28 March, 2024

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Gota To Discard Mahinda, Talks On For National Government With Ranil

Only a few hours after the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa anointed his brother and former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the SLPP’s presidential candidate his associates are already in talks with “friendly” factions of the UNP about working out a national government deal.

Gotabaya and Ranil |File Photo | By Harsha de Silva MP

“My brother becomes your brother today,” Mahinda Rajapaksa told the SLPP convention on Sunday as the crowds broke out in thunderous applause.

But Gotabaya Rajapaksa whose presidential hopes have been ably assisted by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his faithful ministers Sagala Ratnayaka and Tilak Marapana and other powerful sections of the ruling Government is already considering reaching agreement with the UNP for a national government after the next parliamentary polls.

The former Defence Secretary is of the view that once he wins the December presidential election he can move to dissolve parliament as early as February 2020. Talks are on about the possibility of making Wickremesinghe premier under ‘President’ Gotabaya soon after the presidential elections with the pact to continue even after the parliamentary poll. The prospect seems far-fetched for the moment but confidants in both camps say the understanding has been growing between the premier and the former defence secretary who stands accused of a multitude of crimes including the embezzling of state funds to the tune of Rs 11 billion and Rs 33 million in two separate corruption cases currently being heard in the Sri Lankan courts.

Wickremesinghe’s niece Ishini Wickremesinghe and Dilith Jayaweera are the masterminds behind the clandestine negotiations Colombo Telegraph learns.

Ishini Wickremesinghe’s ties to Derana chief Dilith Jayaweera are public knowledge. Ishini Wickremesinghe currently serves on the Prime Minister’s staff. Formerly a member of Mangala Samaraweera’s staff before the Finance and then Media Minister realised she was a Rajapaksa mole, Ishini Wickremesinghe was instrumental in securing Jayaweera’s advertising firm TRIAD the UNP publicity campaign for the February 2018 local government election. The ad campaign cost a whopping Rs 200 million in exchange for the most lacklustre and inane taglines and advertisements “api UNP”. UNP insiders still believe that Jayaweera, whose ad agency is one of the most creative in the country sabotaged the publicity campaign after taking UNP’s money. During the coup, in the presence of several UNPers including Samaraweera and others Ishini Wickremesinghe declared that if the UNP did not nominate Ranil Wickremesinghe as presidential candidate, the Wickremesinghe family would throw its weight behind Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The SLPP Gota team made a similar threat to Mahinda Rajapaksa, vowing to support Wickremesinghe’s candidacy if the former Defence Secretary was not nominated as presidential hopeful for the SLPP.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s most fervent hope is that Ranil Wickremesinghe will yet secure the UNP candidacy, making the 2019 election a cake walk for him. He believes he must strengthen Wickremesinghe’s hand and offer him something in return for this eventuality.

At the very least Gotabaya Rajapaksa has assured Wickremesinghe that he will help him to ward off threats to the UNP leadership by “neutralising” sections of the Sajith Premadasa camp once he wins the presidency, highly placed sources told Colombo Telegraph. Ishini Wickremesinghe’s gambit if Sajith Premadasa wrests control of the UNP is to have her uncle tear a section of the party away and support the Pohottuwa MPs in Parliament. In exchange, she has struck a deal with Dilith Jayaweera that Gotabaya will make Wickremesinghe Prime Minister.

If successful, the talks could scuttle Mahinda Rajapaksa’s hopes of securing the Prime Ministership at the next parliamentary election. In an interview with a Tamil newspaper last weekend the former President expressed a strange sentiment just ahead of nominating his brother as presidential candidate.

“Under the 19th Amendment it is the Prime Minister who will have more power. I will be the next prime minister,” Mahinda Rajapaksa told the newspaper. The President would have to work in close collaboration with the premier he added.

Colombo Telegraph earlier reported that Wickremesinghe assisted Gotabaya to win the SLPP nomination by ensuring the Presidential Elections Act was not amended and by refusing to accede to calls from within his party and other coalition allies to revoke Gotabaya’s dual citizenship when he was indicted for stealing money from the state to the tune of Rs 33 million.

Both Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa have made remarks openly about how Wickremesinghe and Sagala Ratnanayaka who was once Minister for Law and Order would “sort things out” for them in reference to investigations and cases with just one phone call.

The Sagala Ratnayaka faction of the UNP has been gradually growing closer to the Gotabaya Rajapaksa camp using the “Next Gen” youth wing to build the relationship. Last night after the former Defence Secretary was declared the SLPP nominee, a Ratnayaka acolyte with ties to Rajapaksa’s spokesman Milinda Rajapakshe and others in camp Gota like Eranda Ginige announced on twitter that the candidate was a “smart choice”. The Ratnayaka confidant also sent warm congratulations to the SLPP on its maiden convention.

