By Shyamon Jayasinghe –
Shyamon Jayasinghe
“Hence, hats off to President Sirisena for constituting a separate Presidential Commission”
Without Choice
Looking at the Bond Commission Report, he has no other choice. In the interests of the Grand Old Party, Ravi Karunanayake has to voluntarily resign. This will earn him the respect of the UNP rank and file and the general political public.
Of course, the matter has to be referred to court for a final justice. That is no reason for Ravi to cling on behind. On more than a prima face basis, he is seriously suspect. Honour and ethics demand he must go. If he does resign without being asked to do so and if eventually the court decision acquits him, then he can get back with a significant portion of honour restored to him on which he can rebuild his broken image.
Rosy Senanayake, the Colombo Mayoral candidate, must gently ask Ravi to get off his back. He now stands as a liability to her probable victory.
President Maitripala Sirisena, who managed to salvage honour by referring this matter to a Presidential Commission, unfortunately cannot weigh on the proposal to get Ravi out because he is, curiously, heading the campaign of another party at the local polls. Under the JR constitution the President’s position as head of State is compromised at elections. This is yet another aspect of the undesirability of this constitution, which everyone except the JO wants to get rid of.
If the resignation does not happen and if he isn’t removed, then firstly, the Party and its leader will suffer debilitating damage and will not be able to deal with subsequent cases of serious misdemeanour on the part of its members. The Yahapalanaya government will take a severe blow and will be unable to talk morality after that.
The party leader has just been left short of getting implicated. The public respect he earned as Mr Clean got almost tarnished; yet for his luck he escaped in a situation that could have been interpreted as complicity. Neglect to monitor the former Central Bank chief and Ravi himself could have possibly put Ranil Wickremesinghe into hot water. For Ranil to say that that he was the first to forward COPE papers to the AG is neither here nor there. The AG is already saddled with a super load of cases flowing from the unending misrule of the former regime. Even poor old Thajudeen has not yet been avenged and given justice. Gota and Basil are freely on the ride with Gota now morphing into playing the image of a learned guru on the advice of advertising experts and Basil been given long dates.
Under such circumstances, a case as complicated as the Bond issue would have been an unmanageable burden for the AG. Hence, hats off to President Sirisena for constituting a separate Presidential Commission. Now, we have a complete investigation done following judicial principles-ready-made for AG to take action. How long will that take is another prayer.
While action is done on Ravi Karunanayake, both the President and Prime Minister must get on with the job of getting the looters and murderers of the former regime into court; and from there, possibly, into jail. The neglect to do this has been a source of severe disappointment to the public.
President Maitripala Sirisena is himself in a quagmire of his own creation after having roped in so many of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s SLFP men onto his side and given most of them portfolios. People like Dayasiri Jayasekara, John Seneviratne, Susil Premayayanth are really trojan horses inside the ring. Their efforts are bound to make this government dysfunctional unless the President has his nose on the ground. Talks about his trying to flirt with Mahinda Rajapaksa are also disturbing. None of these Ministers have done any worthwhile work and, if at all, it is blundering and neglect that we know of their sordid performances.
The writer can be contacted at sjturaus@optusnet.com.au
Samuel Jayaweera / January 5, 2018
This kinds of moves were not seen in the high days of Rajapakshe who looted it to the core, no people s eyes were drawn to even high crimes ?
Today almost everyone in the govt is caught by criticisms. From first citzen to the lowerst.
I think this country should work on the standards first and think big later. Massses in this country are made fools by politicians along during the last 15 years or so.
They all talk high, but by examples JVP or others have not shown it yet. JVPrs are more or less like WIMAl weerabaluwanse – just talk talktalk no practical.
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Rishard / January 5, 2018
So, you feel the difference that we have a better government?
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Samuel Jayaweera / January 5, 2018
for sure better than Rajapakshe politics.
Rishard, where had you been prior to 2015 ?
They continue brutalities on on daylight – no whatsowever investigations or single discussions on the issues, but most of them were institutionalized.
tODAY; be them Raja or ruling parties, they ahve been targeted .. caught by heavy criticsms. That I find is democracy.
