By Kumar David –
Prof. Kumar David
It has been widely reported that by a slim majority (31-27; my absentia vote makes 26 into 27 ) the ULF, led by Lal Wijenayake (Lal), Jayampathy Wickremaratne (Jumpy) and Vijaya Kumar (VK), changed its stand on the presidential election. At a 23 October Central Committee meeting it adopted a new line sponsored by Jumpy. The previous two-point strategy which I still endorse (Nurture a democratic-left alternative: Vote “First preference for Anura, second for Sajith”) was changed to a “Support Sajith” formula. The blunder weakens the long-term strategy of building an alliance against the two big lavatory-parties. I also owe an apology to Colombo Telegraph readers who I assured two weeks ago that such a flip-flop would not happen.
Both factions (pro Sajith led by Jumpy; pro NPP/JVP led by Lal) have blown open the lid with interviews, statements and press conferences and the putrefaction has festered in the open. Foolishly neither side is willing to compromise and the defeated Lal-faction seems reluctant to face up to the fact that it lost the CC vote. A patch-up after 16/11 depends on the outcome of that election. If Sajith wins influential positions may be offered to the pro-Sajith faction which they are likely to accept, that would be end of reunification. If Gota wins both ULF factions, the JVP, and many other social movements will be forced into a defensive huddle to protect themselves and to defend democratic society in general. 
The resolution adopted on 23/10 said: “In view of the danger to democracy from Gota, canvass and vote for Sajith. Supports of the previous left-unity concept (aficionados of the National People’s Power) can continue to work with NPP, but must use their second preference for Sajith”. (Text abbreviated by me).
Withdrawal from NPP was not envisaged. This made a compromise possible, but was blown apart when the winners (Jumpy faction), de facto removed Lal from the post of party Secretary. In momentary anger, when the outcome of the CC vote was declared, Lal blurted out “Then I don’t want to be Secretary”. The other side took this as a pronouncement carved in stone and rushed to anoint Keerthi Kariyawasam (a nice chap) as replacement, notwithstanding Lal’s dissent. Lal refutes any suggestion that he resigned as he did not submit a resignation letter nor did he make a formal pronouncement. I think the Commissioner of Elections will hold with Lal. Though it makes no difference in this presidential election it will be a matter of interest in future parliamentary, provincial and local government elections.
Political difference has been compounded by tussles over the Secretary position and organisational power struggles. This is another insane split of a small left party into two even tinnier splinters; a chronic mental defect of the Sri Lankan left. Which splinter of the ULF will make gains after 16 November? That depends on how many votes Anura polls. If it exceeds 8 lakhs the left faction will forge ahead. If it falls to 5 lakhs, then those advocating a relationship with the UNP will consolidate till next year’s general election, at which point they may, de facto like the NSSP, merge into UNP in some guise.
I need to explain why the ‘ULF-effect’ outweighs its size; the splitting away of the pro-UNP faction will not make any difference. The JVP is much larger, better organised and popular, but the ULF brings to the NPP qualities that outweigh its smaller size. The leadership of the ULF is educated not only in the conventional college-going sense but also in matters that left parties much value; political ideology, knowledge of international affairs, economics, modern socialism, classical Marxism and science & technology. It can contribute in these ways to the People’s Power alliance.
The other way in which ULF makes a useful input is its long experience in a different political home. The provenance from which the ULF descends are the traditions of the LSSP and CP – there are some with a CP background in NPP. This you might call the LSSP-CP vintage and flavour. The JVP comes from a different provenance and many of the other organisations making up the 28 or so in NPP are of liberal-democratic or JVP-like heritage. The different left-culture that the ULF brings into the NPP movement is valuable for cross-fertilisation.
K.A. Sumanasekera / October 30, 2019
A Srilankan real time Gallop Poll gave Nandasena 55 % Keselwatta Kid 34 %, this Dr Kumar’s United Left 8% with the lucky last great Yahapalana General who learned about the Easter Sunday Suicide Attacks only from Easter Monday News Papers, came in with a miserable 3%..
And full Polling and even counting are on U Tube..
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No wonder these do gooders who barracked Dr Ranil while Dr Ranil drove the country to the ground are now running for cover which ever way possible.
