Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, addressing the UNP really at Galle Face Green this evening, said a new political party – the National Democratic Front – would be registered with the aim of forming a broad political alliance to strengthen democracy.
Wickremesinghe said at the UNP Working Committee meeting on Friday, he would seek approval from the UNP to form a alliance. He expressed confidence that his party would solemnly back the move.
At a meeting held at Temple Trees after his swearing-in yesterday, Wickremesinghe told UNP seniors to “prepare for an election.” Although the Prime Minister did not specify which election would come first, many party seniors assumed that Wickremesinghe was talking about the Provincial Council elections.
Wickremesinghe’s remark on forming a new political party is a sign that the UNP has plans to bring multiple political parties under a common umbrella to contest future elections.
In his speech at the UNP demonstration today, Wickremesinghe urged the public to give him a two thirds majority in Parliament at the next election to abolish Executive Presidency.
“We want to abolish Executive Presidency without relying on anyone. The only way to do it is by securing a two thirds majority in Parliament, ” he added.
Wickremesinghe also stated that his party would seek a solution to the national question based on the unitary status of the country.
Amarasiri / December 17, 2018
Ranil W,
Go for a plebiscite to abolish the executive presidency. Then only 52 percent is needed. You may not get 2/3 because the crooks still want the Ececutive presidency so that an occasional madman can be president, like Sirisena, the Dork, the butt head.
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Sam Fernando / December 18, 2018
Hi Guys,
this is how to indians look at current situation in SL.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcVVHKFYUeU
They prefer RW to other two devils. Surely, Rajakshes will take that to attack RW in local black media.
Sirisena has become a dog like person to India today. They question, if SIRISENA treats own people that way, how can he get on with international community.
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Global 1% / December 18, 2018
In Malaysia X-PM Najib has been named as ‘Malaysia Official 1’ in 1MDB scandal and his bank accounts frozen and confiscated.
Goldman Sachs has been charged by the govt. of Malaysia and its stocks losing value. .
Bondscam Ranil is ‘Sri Lankan Official 1″ in the Bondscam at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka
Investigations are needed into local-global networks of corruption — from Lanka to Singapore to IMF in Washington which works for the Global 1 percent and America First, which turn a blind eye to mega financial corruption but force high taxes and petrol formula on working people.. Meanwhile proliferating a Fake news narrative that China is the reason for the crashing Lankan rupee and debt trap.
Fact is that sovereign bond debt (55%) of total external borrowings, is the main cause of Lanka’s crashing rupee and all bond scams – internal and external– need to be revealed in forensic audit and accounts frozen and funds tracked to pay off the massive debts contracted by corrupt politicians.
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cholan / December 18, 2018
But in Malaysia kampong Malays still believe in Najib after he and his wife looted the country.Blaming a Malay even if he is crook is against their pride .
Malays who got everything free for 60 years can not differentiate between MYR 1 and MYR 1 Trillion.Malysian debt today is around USD 1 Trillion.
Both SL & Malaysia follow racists politics by ruling elites.With the injection of Islam soon Malaysia will be worst than a third world country.
Even if a Chinese or a Tamil student obtain 7 A s in university exam he / she can not enter university but a malay can enter even with lowest marks.Thus Malaysian education is down like SL education today.
Even with this presure Chinese are controlling economy and majority of doctors,lawyers and accountants are Tamils in Malaysia ( They go overseas and study )
The most racist Malays go for Tamil doctor / lawyer to save them.
Like Buddhist Ayotullahs brain wash Sinhalese… Muslims Mullahs brain wash Malays using Race & Religion.
Non of the Malaysian Prime Ministers are Malays First PM Tungu Abdul Rahman a Thai who proudly spoke about his blood relation to the Tamil Chola King and Thai Princess.
The last PM Najib is an Indonesian and current PM Dr.Mahathir is an Indian Tamil origin but he never accepted this.
Sri Lanka Boleh.
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Uthungan / December 21, 2018
Cholan
A good friend from that country now in exile in the UK confirms all what you have said.
But I think Tamils in Malaysia comparatively are treated better, than here in SL where hatred is open and victimisation the norm if one is to consider the situation from a point of security to life in the context of the
tell tale skeletons found in Mannar and elsewhere.
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Nimal / December 19, 2018
Global
How can the country get the money lost? Can we also get back money taken out from the bond scam and all the illigal payements,commisions,illally stashed money abroad be recoverd?
