19 March, 2024

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The Forthcoming LG Election Will Be The First In A Series Of Elections

By Mahinda Rajapaksa

Mahinda Rajapaksa

Nominations have now been accepted for the local government elections which had been delayed by nearly three years due to the government’s fear of the voting public. Even though a local government election is not an election at which political power changes hands, this election is of special significance because this is the first time the people will have an opportunity to use the ballot to demonstrate their opposition to the present government. The only election held previously under the so called yahapalana government was the parliamentary election of August 2015. The president ensured the victory of the UNP at that election through stratagems such as issuing public statements to destablise the UPFA election campaign and by sacking the general secretaries of the SLFP and the UPFA on the eve of the poll.Thereby the message that was conveyed to the whole country was that since it is the President who calls the shots, the UNP will ultimately end up triumphant even if they lose the election.

That was the manner in which the present leader of the SLFP ensured the victory of the UNP at the last parliamentary election.This is why the Joint Opposition is contesting this local government election under a different symbol and a different political alliance. The objective of the Joint Opposition is to provide all those opposed to this government with a political alternative. Even though the SLFP group in the government makes various criticisms against the UNP, they serve in the same Cabinet and cooperate in all matters necessary to keep the coalition government going. SLFP ministers vote every year for the UNP’s Budget. The whole country saw the manner in which the SLFP group in the government voted in favour of the 2018 Budget just days ago. We see the two sides cooperating with one another in selling off our national assets as well. When the UNP minister of ports and shipping objected to the Hambantota port deal, the President removed him and appointed an SLFP minister to that position to push through the unfavourable deal entered into by the UNP. When the Hambantota Port was handed over to the foreign company recently, the whole country saw how the SLFP ministers present applauded as the UNP Prime Minister hugged the cheque for 292 million USD.

We see the UNP and the SLFP group in the government cooperating with one another in the preparations being made to introduce a new constitution which will divide this country into nine semi-independent federal states. The only provision that the SLFP group in the government opposes in the proposed new constitution is the abolition of the executive presidency.  We have not seen the SLFP opposing the proposed ETCA trade agreement with India either. The whole country witnessed the manner in which the SLFP group and the UNP worked together to avoid holding the local government and provincial council elections. Even though many members of our armed forces who led or fought in the war against terrorism have been jailed on flimsy pretexts, the SLFP President has done nothing to put a halt to this persecution.

Even though the JVP masquerades as an opposition party, they are an integral part of the yahapalana collective. The JVP has fully cooperated in every anti-democratic measure taken by this government. The JVP leader was a member of the Committee of ministers, politicians and NGO activists formed to oversee the work of the FCID. While criticising the government lightly for appearances sake, their most vehement criticism is aimed at the Joint Opposition. It was the JVP that provided the two thirds majority that the government needed to change the electoral system and avoid holding the provincial council elections which should have been held by now. On an earlier occasion, the JVP helped the government to pass amendments to the local government elections law in contravention of the Constitution and the Standing Orders of Parliament. Back in 2005, the JVP which was then under the leadership of Comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe threw its weight behind me in order to prevent Ranil Wickremesinghe’s UNP from coming into power. Today, under a different leadership, the JVP has become a cat’s paw of the UNP. Therefore, the voting public should be mindful of the fact that the only real opposition to this government is the Joint Opposition.

The local government election that is to be held in February 2018 will be the first of a series of elections running up to the next presidential election. According to the change effected by the 19th Amendment to Article 30(2) of the Constitution, the term of office of the President was reduced to five years. By the provisions of Section 49(1)(b) of the19th Amendment, that change has been made specifically applicable to the incumbent President as well. Hence the term of office of the incumbent President ends on 9 January 2020. According to Article 31(3) of our Constitution, a Presidential election has to be held not more than two months and not less than one month before the incumbent President’s term of office expires. Hence the next presidential election will have to be held between 9 November and 9 December 2019.

When the mandatory periods between the declaration of the election, calling for nominations and the subsequent period up to the poll laid down in the Presidential Elections Act of 1981 are taken into account, it is clear that the next presidential election process will have to begin by October 2019. Hence there will only be around 18 months between the local government elections of February 2018 and the beginning of the next Presidential elections process in 2019. The government will have to hold the postponed provincial council elections as well before the next presidential elections. The Sabaragamuwa, North Central and Eastern provincial council elections have already been dissolved and the Northern and Wayamaba Provincial Councils will also stand dissolved next year. Since this government was elected to power on the majorities received from the north and east, they will not be able to face the next presidential elections without functioning provincial councils in those two provinces.