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Only hting which will be good if Kelwatta Kid scores is free Sanitary Pads to all our Mothers and Sisters who need them.
That is if Mangala Samare approves them…
..;
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Sinhala_Man / October 30, 2019
Dear Women Everywhere,
Please note the depths to which K.A. Sumanasekera has taken political debate. This comment is an insult to all women.
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Please read carefully this very serious and well-written article:
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https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/menstrual-hygiene-a-necessity-not-a-luxury/
Written more than a year ago. Compulsory reading also for “all men of woman born”. Sajith making that an election promise of it may not be what we want.
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I do grant that the figures of this Poll that he refers to may be realistic, and not really “galloping”. It is easy enough to get elected using Gotler tactics. After all, Hitler did manage to get elected in the first place.
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K.A. Sumanasekera / October 31, 2019
Sinhala Man….Haven’t you seen that Hindian Movie ” Pad Man” which was nominated for some film award in Europe..
Now our Brothers and Sisters in on Social Media call Keselwatta the Kid Pad Man..
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There was another version of the same thing screening on Emirates Flights to NYC from Colombo. last month….No wonder the original was nominated for an award.
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If Keselwatta Kid follows the same model it can be a nice earner for our long suffering Village Moms , and Sisters.
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But your Colombo Elite , Anglican ,Vellala lot under Dr Ranil’s Wing may not find them very attractive after getting used to Victoria Secrets fashion label after the four years of Dr Ranil’s Yahapalanaya which has please you lot like never before..
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Sinhala_Man / October 31, 2019
K.A. Sumanasekera, stop strewing red herrings.
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I have not praised Sajith for this particular scheme of his. Yet another example of patronage politics. Distributing various items using public funds which the recipients can’t help feeling imagine that the politician is doing them a great favour. I’m not at all impressed with Sajith.
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I’m critical of you, Sumane, for the disgusting attitude that you display towards Sajith’s scheme.
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Native Vedda / October 30, 2019
KASmaalam K.A. Sumanasekera
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Now Gota should appeal to the voters by promising other things, such as free toilet rolls, free three cooked meals a day, free soap, shampoo, …. free bottle of whisky to every household, free electricity, free holidays abroad, free telephones, free escort services, free massage services, ….. free drugs, ……………………. free funeral services, ………. free wedding services, free accomodation, free houses, ….
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Only then rational voters could make informed choices.
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Sinhala_Man / October 31, 2019
So, Mr K.A. Sumanasekera,
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We can now begin to assess the way in which the Rajapaksa family operates, and I hope that many readers, especially women, will follow this debate between a non-political resident in an Uva village (that’s me) and Mr K.A. Sumanasekera who is a proxy for the Rajapaksas. A number of coincidences have come together to make these exposures possible. I see, Sumane, that you have had the audacity to make a thoroughly dishonest comment lower down. I shall post a comment at the very bottom after posting this.
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For a start, please follow that link that I have given to an article on menstrual hygiene by Amita Arudpragasam yesterday. I looked at it an hour ago and was amazed at my own prescience when making comments between the 22nd and the 29th September 2018.
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https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/menstrual-hygiene-a-necessity-not-a-luxury/
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We didn’t then know that these issues were going to crop up now, but all 61 comments made then are now relevant, and will go to show just how consistent guys like Mano Ratwatte (we’re missing his comments on these elections), Native Veddah, Real Revolutionist, Lankan, Justice, K. Pillai, Estate Labourer, Ramona Therese Fernando, Nimalka Fernando and I have been. We haven’t agreed on everything, but we have commented honestly.
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Others are honest enough, but they are shockingly racist and mysogynistic, like Sumane in his comment below.
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Yes, look at that, and then go down to the bottom of this page for a comment that I will place there a few hours from now. Our comments are not cut and paste jobs, but what we sincerely think.
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I will also have to satisfy here some requests made by “Stanley” in Prof. Kumar David’s earlier article:
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https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-mahesh-senanayake-candidacy/
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Ethel Nanayakkara / November 3, 2019
People who vote for democracy and for Sajith must be educated during the rallies and through the media to simply mark a cross, as they have done in the past, in front of the swan and the name.
The average person will get confused with marking preferences Votes will get disqualified if any error is made when marking preferences.
