“I am not giving UNP defeated candidate Mrs. Rosy Senanayake a recount as requested by her, as there is no provision in the Parliament Elections Act” the Election Commissioner Mahinda Deshpariya told Colombo Telegraph.
Rosy Senanayake
The Elections Commissioner made the above remarks when asked his opinion regarding Rosy Senanayake’s request for a recount.
Rosy Senanayake had yesterday written to the Election Commissioner requesting him to conduct a recount for the preferential votes regarding the concluded August 17th general elections.
“If she needs a recount she needs to find her own way. I am not here to teach Mrs. Senanayake or anyone the procedure for this” said Commissioner Deshapriya.
“It is highly unlikely that even a recount would change the result, as there is nearly 4000 votes between her and her nearest contesting party member Mano Ganeshan. There were contestants who missed out by a mere 60 votes” concluded the Election Commisioner.
Mano Ganeshan and Rosy Senanayake obtained 69,064 and 65,320 preferential votes respectively.
gogomahinda / August 23, 2015
maybe she should just retire from politics? She/politicians have “i am entitled” problem.
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John / August 24, 2015
Rosy should move courts & get EC to recount
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Leelawathie / August 24, 2015
I wonder why is that not possible. No matter what the recount results would be.. it should be canddiate’s right to ask for recount.
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mj / August 24, 2015
Roses daughter is on Namals pay list..
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baludeen / August 24, 2015
i would like to have rosy in my pay list
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Sinhala_Man / August 24, 2015
This is part of politics; there are disappointments for some – that are undeserved. Many of us would like to see Rosy in parliament – not this meaningless job as ambassador (which also, I’m sure she will acquit herself of, again, with credit).
However, her replacing Mano Ganeshan . . . now doesn’t that also cause problems? Isn’t he the only Tamil representing the hundreds of thousands of Tamils in the Colombo District, perhaps in the Southern Low Country? There was an aged Tamil couple who were asking me whom to vote for. I checked with a politically knowledgeable class-mate in Jaffna (a well-known man who has suffered greatly at the hands of the Tigers.) He said Mano Ganeshan was the best choice. And Rosy also was one of the choices of the old couple.
What I’m saying is there aren’t solutions to every problem. This dilemma is the sole responsibility of our English-speaking Sri Lankan women. They just didn’t vote for her in the numbers that they should have; gender issues were just not important enough for them. So, the real fault lies with each of them.
I’ve already made it clear, I hope, that Mano Ganeshan ought not to make way for Rosy. Who is above them? There must be some typical corrupt politician above them. Five years ago, my vote was in Colombo, and I did vote for Rosy. I have, on occasion voted for one Tamil candidate at Local Elections; the problem at National Elections is that the issues are too important to vote for a guy I cannot possibly communicate with (unfortunately I don’t know Tamil). On the other hand, in the whole of my life, I think that I have communicated with one of my representatives only four or five times.
Rosy, you are young enough to come back to parliament in five years. In the meantime, let us MCPs din it into our women folk that it is they who should primarily be concerned about gender issues.
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SUN / August 24, 2015
She must not retire but she should perhaps work for the govt being away from parliamenatary politics. She has many other areas where she could work with his knoweldge and ablities. If jvp MEN also thought the recount could bring them sense – many would need to go for that. But I dont think that could end up giving more votes. Srilankens in general would not think twice going to vote for anyone. That is their nature. This you will see at once looking at the results of the last weeks election. Some vote for wrong guys repeatedly for nothing.. Best examples are Mahinda Rajapakshe, Gommanpila, Buruwanse, Kumaraweligama and many others that healthy ones feel should be sent go home for ever.
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shankar / August 23, 2015
why doesn’t mano give up his seat for rosy.It will bring back the age of chivalry when men would graciously get up and give their seats at a function or in the bus.They would also open the door for the lady.A chivalrous act is deeply embedded in a woman and she would remember it to her dying day over and over again.Shame it has died out completely.
Over to you mano.o’bring back o bring back the age of chivalryiiiiiie.
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justice / August 23, 2015
shanker,
Ha Ha!
That will be the day – “chivalry in politics”!
Politics in Sri Lanka is a ‘cut throat’ business for those who have a few millions to make much more while enjoying perks and privileges – not that Rosy is same.
We now have an Elections Commissioner who ‘goes by the book’ and tolerates no nonsense.
I hope an Election Commission – as envisaged – will have him as its head, so that he can guide it for some time, before retirement.
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punchinilame / August 23, 2015
Your are comparing a `bus seat to a Parliamentary seat! Will Mano G fall to this sort
of suggetions?
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proudman / August 23, 2015
Hey Shakar
Are you mad? Expeting chivalry from a tamil man!!!
Mano Ganeshan is a tamil he will never give up his seat better look for sinhala budhist to be chivalrous.
