By Kusal Perera –
Kusal Perera
“There is a proposal from certain sections in society to nominate Northern Province Chief Minister Wigneswaran as the Common Presidential Candidate at the next presidential polls. We would like to know what the UNP, JVP and DP think about this proposal.” – M.A. Sumanthiran, TNA National List MP
“I believe the opposition parties would not reject this proposal because Wigneswaran is a Tamil.” – Mano Ganeshan, DPF Councillor, WPC
These remarks made at a media briefing held in Colombo on Wednesday 07th May, was in response to my Sinhala article that appeared in the “Ravaya” newspaper of 04th May and posted in CT Sinhala site, titled, “Wignes as Common Candidate – Challenge To The Opposition”. Extracts from the article on the proposal were immediately carried as news reports in web media too. Since then, during the last few days, I have been thrust into many political scrums. Interestingly, none so far from the Sinhala lobby accused me, but some from the “Leftist” fringe and some “liberalists” did, for (01) creating confusion in the Opposition, in support of President Rajapaksa (02) creating a new platform for “separatism” the Tamil Diaspora would use and (03), helping further division in society by proposing a candidate, the South will not accept.
All the above accusations eventually mean they don’t want to go beyond the Sinhala populist talk of “defeating Rajapaksa” at presidential elections. Yet even for that, “Left”, “Right” or “Centre”, the Sinhala South is in no mood to accept any candidate for presidency, how ever qualified he or she is for the job, IF that person is not “Sinhala Buddhist”. Even to abolish the executive presidency, the heavily prioritised demand of the Opposition as at now, they don’t want a Tamil or a Muslim elect, to do it. They argue from all sides, from all shades of political hues to bring forward not only a Sinhalese, but a Buddhist as well. Proposal to have Wigneswaran as the Common candidate thus goes to prove, their fundamental NEED is not to abolish the Executive Presidency but only to defeat President Rajapaksa.
Let me now argue against all accusations levelled at me for proposing Wigneswaran to be the “National Common Candidate” as termed and defined by me.
(01) The effort in the South by oppositional forces, is to scout for one whom they expect could defeat President Rajapaksa at the next presidential polls. The guideline says, Sinhala Buddhist votes should not be roughed up, by putting out slogans or demands that Sinhala South will not want to serve themselves with. Thus the tag to the scouting of a Sinhala Buddhist presidential candidate who’d be proposed as candidate to demolish the executive presidency, is the bait for those who talk about democracy and “Rights” to join in. Mind you, that democracy and “Rights” are left as vague as possible and don’t include any, the North-East is robbed of.
This therefore is a Sinhala Buddhist project, advertising the post of presidential candidate for the Sinhala South only, labelled as “Common Candidate” in an attempt to fool the South. This candidate, if by any rare chance, wins the elections, would replace Rajapaksa as President, but, would not change the pattern and culture of rule. The regime proper will not be changed to mean anything worthy and effective .
There is also no guarantee, the executive presidency the next elect would sit on, will be abolished. Southern experience on this promise is so bad, there is no chance for any gambling on such promises. The written promise for abolishing of the Executive Presidency is almost 20 years old, first given by Chandrika B. Kumaratunge. She sat through as Executive Presidency for 11 long years. President Rajapaksa promised to abolish the Executive Presidency in 2005 November as the presidential candidate of the UPFA. First edition of his “Mahinda Chinthanaya” then said, “With the consensus of all, I expect to present a Constitution that will propose to abolish the Executive Presidency and to provide solutions to other issues confronting the country…..” [Strengthening the People’s Will / page 97 – emphasis added]
That was almost 09 years ago. In between, all opposition parties in the South, including its creator the UNP, have agreed to abolish the executive presidency.
Abolishing of the executive presidency per se would would not answer any democratic issues in the North and the South. Parliamentary rule under two different Constitutions, Soulbury and the First Republican, only made way for Sinhala hegemony in society, disfranchising of Indian origin plantation labour, Sinhalising and politicising the State and removing it’s secular nature. Therefore it is necessary to tie up abolishing of the executive presidency quite clearly and unambiguously with that of a “Rights Charter” and “Power Sharing” with the peripheries. This latter is what the Opposition in the South is afraid of. They don’t work to win the South to their political position but think anything against what exists, would rob them of Sinhala votes, proving they are “No Leaders”.