We could do what they are doing now in Malaysia.
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Rarityminds / December 18, 2018
TOBE CONTD
Meaning – 2008 – 2015(7 years) – the sum that should have been lost through bond scam is over 991 billions. Further it should have been over 140 billions a year. And it should be 10 billions of loss should have been the case for a month during that period. There, the minister of finance was Mahinda Rajkashe and his financial secretary should equally be interrogated for the losses.
None of these were telecasted clearly by local media – since the biased SIRASA plan was handled by them on the instructions being given by SIRISENA to them all along. THIS WAS INFACT NOT OVERLOOKED BY THE EDUCATED FOLKS, but the average mind set was forced to believe, yes, indeed the bank robbery had directly been sponsored by PM Wickremasinghe..
To my surprise during the last 3.5 years of RW-MS govt, the sum to have been lost (though it is believed to be frozen, which is really not a LOSS) by the scam (as they call it broad day light bank robbery blab la මහදවල් බැන්කු මන්කොල්ලය) is being branded as if it is the biggest fraud ever to have happened in this country….
All these are calculated actions to tarnish the image of RANIL Wickramasinghe – is what I realized. If SIRASA really interested in the losses, why not the very same SIRASA parrots did not give the same publicity to the losses amounting 99% (=990 billions during Rajakshes years) ?
The reason had been, prior to the meeting, all these ministers were asked not to counter argue but to listen to his speech, by the president himself.
Having studied the bits closely, MP Hirunaka P revealed a very good point, which persuaded me to see the contents closely. That was all about the BANK BOND SCAM, according to local media this to be the number of bond scam to have ever occurred in lanken history as repeatedly heard by JO men all along.
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Rarityminds / December 18, 2018
TOBE CONTD
Meaning – 2008 – 2015(7 years) – the sum that should have been lost through bond scam is over 991 billions. Further it should have been over 140 billions a year. And it should be 10 billions of loss should have been the case for a month during that period. There, the minister of finance was Mahinda Rajkashe and his financial secretary should equally be interrogated for the losses.
None of these were telecasted clearly by local media – since the biased SIRASA plan was handled by them on the instructions being given by SIRISENA to them all along. THIS WAS INFACT NOT OVERLOOKED BY THE EDUCATED FOLKS, but the average mind set was forced to believe, yes, indeed the bank robbery had directly been sponsored by PM Wickremasinghe..
To my surprise during the last 3.5 years of RW-MS govt, the sum to have been lost (though it is believed to be frozen, which is really not a LOSS) by the scam (as they call it broad day light bank robbery blab la මහදවල් බැන්කු මන්කොල්ලය) is being branded as if it is the biggest fraud ever to have happened in this country….
All these are calculated actions to tarnish the image of RANIL Wickramasinghe – is what I realized. If SIRASA really interested in the losses, why not the very same SIRASA parrots did not give the same publicity to the losses amounting 99% (=990 billions during Rajakshes years) ?
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Don Stanley / December 17, 2018
Bondscam Ranil should be impeached for looting the Central Bank and financial crimes against the people of Lanka. RW also turned parliament into a ‘Cesspit of Corruption’ with SUV bribes, and institutionalized a culture of impunity and immunity for corrupt politicians with his partner in Crime Mahinda Jarapassa.
Sira may be a fool but Bondscam Ranil and his neo Con, IMF-MCC, neoliberal economic development agenda is dangerous. US marines are now in Trinco and drones gathering environmental intelligence for CIA while Lanka is being asset stripped with the Land Bank and sold off to sovereign bond traders.
Bondscam Ranil who turned the parliament into a Cesspit of corruption with his friend Mahinda Rajapakssa (who he protected for the past 3 years), must be impeached for looting the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, with his friend Mahendran, and pent house Ravi. K, before more damage is done to the Economic Rights and Land rights of people of Lanka in the name of Washington Consensus’Fake Development.
Hope JVP will now push for Economic Justice for citizens and impeachment of Ranil for financial Crimes against people of Lanka and destruction of the most important financial Institution in the country which is also a reason for lack of FDI and the magnified Debt Trap and crashing rupee.
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Plato. / December 17, 2018
Forming a national front is not a new idea. In fact, Dudley Senanayake formed the National government in 1965 with politicians with widely differing views. Philip Gunawardena, K.M.P.Rajaratne, M.Thiruchelvam Q.C [First and the last time that the Federal Party accepted a portfolio! ]
This is the only way to abolish this curse known as the Executive Presidency.