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Native Vedda / August 23, 2015
proudman
“Mano Ganeshan is a tamil he will never give up his seat better look for sinhala budhist to be chivalrous.”
You may be right.
Therefore could you ask Wimal Weerawansa or Mahinda Rajapaksa to offer their seat to her.
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Toe Knee / August 24, 2015
Hey Proudman
What an idiotic comment by you.
Just for the record, we are Sri Lankans and not Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim or Burgher.
So please don’t spoil a good debate, held in good humour with a RACIST comment that you made.
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Sengodan. M / August 24, 2015
How can Mano Ganesan let down the tens of thousands of voters who voted for him in good faith? That is not democracy! I can see a veiled chauvinist attempt to hide one’s racist attitude towards a Tamil getting elected democratically from the Colombo district. Nothing else!
Sengodan. M
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Vermin Silva / August 23, 2015
Oh No Rosy;
Goo Giyath TryEkadha Rosy?
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Arthur / August 23, 2015
What’s the point being chivalrous now? Mano the go-getter he is, may have considered it seriously if it was about 20 years back,with a quid pro quo offer. Now of course she is over the hill.
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Non PhD / August 23, 2015
Mahinda Desapriya is a rare gem among the Civil Servant and doing proud to mother Lanka. Unlike some other Mahindas, he is a real Dhesapriya.
Yes preferential voting system and national list system are complicated and an undesirable system.
But more than these two election issues , corruption and power abuse by parliamentarians past, present and future, law and which are inherent and intractable problems, poor mother Lanka has been facing for many years now, need immediate treatment.
So Maithiri & Rani have to set example by following the laws, rules and regulations and prosecute all the culprits regardless of these culprits are “Ape Miniha” , “Yaluwo” or family members or past pokitical heavy weights.
It looks like SLFP – UNP marriage of covenience, the cut throat politics will continue and so is mother Lanka’s weeping.
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Seelawathi / August 24, 2015
may be he should work within his, but the manner he could tell that could be somewhat more polite right ?
He sounded as if he is swollen by all praises. He is not only person to have made it a free and fair election. Those who worked shoudl also be given due credit. I simply dont like this kind of men being that swollen thinking ” I am the one”. He just needs to behave normal – since it is his duty to make Election free and fair. There we must not go on praising him.
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Kamal / August 23, 2015
Ane Rosy [Edited out]
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Leelagemalli / August 24, 2015
NO derogatory terms please, now we are under civlized leaders.
Thank you. No women should be treated not equal… Lern it today it is no late
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kulesh / August 23, 2015
Mano’s win is a hard earned one. Its a mad idea to suggest to give up his seat to Mrs. Rosy Senanayaka who would do nothing in the parliament.
Mano is well deserved to become an MP or even a Minister. How many years has he been waiting get this seat?
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Navin / August 23, 2015
I can’t understand why this man, now sitting on a PEDESTAL, has to come out so rude and uncivilized.
“I am not giving UNP DEAFEATED candidate Mrs. Rosy Senanayake a recount”
“If she needs a recount she needs to find her own way. I am not here to teach Mrs. Senanayake”.
“It is highly unlikely that even a recount would change the result”. (Really?)
A polite answer would have been “I am not authorized to order a recount”. But then such a reply would have implied that this HERO is impotent. Perhaps that’s why he thought he HAD to sound MACHO?
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Ben Hurling / August 24, 2015
Totally agree.
EC is riding a high horse at the moment.
His statement is impolite for no reason. Almost like a harsh personal attack.
This is a problem with Sri Lankan culture. Those who have any degree of authority get a cheap kick by displaying it over others.
Not only EC, in general civil servants of rank, Police, military, all elected politicians and their henchmen, even “Grama Niladhraris” are the same.
All these monkeys should be trained to treat others, exactly the way they themselves would like to be treated. With understanding, empathy & kindness.
Cheers!
PS: I am not asking the EC to grant a re-count. Rosy should now accept her situation and withdraw. Though I think she would have been a pretty good asset to our Parliament. Otherwise she will start to look like terribly bitter loser. Like the defeated King.
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Seelawathi / August 24, 2015
You may be right.
I think he is infected with the very same syndorme that let fall Mahinda Jarapakshe as many never thought.
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Navin / August 24, 2015
Ben Hurling
I appreciate your nod for my comment. And also for confirming Ms Senanayake “would have been a pretty good asset to our Parliament”. She is a decent, gentle, caring human being, a species that is rare in Parliament. Compare Pavithri Vanniarachchi.
The rest of your comment implies that she should withdraw. However if she has reason to believe the counting was manipulated to demote her, she has the right to request for a recount of the preferencial vote upon payment of the prescribed fee. She can even seek a court order.