The argument therefore is, “first, before anything else, lets get rid of this Rajapaksa rule. Thereafter anything can be done.” It is not that simple though said, so simply. There were some who brought out a similar argument with much fizzle after the war was declared over. They said, President Rajapaksa is the best bet to resolve the “Tamil political issue” (as they coined it) because he commands the highest respect in the Sinhala South. Only such a “patriotic” Sinhala leader can solve this issue for Tamils, they argued. Sadly for them, they either did not understand or did not want to understand, such Sinhala respect, such Sinhala support for Rajapaksa or for any one else, will only remain till Sinhala passion for supremacy is nurtured and carried through. Any attempt at solving the “Tamil political issue” without winning the people for a pluralist and democratic political programme, would simply fall through, dragging that “traitor” down, Rajapaksa or not.
Therefore, I am not proposing Wigneswaran as a “third candidate”. I am proposing Wigneswaran as the only candidate against Rajapaksa defined as “National Common Candidate”. He therefore has to be endorsed by the Opposition as their candidate as well. That perhaps was what Sumanthiran wanted to know. Will the UNP, JVP, DP endorse such candidacy ?
(02) Logic of Wigneswaran as a Common Candidate creating a new platform for “separatism” the Tamil Diaspora would use, is hilarious. First, let us accept this single truth. Tamils did not talk of separatism, until 1974. For 26 years, Tamil nationalism was for a shared life, compromised under a single Head of State. Even after the famous Vadukoddai Resolution for a separate Tamil State, the TULF opted to contest District Development Councils (DDC) under a Unitary Constitution. They were simply thrashed and humiliated by the UNP government and its goons during the Jaffna elections. Separatism is only a product of how Tamil people and their political aspirations were treated in a Sinhala hegemonic State. This needs a paradigm shift for political tolerance and cultural acceptance.
Wigneswaran is therefore proposed as a consensual candidate of both Tamil North and Sinhala South, including Muslims and other minorities. Wigneswaran is proposed as the national common candidate to (i) abolish the executive presidency (ii) if/when elected, to dissolve parliament immediately and hold elections under the supervision of an all party interim committee and (iii) within 03 months to draft and adopt a new Constitution, based on the final recommendations of the APRC.
Can a candidate running on such a short term programme, fuel “separatist” sentiments ? This country, for that matter, is already divided under the Rajapaksa regime, with a different military rule in the North, Vanni and the East, with an economy that is heavily influenced by security interventions, than that in the rest of the country. The State has also been dented to accommodate such difference and biased rule.
As for me, accepting a minority candidate, Wigneswaran just now, is the only guarantee in getting back to a “United Sri Lanka”. For a life in an undivided country. For it is the minority political desire and their political will to have this State democratised for their own security and dignity, that provides for peace and stability for all.
Yet don’t be surprised, if extreme elements in the Tamil Diaspora label Wigneswaran and the TNA as “traitors to Eelam” if this proposal gains currency.
(03) The argument that any demand not in line with the Sinhala South will further divide this country is utter muck. The Sinhala South needs to change its political thinking. It needs to grow as a tolerant society and respect other cultural identities as equals to live in a modern, civilised world. With decay in morals, social values and rational thinking, there is now a serious necessity to start intellectual debates and discussions to get back to saner social life. This can be the beginning for an “Obamian” change. A campaign to justify and create a social consensus to accept a minority, not merely as a minority, but on a principled programme for plurality and democracy. A campaign that would either expose the UNP and the JVP as Sinhala racist or get them also on board, to endorse Wigneswaran as the National Common Candidate.
Such consensus is what, that could challenge the Rajapaksa regime for any electoral victory, where the Sinhala vote is enlarged by the minority Tamil, Muslim and Christian votes. What is being attempted within the Sinhala South will not be any challenge to President Rajapaksa and he sure will take on any Sinhala candidate with ease, what ever adjective is given to him or her by the Opposition. That needs to be further stressed. I don’t simply look at a change in name and face in the next President. I need an alternate programme for plurality and democracy. Thereafter a candidate to take up that work. Today, its only such candidate who could effectively change the electoral map. Hence my choice of Wigneswaran as the national common candidate.
Leon / May 10, 2014
Has anyone bothered to find out whether Mr Wigneswaran is willing to be the Common Candidate?.
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JimSofty / May 10, 2014
Kulasiri perera thinks a devout Hindu would help Vatican to establish the VATICAN of the east. Because Tamilnadu is a difficult place for them.
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aratai / May 10, 2014
.
Who cares?
It’s MaRa, who is going to win next election.
Only GoRa can beat MaRa.
:-)
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burt / May 10, 2014
Most probably someone joked about it and he got a heart attack. :)
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S. Modaya / May 10, 2014
The United State has a President from the African American minority community.
India has a Prime Minister from the Sikh minority community that waged a battle for a separate state – Kalistan- that ended in the Battle of the Golden Temple..
Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore is of Ceylon Tamil descent..