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Laksiri Fernando / October 30, 2019
This turmoil is unfortunate although not unusual. I left this type of Left politics long time ago having realized the fundamental defects as ‘individualism, dogmatism and sectarianism.’
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Yes, first vote to AKD with the second preference to Sajith. No apparent contradiction, if we understand preferential voting correctly. Two steps in one direction.
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Sanjay Vithana / October 30, 2019
What better advice to expect from a failed, irrelevant, mediocre academics!
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Laksiri Fernando / October 31, 2019
Hi Prof. Sanjay Vithana Sir,
I know you are a great academic and an academic success unlike me. What better advice can You offer Sir!
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D. P. / October 30, 2019
Laksiri,
Breaking into splinter groups is common to all rigid ideologies (religions included), not just with Marxist parties. The reason is simple: Inevitable mismatches between real world situations & the predictions by theories.
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You may have left the leftist-parties but, you haven’t given up leftist frame of thinking yet. This is a common decease among many old-school SL liberal thinkers. May be I’m wrong but I think that the cause for the decease lies in the old fashioned nationalism influenced largely by 1956 movement which in turn was fed largely by leftist ideology. Some like Nalin de Silva went even further – to a level of absurdity, I must add -to try to alter scientific theories to fit SL culture (whatever that may be). It is this kind of thinking that feed not only JVP, but also a large faction of MaRa’s political base. I strongly believe that this “totally outdated thinking” has a huge negative impact on country’s economic growth.
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If UNP has some issues with internal democracy caused by a controlling clique of elites, JVP also has an even dangerous issue of Marxism. The former can cured if put enough pressure both from within & without but the latter (JVP’s Marxism) cannot never be. Therefore, I think that any suggestion to vote for JVP to punish UNP at a critical moment like this is no different from suggesting to cut off the nose to punish the face.
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Laksiri Fernando / October 31, 2019
D. P.
Dogmatic defense of Marxism and dogmatic opposition to Marxism are the same. It appears to me that you belong to the second category having seen many long convoluted comments by you even before. Relax and be open minded.
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Sinhala_Man / November 1, 2019
Thanks, Professor Laksiri Fernando,
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You must have noticed that it was I who was struggling clumsily, at great length, to tell D. P. what you have said here with such economy.
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Many decent men make the same sort of mistake, and one hates to hurt and insult them, but their failing was tritely summed up by Alexander Pope 300 years ago:
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A little learning is a dang’rous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
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The full, tedious poem is here:
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https://www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/69379/an-essay-on-criticism
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Much better, D. P., for you to read up on Gorby, Shervadnadze, and Chedi Jagan as sincerely suggested by me. You really are making an ass of yourself. I’m sorry to be so blunt.
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D. P. / November 1, 2019
S_Man,
You & Laksiri are only calling names. I prefer a sound rebuttal; you have to prove the validity of labels you are trying to stick (on your opponent if I’m seen as one even though that is not my intention at all). Don’t you think that whatever labels you are proposing are applicable to yourself as well?
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BTW, can you explain what “taste not the Pierian Spring” mean?
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Sinhala_Man / November 1, 2019
Dear D. P.,
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I’m sorry that I called you names. But then how do we get you to understand that Marxism is no worse (nor no better) a religion than belief in Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism or the Greek pantheon of gods. Actually, those last were superior in one sense. They were more interesting than the only God that I’m willing to believe in. My God cannot be one who counts my hairs and finally takes me to heaven (or more likely damns me to an eternity in hell). By the way, do you know that in the Middle Ages the Christian Hell was supposed to be very cold place? Now that, I haven’t checked on – one can always get these things wrong.
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But to get the answer to the question you asked, I just put the two words in the Google browser. This was the first brief answer. There are more scholarly blogs.
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“In Greek mythology, the Pierian Spring of Macedonia was sacred to the Muses. As the metaphorical source of knowledge of art and science, it was popularized by a couplet in Alexander Pope’s poem “An Essay on Criticism” (1711): “A little learning is a dang’rous thing; / Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.”
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D. P. / November 1, 2019
S_Man,
I thought that you knew the meaning of the verse when you used it to insult my knowledge! About religions, I already said I’m an atheist. Religions are nothing but science of their day. There is no need to rely on them for “truth” any longer. Besides, modern science doesn’t believe in “eternal truth”. I made this point very clear during my conversation with Nimal Ferando over Karl Popper. Also, my criticism against Marxism is not dogmatic; it is based on my own exhaustive readings. For example, I’m the first to show that materialism in Marxism is a myth!