What we had before current govt came in – authoritarianism/Barbarism/Dictatorship/Family politics as 1:1 similarities with Zimbabwian politics/Gadafi politics
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Don Stanley / January 5, 2018
Shimon and Sam: Ranil must go, or be impeached!
He is mad, desperate and depraved for power and has lot all moral compass. Ranil is desperate to Rule the State of Sri Lanka with the help of and or the benefit of his foreign friends..
Ranil sill block all investigations and the AG’s office. corruption and impunity and the Debt trap will grow. Remember his 3 men bond scam commission and statements in the Parliament of corrupt Clowns to cover up the scam?!
Ranil has also protected the corrupt and criminal Rajapaksa brothers to destbilize SLFP. He is depraved and dangerous for the economy, people and development of Lanka.
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Jim softy / January 5, 2018
Samuwel Jayaweera ON,y in Sri lanka your kind of stupid people exists. Even now Ranil and FCID could not catch from the previous govt. I heard, Rajitha Senarathne is one who was asked by the Sri lankan LAw courts to quit the seat and that was during the Mahinda Rajapakse times. What happened with even when Ravi KArunanayake even when he was caught for money laundering for a second time. I heard even right now, his house has bags of money. Finance minister had to resign from his portfolio that is all. Why Ranil is not resigning. Most of UNP which is 40 MPs and SLFP MPs including Dajya Jayasekaera who talks about how AG should work are accused I heard.
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Amarasiri / January 6, 2018
Samuel Jayaweera,
Wimal Bruwansa or rather Horawamsa supposed to have got Rs.2000 for every cubit of sand and made Ra. 100 for so for every 100 meters of road painted white.
Now extend that ti the other olititians
Ravi Penthouse got a penthouses……
MaRa MaRa Chatu Maa aka Mahinda Rajapaksa and cronies made off with billions…
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Samuel Jayaweera / January 6, 2018
Now maras all high profile are being not discussed or attacked by lanken media mafia, but Ranil ‘s bond scam.
Lankens have been dragged to be partial to Rajapaskhe this is very unfair to good UNPers.
Bunch of thugs led by Mara has been enjoying….. at least for the moment.
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Fathima / January 7, 2018
Why should Ravi go for Ranil’s fault?
Ranil is behind the fraud more than Ravi. Like it or not Ravi is the next UNP leader. Most grassroots level UNPers are with Ravi, not Ranil.
Whose bright idea was it for Sirisena to contest the election in 2015 with UNP support? Such foolish tactics backfired.
Ranil must resign from PM post and UNP leadership. Sajith or Kabeer for PM and Ravi for UNP leadership. It is excellent if a minority person like Kabeer becomes PM. President is Singhala Buddhist. No problem. But PM post should go to a minority person.
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Analyst / January 5, 2018
Yes True ! True! Hats off to Honourable Maithri for the mammoth task of exposing those involved
even those involved are and were his friends.
Three cheers for him the President for putting the COUNTRY BEFORE FRIENDSHIPS AND HIS OWN LIFE.
Let’s see now how the Mega crooks from all Political Parties and Crooks from the Public life jumps in HOT CINDERS/ HOT OIL/ HOTWATER KNEE DEEP.
IMAGINE WE THE INNOCENT PATRIOTIC PEOPLE .
These crooks should suffer in the name of Lord Buddha, Lord Shiva, Allah, and Jesus Christ.
Karma is a BITCH Right??
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K.Pillai / January 5, 2018
Analyst wonders ~ “Karma is a BITCH Right??”
People on the run from Karma only see an animal growling and chasing. No time to find out whether it is a DOG, bitch or neutered!
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Plato. / January 5, 2018
If Ravi.K. does not step down as Deputy Leader of the UNP and as an Adviser of sorts to the PM the wound that has been inflicted by this Bond Scam Report, will surely fester and Gangrene would set in to the UNP Body-Politic.
Has Ravi K. a thick hide like that of MaRa and a Hippopotamus ?
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Dr. Dharshana W / January 5, 2018
Dear Shyamon,
You have entered the fray with a prejudice, that Ravi K has to resign. as such your angle of entry into the analysis is not encompassing the totality of the issue.
The first question is: How can an alien (non-citizen) be appointed to one of the top most public positions.