Sinhala modayas are a racist and backward tribe whose uneducated and corrupt president actually denies that there are minorities in the country! Never mind having a Tamil or Muslim or Christian President!
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Paul / May 10, 2014
The United State has centuries of slavery, war and extermination of minorities behind it.
India has rape and murder of low caste men and women and child slavery on a himalayan scale.
Singapore is a dictatorial democracy.
Not everything is rosy in these wonderlands, Modaya.
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sach / May 12, 2014
Neither the blacks in US or Sikhs in India, or tamils in SP waged terrorism for 30 years on their own country. All these communities had grievences some even had major issues that make the issues of SL tamils pale in comparison, but they went to a different direction unlike SL tamils.
How can one even think of having wiggie as a presidential candidate when he hails prabha in a stage? The one who thinks so is a moron!
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Senerath K / May 10, 2014
Kusal Perera,
Are you sober?
Or are you under a contract?
Do you think 75% Sinhalese would vote Mr Vigneshwaran, a Tamil?
You are confusing the people. If there is a common candidate he or she must be a Sinhala Buddhist (I am not a racist). He or she must be a well known person. He or she must be popular and readily accepted.
Mara’s major nightmare these days is a common candidate. No doubt mara wil hava a heart attack if a combined opposition put forward the right person.
Why didn’t you at least suggest Sumanthiran or Shirani Bandaranayaka instead? Are you indirectly working for Mara?
Mara will try every ways and means to stop a united opposition. what you are doing is marginalizing the races. Adding fuel to fire.
Did you get a free Laptop Kusal?
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Manoharan / May 10, 2014
Mr. Wigenswaran was initially welcomed by many Tamils like myself who live in the Southern Colombo suburbs because we thought that he would be an urbane, modern tamil free of the cajan curtains of jaffna. We thought he would understand and appreciate the cosmopolitan society that we have in Colombo, with Tamil culture flourishing quite well and with good inter-racial harmony nicely building up.
However, he goes to Jaffna and tells us that Prabhakaran is a hero. He goes up North and embraces the ‘exclusive tamil Homeland”. Does he really want us who live in the south to go back to the “homeland” and settle down there? Is he and the other TNA MPs living in Colombo planning to move to the homeland? Clearly Not. But given such crys, the Sinhalese can very well do tit-for-tat and demand that we go! Then we have another fight all over again?
Having raised all the bogey of Eelamism, Wiggies has made life once again a little more uncertain than it was (before he came to the political stage), for us Tamils living in the South. If he and his party instigate international sanctions for the country, we Tamils will be more affected than the Sinhalese.
So he is working to please the Diaspora who do not understand the aspirations of a good number of Tamils (i.e, a lot of tamils who live in the South).
So, if some of us Southern tamils are unhappy with Mr. Wigneswaran, how does Mr. Kusal Perera expect the Sinhalese to vote for Mr. Wigneswaran?
The leftist “thinkers” have, for the last 50 years or more, always come up with pie-in-the-sky politics. Please get real It would be a waste of effort and the sacrifice of Wigneswaran’s political life to pit him against Rajapaksa.
We had Kumar David (another Marxist “thinker” – you wonder if they actually think, or if their brains are ossified into the era of Bolshevik-Leninism) suggesting the name of a prominent Buddhist monk as a “one-issue” candidate where the monk wins, revokes the executive presidency and leaves according to a plan prepared by the likes of Kumar David! These “thinkers” live in a dream world of their own and write articles to newspapers to kill time.
Who should run against Rajapaksa? It should be Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the opposition. He has far better credentials than Wigenswaran who has already bungled in the North with his attempt to make Prabhakaran a martyr or hero. Let us recognize the enormous harm done to the Tamils by Prabhakaran, and let us move on, leaving behind people like Wigneswaran who are caught in an old time wrap, or do not have the courage to push out the LTTE remnants festering inside the TNA.
Wigneswaran too comes from the upper-caste அச்சு (mould) and he is not sensitive to the grassroots. He and the TNA won because they represent the same leadership class that has ruled the North since the days of Arunachalam Ramanathan etc. The tamils are still governed by the descendants of the same tamuils who are Colombo-7 residents while being landlords of property in the North. There has been no social change among the tamils so far, unlike among the Sinhalese.
If Ranil is not up to the task, he should quite being the leader of the opposition. But I personally think he is a fine experienced leader who can re-earn the support of the Sinhalese if he becomes a bit more sensitive to their grass roots. But, admittedly, Ranil is just the same as the less-experienced Wigneswaran, in terms of being based in Colombo-7 and not knowing anything outside.it.