All things considered, it is likely that party higherups could have decided to sacrifice Rosy, by instructing manipulation of preferential votes, to make it appear “that Tamils are accepted by the Sinhalese in the South”. And there was no reason for UPFA and other opposition monitors to object. It will be interesting if she secures a court order for recount, and ultimately it is established that the counting was manipulated.
I do not hold the view that all govern servants are rude and arrogant. But I do wonder why some men, not necessarily confined to government servants, react aggressively when they have to deal with any matter concerning a smart, pretty woman well received by society. Is it their unkempt gorilla appearance, or inferiority complex, or even erectile dysfunction?
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Ben Hurling / August 24, 2015
Navin,
I suspect foul play as well. If the UNP hierarchy really wanted Rosy in, they could have done it.
I withdraw my comment “Rosy should withdraw”. Only said that hoping she will not risk ending up damaging her name. Like all other, well-deserved, countless, bad losers.
In fact, she should fight on to the bitter end, if counting was manipulated. If there are legal avenues to rectify that.
I wish her the best.
Cheers!
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shantha / August 24, 2015
The EC should have stood out tall and proud when MR rode roughshod over the election process and not when the Yahapalanya of MS and RW allowed him to to stand tall without threats.
Unfortunately the Hero has all the values of self promotion, being a pundit, insecure, lording over when the going is good and thinking only he knows it all
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sama / August 24, 2015
Navin,
this is normal behaviour of lankens- that some believe the few react lawfully. To me, even these men have to learn a lot how to behave in a polite manner. Rains of praises came over here in the aftermath of the eletion should have driven him to ectasse levels as Mahinda Jarapakshe facedit after the war is over. These men in general become so mad – being unable to concentrate on the next step. Like Athathai Rathne faced, this man would also end up with any health problems if he cant digest it.
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Arunasalam / August 24, 2015
You are right Navin. Power intoxicates everybody.
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Point of View / August 24, 2015
Totally agree, Navin. EC is becoming a bit too big for his position under good governance leadership.
If MR had asked for a recount on 8th Jan, he would have pissed in his pants. EC should remember how his brother lived in exile all these years.
Learn to to be humble EC !
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Funlover / August 23, 2015
I sometimes wonder why men married to ugly women (in appearance and / or of heart), feel a compulsion to be rude when talking to or about beautiful women. Does it signal a tortured psyche? Do they have any fun in their life?
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Truthspeaker / August 23, 2015
Aneyako, [Edited out]Deshapriya,
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samuel jayaweera / August 24, 2015
You are right, this man has gone to mad or sounds little swollen for nothing.
If he feels like Mahinda Rajaakaspshe today just after holding a fair election – it is fine but no need to exaggerate. TO the point of view of the many, just holding fair election and support that to run that way is basically his responsiblity together with others. There the man with a MOUTH PEACE SIMILAR to parippu haliya – should not have added this kind of impolite remarks.
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Shrikharan / August 24, 2015
Come Rosy just give up. Learn to accept defeat. Probably you did not take your school exams seriously. You still do not know what failing is and how to accept it. You have not worked hard and it is because of your beauty you were carried to this position. If you cannot accept and face defeat you cannot lead. You should not be a leader. Politics is not a beauty contest. You are best suited in a beauty salon. From the way you behave you are still immature and not grown up. First learn to accept failure. Learn to respect people’s verdict and learn to animal rights.
There are many ways you could serve the people other than being an MP.
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Kamal / August 24, 2015
Rosy please accept the verdict of the people. You lost because of your behaviour. You over estimated yourself and never listen to people. As a person who worked with her campaigns one thing I can say without any hesitation is that she is not what people think. She has no respect for other people’s time. She is an opportunist who thought Ranil will never come to power.
Please stop crying and behave like a matured politician
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sama / August 24, 2015
No moda Koluwa, she is not the only person to have said that RW would never come to power. There are many among them thought like that. So it is not fair only to blame her regarding that. The difference only Rosy obtained much less votes than the others. We have no doubt, she is a politician with genuine thougt to some work for the people. There you cant say she is not. These results however dont reflect the ablities of the candidates. This is srilanka. Buruwanse and thelike to gain more votes is no means explainable. Is that because he does all what he says. Buruwanse behaves like putting fire in every corner to achieve his personal goals. Very paranoid not knowing or getting the clear passing his views as a teenager woman would do. He never thinks it twice, so ist Gommanpila too.. so do you think the guys would ever do their job properly. No.. that they proved. Gomannapila goes after his arguements no matter truth is somewhere else. See at the time, Gota got on his stage, masses thoguht it was wrong, but Gommanpila did it.. he continued to argue not even made any apologies of acceptable sort. Lankens in general are born fools or just memory losers – not responsible for their votes. So most of the time, if you would only base on what their votes mean – there you have gone fully wrong.
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K.A Sumanasekera / August 24, 2015
Poor Rosy didn’t get a Guernsey…
Can’t believe it …
Rosy wouldn’t have expected Vellalas to tick her box.
