Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa provided a strong clue about a major election in early 2015, when he told a contractor engaged to construct the second phase of a low income housing scheme to house former shanty dwellers in Dematagoda yesterday.
No way. That is far too long. It has to finish by November this year the latest. There will be elections in 2015, this project has to be completed before that
On an inspection tour of the Mihindu Senpura second phase construction site, the Defence Secretary asked the contractor how long it would take to complete the project. The contractor informed the senior official that the building would take at least 18 months to complete, but his deadline did not meet with Rajapaksa’s approval.
“No way. That is far too long. It has to finish by November this year the latest. There will be elections in 2015, this project has to be completed before that,” the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence told the contractor during his inspection.
He said many companies in Colombo were completing high rise buildings within very short spaces of time.
Opposition parties are insistent a national election will be declared in 2014 but certain constitutional blockades on a presidential election prior to November 2014 may mean the Government will hold elections early next year instead, as hinted by the powerful Defence Secretary.
Five hundred housing units constructed under the 1st phase of ‘Mihindu Senpura’ low income housing scheme was ceremonially vested on public on 18th November last year by the President.
During the inspection tour, Rajapaksa visited Estate 54 and 66, Maligawatte, Pradeepa Mawatha, Edirisinghe Mawatha, Cyril C Perera Mawatha and Salamulla housing sites, the Defence Ministry said.
Chairman of the Urban Development Authority Nimal Perera, Director General Nihal Fernando, Additional Director General Brigadier Samantha Jayasundara, Civil Engineering officials of the project and senior officials of the Urban Development Authority accompanied the Secretary Defence during the visit.
aratai / January 3, 2014
.
Who is running?
MaRa – probably, but looks like he is tired if this shit.
>
BaRa – cancer?
>
GoRa – well planned and all in place – expecting his bro to offer him.
>
NaRa – who try to kill me at new years party? definitely not my father!
>
:-)
/
sarojini / January 3, 2014
Arati Stop spitting out your venom !
/
Fathima Fukushima / January 3, 2014
Good strategy.
Kothapaya the next president.
UNP should try to somehow have the election in 2014. Kothapaya stole Premathasa’s strategy. 1987 year of housing. 1988 presidential election which he won!
Kothapaya Premadasa is the next president.
/
Palmsquirrell / January 3, 2014
GOTA and his BBS / Nationalist monks are taking the fight to the Muslims so how come you are cheerleading Gota? Oh thats right you are a Sinhalese nationalist who tries to mislead people here with his Muslim [Edited out].
/
ruwan / January 3, 2014
Classic one aratai ! keep ’em
coming !
/
Sumith / January 3, 2014
prez elections 2015 not 2014.???
better. by that time MR will loose ideas how he can keep on black mailing his ministers of corruption charges to be loyal to Rajapakse family.
year 2104, we will witness how the rats going to jump out of MR’s ship. it is fun time.
I prefer MR to win another Prez term so that our water buffaloas can eat another 6 years of punnakku. -:)
/
Safa / January 3, 2014
Destructing on one side and constructing on the other. Victims of Glennie street, Mews Street are still languishing in the mud-hole at thotalanga. Next stop is Wanathamulla and Applewatte.
Will these housing units be given to the victims or to some political stooges so that they can vote?
/
K.A Sumanasekera / January 3, 2014
How sad is Aratai comment…
Shouldn’t the Opposition be putting out a solid Manifesto now to tell the inhabitants what they will do in Govt other than
* Granting LTTE proxy Sambandan’s wish list plus any additions from Cameron and Harper to please the Diaspora.
* Bring the brave Soldiers back into the Barracks in the South.
* Give the CM his own TNA Police and kick out the Sinhala and Muslim cops.
* Selling Waters Edge
* Ban the Packer Tower
* Scrap , Mihin Air,and the CTB
* Sell the Katunayaka and Southern Expressway to Diaspora Pension Funds
* Sell CMB and Hmbanthota Airports to Cameron’s Hedge Funds.
These are the obvious ones that will be done starting from day one.
Who knows what else is in the bag.
One thing for sure is that the alleged 10 percent commissions will be like small change when these crooks get the controls.
After waiting for nearly twenty years . they must be really hungry.
Watching the mega projects which have come up in the last five years in particular must have induced a lot of salivating on how much dough could have been made,
It will be a bloody a mad rush like the scrum in a tough footy game , when the privatization commences….
/
Rationalist / January 3, 2014
Aratai – was Namal at the Hilton? Give us Photos, in the Lake House Sinhala Tamil Newspapers, so that people will know where their taxes are going!
/
mike / January 4, 2014
He was seen with Paba, his father’s favourite!
/
Thondamanaru / January 3, 2014
Gota next president ??
OMG…….. many will be sh.tting in their pants….
Aratai will not need a laxative……….
