By Tisaranee Gunasekara –
“The travails of the mountains lie behind us. Before us lie the travails of the plains.” ~ Brecht (Observation)
Does a president’s responsibility to protect the nation empower him to impose travel restrictions on specific countries? In a case dubbed as ‘a major examination of presidential powers,’ the US Supreme Court is to consider the matter and give a ruling by June. If that ruling goes against Donald Trump, he will inundate the twitterscape with pre-dawn ravings. But there is no doubt he will abide by the ruling. He will not try to impeach the chief justice or threaten the judges in any way. He would probably love to, but he won’t because he can’t.
That is how democracy works: good laws, strong institutions and political leaders who abide by the limits, however unwillingly.
Sri Lanka experienced such a moment last week when Maithripala Sirisena sought a Supreme Court ruling on the duration of his presidential term. There was no doubt he wanted an extra year. The Supreme Court ruled that his presidential term, as per the 19th Amendment, is five years. How President Sirisena reacted to that ruling privately we have no idea. But in public he did nothing. He accepted the ruling and moved on.
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa found the entire saga rip-roaring funny. At a LG election rally for the newly formed Sri Lanka Peoples Party (SLPP), Mr. Rajapaksas (who also happens to be an ex-officio patron of the SLFP) defined the Supreme Court ruling as retribution for a sin Mr. Sirisena committed in this birth (Ditta dhamma vedaneeya kamma). Whether the sin he alluded to was the sin of defeating him electorally or the sin of restoring Lankan democracy is unclear. In Mr. Rajapaksa’s book both deeds would be equally sinful, both meriting the direst punishment.
The upcoming local government election should have been about local issues and about electing the best representatives to manage local affairs. It could have been that had the election been held on time. But the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration, against all sense, kept on pushing back the election on various pretexts, until the Elections Commission decided to use some of the powers vested in it by the 19th Amendment. As a result of that unintelligent procrastination, the election is being held at the worst possible time for the government. That unfortunate timing and Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ‘Will to Power’ had turned the election into a de facto referendum on the government.
The UNP, rather than Mahinda Rajapaksa’s SLPP, is likely to come first in the LG poll. The SLPP will take votes away not from the UNP but from the SLFP. If Ranil Wickremesinghe did save the Rajapaksa family from prosecution, he would have done so on the calculation of becoming the main politico-electoral beneficiary of a Rajapaksa-led decapitation of the SLFP. His gamble will work if the SLFP emerges a strong second and the SLPP is reduced to the third place. This outcome is highly unlikely, thanks to a series of factors, starting with high prices of rice and other consumer essentials, the Bond scam and the non-prosecution of the Rajapaksas.
A more likely outcome is a diminished victory for the UNP (in terms of total votes) with the SLPP nipping at its heels. If the SLPP emerges a strong second and the SLFP is reduced to the third place, the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration will careen into a crisis from which it may never recover. Both Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe will be losers in such a situation. As pressure builds up on President Sirisena to reunify the SLFP and the SLPP and make Mahinda Rajapaksa the prime minister, Mr. Wickremesinghe might find himself out of a job first, perhaps a fitting retribution for saving the Rajapaksas from justice.
The LG poll will also be a test of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s claim that the country is waiting to return him to power. An absolute majority of Lankans voted for the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration in 2015 because they believed in the promise of a vastly better future. Disillusioned by the government’s tendency to go back on its pledges, some of those voters may want a return to the past. That is the nature of democracy. But before the past is repeated, it makes sense to remember it, not the way the Rajapaksas render it, but the way it actually was.
19th Amendment and 18th Amendment; Bond Scam and MiG Deal
The 18th Amendment, which scrapped presidential term-limits while enhancing presidential powers, was rammed through the cabinet, the judiciary and the parliament in just ten days. Mahinda Rajapaksa had no popular mandate to enact the amendment. During presidential and parliamentary elections of 2010, he promised to abolish the executive presidency, not make it even stronger than it was. The 18th Amendment was in direct violation of that pledge. Copies of the Amendment were not released to the public until it was a done deal. The Amendment was railroaded through the cabinet on August 30th 2010, approved by the Supreme Court on September 7th and passed in parliament on September 8th.
The Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake approved the amendment in just 24 hours. By that time the judiciary, like the parliament, had become subservient to the President and his family. CJ Bandaranayake had headed the benches that rejected Gen. Fonseka’s petition for bail, gave a free passage to the Expropriations Bill and rejected petitions against Leadership Training for university students in army camps. In a classified cable (revealed by Wikileaks), the US Ambassador claimed that Dr. Bandaranayake was a ‘Rajapaksa loyalist.’
Being a ‘Rajapaksa loyalist’ meant doing the Rajapaksa bidding not most of the time, but all the time, even where it was manifestly anti-constitutional. When the CJ made the cardinal error of not giving a free pass to the Divineguma Bill – tailor-made to enhance Basil Rajapaksa’s powers – she was hounded of her job through an illegal impeachment. When the Appeal Court tried to intervene in the process, using its constitutionally granted authority, President Rajapaksa openly threatened the judges, reminding them that “all powers regarding leave matters pertaining to Supreme Court judges and their foreign visits etc. and the approval thereof will now by default be vested with him as the Executive.”
Mahinda Rajapaksa impeached the CJ who didn’t give the decision he wanted. Maithripala Sirisena accepted the Supreme Court’s ruling with as much good grace as possible. The difference between the two reactions is neither technical nor negligible.
Ranil Wickremesinghe wanted to sweep the bond scam under a carpet of amnesia. He tried to make it happen. He failed. There is a considerable chance that the alleged culprits would be brought before the courts and tried for their crimes. That is another difference between then and now. Corruption is alive and well, but it cannot be hidden; and occasionally it might even be punished. Impunity has not been done away with completely, but it is no longer a fact of life.
This week, Colombo magistrate Lanka Jayaratne gave an order to freeze some assets belonging to Udayanga Weeratunga, allegedly the prime-mover in the controversial MiG deal, together with his first cousin Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. When details of that deal were revealed by the Sunday Times and the Sunday Leader in late 2006 and 2007, parliamentarians Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathy Sooriyarachchi made a complaint to the Bribery Commission. No investigation was ever carried out. Instead Gotabhaya Rajapaksa filed action against the Sunday Leader, thereby preventing the story from being covered.
Lasantha Wickremetunga was murdered, the Sunday Leader was bought by a Rajapaksa confidant and the paper rendered Gotabhaya Rajapaksa an abject apology. But Mr. Rajapaksa did not withdraw the case, and he gave his evidence on May 22, 2014. His cross-examination by the counsel for defence (and TNA parliamentarian) MA Sumanthiren started on May 27th 2014.
When Ravi Karunanayake and Ranil Wickremesinghe appeared before the Bond Commission, hundreds of media personnel gathered outside shouting questions. When Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was cross examined, no media personnel gathered outside the court premises. The only ones who tried to get in were the BBC correspondents. Two senior cops barred their way and informed them, “Nobody in their right minds would come here. No other media had come to cover this because they know the consequences.” And not a word appeared in the media bout Mr. Sumanthiran’s questions and Mr. Rajapaksa’s answers. The media kept mum, because ‘they knew the consequences,’ all too well.
The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration is corrupt, incompetent and clueless, but the return of Rajapaksa Rule would mean the return of a time when impunity was the norm and even a rugby referee couldn’t give a decision displeasing to rugby-playing Rajapaksa sons without risking bodily harm. Maithripala Sirisena is a weak and a brittle president, but Gotabhaya Rajapaksa would be an infinitely worse one, a dictatorial racist, a deadly cross between Benito Mussolini and Donald Trump. Ranil Wickremesinghe has turned himself into non/anti-Mr. Clean with his indefensible defence of the two Arjunas, but with Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister we will have more (not less) corruption and absolutely no space even to complain about it.
Flawed Democracy = Flawed but Democratic
Sri Lanka is facing the prospect of retrogressing to the Rajapaksa past because Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe betrayed the trust of the 6.2 million Lankans.