Has the Prime minister followed the due process in appointing people to high public positions?, Although the PCoI seem to find no fault therein simply because they trusted the prime ministers evidence that he trusted Arjun Mahendran, which in itself is liable to debate.
The appointee (Arjun M) has not even taken the oaths that is necessary in accepting duties in high public positions, and his response was “I did not know of such a requirement”.
The first fraud took place within a month of all these occurences, indicating that hit was a pre-planned conspiracy, rather than a random chain of events, which the PCoI has even failed to diagnose.
There are so many other leading trails that would surely extend the periphery of inclusion into this scandal, but i assume that this was beyond the jurisdiction ( not exactly, but literally) of the PCoI.
The end state is that the general public of this country has been taken for a good ride once again (as always) by the hypocrite polytical system, and those who head them @ present.
I feel sorrow for myself, for believing in this system year-in, and year-out, refusing to migrate, since I hoped that something would change over time, but alas I am felt with regret and shame.
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The Oracle / January 5, 2018
Shyamon
As they say down under , ” you’re up with the fairies mate ” .
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Bond Commission witness / January 5, 2018
Ravi K kept losing Kotte seat but survived due to his closeness to Ranil.
He should have never been made Finance Minister in the first place after he was indicted by the High Court on forex fraud with Raj Rajaratnam.
Then he moved onto Foreign Ministry and demanded the Lottries Board and Litro Gas and everyone knows the reasons for that. Lotteries Board has a huge advertising and a printing budget and Litro Gas makes spot purchases on a continuous basis.
His evidence at the Bond Commision was hilarious and our politicians have no shame !!
Believe me – Nothing will happen and the best Finance Minister in Asia will be back as if nothing has hapenned.
To be fair by him even the three chairmen and CEOs of the three state banks namely BoC, PB and NSB never resigned after admitting that they deliberately bidded low on the CB bonds after being instructed to do so by the Finance Minister and incurring a loss for their institutions.
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sach / January 5, 2018
why only Ravi? Ravi took a bribe. The REAL culprit of the bond issue is RANIL..if any one interrogate Mahendran properly he will spill the beans
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Native Vedda / January 5, 2018
sachooooooooooooooooooo
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“why only Ravi?”
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Good question. Why not Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Basil, Namal, ……….?
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whywhy / January 5, 2018
Native ,
Good governance ,” clean your home garden first .”
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Percy / January 6, 2018
Stupid Tamil Vedda
Why not Vigneswaran.Sumanthiran and a few more parasites feeding on the generosity of the Country
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Native Vedda / January 6, 2018
Percy dated and pathetic kallathonie descendant.
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“Stupid Tamil Vedda”
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Stop addressing me a Tamil. It is the final insult.
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“Why not Vigneswaran.Sumanthiran and a few more parasites feeding on the generosity of the Country”
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Good idea. Lets abolish the parliament, provincial councils, suspend constitution, ………………
Then send all the kallathonies including you.
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Valboger / January 5, 2018
These buggers are shameless.
Asking them to go is like asking Satan aka the devil to leave Hell.
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Douglas / January 5, 2018
Mr. Shymon Jayasinghe: You started writing : “Looking at the Bond Commission Report……” How did you get that Report ? OR Did you rely on the President’s “Statement”? Mind you, there is “controversy” brewing in the “Presidential Circle” as regards that “Statement” too. Of course that does not debar or deter you asking RAVIK to be “Dropped”. Now, RAVIK says: “I am at a loss to know how I have been accused of this “Bond” matter, when the SLCB did not come within my Ministry”. What does that indicate to you? Is it wrong for us to understand that the “Line Minister” in whose purview the SLCB falls has to bear the “Responsibility” and “Accountability” for that “Bond Robbery”? Perhaps, you might have the “Know How” and the “Expertise” to “Release” the PM- the Line Minister, from that “Responsibility” and “Accountability”. In your next article, I would request you to address that aspect and “Educate” the lessor mortals living in Sri Lanka.
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Raj / January 5, 2018
RK ”…. has to resign voluntarily …” Are you joking? This yob has to be jailed for perjury.
