minister (English)
https://youtu.be/v3p37blGvXU
Let the people first read the facial expressions and decide before commenting .
People should understand ,Sri Lanka has become the Land exclusively for bandits, The Bandit constitution with all loopholes to rob, promote Racism and religious bigotry to cover fraud and protect criminals, to sell our resources which are the future generations rightful wealth of reserves ,look at the way river sand is being exploited today like never before ,while seasand is proven to be 100% safe for construction and cheaper ,are these people patriots who dig into the very bottom of mother lanka? so that it will end up one day with many natural disasters? Touch your chest and ask yourselves ,
who is more dangerous to this Land?the poor man who sits on the pavement to make a few rupees toiling in the sun day and night to feed his family ?, Man who runs a simple restaurant with great difficulties with borrowed money or hard earned from middle east ? (often accused of the most stupid assumption that sterilization can be done by adding medicine in food ,while sterilization is more possible by those who drink frequently ) OR BY THOSE WHO ENGAGE IN ILLEGAL SAND MINING? SOME WHO HAVE BEEN FAVORED TO MINE WITH OPEN LICENSE .. ? DECIDE FOR YOURSELVES
THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY BIG TIME PLAYERS LIKE ICC WHO HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO COME UP WITH A LOT OF PRACTICAL ALTERNATIVES HAVE NEVER BEEN GIVEN ANY SUPPORT ,IT IS ESTABLISHMENTS LIKE ICC WHO HAVE A TRUE AND SINCERE FEELING FOR THIS COUNTRY ,PEOPLE SHOULD ENCOURAGE THEM BY PATRONIZING THEIR PRODUCTS AND MEAN WHILE ICC SHOULD START HAVING WORKSHOPS ISLAND WIDE TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE TO GIVE UP SAND MINING AND PROMOTE THEIR PRODUCTS.
NOW PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND WHY MANY DID NOT WANT SF TO BE L&O MINISTER, There would be a lot of crime wiped out if he was appointed ,I am more than convinced that as a well disciplined officer he would not resort to revenge .All those who are opposed to his appointment are all those who have dirty hands .
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smoked before the fire / March 9, 2018
Let us see who are sincere Politicians today .
Those who are honest , will join the JVP , everyone and Muslim Ministers if they really care for their community will crossover today to the JVP. ,make the JVP’s hands stronger , never mind how they rule .
or let the UNP join and other coalitions join with JVP and form a government , this is the only way we can save this country ,.
next election every single vote of Muslims are guaranteed to the JVP, if Muslim MPs do not crossover Muslims must make sure not a single vote be given to them in next election. not one Minister were seen trying help the people ,none of their phone numbers were working . One Muslim village was completely refused security of any form for four days
Muslims if you really and truly believe in God , do not ever give your votes to SLFP, SLPP, UPFA or UNP ,Muslim congress or any Muslim MPS unless they , Muslim MPs ,UNP and other small coalitions crossover and join with JVP ,strengthening JVP and must form a government .
it is the only solution ,it is now evident what is going on ..I hope the Tamils also will support and join them
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Justice & fairplay / March 9, 2018
Good Sense you are so speculative, you can cause more damage than good. Without a single spread of evidence to prove your point, you have cast too many aspersions and while putting 2 and 2 together, you have arrived at 5.
THE LAST THING this country now needs is speculation without evidence.
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Hamban / March 9, 2018
Sagala Ratnayake carried out exactly what Ranil wanted him to do. He carried out Ranil’s agenda. Now we cannot expect anything different to happen under Ranjith Madduma Bandara too. Ranil will definitely try to implement his agenda through the new minister. End result of this political game..(the deal games played by the President and the Prime minister) if they go on like this, I am sure that the President and Ranil both will end up in the political dustbin at the 2020 election. Their days are numbered in the political arena.
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Percy / March 10, 2018
We have very inspiring leadership in Sri Lanka. Kandy area burning for days and President and Prime Minister either did not have the guts, or the desire to visit the area to date. Sirisena is now off to Japan and RW is visiting the Kandy Secretariat after everything subsideded. They act as if they don’t care a damn. If they were concerned any genuine leader would have visited the area, spoken with all parties and called foe peace. Not merely that.Byvisiting the area one gets first hand knowledge of the extent of damage,some idea of the causes,the miscreants, and also identify people who can step in and help restore peace. Nothing of this happened. Both Sirisena and RW cowering in frightin Colombo and blaming all but themselves. What disgraceful leadership. People of the area both Sinhalese and Muslims should give a suitable response at the next elections to these spineless,selfish UNP morons.
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Bandara / March 9, 2018
Who is the President of Sri Lanka ?? Its a spineless wimp who takes orders from Mahinda Rajapakshe.. Its time to impeach the President .
