By Mahinda Rajapaksa –
The President, the government and the state apparatus have focused their entire attention on combating Covid-19. The way in which the people have benefited from this, is clearly apparent. Even in the midst of this national crisis and global disaster we see the unpleasant sight of the political opposition in this country vociferously demanding that the dissolved Parliament be reconvened and asserting that after the 30th of April, the President has no legal right to allocate funds for the maintenance of government services without the approval of the old parliament. They have even issued a threat to the effect that unless Parliament is reconvened, the President and all of us in the government run the risk of the loss of our civic rights and the confiscation of our property.
Mahinda Rajapaksa – Prime Minister
Parliament was dissolved at the beginning of March when there were no Coronavirus patients in the country. After the first Corona virus patient was found one and a half weeks later, the Elections Commission postponed the election till the 20th of June. The Elections Commission has already announced that the election could be postponed further depending on the advice of the medical authorities. The Elections Commission will hold the election at a suitable time in accordance with the powers vested in them. The opposition’s concern obviously is that if the election is held in a situation where the anti-Coronavirus campaign in Sri Lanka has shown much better results than in most other countries, they would be placed at a serious disadvantage. Hence we see that the opposition’s present efforts are aimed at getting the old Parliament reconvened and using their majority in Parliament to block government finances, thereby sabotaging the anti-Coronavirus campign in order to bring the government into disrepute before the election.
Back in February, when there was no Coronavirus threat in the country, the opposition used their majority in Parliament to block payments to government suppliers of medicine and fertilizer so as to bring the new government into disrepute by creating a shortage of fertiliser and medicine in the country. The opposition argues that Article 150(3) of the Constitution allows the President to allocate funds for the running of government services at a time when Parliament has been dissolved only if the previous Parliament had not passed an Appropriation Act. They claim that the previous government had passed a Vote on Account up to the 30th of April and that therefore, after this date, the President has no authority to allocate funds for any purpose.
This is an absurd argument. Under Article 150(3) of the Constitution, the President has complete authority to allocate funds for any purpose for which funds had not been allocated by Parliament. It goes without saying that if Parliament has already allocated funds for a given purpose, there is no need for the President to intervene in the matter. The opposition also alleges that the President is not reconvening Parliament with the ulterior motive of misusing the funds coming in from abroad for the anti-Coronavirus campaign. They contend that Parliament should be reconvened to supervise how that money is spent. All funds received by the government go to the Treasury via the Central Bank system. There are procedures that have to be followed in spending this money. Funds in the Treasury cannot be spent in the manner that yahapalana ministers spent the money of the Central Cultural Fund.
After the new Parliament convenes. the opposition will have the opportunity to raise questions about how government money was spent between the time of the dissolution of the old Parliament and the convening of the new Parliament. Until then they should refrain from misleading the public with blatant lies. At this moment, we should set politics aside and concentrate on controlling the Coronavirus outbreak and restoring normalcy to the lives of the people. We all saw the magnitude of the Coronavirus cluster that had formed among Navy personnel due to their involvement in the anti-Coronavirus campaign. I wish them all a speedy recovery. This highlights the personal risks taken in the service of the people by our health sector workers, and Army, Navy, Air Force, and Police personnel at the forefront of the battle against the Coronavirus pandemic. I call upon all members of the public to extend their fullest cooperation to these heroic individuals to enable them to fulfill their duties effectively.
*Mahinda Rajapaksa – Prime Minister
leelagemalli / May 3, 2020
Very politicking seen as you yourself spearheaded and preaching others not to do so is not like that stiring the wounds of the very people that are fallen in all the unexpected right at the moment ? Alone your govt’s distribution of 5000 bucks to each families are 90% politicised. . Therea re whole lot of provable facts on this. But very same audience to be misled by your articles, not to have done so and asking others not to do – is well planned by your political propagandist deliberately. Killing people and to leave some thoughts not to have done so is very much studied in your previous authoritarian regime. All these are now mapped. And people are all not ultra stupid – believe me, you will be hated by rapidly growing number of people in this country.