Therefore, we can expect the local government election in February 2018 to be the first in a series of elections with the provincial council elections being held next, to be followed some months later, by the presidential election. The people are only too well aware of the fate that has befallen this country after the UNP-SLFP coalition government took office. In a situation where this coalition government has demonstrated in unmistakable terms that they are incapable of running the country, every voter should ask themselves whether there is any sense in the same people asking for a mandate to run the local government authorities as well. I earnestly request the voting public to set aside all other considerations and to cast their vote at the forthcoming local government elections solely on the basis of being either in favour of, or opposed to, the present UNP-SLFP coalition government.

*Mahinda Rajapaksa – Kurunegala district MP and Former President of Sri Lanka

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Latest comments

  • 11
    5

    Jayawewa !

    All the best wishes from ………. Dayan, Rajiva, Milinda …………….

    You are the father of the nation …………… no one knows who the mother is ………..

    Without a parent they are all orphans …………. can’t find their milk-bottles ………..

    • 17
      3

      “delayed three years due to the government fear”

      My dear Mahinda,

      2015 January 8 (just 3 years before) which is two years before the scheduled period you went for the election using all your misused powers after billions of public money and people throw away you. You should have called for the local govt elections instead of presidential election. Even after 10 years of presidency you wanted to come back to rob the remain wealth of the nation with bloodbath. If you are gentleman, you should give up your greediness of power and you should become a Monk.

    • 9
      9

      nimal fernando
      .
      F… O… (sorry readers. There is no other reply to this.)

      • 8
        4

        Ha ha ha ……….. You made my day!

        Got hurt a little, eh?

        Now now don’t get so upset …………. show some decorum in the forum ………..I’m sure a well brought up classy guy like your hero Mahinda expects better behaviour from his supporters !

        I gave your hero his true place ………… and called him the father of the nation ……………….why are you so upset pal? ……….. Never can understand you people!

        Is Mahinda now scraping the bottom of the barrel to find defenders? :))

        • 8
          2

          Nimal F,
          You made a serious error there. The Father of the Nation is Wimal Sangiliwansa, currently trying to hold his “party” together. See why Champa is upset? I suggest you apologize .

          • 3
            0

            Old codger, Sangili Weerawanse is made to be silent these days.
            They have intern problems within their NFF. I hope we can expect the bugger being isolated wihtin them in next few weeks. That can then help the masses of this country for sure.
            Fooling people by abusive rhetorics being produced by [Edited out] cemented the thoughts of barbaric Rajapakshes.
            Even today, many would not want to realize that Rajapakshe only LOOTED than doing good to the nation.

            My wish is masses to sense it LET alone today.

            • 2
              1

              Samuel Jayaweera

              “Old codger, Sangili Weerawanse is made to be silent these days.”

              Probably he has a unclipped grenade in his mouth.

      • 7
        2

        Champa,
        Is it what you learned from 2500 year civilization? Oh sorry its from your Guru!

        • 3
          3

          nimal F
          oldcodger
          Ajith
          .
          Oh, grow up little brains. I didn’t say F Y I said F O. It is the shortest way to say someone that no one is interested in his crap or simply say “go away.”
          If buffoons can fly, this forum would be an airport.

          • 7
            2

            “If buffoons can fly, this forum would be an airport.”

            Ha ha ha …a good one! …..The airport is already build in Mattala by your idol for you to take flight. Bon voyage!

            Champa what a clever gal you are………. that’s what you call a sucker punch :))

            Oh boy this is fun. :)))) ….. Anymore clever quips?

            • 5
              2

              If CT was a farm, Champa would be Head Cow.

              • 0
                0

                “Champa would be Head Cow.” :))

                OC,

                Be careful. Gals can be uncouth and vulgar as much as they wanna be. ……..It’s a thin line for the others ….

                Don’t get booted out of the forum for harassment

                Al Franken, Harvey Weinstein …………….. and all

                Donald Trump and Mahinda Rajapakse are our last line of defence.

              • 0
                0

                OC
                Does that remark on Champa relate the load of BS (or cow ****) that we mostly come across here?

                • 0
                  0

                  SJ,
                  You are a mind-reader.

              • 0
                0

                If Champa is the head cow, then MR would be the stud bull.

          • 3
            0

            Champa ……………………………..the oldest profession

            How is your business. Is Wimal Sangili bringing you enough business?

        • 2
          0

          It is like talking to walls, Ajith.
          This parituclar Champa is only good at practising his or her oldest profession.

          Else, she cant distinquish good from the bad.

          I think the monkey should be directed to Mulleriya in order to feel us all better.