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I believe in evolution but criticize Darwin’s theory as insufficient to explain the full panoply of evolution. Yet, I do respect Darwin as one of the greatest scientist of his day. Same with Karl Marx. He is, no doubt, a very intelligent man but two major factors made him unsuccessful: 1. His obsessive hate against the way wealth & power operated during his day (personal biases has no place in scientific theories) and, 2. Insufficient knowledge in his day to develop a full-pledged political economic theory (no scientist can overcome limits of the knowledge of the time). Today, nobody believe that such a scheme is possible or even necessary!
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Sinhala_Man / November 2, 2019
Dear D. P.,
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You are a sweet guy!
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“I thought that you knew the meaning of the verse when you used it to insult my knowledge!”
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Of course, I have known it for fifty-five years, and ploughed through that entire poem that I have linked you to, for all that I adopt the persona of a “gambada ingireesi iskole mahattaya” who has taught in village Maha Vidyalayas. Such a person is not expected to know any proper English.
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I remember my sly amusement when, in February 1971 (just before the 1971 JVP insurrection), the guy seated next to me in a bus, the Chief Clerk of Queenstown Group, (Superintendent: Somerville – very unpopular, and one of the last Englishman left in the Plantation Raj) was surprised that an “educated person” like me should a teacher in Kandegedera Maha Vidyalaya.
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To “know” Sri Lanka properly, and why people vote as they do, you should understand how society operated in the past – and know, for instance, that Governor Brownrigg who brutally adopted a scorched earth policy in Uva-Wellassa in 1818, was as much of a psychopathic brute as Gota.
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I gave you that link as the most economical way for you to find out in this digital age. I was surprised that you hadn’t done it yourself. That, to me, is real teaching – refusing to make a mystery of how anybody can learn.
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I see that you, too, are up to date with your reading. Not many know Popper; they have stopped with John Stuart Mill.
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D. P. / November 2, 2019
S_Man,
Fine. Now that we have come to some sort of mutual consensus, could you please go back to my previous comments on Laksiri’s essay on education & KD’s essays on JVP & offer an honest feed back.
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BTW, for your information, I like to mention that Karl Popper is surpassed by Thomas Kuhn. Nearly all philosophers of science now agree with Kuhn’s idea that science, like everything else human do, cannot escape the contemporary social influence either negatively or positively and that human knowledge does not follow a linear progressive path. Pls read his revolutionary 1962 book, “The Structure Of Scientific Revolutions; University of Chicago Press”. I’m very much indebted to him for my ideas on science.
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Sinhala_Man / November 2, 2019
Dear D. P.,
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Many thanks for the information on Thomas Kuhn. I’ve taken a quick look at the Wikipedia entry on him, and decided that it’s all a bit beyond me, at my age and given the much humbler level at which we are operating. I have understood all that you have written, but I’m not going to dabble in it.
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No, I’m not saying that what you are saying is not valid – it requires far more serious study than any of us is going to put in. I can’t by now remember where this all began. I know one man who will understand all this better than any of us – that is the elder Dr Hoole – Rajan.
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Having said that, may I go down to the bottom of the page to make a comment which will be of interest to all readers? CT is not a specialist forum on the Philosophy of Science, but the huge mistakes you are making on Marxism (condemning wholesale something that has concerned almost billions of humans – many of only average intelligence ) needs to be re-thought.
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I say this for your own good. Attacking religions can be dangerous – and, in some senses, Marxism is a religion! So many believe passionately in it. I know little about Prof. Laksiri Fernando, but he is a scholar of some distinction – more than us, but less than Kuhn. His was a kindly intervention. Think about all this!
See below!
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D. P. / November 1, 2019
Laksiri,
I never was as blunt as Ajantha! If there is any convolution in my opposition to Marxism, it is not from my part; it has to come from your side. Therefore, I would like to know what they are. Dogmatism? I tried to explain as clearly as I could.
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K.A. Sumanasekera / October 31, 2019
AKD was in Katthankuddy yesterday..
AKD told the people he has all the solutions for our problems .