With Gotabaya Rajapaksa now nominated as SLPP candidate control of the party will quietly slip out of former President Rajapaksa’s hands, senior party members loyal to Mahinda Rajapaksa worry. With the candidacy in the bag, Team Gotabaya led by Dilith Jayaweera and the ex army personnel will move to consolidate power within the party and bend the party machinery to their will the seniors claim. “Mahinda Rajapaksa has unleashed the dogs. It’s possible he will not be able to control them now” a senior UPFA member said. (By TB Bambaradeniya

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Latest comments

  • 21
    31

    There is no point of saying I said so again and again.
    Gotabhaya has never promised to give the Premiership to Mahinda. His maiden speech followed by his maiden visit says it all.
    I will make my comment very simple.
    Gotabhaya can never win the election. He will receive, maximum, 20% votes.
    I dare say, only, only 10% of Mahinda’s supporters will vote Gotabhaya. Other 90% will vote against him.
    By opting to support a man who has secret deals with Maithri, Ranil and Sajith, Wimal and Gammanpila have shamefully betrayed the masses who came to Nugegoda on February 18, 2015, irrespective of party politics.
    As Mahinda and JO can see, even the 62 lakhs who voted Yahapalanaya have now turned to Mahinda out of desperation.
    Therefore, it is Mahinda’s and JO’s responsibility and obligation to field an alternative candidate, “a second best” may be, :D :D :D so that the rest of Mahinda’s supporters which is 90% will have someone to vote.
    If there is no alternative candidate, they will vote a non-UNP candidate, provided that there are no other suitable non-political contenders and the result will be a country in serious jeopardy.
    There is no hurry. They can wait until the Presidential election is announced. But (this time) they should prepare for eventualities.
    Mahinda’s choice or rather Pohottuwa’s choice is a would-be-despotic military ruler as the next President.
    But, their choice is not country’s choice.
    The next President is not from Pohottuwa. Guranteed!

    • 23
      25

      Under any circumstances even if Sajit goes alone his village support base and his dads colombo based votes and the minorities will make him win.
      That’s my thought

      • 14
        21

        Nissanka Dasanayaka
        Sinhalese Buddhists will never vote Sajith.

        • 12
          12

          Champa

          “Sinhalese Buddhists will never vote Sajith.”

          Why not given they voted for Dinesh, MR, Champika, Wimal Windbag Weerawansa, K M P Rajaratne, S W R D Banda, the weeping widow, JR, Cyril Mathew, Dutta Gamani, Gamini Lokuge, …. ?

        • 21
          7

          Champa,

          “Sinhalese Buddhists will never vote Sajith.”

          Why? Mean IQ 78?

  • 43
    7

    I feel sorry for Mr Lasantha Wickramathunga and General Janaka Perera who blindly Believed RW and stupidly sacrificed their innocent lives just to collect votes for this crook.

    Also feel sorry for FM Sarath Fonseka who spent two and half years in jail for the same reason.

    • 44
      13

      Ranil is a sinking ship with Sagala and his crew. Sajith is not presidential material .
      The real UNP ERS must break away from the party and come as independents and have Sarath Fonseka as law and order minister and appoint Karu as presidential candidate and Mangala Samaraweera as Prime minister. Sri Lanka will once again then be out of the woods.
      and gain the paradise that was lost due to racists and fraudsters drug dealer members of parliament.This group must take All Sinhalese ,Tamils ,Muslims Christians ,Malays on board.
      People are yearning for a good team.

      • 27
        6

        Completely agree with this comment.

      • 39
        7

        “Sajith is not presidential material “

        Ther are no presidential material in Sri Lanka politics.
        All are rogues…covering each other…
        The fools are Sri Lankans

        • 4
          10

          A man like Mr.Nagananda Kodituwakku who has prepared & put forward a Constitution with many fantastic proposals will be ideal to clean up this Aegean stable.

      • 18
        3

        Muslim,
        Absolutely, your thinking and expectations make perfect sense. That my dream too no matter how things turn out at the election.

    • 30
      3

      Ranil is a rat and he knows his stranglehold of the party is weakening by the day due to various blunders committed by him due to his belligerence and due to which he has become the most disgraceful and unpopular politician in the country today and knowing the pulse of the nation, fear has crept into his nerves and added with desperation he is running from pillar to post seeking protection to remain with a “winner”.
      UNP is slowly but surely turning it’s back on Ranil, thus the DNF is a front to break the support base to create a division.
      It is advisable for Ranil to immediately retire from politics citing ill health and avoid facing a bleak and blurry political future.

