Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunge who came in for strong criticism over his decision to accompany President Mahinda Rajapaksa on his recent trip to the Middle East, has been appointed a member of the UNP Nomination Board for the Southern and Western Provincial Council elections.
Ranil and John
Amaratunge will be tasked along with other members of the Nomination Board with deciding on which candidates the UNP will field at the next crucial round of provincial polls.
Controversy raged when Amaratunge, who has long been suspected of tacitly working with the Rajapaksa administration, hopped onboard the Presidential jet to visit Israel and Palestine. Speculation abounded that Amaratunge had travelled with the President for talks about a potential crossover to the Government. The Opposition Whip claimed later that he had obtained permission from UNP National Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to travel with the President.
But most UNP members were furious over the move at a time when the combined opposition is vehemently anti-Rajapaksa and deeply critical of state extravagance. The decision by the Chief Opposition Whip who spearheads an opposition campaign in Parliament to take a joyride with the President eroded public confidence in the UNP’s commitment to effect a change of regime in the country, UNP MPs said. With the Leadership Council now in place and in charge of discipline, the MPs felt Amaratunge should have sought permission of the Council for his trip and his failure to do so should result in censure by the Council.
The failure to hold Amaratunge to account for his actions because he is known to be a Ranil Wickremesinghe loyalist erodes the party’s credibility at a time when it is calling for an unified commitment and approach to take on the ruling regime, the MPs believe.
Paul R. Perera / January 16, 2014
The UNP wants to only show the public that it is
working for the people. Year after year, Ranil
Wickremasinghe has pronounced with the help of
late Lasantha Wickramatunge that the UNP will take
to the streets. The joke has never become a
reality. Both RW and John are in cahoots with the
Government. For some reason RW is mortally scared
of President Rajapaksa. For John, anything free, other
than a headache, he will grab. They are a bunch of
shameless fellows. The voters in South and Western
Province will teach them a good lesson. The depita
katuvas have been discovered.
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Ben Hurling / January 16, 2014
Paul R. Perera,
I think we are barking up the wrong tree.
Let us for once firmly place the blame on stupid idiots of Sri Lanka. They keep electing these greedy monkeys again and again to public offices.
This is proof yet again. Replacing corrupt SLFP with greedy monkeys of UNP will change very little in Sri Lanka. We have done it since Independence. It is time to quit doing that.
Cheers!
/
Sampath Gunawardena / January 16, 2014
See the excuse Ranil Wickramasinghe has given for
allowing John Ameratunga to join President Rajapaksa’s
delegation. He said the Catholics will otherwise be
angry with him. Would the late J.R. Jayewardene or
R. Premdasa ever allowed such a thing?
Here is a question to Ranil W: If President Rajapaksa
is to go on an official visit to Saudi Arabia and wants
Kabir Hashim (UNP) Chairman to join, will he allow it?
Will he say that otherwise the Muslims will be offended.
RW is insulting the intelligence of every UNPer when he
makes those remarks. Why did he not forward the request
for permission to the Leadership Council? Why did he not
tell G.L. Peiris, who telephoned him, to consult the
Chairman of the Leadership Council. RW has become a
very devious manipulator.
How can he win elections with these nasty traits which
are not used decently like his predecessors? Shame on
him!!!
/
Ranga Gunaratne / January 16, 2014
Sampath G – Are you blind not to see RW having to
survive. The only way he can do that is to keep
one leg in the UPFA and the other in the UNP. This
is why he goes for coffee every now and then to
MR and they do not get reported in the media. No
point crying Sampath. He will never change. He
will go down taking all others in the UNP. As for
Long John Ameratunga, he is a cheapo. He thinks
people are deaf and dumb.
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srilal / January 16, 2014
Long John has been a long time double dipping acolyte and some of his memorable publicly known (there are many publicly unknown)stunts are ,
1) Amalgamating with MR’s entourage for the UN tour of duty (either 2007 or 2008)
2) Participating war celebration in 2010 when UNP boycotted the celebration (along with sajith P & Gayantha )
3) Joining again with MR for the tour of duty for Israel/Palestine
Does anybody know , why the hell this Long John is wasting his time in opposition?
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Sarasi Weerakoon / January 16, 2014
It looks like Ranil Wickremesinghe cannot make
any proper judgement. That is why he is in this
plight. He is weak-kneed and is overwhelmingly
frightened.
Otherwise, how do you explain him allowing John
Ameratunga to travel as a member of his offcial
delegation to Jordan, Palestine and Israel.
It is John who is acting leader of the Opposition
when Ranil is out of Sri Lanka. Therefore, it
amounts to Ranil joining the delegation.
