“Late March 2, Anura Bandaranaike, a senior SLFP MP and brother of President Kumaratunga, announced that he wants to be the next SLFP presidential candidate. Bandaranaike’s announcement was an early one: Sri Lanka’s next presidential election will take place in either late 2005 or late 2006. (The exact timing of the election depends on how a complicated dispute concerning the length of President Kumaratunga’s term is settled — see Reftels.) In a lengthy interview with the English-language DAILY MIRROR newspaper published on March 3, Bandaranaike also stated that he would be ‘the last of the Bandaranaikes to be in politics and the dynasty will end with me.’ He also characterized himself ‘a ruthlessly honest politician.'” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.
The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The “Confidential” cable is signed by the US Ambassador to Colombo Jeffrey J. Lunstead on March 09, 2004.
The ambassador wrote; “Bandaranaike, 55, would seem to be a leading contender for the SLFP nomination. First, he is the brother of the President, and both his parents were SLFP prime ministers, which counts for a lot in the SLFP (his father founded the party). He has huge political problems, however. While affable, he is not considered a serious thinker and some even consider him a bit of a buffoon. It is also not clear whether he has the support of his sister, who is thought to distrust him for defecting from the SLFP years ago (he returned to the party fold in 2001). In throwing his hat into the ring, Bandaranaike also has a major rival: senior SLFP MP and former Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapakse is thought to maintain considerable grassroots support in the SLFP.”
mike / February 13, 2014
The dumb ass next to Anura is now the President. Uneducated, uncultured rascal!!
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Ben Hurling / February 13, 2014
“The dumb ass next to Anura” LOL!
Anura himself was not very bright either. Just beleived Sri Lanka was his inheritance.
He was very sure he would be the next President. Like in a family business. Wow!
I repeat Sri Lanka is cursed by these families and their bottomless greed for power.
Dumb Sri Lankan electorate is responsible for not showing these people the door on time.
Cheers!
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Kutti Machan / February 13, 2014
Ambassador Lunstead’s comment is typical of Americans’ stupid arrogance and ignorance. He forgot that he was serving the mother of all buffoons George W. Bush.
[Dumbest George W. Bush Quote of All Time:
“I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we’re really talking about peace.” June 18, 2002]
But look at Mahinda! He seems to be under the spell of Anura’s aura.
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Don Bandula / February 13, 2014
Some boon for Lanka, ‘cos, three “ruthlessly honest” Bandaranaikes were top heavy as regards the bane of Lanka. Nevertheless, not as ruthlessy dishonest as the current “Naikes” of Lanka###
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Peacelover / February 13, 2014
@ CT the article title was a bit misleading for an old piece of news
anyways while on the subject of Bandaranayakes if only old SWRD didnt do things for selfish reasons, today Sri Lanka would have been truly a heaven on earth!
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Fathima Fukushima / February 13, 2014
BS!
Tamil Elam in HELL.
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Maveeran / February 14, 2014
Fathima i saw your dad selling isso vaday in Galleface beach the other day. [Edited out]
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Vartharajah Perumal / February 13, 2014
Anura was a lazy hedonistic person who never worked hard. Absolutely lazy buffoon who never did an honest days work. He was raised to think he was the prince heir apparent by sycophants in his feudal household . All his cronies used him and treated him like a king! He was unfit to become a president ; his chronic alcoholism was legendary. Worsecthen Yeltsin. His favorite strategy was to type insulting abusive letters on his typewriter and send them to people who dared to criticize him. I was a recipient if his abusive letters once.
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Robert.R / February 14, 2014
Vartharajah Perumal ? The once chief minister ?
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Maveeran / February 14, 2014
Look at this nob head Mahinda Jarawapassa, he looks as if he’s on weed.
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Myil Selvan / February 16, 2014
Well the real reasons for Anura being sidelined more than any was the fact that Mrs.B favoured Chandrika and together they sidelined him. Towards the end of Chandrika’s tenure she could have promoted Anura by making him Prime Minister but her goverment was too shaky about its survival, hence people like Ratnasiri Wickramanayake first and then Mahinda Rajapakse became prime ministers to appease the Buddhist extremists aka. the monks. But at the end of the day, Anura wouldn’t have won an election against Ranil Wickramasinghe through honest means. And neither would Mahinda, if not for the LTTE boycott. Sadly, Mahinda should have been more grateful to Anura because it was Anura who gave him opportunities during his early political career.
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