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This has been your idiosyncratic politics. This may not even be clear to your close ones. Looking back, you spoke with Lasantha wikramathunga a day before he was gunned down, on a sharp issues that the country had to focus on. He was seen as one of the few but fearless editors to most ciruclating news papers in the country. And that young rugby player in the same age groups of your bastard sons, but was brutally killed, only comparable to the manner Jamal Khashogi was killed and slaughtered down in the saudi embasy in ISTANBUL Turkey – these are just two examples out of few hundreds that became today eternal victims whose deaths and unanswered missings are out of question today.
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leelagemalli / May 3, 2020
self aggrandizement, self proclamation, self adulation are growing day by day while unlike the case prior to their adminstrationa, leaving any room for dissidents to express themselves- prior to November 2019, becoming thinner.
critiques be treated with arrests rather than more room and space be created through more public forums- all becoming more in today’s backdrop with CORONA CRISIS is allegedly kept above as being telecasted by their biased TV and printed media men. who are they fooling again ? if not very same people, who voted against them in 2015. Remember ? People are also to be blamed because they should have been clelver at last Presidential election
Today farmers’s harvest to that DISTRIBUTION of 5000 to each family are all in a mess not being able to manage it in a clean manner. They politicise the situation for winning the hearts and minds of the people. as if the those 5000 bucks came from MEDAMULANA private property. Even if that would have been loud spoken to them, people like grass eaters would not raise any questions.
But as analysts make it very clear, srilanka is one of the high risk countries in terms of prevention of spread of corona wihtin the population. Even today, they work with their henchmen rather than with high level University experts that are the world pioneers in contageious disease control.
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Eagle Eye / May 3, 2020
By blaming Rajapakshes for killings that they did not do, ‘Koti Diaspora, former LTTE terrorist barbarians and their sympathizers are trying to clean their hands from the heinous crimes they committed by slaughtering Native Sinhalayo who gave citizenship to ‘Para’ slaves and their descendants to live in Sinhale.
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Like COVID-19, there is no cure for Rajapakshe-phobia.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / May 3, 2020
There is cure for COVID-19 – Get rid of COVID-19. It is in the horizon. Similarly there is cure for Rajapakse-phobia – Get rid of Rajapakses. Very soon it will happen.
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SJ / May 3, 2020
“There is cure for COVID-19 – Get rid of COVID-19”
The relevant questions are how and when?
That applies to both problems.
Clever sounding statements are not necessarily clever in content.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / May 4, 2020
Read the enlightened comment below by Leelagemalli, to assess your intelligence.
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leelagemalli / May 4, 2020
Dr GS,
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You are spot on. I also believe very soon it will happen.
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COVID 19 can well be a blessing in disguise to our problems.
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We fought a civil war for 30 years – now it has turned out to be an another kind of war against RAJAPAKSHE rascals.
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Any dissident thought bearers would easily be branded as KOTIYA – LTTE diaspora supporter
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leelagemalli / May 3, 2020
Omg.
Ultra racist Mahindapala aka Eagle Evil is back – we thought you kicked the bucket and was thinking giving Pansakoola since we pray even our enemies going by same rituals. I thought BP Eagle evil left and his last breath was stumbled by his loads of hatreds against our minorities.
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Not Rajakashe phobia -but term mafia.. would fit better, the bp Mahinda while continuing his hypocrtic agendas with 5k distribution and all othher steps being taken for the containment of the viru, has failed as of now.
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As mentioned somewhere else, all other like minded nations have overtaken. All because BP thought to go for 2/3 mandate than strenghthening the safety of the people. Punnaku drinkers would adulate the bugger family, but growing opposition would neve respect the buggers.