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JimSofty / May 10, 2014
Manoharan has written exactly what I would have written (if I knew that much about Sinhale) except …….. that Kusal Perera is a [Edited out]
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AVB / May 10, 2014
Manoharan,
You should stay in the South and you should be able to live in south. Even after India & Pakistan separation, lot of Muslims still live in India and there are number of Muslim Khans are very popular figures in India..
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sach / May 12, 2014
why is that? That is a decision of the sinhala people ne? what makes you think Sinhala people should decide the same way india did?
If there ever is a seperate country or even federal level state exclusively for tamil speaking people, sinhala people have all the rights to get a exclusive state for Sinhala speaking people!
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Paul / May 10, 2014
Well said Manoharan.
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Unreal / May 11, 2014
As a fellow Tamil – who could not afford a living in Colombo – I too welcomed CVW. I held against the view that there weren others, more ‘experienced’, for the post. But our likeness ends there.
You welcomed CVW only initially; I welcome him even today.
You liked him because he would for you be an urbane, modern Tamil. I liked him because he would be for me someone who cannot be cajoled.
It would be wrong of you to allege that he does not understand the society you belong to. Believe me, he understands, – you, included.
The pains taken by the likes of CVW to have 42nd St., Colombo, renamed, to showcase Tamil culture failed, despite your boast that Tamil culture is flourishing well with good inter-racial harmony in Colombo. How? Why?
You are unhappy that CVW goes to Jaffna to tell them that VP is a hero. You are unhappy that he embraces the ‘exclusive’ Tamil Homeland concept.
For you it may be the outcome that determines how you judge an action. For CVW it could be the objective. He is the higher human.
Does CVW really want you – who live in the South – to go back to the North? What makes you think that CVW is making that decision for you!
And, in a vain attempt to strengthen your point, you argue that given such cries, the Sinhalese can very well demand that you go North! Haven’t they been doing that from before even VP was born? When were you born, – Yesterday?
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Plastic Synapse / May 11, 2014
Manoharan,
Be honest — several days before the NPC elections you commented in this forum expressing strong reservations about Wigneswaran (hint: Jaffna bus driver). (Or are you a different Manoharan?)
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Saro / May 10, 2014
The fact that Sinhala south is blind to all the excesses of Rajapakse family even when they cannot make ends meet due to rising cost of living under its regime continues to elect it rules out the possibility of defeating it. This regime more than any other promotes racism by encouraging extreme Buddhist groups to commit crimes against ethnic and religious minorities. How can anyone even dream that any member of any ethnic minority stands any chance of getting sizable votes from the south. In such an unlikely scenario of Mr Wigneswaran contesting the presidential election you can be 99 4/3% certain Mahinda Rajapakse wins without any canvassing.
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Spring Koha / May 10, 2014
Good try, but no cigar. There are myriad reasons; one for starters is that the overwhelming Sinhala-Buddhist Armed Forces are not ready to accept orders from a Non-Buddhist Commander-in-Chief. In any case the core electorate will still carry the day – better the known devil – and the one who did deliver on a promise to bring us peace. We will have to wait patiently for the promised One and The New Dawn.
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burt / May 10, 2014
I Mr. Wigenswaran or any other Tamil or Muslim is chosen MR directly or indirectly make race and religion an issue, knowing the Sinhala Buddhist mentality don’t expect them to vote for that person.
MR should be going from one Temple to another praying that the opposition bring a Tamil or Muslim candidate.
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burt / May 10, 2014
If Mr. Wigenswaran or any other Tamil or Muslim is chosen MR directly or indirectly make race and religion an issue, knowing the Sinhala Buddhist mentality don’t expect them to vote for that person.
MR should be going from one Temple to another praying that the opposition bring a Tamil or Muslim candidate.
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Tamodaya / May 10, 2014
India?
He has a better chance of becoming the leader in India than SL.
But even in India a Tamil can NEVER become PM!!!
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shankar / May 10, 2014
does a mobile hospital come with wiggie when he goes campaigning as the common presidential candidate?
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Fully Confused / May 10, 2014
I believe what is being discussed is a common candidate to defeat Mahinda and then abolish the Executive Presidency; not someone to govern as Executive President for a fresh 6 year term.
In that case only three names have seriously been proposed Rev Sobitha, Chandrika and now Wigneswaran. The chances of these candidates defeating Mahinda (not their intrinsic goodness, which is a different matter) is as follows.
Chandrika is almost certain to defeat Mahinda; Sobitha will have a tougher fight but can also win. Wigneswaran, will probably not be able to defeat Mahinda. (In all three cases I am assuming that the JVP and UNP also support the common candidacy).
