By Granville Perera –
The inaugural presidential campaign meetings are over. President Rajapaksa, true to his style showed off his forced support or otherwise with a ground full of people. Pressured or otherwise, the human deluge that filled the Salgado grounds in Anuradhapura had no parallels.
United National Party (UNP) Member of Parliament and opposition firebrand Pelisge Harrison representing Anuradhapura on the national list claims that there were 1108 busses that transported an estimated 26,000 members of the Civil defence force and their families from the rural areas of Anuradhapura and surrounding districts. Social media is full of videos that shown this human avalanche descending on Salgado ground from government sponsored busses. What matters at the end of the day is that they were physically present and President Rajapaksa pulled off, yet another media spectacle.
Common Candidate, Maithripala Sirisena kicked off with multiple meetings but the crowd and glitter was no match to that of the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa. Yet, the mood of the majority of Sri Lankans seems optimistic and the confidence levels of the general public for a Sirisena presidency should be a cause for concern for the Rajapaksa camp. The governments attempt to ridicule his “Modi” jacket is ludicrous, I for one assume that he is wearing a specially made bullet proof vest fearing a Gotabaya sniper. We may know the truth behind the “Modi” jacket – some day!.
The beautiful Hirunika Premachandra, as expected switched on to the side of “Sirisena Maame” and vowed to provide justice to her dead father who was assassinated in a street brawl with fellow SLFPer and parliamentarian, Duminda Silva. Silva’s memory loss probably will not be reversed until Hirunika is on the saddle, to avenge her father’s murder. Hirunika probably doesn’t have a file with the president, but all indications are that she would have plenty of videos and photos of her modeling days in London, which the Government will unleash at the first opportunity. She too probably is in possession of good material of the presidential siblings and we certainly are destined to be entertained.
The present day Dutugamunu, who got totally rejected by Maithripala Sirisena despite several attempts to reach out to the common opposition lashed out at a journalist with his choices words, denying his attempt to join the Maithri camp.
His verbal diatribe in typical style was full of filth aimed at Maithripala Sirisena.
The uncultured and filthy mouthed Minister of Higher Education, S B Dissanayake’s vulgur and despicable threat to undress President Chandrika Kumaratunga Bandaranaike, and chase her naked down the streets speaks volumes of the standards this uncouth minister could impart through our institutions of higher learning. It is time that legal action is instituted against this barbarian.
The mass scale expected crossovers did not take place and the general public is disappointed. Expectations were high for prominent government personalities to abandon the Rajapaksa clan and extend their support to the villager from Polonnaruwa who is promising a Parakarama era once again. Is it a temporary lull or an end of the road for cross overs to the opposition. The man behind the halt to cross overs is none other than Gotabaya Rajapaksa who has invested his time in talking in person to all the possible pole vaulters.
Rishard Badurdeen, the Minister of Industries exhorted his pound of flesh by getting everything that he could dream of, for not crossing over to the opposition. Amongst other goodies, he was rewarded with a national list slot in parliament for his close buddy, Ameer Ali after the fouled mouthed A H M Azwer resigned on the orders of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) in typical style has NOT made up their mind as to whom they should support at the forthcoming presidential election. This is consistent with the SLMC’s Hakeem strategy to get more than a pound of flesh. How much would the prime candidates cave in? All indications are that the common opposition has asked him to fly a kite. The Muslim community in all probability has decided to vote against the Mahinda Rajapaksa candidacy, and Rauf Hakeem, Rishard Badurdeen or Fouzie’s loyalty to anyone is immaterial. It is a disgrace to see the antics of the present day SLMC compared to the vision of the founder leader of the SLMC, M H M Asharaf. His quest to create harmony through the formation of his National Unity Alliance that he spearheaded in the last days of his life speaks volumes of his vision for a united postwar Sri Lanka.