And he does not need Generals to give the Kaththankuddy inhabitants Security.
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But AKD didn’t mention whether Kathathnkuddy will be part of the Tahmil Homeland as demanded by the TNA in their new 13 D request to complement the Hindian 13A.
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This must be worrying the Kathanakuddy inhabitants as much as it worries us .
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I am not putting any money on AKD Scoring .
But my worry is about the latest developments in the UNP candidate Keselwatta Kid’s Camp.
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Dr Ranil told us yesterday that he will still be the PM on the 17th.
Dr Eran, a main backer of Keselwatta Kid was so cock sure on stage that they are about to form an all UNP Government on the 17th.
Dr Eran repented that they could have implemented all UNP promises of Dr Ranil in the last 4 years if they didn’t have the SLFP President and his cohorts in Government…
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TNA sources say that Keselwatta Kid has agreed to all their demands including the 13 D which Mr Wiggy was kind enough to explain to us.
We know Dr Ranil as PM still has to go for a Parliamentary Election before the next Sinhala New year, unless Dr Ranil can do a Unle JR and postpone it.
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Now my questions are whether this darling of the new Left AKD will
* a) Support Dr Ranil to get the 2/3 to fulfill his agreements to give TNA their 13 Demands?
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* b) Will AKD and his 6 mates (?) put the hand up for Dr Ranil to extend the term of the the Parliament until Dr Ranil can deliver Wiggy’s demands to the TNA?.-
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Hela / October 30, 2019
The common factor………NPP, ULF and the like serve Western hegemonic strategy in SL and the region.
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Native Vedda / October 30, 2019
Helass
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“The common factor………NPP, ULF and the like serve Western hegemonic strategy in SL and the region.”
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Instead of NPP, ULF ……………. do you want Gota the American to exclusively serve Western hegemonic strategy in SL and the region? He did serve Western hegemonic strategy between 1987 and 1991 (remember reward Green card) and between 2005 and 2015 (helping him with international impunity for war crimes).
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Sinhala_Man / October 30, 2019
PART ONE
It is indeed sad that Sri Lankans lack courage. I feel that we must take “the risk” of voting for the JVP as First Preference, and then voting for Sajith so as to deny Gota the chance of “disappearing” us all from the face of the earth.
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If we mark our ballot papers correctly, the anti-Gota electorate will not be diluted one bit. So, the United Left Front hasn’t got enough faith in the electorate to vote intelligently, or to educate the people by going house to house and showing how to mark the ballot paper irrespective of whom people actually vote for.
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The SLPP is trying very hard to keep the electorate ignorant. They start by telling people that there is no “manaape” at the Presidential Election. If that fails, they say that the Sinhalese vote is going to be divided. It has got to the stage where the UNP and the SLPP are competing to be the more authentic purveyors of communalism.
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Sinhala_Man / October 30, 2019
PART TWO
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All comments this afternoon appear to be going to this well-written piece:
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https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/the-price-of-freedom-yahapalana-failures-must-not-drive-us-into-the-arms-of-an-authoritarian/
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I have done what I could. Wherever the system of voting has not been understood, I have put in a comment explaining how the Preferences work.
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Let it be admitted that there is a risk: Gota may come First on the first count, and AKD second, beating Sajith into third place. I think it unlikely, but if it does happen we would really have achieved something. Gota will know that he’s a “minority winner”, and the JVP will do exceptionally well at the Parliamentary Elections that will follow. The very real risk lies in this: we may have divided the anti-Gota vote so much that both languishing at around 25% each, and Gota is well ahead at around 40%, and not many have effectively cast a Second or Third Preference.
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Gota will get almost no Preference vote. Except for the racists and the foolish “kapuwath nil” guys nobody wants him. However, too many may have botched their Preference vote to defeat the guy. The solution is to go house to house to explain Preference Voting. Sadly, even the JVP isn’t doing that.
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Kumar himself may have contributed to some confusion by never referring to the existence of a “Third Preference”. Plus it is dangerous to leave that Third Preference blank. Pro-Gota elelction staff could insert a Preference for Gota.
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It is time that Prof. Kumar David returned from Hong Kong. Sri Lanka hath need of thee!