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Vietnam – Population 97mio, Per Capita – 7000 US – PCR test performed sofar – 2 20 000- death rate ZERO
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Srilanka – Population 22mio, Per Capita – 4000 US – PCR test performed sofar – 20 000 or less
death 7 sofar
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Venezeula – Population 28mio, Per Capita – 3000 US – PCR test performed sofar – 458,737 o
death 10 sofar
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Nepal – Population 27mio, Per Capita – 900US – PCR test performed sofar – 61 000 Zero death sofar sofar
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Taiwan – Population 23 mio, Per Capita – 25000US – PCR test performed sofar – 66000 6x death sofar sofar
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leelagemalli / May 3, 2020
These terms Native Sinhalayo I thought we would not hear again on this forum.
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But the reigncarnation of our ULTRA RACIST – Mahindapala triggered me some allergies this evening.
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He thought us being against Mahinda Rajapakshe and his criminals would be LTTE diaspora – not once several dozens of times bp EAGLE came with his hateful comments.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / May 3, 2020
If opposition is politicking in the midst of the corona virus crisis, you are poly-tricking in the midst of the constitutional crisis. On what basis did you become the Prime Minister when you did not have a majority in parliament. Your appointment is thus illegal and you or your cabinet have no moral right to continue to hold office after the dissolution of parliament. You are talking about President acting according to the constitution, but you are silent about when President violated the constitution by refusing to set a new date for the election You cannot interpret the constitution as an what you want and manipulate the system to swindle money. There is a case filed in supreme court about the validity of the whole process and let them decide.
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leelagemalli / May 4, 2020
Mr PM,
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if you would listen to the intellectuals, please listen to the link below
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You have been trying hard to fish in muddy waters even if you yourself have been saying that the opposition is politicking the COVID crisis.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQb3SpSb0s4
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We cant stand against facts and figures. You and your men always stood against the facts and even got caught by CHINESE INVESTMENT INJECTION. You are not alone, anyone with like minded profiles got caught by that played by the CHINESE. No any leaders that produced our mother lanka ever betrayed it tot eh manner you did..
So please at least today, please change you abusive nature and think more about the NATION – else your defeat will be crystal clear. As is the case with Gadafi and his family, people will start hating you, your siblings and your family sooner than later.
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leelagemalli / May 4, 2020
Mahinda Rajapkshe is a THIRISNAN BALLEK. please listen to this video
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See he makes every effort to defend any idiots that do every harm to this nation. That Iraja BP is provable rascal, who would do anything to collect lots of ” likes” so that he could earn dollars. THese men are real bitch’s sons. Country ‘s PM makes every effort to block this ballige putha being taken to custody.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUvEhIHFIds
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The very same manner, Mahinda Balupakshe defended that NIMAL lanza who is reported to be drug kind of Drug traffickers in Negombo area.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kidRti12Q24
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Ajith / May 3, 2020
Mahinda,
You are not an elected Prime Minister. On what basis you were appointed as a Prime Minister? Why did you call all MPs for meeting since they are not members of parliament? Why you and your brother are afraid of going to the courts? Why do you need an election when Corona is spreading exponentially? We all know how do you become prime minister in October after threatening Sirisena. You bribed a TNA MP Why? Who decided to remove your prime minister post in Oct 2019? It is judiciary under a democratic government. Now yourself under the order of a military leader! Remember he can throw you any time.
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S. C. Pasqual / May 3, 2020
Dnk. Ajith,
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Prime ministers are not elected you idiot.
He is appointed by the President as per the Constitution.
If anyone have any doubts about his premiership could have raised it in the parliament before dissolving.
Who are you to question his premiership…?
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The country need an general election because the mandate for “yahapalana” parliament is expired long time ago.
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And your fake democracy government tried everything possible to get away from elections.
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And…
We don’t have a military leader.
We have a president elected in a free and fair election.
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Dr. Gnana Sankaralingam / May 3, 2020
President appoints the person who commands the majority of members in parliament as the Prime Minister. How is that Mahinda who does not have a majority was given the post. Why did Ranil Wickremasinghe abdicate his position when he need not have done so. UNP threw the towel without any reason. This shows that RW is hoodwinking the public playing double game joining up with Rajapakse gang.