But the Colombo Elite and the Anglicans to vote for Ganeshan and ditch the ex pin up chick of the UNP is really dumbfounding.
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Peace Lover / August 24, 2015
its best for Rosy to stop acting like a spoil sport and move on in life!
Hats off to our election commisioner who is a honest official
@ Proud man you say “Expeting chivalry from a tamil man!!! Mano Ganeshan is a tamil he will never give up his seat better look for sinhala budhist to be chivalrous”
Thats downright racist,but if your so sure why not ask Mahinda to be Chivalrious and give his seat to his niece Nirupama Rajapakse who lost ;-)
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moda putha / August 24, 2015
A lass from Ratnapura blessed with good looks and awarded beauty queen working as a tea girl in London at the Ceylon Tea centre, meets and Defense Attache, ex IGP Ana Seniveratne’s son and then expects the world. Got her daughter a job in the Foreign Service during CHOGAM, dont know where she is.
Politics in Ceylon is cheap each one trying to benefit, no scruples, no integrity. Sad sad future.
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K.A Sumanasekera / August 24, 2015
Rosy should contest from Ratnapura , Next time of course.
And our Dalits will tick her box without even looking at the colour..
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Native Vedda / August 24, 2015
moda putha
Are you saying that ever since a lucky bimbo met the right person in London, her life took off because she is blessed with good looks?
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K.A Sumanasekera / August 24, 2015
Dear Native,
You could have asked your Vellala mates to chip in and save her skin.
Specially after Rosy’ and the apprentice Hirunckers appeared on Prime time Colombo TV to tell the Elite how bad it is for the women in our motherland.
And the Elite didn’t give a shit… Did they.
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ramona therese fernando / August 24, 2015
EC,
It is imperative that you give Rosy a new vote count. In fact the whole of the election process must undergo a vote count and grim analysis.
I say this because Rosy’s vote-count was unbelievably low. On top of that, there are a grave disparity of seats between JVP and TNA. Then there was the differences in numbers that were reported for Ranil’s votes.
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Shrikharan / August 24, 2015
Why should Mano Ganeshan give his seat to her. Firstly that is not legally allowed and seats are not transferrable. Certainly all the Tamil votes went to Mano Ganeshan undivided. Secondly people who voted to him, voted to him in preference to Rosy and if he did give his seat to her then he would let down the voters who voted to him.
Certainly Mano Ganeshan’s own brother Praba Ganeshan did a dirty thing. He contested through a UNP ticket and many Tamils in Colombo voted him with a belief he would oppose Rajapakse. He won a seat but let down the Tamils who voted him to Parliament when he jumped to support Rajapakse. Mano Ganeshan apologized to the Tamils. I hope Mano Ganeshan will never do such a thing to give his seat for her.
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Mohan Mendis / August 24, 2015
It’s not the count that is faulty, it’s the system. Recount is waste of time and resources. Surely the count must have been closely watched?
The whole issue of Manape, Candidates Spend, National Lists, Bonus Seats, Cross overs must be revisited.
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Naga / August 24, 2015
Good on you Commissioner Deshapriya.
Surely, you could not have bended the rules just because the request for recount on this occasion happened to be coming from a charming lady.
What was she doing at the time of the actual count of preference votes. She could have asked for a recount at that time. Why this late request?
The best thing for Rosy would have been to have accepted the High Commissioner position to UK but she has refused this kind offer from Ranil.
I heard from some of my friends that she was a very good goodwill ambassador for Sri Lanka when she functioned as High Commissioner in Malaysia. I heard that she had even initiated a women empowerment project there. Though she did not know much about international relations or diplomatic work which I understand was taken care by a career diplomat functioning under her, Rosy had reportedly earned a good name as a great PR person. I understand most Malaysian officials were full of praise for her. Her natural charm would be an asset for PR type of work on behalf of Sri Lanka in a foreign country.
Rosy can still reconsider her decision and accept Ranil’s offer of appointment as High Commissioner to UK.
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Truthspeaker / August 24, 2015
The issue is why he felt compelled to be rude and arrogant. Nothing else. Questions have been raised whether that was provoked by erectile dysfunction.
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Shrikharan / August 25, 2015
It is Rosy’s right to be elected whatever the count may be. She has by birthright a reserved seat in Parliament. How dare the election commissioner did not keep her reserved seat.
She should have a recount and if that failed we should have a re-election and she should win.
Her supporters are organizing a protest rally against the election commissioner for not making her win.
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Commodore / May 16, 2016
Candidates from electorates with lessor number of voters are at a disadvantage. That’s because in practise one would cast the first preferential vote to the candidate of his party from his electorate and the other two preferential votes to from among other candidates of his party. Under the electoral system at the next election Rosy will win with a big majority.
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