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Mallaiyuran / March 9, 2018
The new appointment is clearly indicating some manipulated, underhand, hidden agenda being implemented. When this knot is open, it will be too late to people protest on this. This done with social media ban, which’s purpose, is to suppress Yahapalanaya’s Gilmarts, not to deal with rumors .
1958 there was no WhatsApp. No Facebook. A rumor was spread like wildfire that the chopped body of a Sinhala man was coming by plane, in iced casket from North.
Long asked Hate Speech bill was circumvented by Yahapalanaya purposefully infusing PTA’s provisions into that. The aim was, they wanted label minorities as terrorists, but not to forge bring placid tranquil interaction between communities. In all past pogroms, it was well recorded that army and police disarm defendants with the name of controlling riots, while passively watching progressing genocides. Many Muslims have reported the same this time too. In total, whether an Act establish Law and Order, or bring new Right to people to enjoys life or it can be on any other aspects, all them are essentially in nature ill willed “Indian Pakistani Citizenship, MMDA, Standardization, Buddhism only…….”Even the new OMP formation provision clearly states if a Tamil has been ever accused as terrorist he will be apprehended by this bill and punished, but not it has any duty to find any missing person to help the suffering families.
Any anti-minority action is crowned by the government as Dutugemunu Class Patriotism,. There are many Sinhala youths, malignantly or innocently competing for this “Hero” title. Amit, Priyasad are examples of this new adventurist. For long time Gnanam was accused of spreading anti-minority messages. Sampanthar accused Old Royals of having spread new level of hate in LG election. No action from Yahapalanaya. Now to hide their secret agenda of the Law and Oder Minister appointment, government is banning social media. This message should be taken to UNHRC that there will be no investigation even without Foreign Consultants. This is going to create more damage to minorities.
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charles / March 9, 2018
SF is lucky to be a minister under UNP . He received only 5000 votes in the 2015 election. This shows how notorious he is. People in SL has no respect for him now.
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Sinhala_Man / March 10, 2018
Charles,
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I give below what I have already said about Fonseka’s 5K votes. So, that was in 2015, when he went it alone? I’ve never been a Fonseka supporter but I’m increasingly beginning to understand that he’s got character, courage and convictions. He states what he believes boldly and clearly.
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None of us encourages liquor addiction (I hope so, anyway), but a couple of months ago he said that what a man is permitted to do, a woman also must be allowed. Not a welcome comment in misogynistic Sri Lanka, but he said it. There’s no sophistry in him.
“I don’t know when Sarath Fonseka got only 5,000 votes, but I’m sure it was when he contested on his own. Subsequently, he bore up heroically under all that imprisonment and humiliation.
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“Yours was a cheap jibe, by a man who aptly calls himself not DEEDS, but WORDS.
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“I NOW greatly respect Sarath Fonseka.”
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Charles, you are a coward, attacking pseudonymously, and with little regard to language or content. Fonseka is a brave man who attacks those whom he sees as law-breakers. He’s not a man who should be carefully FRAMING laws. There are plenty of people doing that now, and not implementing. He was asked to destroy the Tigers and he did just that. Don’t ask him to be diplomatic; it’s something that he doesn’t understand. I hope Madduma Bandara proves adequate for the task, and gets things under control; if not Fonseka is THE man to RESTORE Law and Order.
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Supun / March 12, 2018
My foot respect . Clearly indicates the Sri Lankan voters are illiterate – if not they they will not be voting crooks and criminals over and over again. They only respect drug dealers and criminals.
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Saman Kumara / March 10, 2018
MS is weak gutless Prez Sri Lanka ever to have. MS dance MR’s tune. Be aware whole country is watching your coward act not appoint. SF.. MR is so scared of SF because they are corrupt and looters.
MS met MR at his borther, Dudly Sirisena’s houce to discuss SF appointment. MS weaker Prez ever.
Put a brave face of SF. UNP has better chance of winning next election.
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Buramphisincho / March 11, 2018
Sooner or later, they have to appoint SF – next step to stop crimes is GENERAL.
Dr Dambare Amila has articulatey it as no other.
That is what the people have been saying.
These men should be arrested by force not allowing them to destroy the country any further.
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Muslim / March 10, 2018
Just these words to understand Sirisena .
Rajapaksa s puppet via Dudley Sirisena ,all are the same. Shame SriLanka ,we are crying for you.
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peter / March 14, 2018
Give him field marshal position is more than sufficient, he is foul mouthed elder with childish mentality(carrying grudges throughout years with school mates) noway to fit as politician’s part though now he wears white cloths,people not happy with him and can consider as apish person with selfish character(he blocked others parking along the wall @Wijerama Rd.,near his official resident)but during past regime he was treated very badly and unlawfully,we were all sorry of him but UNP want’s have fun out of him by, appointed SF to parliament to keeping him against Rajapakshas, that also out of common man’s pocket.
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