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S. C. Pasqual / May 3, 2020
We have to keep in mind these same people’s behavior during LTTE time………
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Ari / May 3, 2020
Like how they struck a deal with the LTTE to get those in NE to boycott the 2005 presidential election.
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leelagemalli / May 3, 2020
We have to keep in mind how these brother DUO terrorised the nation after the war was no longer there, meaning from 2010 -2015
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1) Paskal -very likely you may have been hallozinated also as early as the said period.. so you cant know it… if that Bp Eagle eye existing … he would not have also noticed it.but all others incl our domestic cats and dogs were very clear, Rajapashes were born criminals and never thought about the real grievances of the people but their family… so was the case with that of Zimbawina Muabe..
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2) BBS and Saharan dogs came into being under the leadership of BP BROTHER duo or not ?
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3) Defeating LTTErs was not done solely by Rajakshes criminals, but it was a collective act together with Indians, EU countries and not forgetting the great work done by LATE Mr Kadirgamar, whom I hail as a national hero in recent sriilanken history… that was the reason, BP Rjaakshes to have allegely killed him afterwards.
.Thanks to Mr Kadir, he got all teh LTTER activities on the west and anywhere they had then been powerful, banned.. remember you idiots ?
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Native Vedda / May 3, 2020
S. C. Passqual
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“We have to keep in mind these same people’s behavior during LTTE time………”
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Please explain the ” same people’s behavior during LTTE time”.
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Mallaiyuran / May 3, 2020
Who told Pavitra that Corona virus would have end on Morning of April 19th? Sumanadasa Abeygunawardena?
Why the medical staff attending real patients did not fall as much as sick like Rapist Navy?
Why the graph presented by Aanduwa is completely in alignment with the new outbreak in the Rapist Nany, which much higher than general pollution infection. Why the graph is not showing any new trend taking into the Rapist Navy out break?
” They have even issued a threat to the effect that unless Parliament is reconvened, the President and all of us in the government run the risk of the loss of our civic rights and the confiscation of our property. ” Is that another Drama of UN Electric Chair, which never existed anywhere in the world? Who did this threat? Ranil did that? Then why did he suppress NYT started investigation into 2015 election fraud? What was he doing in TTH on the morning of Jan, 9th 2015? Why he suppressed the 2018 Quo Warranto filed by 125 MPs at CA by him making the MPs to withdraw the case? Will that case be reactivated in CA again? Now Sampanthar wants to talk to you. Is he again going to come out and cry that you physically beat him up inside?
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Raj-UK / May 3, 2020
I am not an expert on the constitution of SL or its legal implications but after living in the UK for more than half of my adult life & thanks to an independent press & electronic media, I have some understanding of how democracy works & its relevance to my life.
It seems that the Election Commission of SL is not unanimous in their thinking but an election at present seems premature, considering (in contrast to) the strict indefinite curfew which has been imposed for almost 5 continuous weeks. Despite the President & his close associates, supported by a bias media, portraying a picture how well the pandemic has been controlled, implying the President’s able leadership, the true situation, considering the relative lack of testing & the transparency of how the virus is detected & recorded, may not be as publicised but it certainly shows GR & his party in a better light, giving a political advantage if the elections are to be held now.
The opposition, I believe, has pledged to work with the govt. without undermining political stability but the PM has scornfully rejected the proposal. Therefore, if the Election Commission postpones the election on the advise of the Medical experts, GR will continue to govern the country without a Parliament & no questions asked, which, in my understanding, is not a democracy but an authoritarian leadership, & that’s putting it mildly. If GR has any idea of a democracy, he would reconvene the old Parliament, which he dissolved prematurely, until it is safe to hold an election within the constitutional framework of SL So, Mahinda old pal, your writing is good only for the frogs in the well.
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Champa / May 3, 2020
The PM’s Statement is to cover up the President’s election miscalculations.
There were no local patients at the time when Parliament was dissolved, as PCRs hadn’t started by that time.
The first patient was a coincidence. Even when there were 11 patients by March 17, the President said that there was no reason to panic. Then he declared curfew.