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Banda / May 10, 2014
Kusal says Wiggee should be the common candidate. Professori David says ven Sobitha should be the common candidate. I agree that both are equally good candidates. However, since I am not a marxist, I am not sure how Marx would have chosen the suitable candidate. So, I think the duo should toss a coin to decide the common candidate. And the duo should continue to toss coins and eliminate all potential candidates by new sponsors until they arrive at the final common candidate.
Since the common candidate cannot win by election, the duo should then demand their man be appointed the President outside electoral process like Thailand opposition is demanding today.
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EW Golding / May 11, 2014
I am not a Marxist but I think Marx will agree with these dozens of discussants that this is not a matter of fundamental principles but a tactical question of how to abolish the executive presidency and give democracy a small leg up.
Surely the only criteria that matter are; (a) can he/she win, (b) can he/she be relied to do the job (that is abolish EP, put a parliamentary system in place) and then bugger off.
I don’t see what all this hand wringing is about. The issue will resolve itself as the elections approach and the UNP and JVP announce their preference for a common candidate.
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R. Varathan / May 11, 2014
I am puzzled why Kusal – a courageous, liberal-minded journo – comes out with this suggestion that is an absolute non-starter in a country whose political space currently is dominated by anti-Tamil Sinhala Buddhist racists. The good suggestion is not much different to Plato’s dream of Philosopher Kings. Today Kings are placed in the throne by the mindless religious hierarchy, established heroine Kings, professional abductors and underworld lords. This lot hardly has any reason to hide its identity in a Govt whose majority is comprised of
crooks. JRJ’s “let the robber barons” call takes the old fox to Sunday School level compared to a regime that relies on its economic survival also to the machinations of one of the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest gambling Lord.
There is no chance of a Tamil becoming an effective President or PM in this country in the next two generations. Wiggy is no fool. He will not fall for the trap even if the idea sees the light of the day.
Whatever devilry the Rajapakses continue to inflict very soon Wiggy, and TNA will get their chance to run the NPC democratically.
The best name so far to give a fight to MR is the Ven. Sobita Thero – not that he is faultless. But then you sometimes need fire to fight fire. CBK is a spent force. Ranil is a serial loser. The ambitious and dangerous Fonseka does not have a rat’s chance.
R. Varathan
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Mallaiyuran / May 10, 2014
MR. Kusal Perera:
I think now the ball is in the court of CV. That should be the first step. He has to leave the choice for the people and if people looking for him to undertake a responsible job, he has come forward and accept it without denying. You have put forward an excellent piece argument with full of logic and common sense. Once CV’s express his opinion, UNP and JVP has to accept it. In this one, you have answered all of the questions, raised by everybody since your first article appeared. If UNP or JVP put forward more questions or backing off from saying yes, then there is no point in Tamils hereafter talking about a single country.
Once the opposition parties express their agreement, Mahinda should come forward and welcome CV. In all western democracies, when a new opponent candidate is selected, the incumbent candidate will congratulate the new candidate. Let Mahinda to welcome CV for the presidential race. To Yarl Devi to go back to Jaffna, the new rail roads has been built. For the workers from south to go to north, new roads and highways have been paved. But the stopped medicine and food to back to north, no paths has been opened yet. If Mahinda is not ready to welcome CV to come to south on the roads that he built, there no unification is taking place by the highway building, then there is no point in Tamils hereafter talking about a single country.
65 years have passed from the day the freedom was achieved. No Tamil has held a good position in the Sri Lankan government. G.G. Ponnampalam to Devananda, those who rejected by Tamil are being giving recognition by the Sinhala governments. This is real degradation of Tamils feeling. Now there is chance to accept one Tamil for a temporary position. If the sinhalese dominant parties not willing to take this chance, then there is no point in Tamils hereafter talking about a single country.
in 1956, Tamils asked for Federal state with a satyagraha in the Galle Face Green. The prize they got was the Emergency 1958. From that day, every time if they have to say anything there was always a price to pay for that. When they asked for freedom during CBK time, they had war for peace. 2009 they took the mullivaikkal with the name of Humanitarian Release operation. When they went to UNHRC they got Jayakumari’s and Gobi’s tiger renewal stories. If unless the Sinhalese parties this time not ready to tell the truth about the CV’s suitability of the job in the south then there is no point in Tamils hereafter talking about a single country.
Plantation workers bringing the foreign exchange by producing the tea on open mountains in the rain and the shine. Diaspora community bring the foreign Exchange by working as refugees in the restaurant and the factories with even being mourn for their lost loved ones in the Mullivaikkal. But, the 17% percent of all Tamils community in Sri Lanka is holding only 3% of all government jobs. It is time to share the power by devolution. After paying to government many times more than their fair share, if they are not ready to give this small chance to CV then there is no point in Tamils hereafter talking about a single country.
