Minister of Finance and Media Mangala Samaraweera in the course of a heated argument with Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Rajitha Senaratne said that the current cabinet is the weakest he has ever been a part of.
Mangala Samaraweera
The argument took place during the cabinet meeting this morning (July 31) when Senaratne sought Cabinet to approve a salary hike for railway workers.
Senaratne, who had along with Minister of Science, Technology, Research, Skills Development and Vocational Training Sarath Amunugama, met with striking railway workers yesterday, had promised to move Cabinet to meet their demands.
Samaraweera however had objected, pointing out that the Treasury as well as the President had agreed to streamline salary increments so that salary hikes will be uniform across sectors in accordance to a single formula. He pointed out further that ad hoc decisions on salaries could prompt other sectors to make similar demands.
Samaraweera insisted that a country cannot be governed in this manner.
Although the issue does not come under Senaratne’s ministerial purview, he continued to urge cabinet to give into the striking workers. Amunugama meanwhile argued that if the strike action is not dealt with there could be serious repercussions, especially for Advances Level students who are due to sit the examination in August.
It was at this point that an incensed Samaraweera blurted out ‘mama meet kalinuth cabinet vala indala thiyenava eth me tharam konda pana nathi cabinet ekak dakalama naha (I have been in cabinets before but I’ve never seen such a spineless cabinet)!’
JD / July 31, 2018
[Edited out] suddenly god has appeared and Gam PEraliya borrowed from Martin Wickramsinghe and now thrashing his own cabinet the best way to score points. Earlier Tamils were used to kill Tamils. Now Politicians bash politicians to score points. Why Welikada and Bogambara do not have more respectable people than these ?
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JD / July 31, 2018
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Youwantmyname? / July 31, 2018
Make railways an essential service and if they strike interdict them.
We can run the railways and anyhow there are other sources of transport
Yes , some will be inconvenienced. But the bus service can be deployed from the station
to station. Can be done. Get the military involved. They have the skills and the discipline.
Railways will fall in line soon enough. And the others who dare strike will think again.
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Burt / August 1, 2018
Ywmn:
I don’t want your name but agree with your idea in principle.
Sri Lankan military maintaining its size at the same level as war times is over staffed and is ruining the chances of reconciliation in the north by taking over civilian opportunities by running farms to tourist industries, from trade to construction.
Investment will not flow towards business ventures as they cannot compete with the military as the military payroll and housing is paid by state and a private investor cannot be competitive.
This creates a good opportunity for the state to cross train the military in areas where its designated as essential services and if unions want to hold govt and people hostage run those services using the military.
Clean the mess before the next election. Privatize higher education, create essential services where industries have a direct impact on the economy and people and use the military in all parts of the country, not just the North and East.
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thrishu / July 31, 2018
Oh really? Spineless, only! What about, the balls? Most do not have balls too, and the speaker is one, no as I understand it?
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Babalathappu / August 1, 2018
Did you check it if you have them ?
You are a post doc researcher but to fall on to that level ? What i s behind your rantings Thrisu ? Again an another MONGOOSE episode too ?
Did we have better speakers ?
Did we have democracy seen in pervious MUGABE style cabinet ?
In today s context, evey cent to be saved in many ways, even if some naive decisions were seen among them too at the begning ? But do they have gigantic boarded entourages as had been the case with LANKEN Suhartho ?
From what end you vee been bubbling Thrisu an another to have sought GREENER pasturers in UK ?
Hope your PHD students would not get misled !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lanken Richmondian is fallen to all levels akin that of Wimal Ponnawansha.
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Burt / August 1, 2018
thrishu::
“What about, the balls?”
What about it? Do tell!
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Native Vedda / August 2, 2018
Burt
–
Most nights thrishu wonders “Do I have a tiny p***s or just humongous b***s?”
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Raj / July 31, 2018
[Edited out]
However, in this case, I raise my hat to Magala for speaking his mind. Senaratna & Amunugama may have doctorates but I wonder if they plagiarised their thesis because they do not seem to understand the anomaly created by favouring a selection of those in Govt. service for a pay rise. Of course, playing to the gallery is an art developed by those in politics from SWRD to Premadasa but if Mangala stands his ground on this issue, I will have some regard for him, even though he didn’t have the guts to stand up to what he believed in as in the case of the death penalty.
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Sharmini Serasinghe / August 5, 2018
Mangala was the only one in the cabinet who vociferously spoke out against the death penalty, Raj. And, what he said made absolute sense.
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Ajay / July 31, 2018
Because there are skeletons in the cabinet.
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JD / July 31, 2018
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K.Pillai / July 31, 2018
When capital punishment was a hot topic (now freezing cold), Mangala said that he is against but has to take collective responsibility.
His comments here on the cabinet (if taken literally) is a contradiction.
You cannot have the cake and eat it Mangala.