As of today, there are 706 patients.
Within a short span of 6 weeks, the number has gone up as 23 patients:a day or 117:a week.
I agree, there are a lot of activities related to combating COVID-19 going on involving the tri forces, healthcare workers and the state sector.
It is heartbreaking to hear a large number of the members of tri forces who sacrificed their health to save the nation from the outbreak, infected with the virus.
I don’t think the public has any issue with them.
The issue is the adamancy of the President.
Can’t he understand the gravity of the situation?
The inflow of remittances which was the main source of government revenue is dwindling.
The billions of dollars earned from tourism and apparel will be no more.
The government can no longer rely on other absurd revenue streams such as; liquor, tobacco, gambling centres, night clubs, etc.
A 2/3 of the country has lost their income.
There is no chance to hold the election for months.
When the situation is such, the President has no way to run the country without Parliament.
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Champa / May 3, 2020
I wholeheartedly hail the Prime Minister’s decision to call upon a meeting on May 4, with all 225 Members of Parliament including the former President.
As a democratic leader who encourages open dialogue, interaction and constructive criticism, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has offered a rare opportunity for all MPs to voice their opinion about the government’s handling of COVID-19 situation at a time Parliament is dissolved.
The Members of Parliament should make use of this opportunity to keep the government informed of people’s dire needs and concerns pertaining to employment, livelihood and health protection during the pandemic.
I hail TNA’s decision to attend this meeting as it will provide them an opportunity to highlight difficulties faced by people in North and East provinces as curfew and other restrictions have affected the free inflow of information.
I hope MPs of other areas too will be there to convey the public grievances with regard to discrepancies involving Rs. 5000 welfare benefit, lack of access to food and medicine, lack of movement for patients other than COVID-19, difficulty to obtain curfew passes and so on.
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Champa / May 3, 2020
About the Rs. 5000 welfare benefit, many people complained of not receiving it. There should be transparency as the person-in-charge of the Task Force is a heavyweight of one political party.
As of 2012, there have been 5.3 million households in Sri Lanka. I was unable to find any new data.
I hear some unfairness is going on.
I think the government should introduce a criteria based on the number of members of the family.
For an example; While a family of 2 is eligible for Rs. 5000, each additional family member should be given extra 2000. That way a family of 5 will receive Rs. 11,000, which is fair.
At the same time, the government should explore the possibility of the employers of the private sector such as garments, restaurants, hotels and various other fields to retain jobs. For this, I think the government should introduce a COVID-19 Business and Industry Protection Act to provide tax benefits and wage subsidies to businesses.
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leelagemalli / May 4, 2020
Chamapwathiyo,
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Why is that you seem to know nothing about the grief of the people yet today. Not just few families but whole lot of people who re really in need beg for 5000 bucks and many of htem have not received it. Where have then the money gone ? Why donot they in power correct it even if this moves further as if the voices of the people are not respected ?
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In the same time that man with a BED-PAN style mouth piece – Gunawardhana is repeating nothing like that is happening almost every poor family is getting it.
In the same time that man with cesspit style mouth piece – Wimal Buruwanse, you regular bed partner is making it worst putting the blame on the opposition. Why not you try to send him to the Kindergarten yet at these days ?
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I am sorry for the people, I think many commuters lockeddown in Colombo are so helpless – they dont know how they could go back ot their homes and see the lovely ones. One mother who is locked down in colombo begged to SIRASA asking her to go back to her native place – Akuressa or so, just to see her own child and who is left to be alone there. The kind of examples are plenty even if these men talk high about each plane load consiting of students from foreign countries. There is no system at all under Gotabaya.
The situation is even worst than the period of his brother. So how can people ever keep on hoping that the bugger would change the society rebuilding it for a better future ?
All the hopes kept on him is totally destroyed today, becoming the truths into the eyes of the masses. I have no doubts, the word Rajakshes will be a hatred term in the near future to SRILANKENs.