/
Delusions of a Rationalist / January 4, 2014
Forget the UNP and Ranil! They cannot win! Unless a credible opposition is gathered, we will be in the same plight! I mean not the old codgers who have a definite track record of deception and corruption, not the discarded senior ministers, nor the frogs who jump to and fro! Now we have nothing! That is the reason why the power hungry RRRR+ WANT TO HAVE A SNAP ELECTION BEFORE THE OPPOSITION COULD PULL UP THEIR PAMPERS! AND OF COURSE THE GOVT COULD BRIBE OR THREATEN ANYONE WHO IS A THREAT, WHILE USING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF GOVT TO CARRY THE PROPAGANDA AND USE ALL OTHER RESOURCES!
OVER TO YOU RANIL, KARU, SAJITH ETC, ETC!
Ps. Breaking is 10%+ from contractors breaking is also10%+ from contractors! We need money for the election and what about exile in Africa if we lose! Argentina may an option!
/
kapu / January 4, 2014
well… get ‘ alladin ‘ and rub the magic lamp..! all will come true..
/
Sunil Perera / January 5, 2014
I am so surprised to see that some idiotic people like K.A. Sumanasekara does not realize the damage done so far by Rajapakse regime while giving a face lift to our country.
The damage done Economically, Socially and Diplomatically is far greater than what LTTE did in 30 years. Unfortunately
some people have no clue of what’s really happening in our country. Is there a SINGLE HONEST PROJECT that is affordable and beneficial to our country ?
/
Kapila Dissanayake / January 5, 2014
This is really hilarious, A news Item in todays Island reports that the President on his State visit to Palestine Is going to “Open a Sri lankan centre im Ramallah to train Palestinian youth in the fields of, Tourism, Health Care and Hospitality” The President should invite these youth to perhaps take a first class Train ride, Inspect some public toilets, visit the housing schemes and the slums of Colombo and see their garbage disposal systems,visit some suburban eating houses and taste the rotten food served, see the personal cleanliness habits of the population that urinate and spit on roads,keep an eye on their women folk while holidaying in some tourist resorts to prevent them from being raped.Please try to get things right in our country before trying to make a fool of yourself trying to,teach other countries with your non existent pseudo expertise. .
/
Kapila Dissanayake / January 5, 2014
Sorry Mr. Editor the above comment should be a reply to the News tem re state of First class rain carriages in Sri lanka. Could you please fix this
/
Maveeran / January 5, 2014
Moda Sinhala governance elected by the moda Sinhalese.
/
kali / January 6, 2014
Gotha will be in the Hague by 2015. It is too late Gotha.
/
Grim Reaper / January 6, 2014
Don’t listen to Gota Gethim. He is what is known as a deadman talking. How you hold elections in 2015 when the whole place is crawling with IPKF shooting everything that crawls and the B52s are laying Napalm?
/
kaputa / January 7, 2014
Aha it clearly shows the hatred and agony of the detractors who are smarting from their inability to change and influence the majority peoples opinion. Yes 2015 will be just about right and ripe to have another election/elections. It is the majority opinion that matters and be prepared for a another drubbing. The losers have few options, either put up with your misery, try a regime change with your backers up west or leave the country. The choice is yours folks. In any event the majority of this country has already decided on the outcome and its a foregone conclusion. Dare to have any doubts?
/
Benyamin Bahadori / January 17, 2014
Attention :Muslims – We must form a group ,by selecting able young Muslim men & women educated and with a broad horizon, and educate our community by going house to house how and whom they must Vote for in future ,it does not have to be a Muslim MP, they have failed us, why not consider a sinhalese MP,? why not? There are Gentleman Like Hon>Dilan Perera ,Hon.Dr.Sarath Amunugama, & on the opposition there is Hon. Anura Dissanayake, — we must think Sri Lankan in future , our needs are much easy for a sincere Politician to help us with ,which all our Muslim politicians who had the power and could have done , did sweet nothing , if you continue to vote for Muslim congress and allow buffoons like faizer Mustafa to enter parliament , remember my words today it would be suicide , the only Politicians I still have some hope and respect among the Muslim are Hon.Fowzie(but he has done his part as much as he can & Chandrika was nasty did not give him enough leverage to work freely unlike her mother ,)the others are Azath Sally.,kabeer Hasheem & Imthiaz Bakeer Markar ,only If they are willing to Join the winning side , we can not live in dreams … Think about it , but come what may ,please if you have any wisdom left in you and if you really care for the future of our children make sure you end the political grip of the Cursed party and its leader Rauf hakeem and under no circumstance I plead in allah’s name ever allow The Buffoon faizer mustafa an idiot and an arrogant ungrateful fool to ever enter parliament, how can you trust him who had no gratitude to his own people or village and has no idea of even offering simple muslim prayers ? he is a misfit … Muslims must also let go UNP it is a dead duck,,
/