He had to be thrown out kicking & screaming as Finance Minister, yet had the audacity to say he did the honorable thing. He shot himself in the foot by pretending to be naive, not knowing anything that is happening around him & certainly not educated enough to know about ethical conduct in a high office & conflict of interest. So if you think he will have ” a significant portion of his honor restored” & ” restore his broken image”, you are mistaken. We don’t want him behind bars, not in politics. These crooks with no shame & self respect will hover around the ‘Diyawanna Oya” even after death as evil spirits (”perethayas”), unable to let go of their greed.
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Percy / January 6, 2018
Sham JAYASINGHE
How does one resign involunatarily ? Is this practice something known only to you?
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Raj / January 5, 2018
RK ”…. has to resign voluntarily …” Mr Jayasinghe, Are you joking? This yob has to be thrown in jail for perjury, as well as, corruption & money laundering, if that can be proved.
He had to be thrown out kicking & screaming as Finance Minister, yet had the audacity to say he did the honorable thing of resigning. He shot himself in the foot by pretending to be naive, not knowing anything that is happening around him & certainly not educated enough to know about ethical conduct in a high office & conflict of interest. So if you think he will have ” a significant portion of his honor restored” & ” restore his broken image”, you are mistaken. We want him behind bars, not in politics. These crooks with no shame & self respect will hover around the ‘Diyawanna Oya” even after death as evil spirits (”perethayas”), unable to let go of their greed.
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Perriamama / January 5, 2018
Why should Ranil survive?
Remember remember little boy, who brought Mahendran from Singapore?
Who said he was clean in parliament after the scandal broke? Yes, Ranil on both counts.
Who tried to thwart the COPE doing its job? The UNPers under the urging of the “great” Ranil.
Time for him to go. 40 years in parliament and nary an achievement to show for it.
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K.Pillai / January 5, 2018
There is an apparent tilt in the reason for holding on to the reins of power. Earlier it was unbridled ownership of the country. Now it is self-survival.
Shyamon: Ethics, Honour, Respect etc. are luxuries when Survival is at stake!
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Park / January 5, 2018
Mr. President has done well in the Bond Scam related matter, but will he come out and make a similar statement regarding the Presidential Commission report on former rogues? Why is he protecting them? When those who are accused in the PC report of previous rogues are not suspended from SLFP, how any one ask UNP to sack Ravi or even suspend him before he is judged by a court of law? Please do not think I am protecting Ravi, I want him gone but what about SLFP rogues?
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Jim softy / January 5, 2018
Shyamon wijesinghe: when It comes to UNP politics you are always biased. PResident has said INDIRECTLY that if he knew Ranil Wickramsinghe is also involved he would not have appointed PCOLI. but bond Scam Ranil was not that polite even though he tries to show that he is an ENGLISH MAN. that buddhist gamaya was at least regreting that he had t sacrifice his friend.. Catching so many inthe parliament as thieves is a Sri Lanka is a first. There are MPs who blamed PResident for appointing PCOLI and asked to dissove it. There is a UNP MP who wrote a book. That is Sujeewa Senasinghe. Knowing very well that they are thieves, they could not be trusted even in the COPE, knowing they lied to the public, HOW YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITYH THOSE THIEVES INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT. I don’t even in Australia where you are livign these things would be tolerated.Now, the Report is out both MY3, and Ranil are not taking actions. AG office is also not arresting anyone yet. Sok how can we trust anyone. How should they identified ?
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Jim softy / January 5, 2018
Shyamon wijesinghe: when It comes to UNP politics you are always biased. PResident has said INDIRECTLY that if he knew Ranil Wickramsinghe is also involved he would not have appointed PCOLI. but bond Scam Ranil was not that polite even though he tries to show that he is an ENGLISH MAN. that buddhist gamaya was at least regreting that he had to sacrifice his friend.. Catching so many in the parliament as thieves is a Sri Lanka is a first. There are MPs who blamed President for appointing PCOLI and asked to dissolve it. There is a UNP MP who wrote a book. That is Sujeewa Senasinghe. Knowing very well that they are thieves, they could not be trusted even in the COPE, knowing they lied to the public, HOW YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THOSE THIEVES INSIDE THE PARLIAMENT. I don’t even in Australia where you are living these things would be tolerated.Now, the Report is out both MY3, and Ranil are not taking actions. AG office is also not arresting anyone yet. So how can we trust anyone. How should they identified ?