      • 1
        0

        [Edited out]

        Hedgemonic idiots have ruined the country as nothing can reverse but you guys or eunachs to back them further should be due to your pathology

  • 14
    3

    Yes, Elections are coming, so what do you want, POWER ?

    Yes, we shall show we are not happy with the government that they are shielding your MURDEROUS FAMILY AND YOUR CRONIES from the wheels of justice.

    But, definitely the votes are not going to be in your favour, may be JVP for a change.

    Don’t day dream and endure thorough disappointment one more time. You are the most shameless Head of State ever to don the planet earth, lost in Presidential, General and now stooping down to Local Govt. Elections. Have you ever eaten rice with a pinch of salt, for heaven sake. Does not seem to have an iota of shame a human being should have, what are you anyway?

  • 9
    2

    With the increasing defections taking place day in and day out from the MaRa camp to the Maithri camp this LG Election may turn out to be the first and the LAST!

    • 8
      1

      They don’t want to join the Rajapaksas in the Hage so more will flee like rats abandoning a sinking ship.

      This is their last desperate attempt and their swan song.

  • 9
    4

    It will be a doom day for your family politics and you should have retired with respect and dignity and you did not do it ..
    That is a big mistake.
    In politics you need to have respect…now your popularity is gone down by the behaviours of your family and cohorts.
    It is not too late now but go with respect.
    You could have been a king had you retired that time.
    Each day in politics you lose your respect .
    I predict
    UNP will most of votes .
    Then M&S will get second most
    The JVP
    Then your groups

    • 5
      10

      Sinhalese pundit
      Hey hey hey, don’t be so sure. We are NOT dead yet, ok. We are still alive. Anytime, if we want, we can bounce back.
      MR will retire at his own will. No bloody idiot can dictate terms to him.
      If your last 4 lines come true, it is not because UNP, SLFP and JVP are popular among people, they are despicable to people, but because of Basil’s deal with UNP and ruling SLFP. I believe MR is caught in the middle.

      • 4
        1

        Champa: Namal Rajapakse has a sold a building (gower building, colombo 5) to one of his friends for Rs 400 million. How did he earn that money. Why the govt is Silent ?

        • 2
          1

          Jims
          I know nothing about Mahinda’s roti boys. If you have proof, go to the nearest Police Station.

          • 2
            0

            Champa,
            So that’s why you didn’t go to to the Police about the “Bond Scam”? Because you know nothing about it / have no proof ?

      • 2
        1

        Champa…………………..profession

        “MR will retire at his own will. No bloody idiot can dictate terms to him.”

        Dr Mahinda Rajapaksa (LLD) should have been forced to retire being caught red handed for the tsunami theft. This is being thrice blessed island he was promoted and voted in as the president.

  • 10
    2

    Mr. Mahinda Rjapakse: Already your nominations to several Local Bodies have been REJECTED. In one case you FAILED to distinguish the gender of the nominee. If you and your party – PJP cannot file a proper nomination, what more to speak of your competency in running a Local Administration? You also has announced that the PJP election slogan must be to: “Vote to Show Displeasure on the Government” . What “BS” and “Crap” are those ? You at least do not know what this election is all about. For goodness sake GIVE UP man. I know you cannot afford to give up, because, there are lot of matters to be sorted out as regards the family,s involvement in the CRIMES committed against the people and the country. You will be taught a good life long lesson in the forth coming Local Govt. elections.

  • 16
    5

    Hollow (empty) Mara,
    You are the most corrupted leader in the history of Sri Lanka and what you have written is non-sense. People know that you pay DJ and a few others for writing things in English. How can you write in English without the ability form a couple of correct sentences in English? What you did during your 10 year reign of terror and corruption is not a secret. Here is brief snapshot of your despicable record:

    1. Soliciting sex from girls of the families that lost their loved ones due to Premadasa Terror campaign in exchange of your service as a human rights lawyer in 1980s

    2. Raping girls in villages from down south on the promise of jobs

    3. Stealing $800 million of Tsunami funds through fake NGO called Helping Hambantota set up with assistance from Willie Gamage and depriving poor families of their right to rebuild their lives devastated by Tsunami

    4. Taking 19 billion US dollars as commissions from Chinese government corporations through white elephant useless development projects such as Hambantota Harbour, Airport, and southern expressway

    5. Putting Sri Lanka economy into an endless misery by taking high interest loans from China and pocketing in 40% of that money