If the Sinhalese parties are not willing to answers yes to CV for National Common Candidate, there no truth in any of their claim that they are willing to solve the Tamils problem. Then there is no point in Tamils hereafter talking about a single country.
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sach / May 12, 2014
“If Mahinda is not ready to welcome CV to come to south on the roads that he built, there no unification is taking place by the highway building,,”
“65 years have passed from the day the freedom was achieved. No Tamil has held a good position in the Sri Lankan government”
CV went to North from South. In fact when Mavai and Wiggie was arguing, Wiggie said not to bother him or else he will leave North and go to his home in Colombo.
There had been many and many Tamils who have held high offices in SL government, including this wiggie. Had Kadiragamar was alive he had a very good chance to be the PM. And even a potential presidential candidate for SL today.
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Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / May 10, 2014
Kusal Perera,
Thanks for proposing an ‘IDEA’ for which the ‘TIME’ is overdue. You are indeed a ‘Leader’ in the field of journalism, who dares to challenge the despicable status-quo and hold the lamp for those who are living in the dark ages in terms of their thoughts, words and actions,to see light.
It is not the Sinhala people at large who will oppose your idea, but the politicians, the monks and others, who are Sinhalese in name in order to wield power and amass wealth, at the expense of this country. They will divide,hurt, kill, scandalize and ruin country, rather than do what is right, to grab power or perpetuate their power.
It is time to prove to ourselves and the world that the Sinhala people are not the monster they are painted to be, but politicians they have no choice but to vote.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
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Ram2 / May 10, 2014
I am afraid Wigneswaran lost all credibility when he went up north and opened his mouth. As said above he is caught up in a time warp unable and unwilling to free himself.
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lanka lover / May 11, 2014
Dr RN, You like many other commenters fell into Kusal’s trap.
This writer is indirectly supporting Medamoolana Gon Haraka who is paranoid these days smelling defeat since the recently concluded Western and Southern provincial council elections.
Why is he promoting Viggie in the first place? Remember Balu Sena said that Viggie wouldn’t be allowed back in Colombo. Who’s propaganda work was that? Imagine what would happen of Mr Wigneshwaran goes ahead as a common candidate.
The day the common opposition announces a common candidate would be breaking news for weeks. What Kusal and the likes of Kusal doing are slowly making an anti climax situation by proposing weak candidates. Doesn’t Kusal Perera know that NOT a single Sinhala vote will be given to a Tamil Prez candidate. He is fooling us. Its all that Gon Haraka’s Manipulations.
Whats the point talking about ordinary public when a Dr. like you ate his dead rope.
Shame on Kusal Perera. He has shown his nakedness.
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Navin / May 11, 2014
I will never vote for Wigneswaran — period. He lost any and all regard he had in the South when he sold his soul to the devil and decided to embrace LTTE and its politics.
Now of course Kusal Perera and fellow travelers will say I’m not voting for Wigneswaran because he is Tamil. Him being Tamil has nothing to do with it.
No Tamil supporting an exclusive homeland in the North for Tamils will get any votes in the South. It is that simple. Yet beyond the comprehension of so many “erudite” scholars (graduates from the Hilltop university when it was a “university”) cannot understand! It doesn’t matter whether the candidate is Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim or a monk!
However, I would very much like if Wigneswaran or Sobitha would contest the coming election so that southern people can give these Colombian thinkers, the Americans, the Brits, the Canadians and the whole caravan waiting for MR’s blood to proceeded with many diabolical projects, a piece of their mind.
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shankar / May 12, 2014
navin,you are right,when he opened his big mouth and said that prabha was a hero he lost all support in the south.It is a joke to consider him as a common candiddate and kusal has become a joke too.
Why are you against sobitha?As a 6 month candidate to get rid of the presidency can he not give a fight for MR?Nobody is talking much of him now except kumar david,so it seems he was a damp squib.
In your opinion who is the best candidate to take on MR and give him a good scare. Sankakkara? unless there is some competitive politics the rajapakshes are going to take the people for granted and the country will go downhill.They should be made scared and woken up.
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sach / May 13, 2014
THE ONLY SUITABLE CANDIDATE IS RANIL WICKRAMASINGHE!!!!!!!1
UNP should start election campaign NOW! UNP should go and talk to people bring solutions to people.
UNP should talk to university students and talk about university.
UNP should get into social media and forums where sinhala people share ideas and promote UNP.
UNP should highlight law and order issues in the country.
UNP should highlight that they will not allow religious extremism of ANY kind in SL.
UNP should talk about Economy and make sinhala people understand the grave danger it is in.
More than that UNP should market Ranil.ALL UNP should support ranil.