Last week, Mr. Sirisena sprang into outraged action when Minister Mangala Samaraweera issued a gazette cancelling a law banning women from buying or selling alcohol. Had he displayed one half of that speed and single-mindedness in dealing with the issue of rice and coconut prices or the drought (which has victimised 2 million Lankans) or the still ongoing fertiliser shortage, his SLFP would have been vying with the UNP for the first place instead of facing the ignominy of becoming a poor third. But for almost three years he ignored the economic plight of a majority of Lankan people. He did not place the welfare of ordinary Lankans over the super-profits of the rice-miller mafia (which allegedly includes his brother). Had he acted fast and determinedly to prevent the skyrocketing of rice prices, the cost-of-living problem would not have become the political millstone it is today. By failing to do so, he disappointed and alienated SLFP’s core-voters – the rural/suburban poor and middle classes – turning them into easy pickings for the Rajapaksas.
If Ranil Wickremesinghe handled the bond scam differently, he could have been confident of not just winning the LG polls, but also doing so massively. His laughable attempts to deny the existence of any wrongdoing, his unwillingness to remove Ravi Karunanayake from deputy leadership even after the Monarch Penthouse scandal came to light and his unconditional defence of Arjuna Mahendran had disgusted and alienated key components of the UNP’s core support base – the urban middle and upper-middle classes and the business community.
The Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration has lost not just its moral compass but also its basic commonsense. The positives it has achieved are few in comparison to the multitude of forgotten and broken promises. But those few positives mark the difference between a country that is the private fiefdom of a single family and a country which is a flawed democracy. Corruption continues to be rife, but the bond scam report gives hope that at least some of the corrupt will be punished. Incompetence is monumental, but there is space to criticise it without fear. The promise to come up with a political solution to the ethnic problem has been forgotten, but there is far less official racism. What is needed is to protect and build on these achievements. The bad must be acknowledged as bad. But it makes no sense to replace the bad with the worse.
Maithripala Sirisena and Ranil Wickremesinghe had failed us. The question is, do we fail ourselves too, and allow the infinitely worse past to return to our common detriment?
Jim softy / January 21, 2018
UNPatriotic party is full of thieves. Even then UNP will be victorius over SLFP. I remember american media was trying the Same thing during their election and they were claiming HILARY Clinton to be victorius all the way. I think, now in the age of social media, even though old folks are no informed youth are informed. they all know Ranil is a Remora that can not be removed. That is how he has a long resume. UNPatrotic Finance minister, foreign minister, health minister, high education and Highway minister Foot note gang all have absurd records. Do you think Sri lankan voters are that dumb, deaf and mentally challenged ?
UNP, SLFP and SLPP are one and the same. they all should lose. I don’t think MY3 is good. He is just talking, His Whip, Swords, his leadership are all for the election and he is very lethargic, sloth-like, incompetent and not a leader like. He is good to be the minister for buddha sasana and for opening buildings.
the good party to win is JVP and independent candidates who are not getting publicity because of poor media publicity. JVP is the only party that has declared their assets. Sunil Handunneththi seems to without any taints.
/
appuhamy / January 21, 2018
Love reading your articles……Only wish the Govt had addressed the issues you have highlighted in the article..and more importantly one can only hope the people/voters analyse the current situation and see the difference between the current govt and the rajapakse regime as done in your article.
/
Ravin Daniel / January 22, 2018
On the 8.1.2015 people of Srilanka did not vote for Ranil or Sirisena.They casted the vote against Rajapaksa tyranny and mega corruptions and they hoped ro see the looters of public funds behind bars.
Secondly sirisena after winning the presidency did not know how to handle the “presidency”
Then Ranil took the reins over and started to do things from the first day
his own “I know better than the rest way”
He should have told the truth to the people what really happend on that election victory night.What deal he made with the Rajapaksas for them to move out of Temple trees.According to Mangala s there was a “coup” attempt.???
Then within 3 months they should have started to hear all the mega corruption cases.Murders.in special courts Trail at bar system.Most of the SLPP leaders would have now been behind bars and the chaos what prevails in the country at the moment could have been avoided.This LG elections for UNP would have been a easy victory followed by SLFP.