    6. Nurturing an unprecedented culture of corruption and political victimization with immunity

    7. Killing and attacking journalists, judges, innocent civilians for 10 years

    8. Appointing an uneducated GoTa as defence head and stealing the credit of ending the 30 year war from SF, the true hero who led the final war against LTTE

    9. Making a synthetic lawyer of an idiotic son who couldn’t even pass his GCE (OL)

    10. Killing the most famous rugby player on behalf of another moron son

    • 7
      12

      Maharage, Nimal

      I will give you a simple reply.
      Man, your imagination has no validity in the broad social, political or legal spectrum.
      You are an LTTE rump paid coolie who writes under a Sinhalese name.
      Anybody can write fictions. There is no restriction. If you have evidence, go to the nearest Police Station and tell them. MR is no longer in power. MS and Ranil boast of freedom and democracy. So use it to your advantage. Who stopped you?

      • 0
        0

        CHAMPA: I thought what ever the second name, NIMAL to be NAtive vedda who lives in colombo Suburbs. He had worked in the middle east too.

      • 3
        0

        What Maharage, Nimal says is facts common man accepted as truth, MS and Ranil are another masquerades of MR is another truth common man knows. The nearest police station and people like Champa are the ones who are holding the horns helping people like MR to milking the cow is another truth dawning on common man

        • 2
          2

          Sanjaya
          It should be common UNP man. What I said applies to anybody. If you have evidence why hide behind a keyboard. Go and prove your accusation.

          • 2
            2

            Champa,
            MR was the war winning hero of Sri lanka and the common man hang him on the window sill of Medamulana five years later. Same fate will befall on lesser mortals like MS and RW if they happen to tread the same path of MR.The common man is out there in the street waiting! So, it is the ones like you who have to hide behind something all the time.

  • 0
    0

    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/

  • 0
    0

    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/

  • 12
    1

    If Mahinda Rajapaksa the thug with chena cultivating background from Medamulana could have written,spoken and understood English in the manner he has “WRITTEN ” this article, then he would never have got into quarter of the trouble he eventually did with the West!The point is this article has been written for the thug by GL (Gas Labba) Pieris who depends on the crumbs that fall off the murderer’s table for his political survival.

  • 12
    2

    Champa boy, your good buddy MR is a utter shamless man. He and his cabals don’t know the meaning of the word called shame, real shame, bloody shame. This shameless man and his cabals are now on their knees and begging at CT to publish their stories. Are you all retard or have amnesia for how they banned and gave hell to CT during their time. Man at least now killing and torture of inocent people and journalists stopped for good. Champa, if it was your grand daddy MR’s time, before the election, by now scores of people would have gone to the graves. The dirty people who did the open killing of good people should never ever be in the public space. They should always go to the terrible hell for all the curse in the world should be on them.

    • 2
      3

      Somane
      Replace MR’s name with Ranil and Batalanda massacre and as somebody said, may be R Premadasa.
      Who killed Richard de Zoysa, by the way?

      • 2
        0

        Champa

        “Who killed Richard de Zoysa, by the way?”

        Did you?
        Do you feel like gloating over the murder?
        Or was it Wimal, the pistol wielding little boy?

  • 12
    1

    Champa boy, your good buddy MR is a utter shamless man. He and his cabals don’t know the meaning of the word called shame, real shame, bloody shame. This shameless man and his cabals are now on their knees and begging at CT to publish their stories. Are you all retard or have amnesia for how they banned and gave hell to CT during their time. Man at least now killing and torture of inocent people and journalists stopped for good. Champa, if it was your grand daddy MR’s time, before the election, by now scores of people would have gone to the graves. The dirty people who did the open killing of good people should never ever be in the public space. They should always go to the terrible hell for all the curse in the world should be on them.

  • 3
    0

    MR reiterates that “Elections may come, elections may go but CORRUPTION will go on forever”.
    PS: Sorry CT does not allow me to delete ‘forever’.

  • 8
    2

    Champa,
    Shame on you, the demented coolie of MaRa, GoTa, Namal Camp. How much are you paid for licking the balls of this sex predator and Ali Baba who worked with Willie Gamageya to set up Helping Hambantota NGO to pocket in over US $ 80 million of Tsunami funds and deprived thousands of families of their last chance to rebuild their lives devastated by the disaster.

    Remember, your pay masters, MaRa, Gota, Namal, Yoshita, have thick blood on their hands from heinous crimes they have committed for over 10 years.

    By the way, don’t forget. I am a staunch Sinhala Buddhist .

    • 1
      6

      Maharage Nimal
      You are a staunch Sinhala Buddhist???? Very good. Go to the nearest police station and prove that you follow the 4th moral precept of Buddhism.