UNP should accept their mistakes like 88-89 terror, 83 ethnic violence,
UNP should tell sinhala people that they will not allow seperatist forces into SL again.
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I believe only way SL can prosper is RANIL!
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shankar / May 13, 2014
sach,you say that UNP should do this and UNP should do that.Who is the leader of the UNP?can you tell me please.Why is he not getting the UNP to do those things you want?maybe too busy seeing venice,US UK etc and having tea with mahinda?
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sach / May 13, 2014
Do you really think Sinhala people would vote for Sobhitha just because he is a monk? That explains how ignorant you are on Sinhala ppl
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shankar / May 13, 2014
sach,read properly.I have said sobitha seems a damp squib now.
Why don’t you direct your answer to kumar david who is expecting world war 3 to start in the ukraine.
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Navin / May 13, 2014
Shankar,
What is important here is the solution or the compromise that is going to be reached between Sinhalese and Tamils. Has any of these candidates announced clearly what they are going to offer to the Sinhalese or to the Tamils? When it comes to that they all mumble – because no one has any solution.
All these alternative candidates from CBK, SF to Sobita are really Manchurian candidates. At this hour Mahinda is the only man out there who is representing the interests of the Sinhalese and doing that clearly. RW for reasons best known to him still believes it is better to keep quiet with regard to the interests of majority to maintain goodwill with the minorities. At least even after the CFA debacle one would expect him make up with the southern voter but alas the man seems to think otherwise. Perhaps he believes that we are all extremists and any pow-wow with us would be detrimental to any deal with Tamils. Well then he can get the Tamils/Americans/Brits/Canadians to vote him to office.
Anyways, in my view what the Tamils should do is instead of planning to ouster Mahinda is to negotiate a reasonable deal with him.
All these people walking/talking in the shadows of all these common candidates will ultimately take Tamils on yet another right royal ride.
MR is the one who can deliver. If even after putting a reasonable deal on the table, MR still refuses to accept that for whatever reason then we can discuss how/who to replace him.
Right now, without any solution on the table, Mahinda stays. TNA will have to live with that.
TNA doesn’t have to wait for Mahinda to propose a solution. Together with other opposition parties, they can draft a constitution and then seek a mandate for a common candidate based on that.
I will consider voting for a common candidate if a clear and reasonable plan is laid out. The reality however is none of the opposition parties have anything better to offer. They are all equally without ideas as the government.
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shankar / May 13, 2014
navin,who is the best of the worst? can you rank the following 5,ranil,sajith,sobitha,fonseka,CBK on the basis of who will get the most votes contesting against MR.
As for the ethnic problem it will be going on in the barbeque slow cooked year after year,but the main thing is the violence has been stopped which is i think a graet relief for people living in a violent environment for 25 years.So look at the bright side.
Lets just leave out the ethnic problem and see who can get the most votes contesting against MR.If he has a easy victory i can tell you that the rot that has already started and he is unable to or not willing to control,will get much worse in his next term.
If he gets a stiff fight he will wake up and try to clean up the stables and also try to find a solution to the ethnic problem.he does not believe in devolution and thinks centralised control is the best for the country.That’s why he threw the All party conference proposals in the WPB when he came to power in 2005.
However he was not willing to take on the LTTE.It was gota and fonseka who were pushing him for it and saying it can be done.
So you can see,his judgement is not very good.It is only due to pressure he starts to act.
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Navin / May 14, 2014
Ranil will get the most votes. Yet he will loose for sure. There is no hope of winning for him.
Sobitha is a joker like Sidhdhalepa vedha mahaththaya. To say, Sobitha been a monk is a plus in the presidential race is madness and an insult to Sinhalese people. How many Tamils do you think will vote for someone just because he is a Pusari?
Anyways, I don’t care about MR or Ranil W. What is important for me is the resolution of this ethnic issue and reaching a fair/reasonable/workable compromise so that good majority of those who actually live in sri lanka will be satisfied on both sides and we all can move on.
The way to put pressure on MR to get moving on ethnic issue is for TNA to negotiate a deal with UNP that is not suicidal for Ranil Wichramasinghe. Unfortunately, RW is either incapable of realizing or doesn’t give damn about what his electorates expects. It is the misfortune of the Sinhalese that MR doesn’t not seem to taking on this challenge.
The responsibility also lies on legal/political brains in the society on both sides to make proposals. We keep complaining that MR threw APRC proposals to dustbin but if APRC proposals were something that vast majority of Sinhala people would accept, why didn’t any of the opposition parties pick them up and campaign based on that?