      • 13
        5

        Agreed. He has done nothing to this country except bad. But he has done a lot good for himself. Enjoying all the facilities at the expense innocent (foolish) voters. He is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, should be stripped this time, and must be done. Can you imagine, in a recent ceremony he condemned ‘gota! That’s him, RW.

      • 3
        3

        If you ask them to quit, they will do it. Worst dictators in sri lanka not genuine sinhalse nor singhalese buddhist. That’s why they bribed directed by foreigners.

        American and israelis hatching a biggest plot to get American military into sri lanka. They have been temil tigers to scare sri lanka and hijact sri lanka this agreement. Latest islamic isis story was added as part of a plot to get American/Jewish milatry.
        Into sri lanka. And if sri lanka fall into this big trick, end of sinhalese majority not very far from. American military agreement signed as a result of tigers. Tigers have promoted by west to force Lanka renew it with adding more dangerous features and have prmenent foot hold in Sri lanka.

        This agreement is best interpret of India and tamil.
        Evenlgalist are major force behing tamil, US, israel and as well as European..
        Tamil and indian have been supporting by American and western jews fom 1983 and have been cheating sri lanka by pretending. And if sinhalese fall in to this trick and singn new agreements, singhalese are engineering their own end.

        Look at how British, American, Canadians and Europeans have been playing tricks on palestaine
        And look at how same countries have been playing tricks on lanka.
        Creatation of india by British, creation of tamil tigers by west, creation of ISIS and others wars are all linked to creation of Israel
        ,

    • 3
      0

      Ranil will go down with part of the UNP who are his type.

  • 15
    2

    CT.. are you nuts.. why would you come up with new stories everyday now? yesterday it was a deal between RW-GR for opposition leader.. but now you have turned the wheel completely opposite?
    these are just bogus.. GR will be GR.. those Rajapakshe brothers will never step out of their camp.. if at all there is a deal between RW-GR that would be to secure UNP party leadership and presidential candidate from UNP. which is acceptable as far as you understand who is RW..
    Well GR will have tough time in winning as most of minority will not favor to bud in the ballot paper.. yet most of Sinhalese (>75%) will never realize who is GR and happy to dig their own grave yard…in the name of “Sinhala-buddhist patriotism” oh alas this is Sri Lanka..
    having all these stories apart.. what provisions will make GR a candidate.. what we used to hear there are ample of restrictions that GR will be out of the race as far as the eligibility is concern.. where have all those restrictions gone now???

    • 0
      0

      Why UNP is this important ?. Are they going to get 5/6th of votes this time as JRJ did. Everybody in UNP goes and in peoples’ gathering says now until the election time, it is Christmas. voters say, We know that come when the election is on.
      another point is how many out 225 are Kudu – Importers, distributors. I heard a few days ago, one Kudu Mudalali got really upset in Gampola.

  • 13
    1

    This looks like Ranil will contest the presidential election all by himself or field a weak candidate paving the way for Gota to win. However, if it happens the UNP will split, there is a huge support for Sajith within the UNP and among the masses. Only Sajith can beat Gota and nobody else.

    The four and a half years of Yahapalana was the worst government ever, even the poor man’s little savings in the bank is taxed. They made several blunders, never did any development. People are fed up of UNP. Sajith should promise to change all the mistakes done by the present government. Building houses is not the only solution.

    • 6
      1

      Sajith will grab a part of rural unp voters. Sajith coming means either RW camp field another(either RW itself or KJ or Champika) or not to support Sajith. Anyhow this time unp votes will be decided that no one stop.
      Even RE will vote for GOTA
      Poor sajith is the looser
      He is a class 1 idiot not even suitabqualify for Pradeshiya sabha

  • 4
    2

    As all the sons are getting married, there won’t be any son to help Mahinda Rajapkse to get up and move or when needed to push the wheel chair. that is the problem. IT is the same Executive presidency that the bond Scammer hates.

  • 11
    2

    Typical Sri Lankan style media BS
    Who will believe these. Before Jan 08 we had enough buffaloes to swallow this type of crap but not today.
    It is a shame CT to waste space on this type of crap

  • 10
    9

    Srisena will be the last president of Sri Lanka

    Xi Jinping – will be the next President of Sinhla Sri Lanka South Inc the new Port City
    Modi – will be the President of the Northern Peninsula
    President Trump – the president of Trincomalee including the Harbour
    King of Saudi Arabia – will be the president of Kaathaankudi

    if Tamil Eelam was given to Prbakaran —all this mess would have been avoided
    Aiyo Sri Lanka – you are in an eternal mess

    • 3
      0

      Rajash

      If that is the case who is groping the rest of the island?