Leaked information from the high command meetings of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress indicate that Hakeem is fully supportive of the SLMC remaining with the Government while a majority of the members feel that it would be political suicide as their constituents have had enough of the onslaught by the Rajapaksa sponsored Buddhist extremists led by the disgraceful priest Gnanasara Thero of the Bodu Bala Sena.
The Bodu Bala Sena’s pledge to support the government after Maithripala rejected their offer of support is one of the primary reasons for the majority decision of the SLMC’s high command to keep away from the Rajapaksa administration. Their fear is that the nexus between the Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Bodu Bala Sena has been clearly exposed with the declared support to president Mahinda Rajapaksa by Gnanasara Thero.
The minority vote certainly would be the deciding factor and in the absence of concerted effort by President Rajapaksa to reach out to the minorities, it could cost him his third term as presidency
Dr Nass / December 13, 2014
Dear writer.
why should buses from Kandy; Mahiyanga; Kurunagala. Kegalle and other CTB buses come to Anuradapura.
do you maths well. Its MR is in panic.
so he brought people from all over the country using public buses to show off his support.
if you get crown from Anuradapura alone it would a few thousand s.
MR popularity gone down dramatically.
who will vote to this thug?
who will vote this mass killer?
who will vote this drug dealer support?
who will vote this family dynasty?
who will vote crook?
who will vote this perverting chap of justicr?
only his cohorts and cronies.
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srilal / December 13, 2014
Dr Nass ,
Sorry to disappoint you though , there are Millions of greedy selfish “Game Bayyas” are queuing up for MR’s unprecedented 3 rd term , for them MR is a living God and wouldn’t think twice before voting for him , MY3 led coalition has to tap in to that huge vote base (rural areas)if they really want a change !
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Amarasiri / December 13, 2014
Granville Perera –
“do you maths well. Its MR is in panic. so he brought people from all over the country using public buses to show off his support. “
Yes, MaRa could not get enough people from the Anuradhapura district, so they Import them by state buses, without paying.
MaRa Cutouts are another illegal activity. So, the people need to fill balloons with paint and throw at the MaRa cutouts.
http://news.yahoo.com/sri-lankan-government-denies-using-state-resources-skew-122151723.html?soc_src=copy
Get the message across to the people by the Common Sense Phamplet
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CHANAKYAN / December 13, 2014
After the UNP victory in 1965, Anil Moonesinghe who was Minister of Transport in the previous regime was convicted in a court of law for wrong use of CTB buses.The fine was about Rs 19,000/ = Rs 2.5 million today.
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Peace Lover / December 13, 2014
a good circus that we are seeing now!
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Roy / December 13, 2014
Mara is a good tactician , He used the BBS to win the votes from the majority Buddhists and he is using the muslims to win the support from the muslim world.He is the most craftiest and cunning politician Srilanka has ever produced. Mara and his siblings have made a fortune ,investments all over the world. Good luck for them ,don’t know how long they can go on milking the poor. I hope Srilanka will not have another 83 in 2015. God bless Srialnka
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Upali Wijewardene / December 13, 2014
Dont worry my friend, there would be divine intervention as far as their ill gotten wealth. We have had Marcos, Ghaddafi, and many other leaders whose wealth were frozen and justice done. Sri Lanka has never had such a despotic leader and I pray that we could never have another in the future. So it is important that there is a non violent movement to ensure that justice prevails. There is no need to send anyone to the gallows which the Rajapaksas have refurbished or electric chair, but justice must prevail
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douglas / December 13, 2014
The unlimited use of Public Resources by the incumbents in all the previous regimes and the present was and is nothing new to us. The only difference today is that it has exceeded the limits of tolerance. The most recent and unpardonable example being that of a Sri Lankan Air plane used to go on a “personal pilgrimage” to “Thirupathi” kovil with his children siblings and other “hangers on”, depriving its use for commercial purposes to generate income for the country. So this is the “Apex” of misuse and total disregard of “Public Responsibility” and “ACCOUNTABILITY”.