President should not be forgiving. HE is very slow and far behind doing his responsibility.
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Jim softy / January 5, 2018
President is also responsible for allowing Foreign Exchange Control Act to be modified. so that money launderers are no longer conmen and are automatically acquitted.
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Radha / January 6, 2018
Have the UNP Parliamentarians gone to sleep? Its SLFP and JO who are making all the noise in the media. Why no UNP MP has requested or demanded the President to publicly announce the names and their illegal activities (the same way he announced the Bond Presidential Commission results) of Mega Rogues found fault in the second Presidential Commission report, which too the President received at the same time? President should mention by name those who were found fault with in the report and UNP Parliamentarians should move a no confidence motion against those SLFP members and demand that they too should be sacked from SLFP. What is the person in charge of propaganda in UNP doing? May be he or she should be replaced immediately. Similarly those who were found fault with in the Bond Presidential Commission report should also resign or suspended from UNP until Attorney General decides that there is no case against them.
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Jim softy / January 6, 2018
Even SLFP nd SLPP and JVP are dishonest or news media is partial. Otherwise, why they do not bring no confidence motions against those MPs who blamed President for not stopping, for authorizing PCOLI. All over the world, politicians step down and are prosecuted. In Sri lanka they continue get salaries and perks. Think about if a public employee is caught.
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Percy / January 6, 2018
Grand Old Party? This is plagiarism.Time Magazine gave that description to the Republicans, but there is nothing grand about the UNP. An assortment of bus mudalalies, thugs, pimps, prostitutes, political adventurers, and doubtful characters.thats what the UNPIs. A party filled with greed, thuggery, and cheats can never do any good to thecountry,
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thondamannay / January 6, 2018
Ranil now must be hoping what happened to Late Wijetunge when he was President will befall on MY3……… Ranil is ready after a baila dance during the New year with an elderly looking lady.
PCol screwed MY3 or PCol & MY3 together screwed the masses by absolving Ranil??
Amrit Muthukumaru bares it all. Even Pashkaralingam has had a finger in the pie.
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Ryan Hudson / January 6, 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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thrishu / January 6, 2018
The President has been appointed by the people. His first duty and accountability MUST be to the public. On this Bond Scam report he is evading this primary responsibility, and failing to act as an Executive President.
Ravi and Ranil the two leading politicians complicit in this scandal should have been sacked from all government appointments immediately, and legal process against them started. With rogues, there is no honor, so why even talk about it?
There is enough reasons here for the public to come out and riot in streets.
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David / January 6, 2018
JVP cannot just be blamed for their part in the politics because their representation is at a very low level. People are directly responsible for not not giving adequate power for them to do the needful. Still fools in our country go behind the looters for shortsighted benefits forgetting the country’s priorities.
The leadership people asking for is in power continue to misuse. Now Both parties together are in one lot and JVP cannot do more. Wait and see till Feb.10th. If the people still think the same let them suffer for ever.
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Native Vedda / January 6, 2018
David
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While JVP was in bed with the government what exactly did the party do for the upliftment of the ordinary people?
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Along with its equally racist JHU the party campaigned for more war and no peace.
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Jim softy / January 6, 2018
IT does not look JVP is talking. Mahinda Rajapakse tried to destroy JVP even though Dumb native vedda has forgotten it. All the money was with brothers company and others did not
get money I heard except the proceeds from Avant Guard. Even Ranil had been promised some money even though it looks he did not get.
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lioncar1 / January 7, 2018
Shyamon,
Are you a pretend professor or a quack who publicly attempts to cover up Ranil and the whole Bond issue by merely requesting Ravi K. to resign? [Edited out]
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Freeda / January 7, 2018
STOP defending Ranil who ran killing fields at Batalanada from 1986 to 1989.
Ranil appointed the His Buddy as the Governor of the Central Bank and took Central Bank from Finance ministry. Then appointed his friends to ligitimise the bond scam. You think people are still stupid. Unfortunately people like you promote no head people who go to Parliament through family connections and become party leaders but who never had guts to contest Presidential election and then try to grab power by hook or crook. I wish some one will one day appoint a presidential commission to investigate what he has done to many innocent people in Sri Lanka.
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