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edwin rodrigo / October 30, 2019
Yes, I agree with Sinhala Man. It is time that all able bodied men come to the aid of the party, though I have no idea which party it is. Anyway, Guru, please return from Hong Kong and be with us in our hour of need.
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D. P. / October 30, 2019
Edwin,
It appears that “Guru” made the same proverbial mistake of mis-characterization again (Guruntath Akuru Va’rade’). I say this b’cos the title could have made real sense if it read “Turmoil in NPPM …” instead of “Turmoil in ULF”. But NPP never was a coherent (M)ovement. Rather, it was a medley of various flavors of Marxists who broke off from an old main trunk in the old days. As I explained very briefly in the first para in reply to Laksiri, breaking into small pieces is an inherent nature of big theories. This happens b’cos theories born out human minds can never capture true complexities of evolving dynamic large natural systems. The situation can get worse when the theory, as in the case of Marxism, is totally false.
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So, when KD says that the turmoil was not “envisaged”, then a question arise automatically as to the foresightedness of the Gurus themselves for failing to foresee the inevitable “turmoil” when try to make one species out of many different species! As a matter fact, this discussion should have started long before the so-called Aug 18 Galle Face Rally that began with huge fanfare of harbinger movement for tomorrow.But, as the old saying goes, it is better be late than never.
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As I maintained all along, it is not difficult to understand JVP’s logic: Keep moving along their path to the Marxist dream. The threat from FSP has made the necessity even more urgent. Therefore, the liberals who joined the NPPM only to punish UNP had no choice but to break away from JVP path b’cos bringing back MaRa/GoRa regime was not in their radar at all. In other words, KD/JVP underestimated the intelligence of experienced & mature leaders of UFL. KD may be grey-bearded but grey hair in the beard & the head not always translate into maturity of understanding particularly if blinded by false theories like Marxism – one of four Baconian Idols.
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Gamini / October 30, 2019
Make no mistake, this a race between two individuals with two different ideologies. The choice is like chalk and cheese. Although there are 35 candidates, 33 of them will get eliminated in the first round of counting. So voters need to take the trouble to educate themselves as to how the ultimate winner is determined. This election is not the time to experiment to determine one’s political clout and strength. That can be done at a General Election. The stakes are too high in this election to engage in such experimentation. So ALL anti Rajapaksa forces should strategise and come to an arrangement on how the common enemy can be defeated, not to ever raise its ugly head again. If NGR wins, that will spell anarchy, doom and gloom in mother Lanka.
Voters, please be warned and use your valued franchise wisely!
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Eagle Eye / October 30, 2019
Gamini,
Rajapakses are the ‘Common Enemy’ of ‘Koti Diaspora and Wellala elite politicians who have a grudge against Rajapakses for eliminating the Sun God Prabakaran and his barbaric terrorist army.
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ajith / October 30, 2019
Rajapakse’s are the “common enemy” of this beautiful island and civilised Sinhala community and Tamils and Muslims. They have more damage to this country and Sinhala people compared to others. The robbed the 75% of the national wealth. They created dictatorship and carried out several coups including October 2018 plot. They introduced white van (world famous). They destroyed judiciary and law and order. You know Gotabaya and Basil are “Dispora”s.
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S. C. Pasqual / October 31, 2019
Mr. Gamini…….
Exactly….
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The choice is like chalk and cheese.
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Choice 1 – Gotabaya Rajapaksa :
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A person with a proven track record.
• Military management background, Master’s degree, Postgraduate Diploma, Honorary degree, Information Technology Education.
• Decorated for gallantry and excellence in combat by three Presidents.
• Proven himself as a good manager in various positions such as Marketing Manager of IT firm – Informatics. Systems Administrator at Loyola Law School, California. Secretary to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defense.
• A person who can assess a situation and create a plan of action based on realities. And a person who has guts to go for it.
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Choice 2 – Sajith Premadasa :
• A person who couldn’t pass his OLs.
• No proven vocational or professional training what so ever.
• Have not done an honest salary earning job in his whole life.
• Have spent his whole life thriving on public salary and perks and money stolen from state by his farther.
• A parasite without vision or plan.
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Choice is clear.
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And who said we need your education to make the correct choice.
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nalmen / October 30, 2019
akd knows he cannot win
sri lankans know a leopard cannot change its spots
surely he does not want gota to win
the best thing for him to do is to withdraw from the contest
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Sinhala_Man / October 31, 2019
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.