Instead of that Ranil had “other”Ideas
James BOND.
It will be a great mistake for rhe country if the Rajapaksas are back in power.
/
Samitha / January 22, 2018
Well written as always…Food for thoughts
/
Sama / January 22, 2018
I am foreigner, although of Sri Lankan ancestry and I have very little insights into the intricacies of contemporary Sri Lankan politics. So this comment of mine not related to the content of the article but to express my opinion of the columnist.
For some years now I have followed Tisaranee’s columns and have always been deeply impressed by her insights, and the clarity with which she expresses her thoughts, in such elegant language. From my perspective Tisaranee’s quality of writing easily ranks her among some of the best political columnists in the world. Sri Lankans should be proud of her and journalists of her caliber among their ranks.
/
Emil van der Poorten / January 22, 2018
Sama:
Very well and accurately put. Tisaranee is not only a highly-skilled journalist but a fine and principled human being.
/
soma / January 22, 2018
Emil P
No, she is totally unprincipled. It is either black or white for her. She distorts the truth and exaggerates an issue beyond recognition. Nonetheless her word gymnastics are enthralling. She perfectly fits in your company – those who secretly wish that LTTE were alive to teach a bloody lesson to Sinhala Buddhists and 1982 (Jaffna library -most shameful crime), 1983 (great carnage of innocent Tamils), and 1989 (Bheeshanaya – 60,000 of Sinhala youth) are insignificant compared to Rajapaksa monetary corruption. Because they happened during UNP times ( in which Ranil Wickramasinghe was a powerful minister) and.those affected were not your social class.
Soma
/
soma / January 22, 2018
Sama
Distortion of truth and exaggeration are the hallmarks of this kind of literary athletes. They have to sacrifice reason to maintain rhyme.
Soma
/
soma / January 22, 2018
True, TG’s power of expression in the English Language is undeniable (I wish I had one-tenth of this tallent) , I only hope to read her opinion someday, expressed in her usual lucidity, over what would have been our fate if RW-VP pact got implemented and LTTE were still alive. And if a different party was in power in 1983 and 1982 (jaffna Library).
Soma
/
Shyam / January 22, 2018
I think things just got desperate for thie country. Thisaranee Gunasekera, the last voice of the Colombians and the trump card if reason is out again too soon. She speaks when the end is near. Excellent piece. But desperate times.
/
nalmen / January 22, 2018
a pity that i read dayans article before yours
i only read it as he is one of the best comic writers after tarzie and mervyn
your analysis is ten times better than his puerile stuff
i hope he reads it and learns from it
/
Jim softy / January 22, 2018
I think suitable leaders for Sri lanka are Sunil Handunneththi and Gotabaya Rajapakse. The latter’s disadvantage is, Other than being a Rajapakse, he has one whole generation of people whose illgotten wealth need to be protected and stabilized.Your analysis about bond scam is also wrong. My guess is whole yahapalana govt involved in it. so, the president is delaying any prosecutions. AG is a fitting a duo to that. Some say, they had to steal money in order to face Rajapakse. Yet, the important thing is Sri lanka is struggling financially right now because of the scam. If the country were to be self-sustaining by now it is GREECE in asia. both Ranil and RAVI THE LIAR planned and got Arjun Mahendran. they all the way knew that Arjun Aloesius was working unofficially attached to the Central bank. Ranil thought it would be not come out. Once it came out, he got AM to fire some individuals. Finally, he blamed AM and allowed him to go. Because, if he was arrested more secrets would come out
Sri lanka is not democratic. Only It is not thuggish now. It is still dictatorial, Sri lanka still has nepotism a lot. Se.e how ministers are working on their own in every ministry. Beaurucrats are just puppets,pawns or henchmen. Sri lankan airlines is a big mess. but, Emirates airlines even with 40% stake had developed it into a profitable airlines. Ranil’s friends can not make it profitable. One reason is it is full of U”NP card holders.
/
Shenal / January 22, 2018
Thisaranee should not worry about Gotabaya’s coming as in 2010 the faction where Thisaranee stands tried to bring self centric and hateful dictator known as Sarath Fonseka.