    • 6
      1

      Rajash
      On the contrary the mess was caused by Prabakaran who handed over Tamil Eelam to MaRa whom he regarded as being pragmatic by taking a big money bribe to prevent the Tamil people from exercising their franchise only to give up his ghost at Nanthikadal.
      Aiyo LTTE Prabakaran.

  • 0
    1

    I here, Sagala Rathnayake want ranil to talk to Maithripala sirisena for another Yahapalanaya.
    Karu Jayasuriya project is suspended. There are about TEN Presidential hopefuls from UNP are fighting for the much hated EP by Ranil. But, he says ” Ane, I told it because I can not win”.Sajith Pemadasa is trying to prove he is the one to go with. Ranil is also not sure whether he would lose the electoral district because, he can not bribe the whole district.
    AL Bagdadi already has some hidden projects in plce. EC says they want to send 100 elelction monitors. United Nations Rapporteur. says already Sri Lankan govt has violated Wahhabi human rights. As the EU is beleaguered nation with just a building governed by some East European bureaucrats, they may declare some one else, Karu Jayasuriya to be legitimate President. Who knows they may appoint Sumanthirane, or Jayampathi wicrkamrathne or Rajjitha Senarathene. As EU is former USSR cohorts, they may be saying every thing to Russia too. The problem for the next govt is the govt has to find some foreign contracts for the net UNHCR resolution co-signing countries. Paw da both Tamils, Wahhabis and Indian Kochchis and Indian Zionist -Evangelists.

  • 10
    0

    look at 19th amendment. Now president Sirisena says he knew nothing about contents of it. if you go through it very carefully. You can very clearly understand purpose of it. It was to make sure depriving of MR and his family members including his two younger brothers coming to next presidential race.The writer thinking readers are just kinder-gar-tan toddlers write essays to defame potential presidential hopeful. Dear writer we are not ” KODA BANDAPU CHINESE ” though you think so. .

  • 0
    0

    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2

  • 0
    3

    All these talks between Pal Horu Group #1, #2 and #3 are non sense. Probably, they are discussing how to screw up the country and the voters in their next govt. They all have proven records on that.
    What I like is some hither to unknown party comes and defeat most of the Sinhala politicians of 225.
    That would be the best.
    There are so many visionary, capable and smart and hard working people are there in Sri lanka. See we won the war against Tamils when most of the countries and Tamils were fighting against Sri lanka.

    • 6
      4

      You won the war against Tamils ! Don’t make me laugh it was with the help of the west , India, Pakistan , China and Russian and many other nations you won the war against the Tamils and now they most of these nations other than China, Russian and Porkistan are regretting the help that was given to you racists to win the war against the LTTE. , as the defeat of the LTTE has now created more problems to them. China making inroads, rising Islamic fundamentalism and Sinhalese Buddhist Fascism , that is becoming an increasing danger to the entire region , especially India. The LTTE contained all these racists and religious fanatics when they ruled the Tamil North and East and safeguarded India’s southern coasts. This is what many stupid Indians never realised. They were just listening to the advise of many anti Tamils, Malayalees, certain Tamil Brahmins and North Indians and made a mess of everything. Other than the Rajiv incident , the LTTE never had gone against India.

      • 5
        5

        Siva Sankaran Sharma,
        Sri Lankan Army could have wiped out Demala terrorists long time ago without the help of any of these people if rotten Hindian ‘Awajathakayo’ did not intervene. The rascal who took that decision got the punishment that he deserves in this life itself.

        • 5
          6

          Ke Ke Ke Ke Ke Ke

          My toes are laughing your Sinhala card board forces were pissing for 30 years.

          So called fake..artificial ..victory of Modayas are purely due to the support of 134 countries..else Sinhala card board army will still wet pants for another 30 years .

          April 21 incident was a good example of the quality of Your card board forces .

          Soon this cursed country will be ruled by Greater China..Chinese never talk only their gun will talk.

          When the LTTE was at their peak you Modayas hide under bed hugging Nonas and pissing together with fear .

          Now comment here .Fool.

          Cheers

      • 3
        0

        SSS,
        In the final phase of the war, Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers provided by Pakistan, helped enormously, to decimate 100 s of LTTErs.

  • 3
    0

    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2

  • 5
    4

    People are fed up with listing to this kind of fabricated stories. planting lies is not journalism. This article is an insult for intelligence of the reader. Stop writing bull shit.