Sirisena by his behaviour has proved that this should be abolished once and for all!
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wannihami / December 18, 2018
Yes Plato the The Hath haula, my introduction to reading writing and politics
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Amaradasa Salgado / December 17, 2018
We do not fear of UNP crowd in Galle Face ,because these people are majority not from rural -poor their are from Urban minorities in Colombo Districts . The politics of UNP base on higher upper classes and Lumpen base on Urban shanties. They have nothing to do with represtattives-democracy of any of civilization or democracy at all under UNP current leadership of Ranil Wicks. Therefor politics of UNP was belongs to past era of colonization of US and UK imperialism old -order. It ( UNP) has short-time of life span! Look at Globally what happen to USA UK EU and Japan. All nations are in advances countries are mess-up that many developed countries are seems to be mad houses. Full of uncertainties and chaos edge of collapsed day by day. The such nations cannot bailout themselves by UNP leadership and its governances? How can they bail out impending cataspory of an Island towards for Economic uncertainties in Island-wide. Where we stand ?
By and large ISIS of Muslim entry tactics maneuvering of that by UNP’s Rahaman politics has nexus to ISIS operation in agitation, propaganda and organization by inside UNP leadership ?
How is that UNP name of” Democracy” has lost among millions of rural and urban poor, who are against the foriginization of our land by UNP leader of Ranil Wicks
Who are allies of UNP ? TNA is/was political separatism, while working against Democracy foundation and its structure back by that USA, UK, EU and Indian regional expansion.
While that JVP is another political of anarchist, wanted destroy foundation of democracy?
TNA and JVP’s are combination new holy alliance working against Right to Vote was suppressed by Judiciary of Supreme Court.
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Lankan No 03 / December 17, 2018
Let anti- democratic forces no Sri Lanka is not an African country. People know their right ; their democratic values and rule of law. M&s made them to read all constitution.
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Chauvinist / December 17, 2018
Country has been suffering ever since they gave 2/3 majority to late Mr JR Jayawardana in 1977. The day after parliament was illegally dissolved, at a rally in Kalutara SLPP supporters said MR need 2/3 majority. I was made to believe under the constitution JR created, no party in the future get 2/3 majority. Hence the wining political party who so ever that may be, should work with other political parties to abolish this draconian constitution. please, please also make it illegal for Mps to cross over.
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Nic / December 17, 2018
Ranil – save your grand party formation ideas – get rid of corruption at all levels including yours and the President. Work selflessly without fear or favor – get rid of the thieves, thugs and hooligans within your house first. You would do well not to appoint bribe taker Malik and the thief who got caught – RK. Get the young – Harsha, Eran, Ranjan and most definitely SF for Law and Order. Get rid of all unwanted ministries created to pander cross over monkeys.
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K A Sumanasekera / December 18, 2018
Dr Ranil has clearly spelled out how he will put the final nail in the Coffin of the great Majority of the Inhabitant population who are the rural Sinhala Buddhists and the lowest income group in the country by
* Abolishing the Presidency
* And granting Homelands for the Tamils in the North and the East without any Referendum…
–
21 of the other 32 that Dr Ranil needs are already in Dr Ranil’s bag, according to the Colombo Media Reports.
The 11 which are holding back may even get 1000 Million or even 2000 Million each…..
–
Even that is still only a fraction of the ” Line of Credit ” which Dr Ranil has got from the ex LTTE Suren. in London which is USD 4 Billion according to Dr Ranil’s bosom buddy Matara Samare..
–
Dr Ranil’s first sitting in the recalled Yahapalana Parliament will see the 2/3 granting all the demands which TNA Sridaran Dharamalingam spelled out to the Daily Mirror..
And abolishing the Presidency so there is no come back for the great inhabitant majority.
–
The inhabitants who were not in Galle Face must now get ready to select MPs who will do something for them and their Children and grand children at both PC and State Level in their Homelands. going forward..