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Champa / May 3, 2020
Among other things, the MPs who will attend the PM’s meeting should stress the point that free flow of information and freedom of speech should not be restricted during the pandemic.
Another major issue is the plight of over 50,000 people stranded in Colombo and other major cities for nearly 2 months, with lack of food and safety.
I heard former Minister/MP, Palitha Thewarapperuma highlighting this problem several times during his highly applaudable “one-man food and other essentials distribution campaign”.
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Champa / May 3, 2020
The first line of your statement is not true, Mr. Prime Minister.
The President’s “entire” focus is not on combating COVID19.
Amidst the outbreak, the President has personally inspected the construction work of an artificial beach in Mt. Lavinica implying that it is very important to him.
Artificial beaches need huge maintenance. It is not clear who is entrusted with the maintenance. The cost of this project is Rs. 890 million which is said to have something to do with the beach erosion (obviously caused by the Port City Project).
If this is an investment, who has the ownership of the newly built stretch of the beach?
If the government has paid for the project, Rs. 890 million to expand only a 3.5km beach is a sheer waste.
I don’t understand the urgency of this project, which has received a public outcry earlier. The sand dune issue in Kalutara doesn’t require an expansion of the beach.
What I am trying to say is, an extensive study should have been carried out by the Ministry of Environment to find out the reason for the escalation of the beach erosion in this area, since 2017.
Once the reason is established, which is obviously PortCity, the government should have requested the Chinese Company to address the issue free of charge.
I am sure the President will remember that PortCity was his pet project and the Chinese company was allowed to dredge sea sand free of charge from our sea.
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SJ / May 4, 2020
“I am sure the President will remember that PortCity was his pet project and the Chinese company was allowed to dredge sea sand free of charge from our sea.”
I would have thought that it was that of his brother.
The mistake was of successive governments that did not do a thorough environmental study.
In any case, the Chinese cannot be forced to pay for any thing for which they have not committed themselves. Ultimately, who will foot the bill?
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Mallaiyuran / May 4, 2020
Champawati,
You might be too small in 2099,2010,2011,2012,2013. But there was no pet project of Old Rowdy. It was Chandrika, who started Nuraicholai. Old Rowdy milked on that and got caught by Chinese. When he attempted hand over the dead Nuraicholai to another of his darling, the Italian Beauty Queen. China got hold of computers and extracted the Colombo Pong Ching & all other White Elephants. None of them are their pet project but only, milking cows. During the developments of these projects all Western experts opposed. Colombo media discounted the opposition as American Imperialism to the local Modaya Crowd. Even the Chinese airport were designed and built by British companies, but none of these projected were elevated by any Western Companies. Further they warned of China’s that time secret project of String of Perl. Long after that China came out with another stealthy fancy name for that, modern Silk Route. Any asset China gained along the new silk route is Shylock deals.
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Mallaiyuran / May 4, 2020
Nariya Ranil cheated Modaya people in the election of 2015 promising to cancel Colombo Pong Ching. He did know that was not possible. But he halted with a fake environmental study and jacked up the price by another $280,000,000. Then he approved the project saying there is no environmental effect. But China had changed the mind and it took over even the Hangbangtota. I know the Colombo Media which call it as This Day, keep all Sinhalese in Ever Dark. There is nothing for Lankawe to do other than what China tells. Now they have filled eroded beaches with some other sand and when this government standup fully, those they will be importing sand from China to fill up those new holes. This is how China invested for free draw materials of Colombo Pong Cing. Nobody really knows how much Lankawe owes to Shylock China. But all what can be said with some confidence based on news leaked on Colombo media is “China is to Stay Here Permanently”
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Plato / May 4, 2020
Champa.
Three in a row is a Hat-Trick: How do you refer to 4 in a row?
Your line…….
A 2/3 of the country has lost their income……..
Yes!
But the Rajapakses are adamant to hold an Election and secure a 2/3 rd majority in Parliament: To hell with the Corona is their mindset.
Coming colours not good!
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chiv / May 4, 2020
Same old, same old. Nothing new.
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