For more detail see our Comment policy
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Sinhala_Man / October 31, 2019
PART TWO
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Positives in some Speeches
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At 52 minutes into the video referred to above Nagananda invites the JVP and the Alternatives to accept his “Autochthonous Constitution”, but there is little chance of this happening because he is so dogmatic in his assertions. He will not give up – he will continue. It’ll be wonderful if he succeeds, but I don’t expect it.
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A refreshingly different monk (about 25 minutes) this is:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a82iY3MSKNk
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An impressive 62-minute speech by AKD. It is unfortunate that a Tamil speaker will not be able to follow this. I’m sure that AKD wouldn’t be able to come across as effectively in English. What of it?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCBNSBLWVmY
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Let’s face it. Few of us can communicate effectively in more than one language. I hope that Tamil speakers will accept my testimony that this is a man who speaks with sufficient intelligence for you to trust him. This is our best opportunity to have a non-racist President. I’m listening while typing (I’ve got to find time to sleep!). At 25 minutes he talks about Tamil language rights. By 28 minutes he speaks of the various religions with respect. 30 minutes: cultural diversity. 38 minutes – how the politicians prosper. Let me submit this now at 2.30 a.m.
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It’s not impossible for this man to win, if these messages get across to people.
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kebab / October 30, 2019
Only thing red about these phoneys is the red shirt !
The left is dead. Understand that.
What we see here are some cheap mimics pretending to be something they don’t even understand.
What leftism for a fraud like Jayampathy drafting constitutions for a capitalist system !
At least Colvin had the language and his constitution lasted until 1978.
This guy’s 19 amendment lasted only its first challenge. It is now proved to be a piece of law only fit to wipe the backside of con leftist.
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Chauvinist / October 30, 2019
KA Sumanasekara
I have searched you tube and could not find this particular poll you are quoting. Last opinion poll by Gallup in SL, was in September 2011. Can you pl. send me the link.
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S. C. Pasqual / October 30, 2019
Ha ha ha
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Real funny…………
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At least AKD started wearing GREEN shirts.
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CondemnedLizaPriceless / October 30, 2019
Ado Sumane, the “Gallop” you refer is meant for donkeys like you. Is this what your doctors found after a colonoscopy of whatever left over up yours’ where the sun does not shine?
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Mallaiyuran / October 31, 2019
This is really really sad.
There are 40 organization in NPP. Only 39 people are there. One is in Hong Kong. One is in Australia. Two are with Ranil(Bahu and Siritunga) . Now only (39-4)=35 Lefts. That means one organization has .875 member to vote. If they split further where do we go for the decimals to indicate the voter number of a left party?
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K.A. Sumanasekera / October 31, 2019
Sinhala Man.
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It is not me , Mate.
It is your fav UNP Candiadate Keselwatta Kid who said that our Lankan Womens Periods has become a National problem,
And Keselwatta Kid promised to give Sanitary Pads to every one.. Free of charge of course..
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Following your plea to all Women everywhere, I thought of doing a survey myself about our Sisters and Mothers reaction to this Keselwatta Kids generous offer..
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Believe me, I can not report most of those responses they have put on Web Pages in Colombo..
But here are a few which the CT Moderator might let go..
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*Last time it was free Gym Kits and Free Wifi . This time it is free Sanitary Pads..
* Charity begins at Home..
* Never knew our Menstrual Cycle is a National Problem for Sajith Premadasa .
* Thank God..It is only Free Pads. I thought Sajith will off free Surgery to remove the Ovaries..
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I really enjoy following Keselwatta Kid, because the other Candidate is always serious and bores me out of my wits by promising. stuff like ,
Protecting the Nation from Terrorists.,
Eliminating Poverty .
Creating Jobs specially for the Minority ethnic youth in Batti & Jaffna,,
Help farmers to help us become Self Sufficient in Food.
Providing Organic fertilizers,
Developing Tourism ,
Road Structure’
Modern Hospitals
And creating more Universities even in Udu pussellawa , where no child ,who completes ALs will go without a chance and a place for Tertiary Education..
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charles / October 31, 2019
Do not waste time talking about T ULF. They are going to give first preference to UNP. A leftist party giving first preference to Rightist party. What a joke. Good thing is they may have couple of 100 votes only.