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Native Vedda / December 18, 2018
KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera
–
“Dr Ranil has clearly spelled out how he will put the final nail in the Coffin of the great Majority of the Inhabitant population who are the rural Sinhala Buddhists and the lowest income group in the country by * Abolishing the Presidency * And granting Homelands for the Tamils in the North and the East without any Referendum…”
–
Firstly how abolishing the Presidency and granting Homelands for the Tamils in the North and the East with or without any Referendum would put the final nail in the Coffin of the great Majority of the Inhabitant population who are the rural Sinhala Buddhists and the lowest income group in the country?
–
Secondly you had been crowing for years under Mahinda’s misrule the country had achieved middle income country status.
What are you going on about?
–
Do you still hear Mahinda’s voices in your head?
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Native Vedda / December 18, 2018
KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera
–
“Dr Ranil has clearly spelled out how he will put the final nail in the Coffin of the great Majority of the Inhabitant population who are the rural Sinhala Buddhists and the lowest income group in the country by * Abolishing the Presidency * And granting Homelands for the Tamils in the North and the East without any Referendum…”
–
Firstly how abolishing the Presidency and granting Homelands for the Tamils in the North and the East with or without any Referendum would put the final nail in the Coffin of the great Majority of the Inhabitant population who are the rural Sinhala Buddhists and the lowest income group in the country?
–
Secondly you had been crowing for years under Mahinda’s misrule the country had achieved middle income country status.
What are you going on about?
–
Do you still hear Mahinda’s voices in your head?
/
JD / December 18, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
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JD / December 18, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
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JD / December 18, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
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Nimal / December 18, 2018
Let in the JVP to help the alliance to govern.
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Native Vedda / December 18, 2018
Nimal
–
“Let in the JVP to help the alliance to govern.”
–
As promised let JVP remain “neutral”, sitting on its’ ideological fence until a suitable time in the future to join Dr Mahinda’s Very Good Governance.
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Lanka Watch / December 18, 2018
Handing over Executive Presidency to a Sri Lankan is like handing over a garland of flowers to a monkey.
USA introduced this system, initially to manage their large country, divided into federal states and governors reported to the President but they themselves are suffering under this system as too much of powers are vested in a single man or a woman and their tendencies usually lead to dictatorial rule, as a President is the head of every thing under the sun, including the armed forces and achieves a “King of all
I survey” status.This system of Presidential rule is dangerous to poorer countries like ours as there will be no protest against their dictatorial rule, like what happened in Philiphine (Macos) Uganda ( Idi Amin) and few other poor countries.
As every one knows RW promises the moon and the stars and does nothing worthwhile. He was there
with Prez.Sirisena for three years in the Govt. that was elected to do away the Executive Presidency system but he looked the other way, giving little support for 19A supporters as it was obvious that there are people, including himself , lined up to become “king of all I survey’. position. The newly minted PM woke up again and wanting to abolish the position by 2/3 majority but will the greed stricken parlia
-mentarians agree to such a proposal, having known the perks & powers of a President..
As Mr. Amaradasa suggested, in this column , if you are really keen on abolishing this position, go for a plebiscite and do away with this menace in the 1st few weeks of your Premiership and follow the British system of parliamentary rule headed by a Prime Minister. Leave prestige aside as our country needs able administrators to uplift the country’s name and economy .Take India as an example as 1.2 billion people are governed by a Prime Minister and they also have a President for name sake.
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kolla / December 18, 2018
This is the only country where a call for elections has been condemned as undemocratic !
Ranil’s perverted constitution making has put the people in a fix and they don’t know that !
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JD / December 18, 2018
For Ranil, the name of the game is STAY IN POWER. His Vision for the country is his uncle JRJ’s VISION OF NEO LIBERAL STATE and 1978 constitution. Ranil wanta country in which Sinale, Orumiththa nadu and Nasirishthan has equal rights. LAs ttime, Ranil screwed up Sinhala buddhists by makeing Maithripala sirisena his puppet and the pawn. this time he got money from the arab natins and making a govt with the help of Muslims.
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Steve / December 18, 2018
I am not a supporter of the JO in anyway, however, my feeling is that if a General Election was held in January 2019 the UNP would have suffered a heavy defeat due to corruption among its own ranks, mis-management of the economy, and questionable foreign policies amongst many other facts. The UNP needs to get its act together and put its house in order if they are to Govern the country in the future. Forget the massive Galle Face rally, it will come to nothing at a General Election.
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Lionel Bopage / December 18, 2018
International experience indicates many political fronts that had been formed have become defunct when it came to implementation. The reason appears to be the lack of an open minimum consensus, dedication and commitment on what had to be implemented.