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Buddhist / August 1, 2018
Spine less Cabinet only because of its leader the President is spineless. President has given too much of room to GMOA who are today acting like thugs and the President sits idle without teaching these thugs a lesson. Similarly “Pinata Seat” MPs he brought into the Parliament who were kicked out by the people are today challenging the President and he does not replace them. Every time a Yahapalana Minister makes a progressive move, the President instructs to reverse it. During the last Provincial Council campaign without attacking Mahinda Rajapakse he went an attacked the same person who brought him in as the President. When the head is so weak even the tail goes in between the legs.
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Good Sense / August 1, 2018
This may be one of the few instances where the observations of the Minister of Finance were over-ruled. By and large it has a tremendous power and mandarins in the Finance Ministry abuse the virtual power at times but in other instances provide very sensible observations. This outburst and its publication speak volumes. One can point out to him as to whether he means that the cabinets where he served under Jarapassa are much better in this respect than now. Yes! At that time, the Minister of Finance was the big man himself and this was also an inspiration to move the 19th amendment to the constituion. The comedy was that proposals that he himself signs as the Minister of Defense is opposed by himself in his observations as the Minister of Finance. In this particular issue the decision to be taken by the Cabinet is difficult and it has to be appreciated by all concerned, mostly by the Ministers themselves. Both the instances of ad-hoc salary increases and crippling rail strikes must be avoided, an instance where one must have the cake and eat it as well. So! Decide and Ministers must respect the collective decision.
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John / August 1, 2018
Gota is the answer!
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K A Sumanasekera / August 1, 2018
Poor Mangalan,
How can Rajitha promise our Tax Money to his buddies in Unions,when we have entrusted Mangalan to look after it.
Although Dr Ranil let his mates swindle the Treasury, when the best Finance Minister was in charge.
Any way that is another story.
Has Mangalan Lost the respect of the Cabinet because Mangalan didn’t deliver his promise to get that USD 4 Billion from Suren to help the Yahapalanaya.
I mean Yahapalanaya promised to fulfill its undertakings with that Cash backing.from the Diaspora….
USD 4 Billion is half of what Dr Ranil got from the Chinese for 15,000 Acres of our Land and the Harbour.
Other 2 Biilon could have easily helped Dr Ranil to reduce our debt rather than pushing it up to 80 %
That is 12% increase in just 3 Years of Yahapalanaya.
Now poor Mangalan has to carry the can.
Plus Mangalan is under pressure to help his Chief of Staff Hologolla tooo.to protect him from Police prosecution because Hologollo had a go at a Journo…
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Native Vedda / August 2, 2018
KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera
–
“Has Mangalan Lost the respect of the Cabinet because Mangalan didn’t deliver his promise to get that USD 4 Billion from Suren to help the Yahapalanaya.”
–
What surprises me is the fact that Mangalam and you are descendants of Kallathonies from South India yet Mangalam sounds sophisticated than you are act dignified.
–
Why are you both asymmetrical from each other?
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K A Sumanasekera / August 5, 2018
Dear Native,
Speak for your Self and Mangalan Please…..
Thank You….
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Native Vedda / August 5, 2018
KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera
–
“Speak for your Self and Mangalan Please…..”
–
No I am speaking for you and your fellow Kallthonies.
By now your grand father would have shared his family secrets with you which should confirm what I have been saying to you for donkeys years.
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jim softy / August 1, 2018
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Lanka / August 1, 2018
Each minister can not make such demands .
It’s true that many workers do have concerns..
Yet; this is not a way to deal with ..
Cabinet should have a system to do it ..
The money MR and co stolen would have been much enough to pay all this ..
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Lasith / August 1, 2018
Mangala is absolutely right.
Not only the Cabinet has no spine, our citizens have no brain.
This is the third time that railway staff are going on strike in the past 1 year. And in the previous 2 times the government gave in to their demands, no minding the already out of proportion salaries that are given to them.
Now let us just pause and think for a moment:
1. How is this going to play out? Howmany more times are they going to arm twist the government, at the expense of the convenience of the commuters?
2. What is Rajitha’s and Amunugama’s concern in all of this. For heavens sake Rajitha has his portfolio to face and the same goes for Aminu gamage.
3. Amunugama’s daughters TV channel Derana is PRO Mara, which makes it obvious that they are doing and will go to any length to discredit and cause confushion within the government.
4. What answer will the government have for other workers when they too demand for their pay hikes by crippling the country with strikes. After all everyone needs to be treated equally, not just the railway staff.
5. Upon all the commuters the trains carry each day, railway department doesn’t make any profit. This goes to show that the railway department is not efficient. That problem has to be sorted out first. An engine Driver is paid in excess of 250,000 rupees per month take home. The train Driver business goes from father to son so it is a select few that dominate the job.
6. Don’t other workers in other trades count? Don’t they too deserve pay raises just as railway staff are asking for?
7. What is the minister of transport saying in all this?
8. Railway unions must be controlled, they cannot be allowed to hold the commuters to ransom at their fancy.
9. Why should Rajitha be allowed to interfere into everything? After all the SOB was not even able to get a PET Scanner for the Maharagama Cancer Hospital on his own. It took the kindness of one Mr. Mohamed to raise the money through donations, yet during the commissioning of the scanner Rajitha was shamelessly leading the opening parade.