/
Justice & Fairplay / January 22, 2018
Sadly, the UNP has tainted itself so bad, no amount of white van removals, enforced disappearances and other forms of thuggery from the ‘other side’ will erase the stink that has been left by the present lot over this bond issue and its palpably evident and extremely pathetic attempt at a cover up. The bond scam was bad, but its cover up was worse, and it had tainted the UNP monumentally.
That its leader appears quite untouched by it all, tells in itself a tale. Any truly democratic party would have by now asked its leader to leave.
/
Justice & Fairplay / January 23, 2018
As an addendum to the above, let me add what is reprehensible is not so much the bond issue as such but the pathetically evident attempt at a cover up by the first among the equals. This has cost the Prime Minister the trust and respect of millions who banked on him to show the way out of the Rajapakse wilderness.
There will always be corrupt officials but a Prime Minister behaving in this manner bespeaks of a pathetic state of affairs in a near failed state. Under his watch our public Institutions have continued to weaken. It has been a pathetic show by Ranil and If he has any self respect, he should at least now – in the name of God – go!
As for Ravi K, as the Deputy Leader, the UNP finds itself in a most unenviable position. Never has it had such ‘leadership’ ever! Unless completely revamped whilst in power, the UNP is destined to spend a few decades in the wilderness when it loses.
/
Sinhala_Man / January 22, 2018
Dear Sama,
–
You acknowledge that you have few insights in to Sri Lankan politics, I have too many, but still find them insufficient to decide what to do with my ballot paper. I think that the predicament is just part of the human condition.
–
Fully agree with what you say about Tisaranee’s columns. I don’t have the intellectual capacity to respond meaningfully to them, but I have said what I know about the Badulla Lady Principal’s recent ordeal.
/
K.Pillai / January 22, 2018
Brecht ~ “The travails of mountains lie behind us. Before us lie the travails of plains”
For us Lankans ~ “Behind us drought and scorched earth and ahead of us is desert. Only the corrupt will survive”.
.
Tisaranee points out ~ “The upcoming local government elections should have been about local issues and about electing the best representatives to manage local affairs”
Unfortunately it will be nothing but! It may turn out to be a referendum on White-vans. The language/religion-divide will somehow be brought in.
/
Real Revolutionist / January 22, 2018
It’s crystal clear that the so called GG government has lost it’s credibility;
It’s proven by the behavior pattern of the president as well.
He’s seen every where bashing bond scammers because without doing that he does not have competitive political presence.
So it’s unwise/meaningless to make predictions on UNP victory in LG election, as something else is going to happen.
Sad to mention that within small spell of time RW & his clan went against their political pledges & have proven that they’re far better than MR & the clan when it comes to cheating.
It’s visible that educated & genuine UNPers want to make their party victorious by defeating it. so @ least 25% of them may vote for MS or JVP or avoid casting vote that’ll have great impact on polls results.
But it’s visible that MR’s vote base is still in tact & MS’s ability to divert minds to his side will decide the victory.
/
Uthungan / January 22, 2018
I think had MS not delayed and dilly dallied and taken a firm decision about dealing with crooks, until getting desperate in the last minute to clarify the position about his incumbency from the SC, he may have had a chance to salvage his credibility and erode a sizeable chunk of the MR vote base.
But his lethargic indecisiveness stood in the way. In addition the inflationary economic condition and lowering of living standards are contributory factors in denting his public image at a stage when the LG are held.
/
whywhy / January 22, 2018
Tisaranee is a writer I admire a lot. But this article , by ignoring JVP to the
end , looks very disappointing though quite informative ! If any one tries to
maintain that even a flawed democracy exists under My3 Ranil then JVP
is the force behind it ! Next to JVP stands SLPP , however much we dislike
it ! JVP’s past stands in the way against its growth but the possibilities are,
they might emerge second or third ! If people were encouraged and it
became a reality that Mahinda was sent home then the same can become
valid for SLFP and UNP . All three parties have now blasted each other as
thieves and what more do people want to decide in this mini election ?