Taking the most recent example in Sri Lanka, let us look at the 100-day program pledged prior to the January 8, 2015 Presidential elections and declared later by the newly elected President himself. The government even set up a dedicated website for monitoring the performance of the program. To the credit of the regime, limited democratic gains have been made through the program, though the outcomes were much delayed. For example, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, the Independent Commissions, the Constitutional Council, introduction of a Right to Information (RTI) Act and Office of Missing Persons Act.
A process to ‘abolishing the executive presidential system and replacing it with an executive of a Cabinet of Ministers responsible to Parliament’ was to commence within two weeks. However, some of the parties to the regime later even wanted to retain the executive presidency. Particularly, there was no agreement on the economic policies that were to be adopted. Some followed the traditional neo-liberal push embedded with corruption, while some others did not agree with that push. During the latest October episode, the President not only breached the constitution, but also reneged on the very promises he made in the 100-day program:
“90. Both immediate and long-term measures will be taken to safeguard the independence of media personnel and institutions”, and
“92. Parliamentary proceedings will be telecast live.”
It will be politically beneficial for all in the National Democratic Front to sign an open declaration that clarifies the minimum consensus they have reached, particularly with regard to abolition of executive presidency and its economic program.
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K.Pillai / December 18, 2018
Lional Bopage ~ “….….National Democratic Front to sign an open declaration that clarifies the minimum consensus they have reached, particularly with regard to abolition of executive presidency and its economic program.”
Not ‘consensus’ but ‘demands’ for cabinet positions.
The ‘abolition of Executive Presidency’ and ‘Economic Programs’ to be decided at the horse trading auctions.
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Sunil Dahanayake / December 18, 2018
K A Sumanasekara,
We are the minority in this discussion forum highlighting that Current Don Juan Dharmapala, TNA , JVP and SLMC mates will destroy our country for ever.
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chiv / December 18, 2018
Two best jokes for this year. Shit Head and a racist Gommanpilla says they were fighting a war against CIA and M16. MS says he is not a fool as some people say and he got constitutional experts to advise him (MR, Namal, GLP, Sarath, Mohan,Eva)before sacking RW. MR says he became fake PM to save the country and the people. And a good number of retarded public will vote on this.
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jansee / December 18, 2018
RW had many chances but he screwed them all. When he had the chance in 2015 and the nation hoped that he would act against corruption and crime but he failed miserably on all accounts and it came to haunt him for better or worse. A good PM would have moved against all the misdeeds of the Rajapaksa era, including the crime and murders committed. I had written then that his failure will come to haunt and it did and it almost knocked him to the ground. Giving promises to the HRC and then shamelessly breaking that promise doesn’t make RW any better than Sirisena. The TNA must be careful in aligning with any Sinhala leader because they are all liars, convenient liars to get their deed done.
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Real Revolutionist / December 18, 2018
Why should you form a new party?
Why can’t you do it under the UNP banner?
You’re just hoodwinking.
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K.Pillai / December 18, 2018
A reborn RW wants to sire a UNF to be brought up at Sri Kotha. Grow up in the exclusive UNP Nursery.
What about the step-parents like for example Sajith, Navin, Rose? Step aunts/uncles like for example Champika, Mano, SB Dissanayake, Hakeem, Bathiudeen?
.
RW wants 2/3 rd majority. He knows he will not get this which is what he wants.
.
He is willing to take on SLFP deserters i.e may be prepared to accept horse-auctions. But will he ever ban it? Will he accept the ilk of PHU, EPDP?
.
What will be difference between UNF and the naughty UNFGG?
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Kabargoya / December 20, 2018
After a decent interval of say five months, it would be good for the UNP if it ditches Ranil and his Royal friends and brings in a new leadership. Ranil will never appeal to the bulk of the people after the bond scam. He rides a wave now only because sillysena was a monkey who did the wrong thing. After the wave subsides, people will begin to question Ranil. Mahinda has sullied himself as have the MahaTheras. It would be good for the UNP to reform itself and bring in a new leadership.
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Sinhala_Man / December 21, 2018
I think that you are right, Kabaragoya.
.
But I must acknowledge that wishes father thoughts.
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Ranjan / December 23, 2018
It is simple. Have elections first to Provincial Councils & then Parliamentary elections. You have the strength as shown by the crowd at the UNP meeting. have guts.
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