      • 2
        1

        Chimpa – You have been sniffing and washing Medamulana Meeharaka’s loin cloth too often! Please get lost from these columns.

  • 4
    5

    Good article. Those who have negative comments should wait for the LG poll results. Then let’s talk as to why it happened so.
    Currently, people in Sri Lanka see only two parties; one governing and the other that opposes the way it governs. The former is the UNP and the SLFP (Maitree group), and the latter is the JO headed by Mahinda.
    The country’s economy is in utter chaos due to UNP and Maitree group governing together. A coconut for instance is Rs.100. Both parties at their cabinet meetings try to import coconut as the solution. One Cabinet Minister (who was in news for excessive use of Viagra and was compelled to have a blood transfusion) has said the government will import everything – even vegetables; (tea and rubber too?)
    To those who try to find fault with Mahinda! Do you think a country can continue like this? Most of you in western countries may find armchair criticisms easy to air, but for the common man in Sri Lanka, life is a frustrating struggle, day and night. This election is an opportunity for them to air their anger, frustration, and helplessness.
    Thanks.

  • 3
    0

    GLP has lost the touch of politics.
    GLP has lost the touch of politics.
    GLP has lost the memory of a President and his family who was working against SLFP by attacking Tamils, Muslim and Sinhalese at the same time and chasing out all three communities from voting to that party and defeated the part. GLP cannot remember that it was Old Royals made SLFP be defeated, in January and September 2015. New King did not make UNP win the election. People did not select a UNP president; People did not selected Tamil or Muslim President; and People did not go for JVP. People elected a man without party. At GLP’s imbecilic level, he cannot dream even that people voted against all parties, mainly SLFP under the Old Royal Family. Further, it is GLP formed party and leading it with the sole aim of brings down SLFP and captures the power.
    It was blamed New King ate Judas Aappa and destroyed Old King. We cannot comment on the internal matter of it or correctness of it, except accepting that “yes, New King was one within them in every aspects, including robing the Health Ministry and conducting Genocide”, as we are only outsiders. It was not a public affair but was private dinner party. But there are other public matters, public campaign we can comment on, as we too are Lankawe Political observers. It is only as with all other political discussion going in CT, never as lawyers of New King or defenders of his other dastardly acts.

  • 0
    0

    During Jan 2015, Chandrika and others who were looked by Sinhalese as neutral campaigned, not just in South but in East, Central, and North all over the country. The reason for that intensive campaign was if Old wins, it was not just going to be military government, but the fear of New King would be wiped out of the earth immediately. This fear is not just being brought out by me now. New King has personally said in many stages, for all knowledge other than the imbeciles like GLP. But, by the intensive moronic activity of the SLFPyers of that time, a party-less man won the election with an unexpected margin. Winning a strong ruling candidate against whom any UNPyers was scared to engage with was a brave act itself, irrelevant of other aspect. Further, his election promise was about saving the Old’s Family from their war crime too. i.e No Leader, So Commander, No Soldier will be prosecuted”.

  • 0
    2

    Further, after winning, he did his life’s graceful thing. It was an act of magnanimity. He appointed the Old King as the head of the election campaign for the general election. That worthless, rotten, coward is now blaming New King trying to defeat SLFP because he is too scared get into election without SLFP stamp so he has to have that stolen from New King. New King did and showed he still can win without any party. Though Old King led the Campaign, he could not make the party win. The main defect on the campaign was his intention to grasp the power back but not honestly work for the party. Even after he made the party lose in the General election, he did not fix his power hunger. He immediately took away with him for all the candidates for him sincerely campaigned, leaving others to New King. But what is the use of it other the just splitting SLFP, after all they are sacred to stand the election without SLFP label? R.A Rajapaksa went with SWRD family. Old Royal went away from SWRD family. That is the act of the traitors towards SWRD. It is same traitors campaigned for SLFP, and snatched the candidatures from SLFP and went away. Now Blaming New King and trying to get back into SLFP by the fear standing without SLFP label.

  • 4
    1

    Someone said Mara cannot write decent sentences in English.

    Well, if you want to read some examples of his ability to write please read what he wrote under the name of ‘Champa’ in these comments.

    • 0
      0

      I am sure Mahinda had the last laugh. :D :D :D :D

      • 3
        1

        From which side ?

        I think there is no leader who has done that harm to this nation than MR.

        Current duo hide them for their own agendas. People of this countr deserve to know the size of the harm MR deliberately made to this country making everyone a debtor, but they the family turned out to be one of the richest in the region.

        may all gods work on punishing them sooner than later.

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