  • 5
    0

    This is Fiction to the max….Bambra seems to have taken a big dose of Imagination..-

    Dr Ranil’s Boys who look after Dr Ranil’s Big Money Mates surely will try.
    But will it work, when they are the same ones who have been trying to F****** Nandasena to please the Diaspora , Vellalas and the West .

    If anything Nandasena may have a soft spot for Keselwatta Kid because of his ne mates who are now mainly from the Bible Belt after Easter…

    Anyway what made me flabbergasted is our Field Marshall Ponseka’s attack on Dr Ranil Government in his Media Meet yesterday.

    There are 140 trained and indoctrinated Muslim Suicide Cadres out there in the Country.
    Only 60 of them have been arrested by Dr Ranil’s Police .
    And Dr Ranil goes around talking bullshit about Gym kits to Dalits when they wouldn’t know when the next Suicide Bomb comes.

    Ponseka sat on Dr Ranil’s Easter Cover UP PSC since day one.
    Ponseka also heard the Intelligent Chief’s 5 hours of confidential evidence.
    So this Ponsekas Suicide Story is can’t be heresy..

    I like Ponseka’s honesty in his endorsement of Nandasena purely on the former’s consideration of the Safety and Security of the Nation and its inhabitants..

    • 2
      3

      KASmaalam K.A. Sumanasekera

      “Anyway what made me flabbergasted is our Field Marshall Ponseka’s attack on Dr Ranil Government in his Media Meet yesterday.”

      The lonely Field Marshall was p****d off with Hopper Sirisena for bestowing the rank of Admiral of the Fleet on the Navy Mafia Don.

      Did you know what Malawatte told the National Hangman who demanded prith noola? Mahanayake was being sarcastic, said “Gotabaya Rajapaksa has the potential and experience to tackle the prevailing national security issues in the country.”.
      He treated him like a ordinary security man guarding shop fronts, empty properties, ………. Unlike the Assgiria, Malawatte never said Gota would make a good Nazi president though he received. The prith noola is the symbolic hangman’s noose.

      By the way how many ata-pirikara does the Mahanayake needs in a year?

      Has Gota renounced his US citizenship?
      His name was in Hambantota electoral list in 2005 when he was Uncle Sam’s proud citizen.

      Gota does not have the same crooked charm of his crooked brother. He will find it difficult to win the elections unless of course the opposition is determined to elect him as the next elected Hitler of Sinhala/Buddhist ghetto.

  • 5
    2

    Utter panic has set in e-lamaya and wahabi camp. Time to pack your ill-gotten gains from last 4+ years and get back wherever you came from like that crook from Singapore. Although, remember you can run from Gota but never relax, knowing what happened former e-lamaya ‘KP’!

  • 4
    0

    It appears that the Americans are arm twisting again.

  • 6
    0

    TB Bambaradeniya is writing fanciful stories to Colombo Telegarph. Can’t stop laughing.

  • 7
    7

    It’s a One Horse Race Gota will canter home by huge margin.Others should not contest.It will save the country unnecessary expenditure

  • 1
    2

    Champa,

    “Sinhalese Buddhists will never vote Sajith.”

    Why? Mean IQ 78?

  • 3
    0

    Ranil is a slimy eel, who is capable of going down to hell to confer with the devil with regards to his future.
    This bloody SOB is not human, not flesh and blood but something very eerie from uncertain darkness.
    The bugger stinks of evil and smells the same and that’s why he is accompanied by cohorts of the same nature. Much can be said about the c–t but its best to keep those stinking words away from the eyes of good people who read CT regularly.
    The less CT mentions this bastard in its updates the better its for all readers.
    To end it all, Ranil should be drowned in the most foul cesspit without mercy for the good of all beautiful Sri lanka and the world.

  • 2
    0

    [“Sinhalese Buddhists will never vote Sajith.”]

    Amare, is it because of the caste issue?

  • 3
    1

    This article is bull s propaganda. Who believes these lies. CT is. Cheap

  • 0
    1

    Gota is reported to have not yet renounced American citizenship !

    http://www.ft.lk/top-story/Gota-still-American/26-683980

  • 1
    0

    Wonder whether political opportunists like Dinesh Weerakkody are soiling themselves in fear of a GR resurgence after (falsely) taking the credit for Yahapalanaya through ghostwritten books like ‘November Revolution’ etc? This may be their only way out.

  • 0
    0

    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2

  • 0
    0

    Ranil is the reincarnation of King Elara who has come to destroy Sri Lanka. As long as his greedy agenda is fulfilled, hell with the country. I wish on the night of June 24, 1948 old Mr and Mrs Wickremasinga decided to do something useful than to create this idiot.

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