10. Rajitha goes to Singapore for treatment! Yet he tries to fix railway problems that is not under his purview???
11. Why do people forget everything so easily and why don’t they citizens reason with a clear mind?
12. Mangala is right. He is always right. The cabinet must be more objective in their ways. We need more people like him.
Lasith
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Kumarathasan Rasingam / August 1, 2018
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Words / August 1, 2018
Karma is such fun!
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Sandra Aponso / August 1, 2018
We are missing good leaders like JR, RP , Lalith, Gamini, ranjan Wijeratne, Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Wijaya Wimalaratne.
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Thengai Srinivasan / August 1, 2018
Very true.
Spineless MS and RW.
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Person / August 1, 2018
Cause you savages blew up all them good ones and we are left with trash…
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Bunjikirilli / August 1, 2018
The kind of thoughts are very common in SL.
I think in a country leaders can emerge in any time.
I think UNP has good leaders today than the opposite SLFP bunch. UPFA has been ruined after their get together.
Lankens in general believe, when leaders die, others would not be capable of doing what is left behind. There are .. but there are also some groups belonging ot Mahinda Rajakashes has been looting the nation.
Mahinda though is said to be educated, is no different to that of Wimal WEERAWNSE by his evasive talktive reponses being added to the VOICE cuts.
Today, good leaders have no space to expand their horizon since the media men are only at widening the images of ALL abusive men. What I see wrong is the MEDIA mafia prevailing in the country.
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whywhy / August 1, 2018
Sandra ,
How is Wijaya Wimalaratne a good leader ? I know one of his brothers.
Wijaya Wimalaratne lost his life to LTTE and does it make him a leader ?
First two were already presidents and the other two were good leaders,
no arguments . Denzil and Wijaya were top army men and Ranjan Was
never considered to be a leader but a good politician . Wijaya Wimalaratne
was popularly known as ” Raththaran Wimale” in many quarters , please
do some research and find out why he was “Raththaran?”
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whywhy / August 1, 2018
Suddenly we find some interesting , genuine so intelligent remarks by only a
note worthy handful of personalities and Mangala fits into that variety . There
is bitter truth and hard facts one got to face at some point of your life and how
come leaders try to behave like as if there’s no such thing in life ? In Sri lanka
trade unions are purely politics ! They are more used to play politics than
worker welfare or patriotism . Trade Unions are like land mines in our country.
A sorry status but the fact . It will take at least another fifty years to complete
correction of bad situations in our country even if we start now . It is a suicide
mission for any government to embark on such reforms and one will have to
appreciate some actions of this government in that respect . Governments need
to take unpopular decisions sometimes and in our case , most of the time but
why it is difficult is because they are coming to power with false and unreal
promises . SO , STOP LYING TO THE PEOPLE FOR POWER , ALL PARTIES , IT IS
NOT ONE PARTY ISSUE ! AT LEAST SPEAK 50 % OF THE TRUTH .
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Gune / August 1, 2018
If politicians stop serving themselves with luxury cars and other perks, if they stop robbing the people…………..trust me people will not revolt and ask or make undue demands.
Parliament must demonstrate that they practice austerity before imposing it on other people.
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Plato. / August 1, 2018
The stand taken by Mangala is a Principled one. Since Jan:9th 2015 to-date, practically every Trade Union in the country has gone on Strike.University Students are eternally on strike.The GMOA GOES ON STRIKE ON CERTAIN ISSUES that is none of their business! All this is due to this supine Spine of the Government.Mind you with two political parties in Govt:
Mangala is right.
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Native Vedda / August 4, 2018
Plato
–
“The stand taken by Mangala is a Principled one.”
–
What is the point of being principled when he is unable to deliver on his promises, the stolen $18 billion he was going to bring back from abroad, independent war crime investigation he promised, De-militarization of The North, ……………………. ?
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JD / August 1, 2018
MAngala Samaraweera – Sri lanka’s MCC Representative after preparing ther Country for take over by foreign companies, now says those tthose Two National List Ministers make the cabinet spineless. On the othe rhand, Ranil says, I am not the American agent now, it is Mangala.
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Thondamany / August 1, 2018
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K.Pillai / August 1, 2018
We hear you we hear you Mangala. ‘Most Spineless’ implies all cabinets are spineless. The MPs must ask the mirror “Do I have a spine”. Good many will be told “You have had a spine transplant waiting to be rejected. Book Singapore straight away. Do not forget the Doha side visit”.
Corruption/nepotism/impunity damages spine Mangala.
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K.H.C. Kularatne / August 1, 2018
What happened to so called Mangala’s spine, when he gave his observation for giving allowance to SLAS one month ago?
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Mallaiyuran / August 2, 2018
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Shiromani Manage / August 2, 2018
The problem is that any strong criticism on Mangala, CT won’t publish. Why?
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shankar / August 3, 2018
mangala isright.Giving into strikers is no good.Wrong message is sent to other worker.however if they have some legitimate grievences it should be looked into.
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