Since this is LG election , SENSIBLE PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO CHANGE
THEMSELVES TO SENDING A CHILL THROUGH THE SPINES OF PRIMITIVE
FORCES PRETENDING as contemporaries . Ignoring JVP role in this Demi
democracy is an injustice to democracy. As I have said many times before,
I am not a fan of JVP but I RESOLUTELY STAND FOR REAL CHANGE .
IN BUSINESS WE TAKE RISKS . SRILANKAN POLITICS HAS NOW BECOME
FULLY FLEDGED BUSINESS-ROBBERY WHERE RISKS ARE NECESSARY !
/
whywhy / January 22, 2018
People are yearning to pass . The question here should be , do you want to
continue failing or stop failing ! Can you write the exam to fail and expect
to pass ? WHO GIVE MARKS TO WRONG ANSWERS ? WHO ENCOURAGES
WRONG DOING WITH BABY FACE ? NO EMOTIONAL VOTES , ONLY
INTELLIGENT VOTES . WHO IS LONGING TO EDUCATE THE PEOPLE AND
WHO IS UNTIRED OF FOOLING THE PEOPLE ? TRUE , DEMOCRACY SEES
SOME LIGHT AT THE END OF THE CHANNEL BUT WITH A COST ! YOU
JUST CAN NOT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS ! The new era is a flop just in three
years . Luckily people got an early voting whether LG or Samsung ! No
more games . UNP together with even part of SLFP was a wonderful mix
for long lasting solutions for many burning issues but largely UNP did
unforgivable blunders with innocent people’s new hopes . New kind of
circus came to town with naked tricks of stupid acrobats . Those who
organized the show can now put it on halt and tell them to change route .
New investments is a farce ! More industrial zones are also a farce !
If the cost of living is unbearably high in a poor economy like ours , WHO
IS GOING TO INVEST HERE ? WHO IS GOING TO MANUFACTURE
ANYTHING HERE ? WHICH MINISTER WENT TO SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY
AND ASKED FOR HELP FROM UNDERGRADUATES TO DEVELOP OUR
COUNTRY ? What a shameful bunch of helpless creatures !
/
Jim softy / January 23, 2018
President is delaying the Sri lankan Air line restructuring and for political survival, they are trying to replace the management. Sri lankan air line or any institution doe snot need a chairman. CEO and director board is enough. But, in Sri lankan airliens, chairman, CEO, the director board are all UNP and Ranil;s henchmen. Besides that RAVI THE LIAR had paid money to a ORHAPN Account through which they can steal money. that is to pay the money to air craft leasing that went sour. It is said, the amount they deposited was four times the amount that had to be paid. All in US dollars. Besides, orphan account managing firm has to be paid some certain fraction. They are still paying the former management probably they were unemployed before Rajapaksa govt brought them to sri lanka. Now, they are getting paid while resting where they were. that is also through private salary preparing firms which need extra percentage for their work.
all these do not need a presidential commission. Instead, Law enforcement has to take over all the documents and seal the offices. but, MY3 is delaying that because it is another way of corruption just to use it as a political tool and to release thieves who were beaurucrats.
IT looks Mitsubishi bank pays part of the insurance premium right here in Sri lanka to the minister and beaurucrats in the highway ministry before money goes to Japan.
It is said, It is Ranil who created the Petroleum shortage by not giving tanks for storage because he wants to sell it to India. that is his economic vision. Sell every thing and privatize everything and that will work out.
It is said, that the govt is paying millions for nothing to the SAbitha’s building and that is also what Ranil wanted. It is 100s of millions wasted.
the important thing is human rights do not apply when politicians lie to the voters at meetings. Because, voters are not screaming.
/
Lankan / January 23, 2018
Thisaranee! I don’t know if you live abroad or in Sri Lanka. However, the winning trend in the upcoming election is not in favor of any Yahapalana partners (UNP and Maithree’s SLFP). People see only two political forces here; who is the governing force and who speaks against it
Obviously, the recent utterances by the president indicates that he and Ranil W are both equally incapable of governing the country. Their slavish ministers and MPs criticize each other’s parties and the two leaders without shame and fear! People are confused about who says what about whom and why? Mahinda Rajapaksa may have committed mistakes but he did develop the country and people had jobs with purchasing power. They feel this difference!