You cannot play double games all the time. If RW
and those remaining from the UNP want to join
the UPFA, they must announce that and be done with
it. If they want to take the people to the streets
to change this Government, then they must build trust
in the people. How do you build trust Ranil? Is it by
allowing Quislings like John Ameratunga to be part of
the rival party? Have you no shame Ranil?
This is the same thing even Ranil did earlier. He said
one thing in public and as Ranga says had coffee with
MR behind the scenes every at night. Other UNP
leaders like Dudley, JR and Premadasa were steadfast
and were not at all eunuchs.
Can such an indecisive person like Ranil ever be the
leader of Sri Lanka? Even after John has violated the
instructions given and taken part in official meetings
(see photographs with Jordan’s King Abdullah), he has
been named to the Nomination Board. This is blatant and
he does not care about the UNP. He is only worried about
his perks and the facility to go for an overseas holiday
as many times as possible using tax payers money.
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Ali Keli / January 16, 2014
Junket John and Lunket (also known as international safety net during
ceasefire days of 2002) are two good chummies – like Thompson with a P and one without a P. Or it is Tom and Gerry of the present day UNP.
How can Mr Bean and Mr Long John ever say they want to take
to the streets? Shame!!!
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Liberal One / January 16, 2014
John Amaratunga would do anything to visit the “holy land” and Ranil would never consider visiting the “holy land” a treachery. That is all to it, no conspiracy there.
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Ali Keli / January 17, 2014
You said it right Liberal One. John would “give
anything to visit the Holy land.”
Why could’nt he pay his own money, buy a ticket
and go himself. Why did he scrounge on the state?
Doing “anything” for a free trip is John’s fault and
I am not sure whether God will forgive him for that
Liberal One. You are too liberal to think that way.
An extension of your lop sided argument is the fact
that Long John will even take drug money to do “anything.”
Shame on John. Shame on you!!
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Liberal One / January 17, 2014
I wasn’t protecting John and yes he should spend his personal wealth for his personal religious trips and Mahinda should not spend our tax money to take religious nut cases on religious trips just so he can score some points.
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Wera / January 17, 2014
Ranil and John are Hamu Mahattayas. They don’t take to the street shouting. For that you have the saramang in charge. Old saramang is a foul mouthed thug who would not hesitate to assault or kill who ever crosses his path. So it is to the credit of the Hamu Mhattayas that they manage to survive in the Kingdom of the foul mouthed saramang without getting bumped off. Of course all this is too confusing for the hoi poloi to understand. In their small minds Ranil having coffee with saramang means he is one foot in the UPFA. Johana going to Israel with saramang who suddenly wanted to get christian blessings means he is with saramang masquerading in the UNP. There is always more to these things than meets the eye. Know the mentality of the players and try to understand what is going on behind the scene.
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watey ranil / January 19, 2014
John Pathetic…one of the last remaining members Ranil Pathetic can count on for next few months.
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Palayang yako! / January 21, 2014
What a comedy! Though a tragedy for Sri Lanka.
Another writer to CT refers to this business as well.
All these buggers are simply opportunists looking after themselves and it will require completely new faces in new places to bring to our country what it needs.
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Dave Franco (Italy) / January 21, 2014
Junket John in
In full swing -want to save the Country !
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Takes full advantage of st.Sebastian’s relics blessings to win votes of both Buddhists & Catholics to help a smooth cross over to the winning side………
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I will go to Geneva to save the country: John
[ Sunday, 19 January 2014, 04:51.16 AM ]
UNP Gampaha District Parliamentarian, and the organizer of the opposition, John Amaratunga stated that he is ready to go to Geneva in March to save the country.
President Rajapaksa own secrete plan on presidential election
[ Monday, 20 January 2014, 09:06.51 AM GMT +05:30 ]
United National Party parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera said.
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Dave Franco / January 21, 2014
Be aware of OTC –
—————–
One of those single Mums under the well paid -work from home programs ,to instigate hate ..
and also beware of “Benyamin (he is not a Muslim (an active Freemason )
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Ali Keli / January 22, 2014
There was a sequel to the John Ameratunga scandal
yesterday. The UNP parliamentary group has decided
that in future they will not accept foreign junkets
(and lunkets) with the Government or Mahinda Rajapaksa.
How funny? Why collective decisions like this? Doesn’t
the leader of the UNP has the backbone, the guts, the
temerity or the balls to take a decision on such a simple
issue? Why is he now passing the buck to the party parliamentary
group?
If he did not have what it takes to be a leader, he
should have referred Junket John’s request to the Leadership
Council led by Pathola Karu. He knows that the mud-in-the-stick
Karu also cannot decide.
It is all a farce. RW is deviously, very deviously manpulating
everything.
/