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SheltonW / October 31, 2019
I asked this morning for opinion on whom they will vote for.
1. Our coconut tree picker Raja, he says “Sajith Mahathmaya ” When I ask why he says ” They know the Rajapakses stole heavily. Raja is also a street cleaner who has given this up as it involves sleepless nights. He lives in Roxt watte, and the mood there is the same he says.
2. Rama is from Hatton, but lives in Dehiwela, caring for an aged Sinhal gentleman. He is of Indian Origin. He says in his village they will vote for Sajith.
These guys are of different backgrounds, and eking out an existence. Lets see if they are right
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kali / October 31, 2019
If by all account from what you are saying if the pretender Sajith becomes a Presisident ( God forbids ) with his support for Shavendra the white vans will be bck on the street with forged number plates. At lease with Gotha we kni=ow he is quite open abut owning a freet of White of White vans which he will unleash at GOSLs expense. . There wont be any accountabilty or recsonciliation under Sajith either and how can there be when Sajith has embraced a War Criminal. and Sajith if you hear me loud and clear you owe us an ” apology”. You are not fit for purpose.
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ramona therese fernando / October 31, 2019
My God! The social clubbing Trotskyist have been bought up, yet again by the Oligaric Kleptocrats ( viz. UNP & SLPP/SLFP).
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The Golden Chance to save the Motherland has vanished into halls of Yale, Harvard, Czechoslovakia, Russia and glossy Ambassadorships.
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ramona therese fernando / November 1, 2019
Kick up a Marxist ruckus and be rewarded by the Capitalists with free education in White foreign lands, and/or glorious Ambassadorship; more fervent the cause, greater the rewards.
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ramona therese fernando / November 1, 2019
…..Trotskyites*
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Sri-Krish / October 31, 2019
Is there a Chandrika faction in the ULF?
Has this split anything to do with the comeback of Chandrika?.
Part of the dead left is with Gota and the other part is with Sajith!
The JVPers are not from the dead left but they are are expected to give their second preferences to Sajith!
Now another dead leftist says he is wih Gota because UNP is neo- liberal.whereas GOTA is anything but neo- liberal
Neo-liberal is a postmodernist term for capitalism..
In the old days it was said that both are capitalist parties,however one is more capitalist than the other and the left could support the lesser evil to prevent the greater evil from capturing the power..In this process all left became the dead left and this will continue till all left become dead left
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Sinhala_Man / November 2, 2019
Definitely, Sri-Kush, but don’t over-estimate the effect it could have.
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http://telo.org/?p=224433
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Sinhala_Man / November 2, 2019
Dear D. P., Stanley and Others,
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The above comments have come on after a long delay. Those running CT must have thought long before putting it on. Sincere thanks to them. Everything that I have said is true, but (always a but!) it has to be presented in such a way that its relevance is clearer. On this public forum, we should not retreat into our own private worlds. It may be that you could help drag me back to coherence.
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Now, D. P. let me set you some reading much simpler than anyting that we’ve been telling each other.
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http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100011h.html
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Animal Farm by George Orwell. I have known ten-year-olds to read it with enjoyment. It may be called a very short novel, or a very long short story. It is the story of the Russian Revolution and what went wrong. Written by Eric Arthur Blair, who believed in Communism and actually fought in the Spanish Civil War. Orwell was his pen name, and one of the finest English writers ever.
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It may be too long a read for now, but you will certainly “enjoy” the sad story, and end up a sadder but wiser man.
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Please get back to me with some comment!
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Sinhala_Man / November 4, 2019
There is some confusion here, which is not worth getting to the bottom of. A comment (which I rather doubted being published) seemed to appear during a completely new session on the computer. Now it’s not referred to at all. The moderators do that sometimes, I think, out of kindness, not wanting embarrass those who are not vicious.
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I do hope that D. P. will read Animan Farm. It is fun, for all that it deals with the tragic misdirection of noble aims.
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I think that I give up on D. P. With most commenters one gets a sense of their being people who were working with some passion at something that is aimed at achieving some definite goal. D. P. just keeps throwing insults at anything influenced by Marxism. Have you ever done any work, D. P.?
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Mind, I’m no Marxist.
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