A recent survey by the government secret intelligence unit has predicted a massive victory for the ‘Pohottuwa’ (MR camp) at this election! People say that’s why both President Sirisena and PM Ranil W have stepped up their attacks on MR.
/
whywhy / January 23, 2018
Lankan ,
Mahinda plays the game My3 played , in a different election
without giving up SLFP membership , meaning he wants to
be part of SLFP , meaning SLFP is important ! Only two
parties people wanted in power so far after independence .
Logically , if you think that would change just because of one
man that is Mahinda regardless of all the accusations levelled
against him and his band , and regardless of regular pattern of
voting , Srilanka is truly a miracle in Asia ! Believe me , we love
to be in hell FOR EVER ! Who can’t cram public institutions with
empty heads in the name of providing employment ? Who can’t
build roads , big or small by lavish borrowing ? Imitated and
false development with no far sight , you call it development ?
Can Mahinda’s most patriotic poor Silva travel now to Matara
paying Rs 500.00. on Southern Expressway six years after
opening ? Two million Muslims were living in fear everyday,
why ? Is that part of country’s development ? How come ” a war
against terror in the North ” and another terror get unleashed
under his nose in other parts of the country where peace availed ?
Mahinda must retire ! GL must be admitted to an aged home
with many others like Lokuge ! Wimal n Gemmanpila will need
guide dogs .
/
K.Anaga / January 23, 2018
Not a single government after independent has supported. the Tamils’ aspiration. All governments have taken them for a ride right royally. Despite this situation Sampanthan and Sumanthiran have fallen a prey to the yahapalanaya government. The are unable to extricate themselves from the quagmire.
/
FAHIM KNIGHT / January 23, 2018
Good article ,excellent. The truth today is that there are more crooks who robbed this time ,like I said earlier ,from top ,middle to toilet cleaners .
Yes as most of the crooks are connected to UNP ,for them Ranil and Mahibda would be two sides of the same coin ,they will get the required protection and can continue ,infact with Mahinda they will also have more power ,because Ranil only wants to be PM at any cost unlike Mahinda ,so Ranil will not wall every mile the crooks demand him.
Their biggest hurdle is HE The President , all the crooks want him out .
Only way ,President must use his power ,his calm collected wisdom and change place and constitution, which will allow him to be in power through referendum (if The law allows),before the Election and abolish the Executive Presidency and become the Executive PM. He should not wait till the elections are over .Ranil betrayed the President for his own benefit and at any ye same time have brought the rope of Karma around his own neck .if SLPP comes secound ,Ranil can pack his bags
/
whywhy / January 24, 2018
Fahim ,
My3 was a political orphan adopted by UNP later to be labelled
Swan temporarily and Swan was entrusted by Mr CLEAN( who
doesn’t care to be dirty for a while) to rob greedy SLFP crooks
to reverse what Mahinda did to him when he was boss ! IT WAS
A CONSPIRACY OF ALL THREE , RANIL , MY3 , MAHINDA TO
FOOL THE MASSES ! Let us wait and see how long people will
take all these . It all depends on people’s reaction on this LG
election . All crooks label the people ” Buddhimath Janathawa”
and let us wait another few weeks for the INTELLIGENT PEOPLE .
/
Percy / January 27, 2018
Well we now have it from the horses mouth. Sirisena, the great redeemer has now confessed to governmental crimes beyond the bond robbery. He now reveals of the criminal siphoning of govt funds to private entities supporting the UNP. For the full story read today’s(SAt 27 th Jan) main story in the Daily Mirror. My simple question to those brainless idiots who follow the UNP including Tisaranee, is why do you persist in praising rogues,fibbers, and fraudsters. It is beyond belief that Ravi K for instance issued a public statement alleging that the Bond Commission has exonerated him. Is he, Ranil and the UNP up to a racket to undermine, and emasculate the Bond Com findings.?
/