It was Mahinda Rajapaksa and no one else that called for and used a helicopter to fly to Hambantota the day after he lost the Presidential Election in January 2015, according to sources close to the Rajapaksa family.
‘Sirisena took oaths on the evening of January 9th and until then Mahinda Rajapaksa was the President of the country. As was usual practice he had asked a member of his security detail, Captain Tissa Wimalasena to call for helicopters,’ sources pointed out, stating that Sirisena was distorting facts and making unfair accusations.
The controversy over Rajapaksa using Air Force helicopters arose when Sirisena, speaking at a ceremony to commemorate the late Ven Madoluwawe Sobitha Thero, said that the Air Force Commander had told him that helicopters had been released to his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa to Hambantota after he, Rajapaksa, lost the presidential election ‘by so-and-so’ (ahavala) who said that he was conveying a request made by Sirisena.
Although Sirisena claimed ignorance and hinted that it was Ranil Wcikremesinghe who was responsible for this, he is on record having stated on April 09, 2016 that it was he who had given two helicopters to Rajapaksa on that occasion. He even observed on that occasion that ‘nowhere in the world has a head of state ben given helicopters to go home after an election defeat.’
K.Pillai / June 1, 2018
We, the silent Lankans like a new team to lead us but that is pretty nigh impossible.
The next best is the coalition providing checks and balances. It is possible that all law enforcement agencies may act with some independence!
But there is a visible change in our expectations. Tough guys in whitevans is not in our vision.
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Buddhist / June 1, 2018
Its unfortunate we have a Leader who does not know whether he is sucking or blowing! He is the President, if he is so worried about Rajapakses’ being protected he can take over the portfolio of Justice and do what he wishes. He does not do this and at the same time meeting with Gotabaya and protecting him. He is stabbing on the back of PM who was instrumental in getting the Presidential Chair. This he has done not once or twice but many times. Should some one show him how to suck and how to blow? Over to you back benchers of UNP.
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Siripala / June 1, 2018
The entire country has gone stark raving mad like all the dogs struck down with rabies.
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Mallaiyuran / June 1, 2018
Helicopter matter has to be decided by the court. Courtesy is a different issue. Here Old King used his not existing authority to call the helicopter. When he met Ranil early in the morning of 9th, he had handed over the Temple Tree House keys. That amounts resignation and it doesn’t connects to election results’ official announcement. Ranil did not have authority to authorize anything at that time. Old King conceded his loss when he invited Ranil to Temple Tree House. Ranil was accused of plotting in TTH and had destroyed proper procedures being followed in power change. This guy has not paid SLTB fees he used for election. He has not paid for TV stations. Helihopter abuse has to be decided in court.
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whywhy / June 1, 2018
A head of state who led the country twice at a stretch should have
been banned from trying it again through the 19th amendment !
It was deliberately omitted allowing Rajapaksas to regroup !
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wannihami / June 1, 2018
So MS says he did not know who came up with the 100 day program and he says it was ridiculous to make a constitutional amendments on the whims of 47 and also making a government on the whims of those. When MS took the oath as the President he had all the powers of the 18th amendment and he could have prevented not only the 47 UNPers forming the government but also the 19th amendment and the 100 day program. He could have dissolved the parliament. But why did he not? He is repenting now. If he did not have the foresight to prevent those things unfortunately he disqualifies himself to be a leader..I am sorry for MS, but I believe he let his desire for power lead his actions.
Also until MS took the oath MR was the president, he had all the rights to call for the helicopter.
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C Perera / June 3, 2018
you are correct.
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Gos / June 1, 2018
Sri Lankan voters must hang their heads in shame for selecting this ‘toe rag’ as their president. The more he opens his gob crying foul, the more he is exposed as the prat he is. Shame on you beggar Sira and shame on all those idiots who voted for him.
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Buddhist / June 1, 2018
Was it not the President who did not want to appoint Sarath Fonseka as Minister of Law and Order? Now he is crying saying that its Politicians are blocking law and order in the country and the Police is not doing its job. Why won’t he give the position to Sarath Fonseka and see how he does it?
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K.Pillai / June 1, 2018
The helicopter ride has not added or lessened the misery we, the silent Lankan Majority are going through.
MS must sit and meditate with or without IGP’s help/supervision. (By the way where the hell is the IGP?)
Does he want to make United National Front for Good Governance work? This may involve disciplining UNP. Or allow in default, whitevan rule again?
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Jim softy / June 1, 2018
I heard thesre is a news blackout in Sri lanka with respect to politically sensitive news. This particular news has been published by CT because of Mahinda rajapakse’s request. HE wants to achieve popularity via peoples blaming him for everything.
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roy / June 2, 2018
This is a minor matter , wait for the Big boy MaRa’s return ,he will loot the rest which is left in the country. By the time when the foolish citizens realise ,it will be too late ,the loot would have disappeared , there are many routes for these thieves to launder. check this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDcce4KnLNs . Mustachio is going to lough at you fools.
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sirimuna / June 2, 2018
Why not give helicopters, to corrupt politicos to go home.Not to Take their loot home. Any body and everybody corrupt.