Just come up with something that will show the Sinhalese that devolution under that scheme will not lead to separatists elements among Tamils monopolizing resources in the N/E and we are done. Without doing that, Kumar David and the like are trying to make a single issue out of none issues.
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ela kolla / May 10, 2014
we need executive presidency….problem is not with the executive presidency, but the person people elect.
anyway, these fools must be joking to have a para tamil to be the common candidate…[Edited out]
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Sudda / May 10, 2014
How about a younger person like j.c. Weliamuna?
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tuan / May 10, 2014
Singhalese are racist because hatred towards minority communities is ingrained in their brain by buddhist monks from childhood, therefore don’t expect Sri Lankans to be USA,where a Black african had a opportunity to lead.Its shame but its the fact.
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Punchisingho / May 10, 2014
Who is Kusal?
He was with Mahinda at Medamula and supported him to the hilt a decade ago . Now he has started to support him again. That is why he says Wig should be the common candidate.Any sensible person knows that the only person who can defeat the incumbent president is nobody else but Chandrika. but this Kusal always criticizes her.It proves beyond any doubt that Kusal’s role is to pave the way for Mahinda to win again.
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Silva / May 10, 2014
What the bloody hell is this [Edited out] Kusal is uttering? Please someone take him to Dehiwala Zoo and show him to an animal doctor for he seems to be growing a pair of horns on his head as a result of swallowing lot of punnakku and piduru from Araliyagaha Madura. I have seen this nonsensical writer writing some moda articles but this is the first time I saw him gone really deranged! This is Box Office dimwittedness personified! How the hell does this bugger, given the racist orientation the majority monkeys have been subjected to by the racist Rajapakshas with whom this bugger sleeps in secret, assume even in his wildest of wild dreams that the Sinhala Racists will cast their votes for Vigneshwaran!!? On the contrary, the racist monkeys will round him up in Colombo and stone him to death because that is what the racist Rajapakshas have done to their minds! This matimola is doing a contract of the Walawwa to upset the plan of the opposition to put forward a common candidate for presidency. The opposition has already picked up their candidate and working out the strategies. In the meantime this loser is fabricating Aesop’s Fairy Tales to choon up the gallery! What a nut case this man is!
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Priya Mathews / May 10, 2014
Nice wording ? as this man has never learnt to add his in a civilized manner.
What an uncivilized panchikawatte thug should this man be – I dont see any decent thought in him.
just bla bla to paint an unreal picture about RW. No alternatives have been added by him at all, how we could come out of the current critical situation.
We hate today’s MR administration, but if UNP WOULD not build up a coalition with other small parties, defeating MR thugs would not be easy.
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Silva / May 11, 2014
Ane Piya,
Sometimes some things have to be taken to Panchikawatta and taken apart and then only you can correctly interpret the Trojan horse. Civilized words are there and we use them in the context of civilized people but not speak on Trojan horses like [Edited out] Kusal. He has unleashed his last ditched moda harangue in the final onslaught to get a clue to trace who the common candidate is so that his sugar daddy Rajayaksha may buy or bury him! This is this century’s biggest joke in Sri Lankan political history, to name Vig as the common candidate. We know Vig can be as racist as MR is! Then what. Do you or this Akusal bugger take responsibility for giving this country and power to a Tamil Racist? Not that we are against for a Tamil to be the president, but this rotten society is not yet matured up to that level. It is our hope and wish that the peoples in this country soon advance and evolve their psychological profile up to holding that universal outlook. But here Kusal’s intensions are quite nefarious for he has been a vassal of MARA throughout his life and to date remains on MARA’s payroll. This whole harangue has been written with the ulterior motive of helping his pay master who has seen for the first time the cemetery signs looming over him and the last election statistically indicated how a common candidate can win an unprecedented margin of victory, hence the bugger is employing various tactics to hoodwink the gullible masses. But finally they all will have to run to their final resting places-the culverts and ditches and prisons and gallows. Your futile and imbecilic theories cannot prevent that march of people towards realization of truth and fallacy and myth of Rajayakshas.
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Park / May 11, 2014
Kusal is the stupidest [Edited out]
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Sengodan. M / May 12, 2014
This seems to be purely an academic discussion. Let us be more realistic. Sinhalese will never accept a non-Sinhala as President for at least another three generations! So, better put a full stop to this useless discussion.
Sengodan. M
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sach / May 13, 2014
All these talk about a common candidate is a time waste!Get back to work and market Ranil!
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Crazyoldmansl / May 14, 2014
He may be a Tamil Mano, but with all this paraphanalia he is beginning to look more and more like something out of the Ramayana. Sri Lanka has become south asias most popular sitcom and since Ranil is certainly no actor maybe we shall have to hire this veggie viggie.
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