Next comes the use of the media both print and electronic. Just listen to the Sinhala Service of the SLBC – (all channels). The latest “GIMMICK” deployed is to air out a long “MUD SLINGING” story on the Opposition candidate and at the end it, is stated: ” THIS IS A PAID ADVERTISEMENT”. The question here is: Are such mud slinging advertisements that are very derogatory permitted under “election laws”? In this instance too, I question: Where is the “Monitor of Elections” – the Election Commissioner and the “Election Monitors” who have been “IMPORTED” (at the expense of public funds) to “Monitor” the election process? Shouldn’t the Head of this Public Corporation – SLBC, be taken to task for permitting such “abusive” and “derogatory” language, specially intended to capture the attention of the rural masses who are conversant and listening to Sinhala Language programes.? To say the least and expect the least, I hope that this “ALL MIGHTY HEAD” of this Public Corporation, along with his other “Cohort” prominent announcers would be “BLACK LISTED” to be dealt with at a future date.
Very interestingly, today I listened to a small lecture by a very outspoken Professor of the University comparing the MR’s claim of “Winning the War” against LTTE and campaigning for the vote for a third term as follows: He says: If a pregnant woman with serious labor pains and complications; and at the risk of losing both her life as well as the unborn, calls on a doctor to help her. The doctor helps both the woman and the baby to regain the pleasures of life. But he questions : DOES THAT HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS AND ACTION, PERMIT THE DOCTOR TO RAPE THE WOMAN?
The theme of the speech is: No doubt MR gave the much desired life to all in the country, by defeating the LTTE Terrorism; but does that grant unlimited entitlement to him, his family and the goons to plunder the country’s resources?
The above is the message that has to be carried to the ordinary especially the rural voters by word of mouth from one person to the other. That is what we call “PUBLIC AWARENESS” and “EDUCATION” needed at this moment. That is the SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY of all citizens.
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Shiro / December 13, 2014
If Hakeem had any principles and a sense of decency, he would have turned down the Rajapaksa’s, because it was they who encouraged and protected the BBS criminals who attacked the Muslims. It looks like Hakeem and his SLMC are holding out for some reason, and it may be personal gain, like other cheap politicians bought by the Rajapaksa’s. Our politicians have no standards, nor have they any integrity, they can be bribed, threatened, and easily bought, to do the wrong thing. It would be interesting to see how much wealth is being poured into their personal accounts, to buy their loyalty. This has become a comedy, and a circus.
We must look like a banana republic to the rest of the world.
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Gg / December 13, 2014
MaRa will fill his meetings with the govt buses being used against all regulations, the armed forces in civics to fill the buses, arrack and buth put.
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Tamil from the north / December 13, 2014
The Presidential Vote – Will The Pendulum Keep Swinging? I hope that is one honking sized pendulum and hopefully it swing and whack this [Edited out] from Hambantota in his ugly head.
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dcn / December 13, 2014
If the people rise to the occassion all mathematics, theories, historical analyis etc would be proved wrong and looks this is happenning. MS is gradually making progress and in the next 3 weeks he could make a great impact.
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Thameem / December 13, 2014
I agree with Mr. Perera with regard to Rishard, Fouzie, Rauf and Azwer. These are all bankrupt politicians. They are a shame for Muslim community and to to the whole of Sri Lanka. They are very communal. They are hypocrites. They talk against BBS in front of Muslims and then they sake hands with them in closed doors. I challenge them to contest the next general election and I bet these names will not be there in the next Parliament. Unless the likes of Rauf and Azwer coming from the National List. Muslims are better off electing buddhist or sinhalese to the Parliament. They are honest and at least to speak for the Muslims when we need them. Muslims should think of moving away from communal politics and be part of the solution than be part of the problem.
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Senaratne / December 14, 2014
What makes the author think that what sirisena is wearing is a bullet proof jacket. If it was, it will be very obvious. Dont make up rubbish and talk like a buffoon. If there really was a sniper, they usually go for the head not the chest.
We know you are biased. Thats fine but dont conduct yourself in a despicable 3rd grade manner!
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