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Lanka nitizen / June 2, 2018
Attention Readers.
Water highly polluted from Areas starting from Wattala onwards , if you detect a foul smell ,please do not use it for anything ,especially cook ,drinking, etc ,please be extra careful with Children .
Why has the government not warned the people ,we understand it is beyond their control ,this happens every time there is a flood ,we need to accept The reality that once the port city is completed we will have very frequent floods, they are trying to build underground large French drainage to protect Colombo ,which means low lands (which are more lower than sea levels may become impossible to live in) this is what happens to nations who put the cart before the horse .
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Daya Gamage / June 2, 2018
The old saying is: ‘When God wants to destroy someone, He first make him insane’. What a minuscule issue Sirisena is harping on. Is it a thing to raise at a commemoration gathering? And how little Sirisena knows about the rest of the world: When a US president is defeated at the poll, the US authorities give him safe journey to where ever he wants to go. Sirisena does not know that when he said that no where in the world a defeated president is given safe passage on government account. Looks like Sirisena is in a confused mind after POHOTTUWA got 43% and his SLFP got only 13% at local polls last February. He now knows his fate next time, and looks like he shivers when he hear Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s name. If he goes like this, POHOTTUWA will pass the 50% mark very soon.
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Lanka nitizen / June 2, 2018
If Ranil is sincere ,then before end of this year he must bring in The Swiss canton Constitution and handover the powers to the people ,he must also postponed the Central Highway project , until then they must not touch a cent from the borrowing.
I won’t be surprised if all this inner fight is about who gets how much out of the borrowed money , because the way the SLFP rebel group left and now the inner fight ,its very obvious .May be I am wrong ,I am only making a general assumption , which is acceptable, as it is very probable in Sri Lanka .
The rupee is crashing by the minute,other than China no other nation wants to come into invest ,now that is too very suspicious ,because any day nothing like nations from .the west ,Korea and Japan investing too,so there is always a balance .
I am very suspicious of all the past incidents ,because both governments had the typical incidents happening and the law enforcement did nothing, attacks on minorities ,now there seem to be some incidents going unreported of attacks on some Christians as per the media .
Then the targeting of only western tourists , why ?
I believe there is a dangerous agenda to discourage (Christians ) western ,((Buddhists) among Korea &Japan (Muslims) from Turkey ,Malaysia and Arabs from .becoming involved in our development ,obvious reasons ,not that they are all saints ,but I doubt they will freely Dole out cash .
I let the intelligent readers to guess the rest
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Lanka nitizen / June 2, 2018
Unfortunately ,What I see in the President is he is to much of an emotional person ,I still think he is not a bad person.
He is trying to not antagonise people who are hold anger in him.
Its understandable .
The main bunch who have to take responsibility for ruining the unity government and blocking its progress are the SLFP rebel group .
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Mallaiyuran / June 2, 2018
Journalist have made Sumanthiran to comment on this. But my suggestion would be they should bring out Chandrika and make her to tell the truth. Because Sobitha Thero is not there, this guy should not be allowed to tell anything he wants.
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Prasad / June 3, 2018
Sirisena is showing symptoms of tension and depression .He has lost his grip on many things.
What he says must be true.He May have been forced to keep his SLFP rogues to fulfill 100 day programme .But I find it difficult to believe he is totally innocent .He had the opportunity to clean the He party .Whenhe had the chance to appoint new educated faces to the party during election he went after the same clan.The worst was appointing national list.His obsession of SLFP and lack of insight due to poor understanding about the situation led to his down fall .Ranil is a seasoned fox and he should have known that all along.Sirisena has over and over shown he is a misfit for the post.He doesn’t have the required IQ level to run a country and best suited for a ceremonial role and nothing else .We have no idea what he is upto now and he seems to be licking Gotas boots behind the screen for his own survival.62 million who voted for them may God bless them and the country .
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Mrs Udubaddewa / June 3, 2018
Mallaiyuran ,who are you?
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Good Sense / June 4, 2018
I took the trouble to view the entire 42 minutes of the “Presidential Lecturing” as published in the net. In fact he mentioned the name of RW in thanking him for the co-operation extended in making changes for the better. However, the entire UNP will get a black mark in the eyes of the ordinary public when HE revealed that there was a Cabinet Paper involving some transfer of funds from state banks to private banks and stating that had the move been approved the entire system of state banks would collapse. The effect is aggravated because the entire UNP is already viewed unfavorably after the bond scam. HE has brought all this out to say that this is a Unity Government and had he not taken over the leadership of the SLFP and formed an alliance with the UNP, the anti-social acts of this Government would go passed unchecked. I would like make it clear that I don’t hold a brief for HIM but one must be fair. The bigger issue in that lecture is not what the general media paints as an attack against the RW but certain self-contradictions. HE claimed credit for giving the helicopters in the past (videos shown in the net) and now states in HIS lecture that he is not aware as to who authorized the use of the choppers. OH! MY3! Don’t demean yourself and the country by displaying that you suffer from amnesia of convenience.
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