By Colombo Telegraph –
An unclassified US diplomatic cable dated September 13, 2007 shows the President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa has travelled to US with a Teleprompt Operator. The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database and the cable is signed by the US Ambassador to Colombo Robert Blake.
Rajapaksa and a Teleprompter / File Photo
Read the cable below for further information;
VZCZCXYZ0012 OO RUEHWEB DE RUEHLM #1273 2561207 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 131207Z SEP 07 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6811 INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0619 RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2322
UNCLAS COLOMBO 001273 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR IO/PPC (BATLLE) AND SCA/RA (PFLEIDERER, MICALLER) USUN FOR MCBRIDE NSC FOR MCDONALD E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ITRA OVIP UNGA CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: OFFICIAL DELEGATION LIST FOR 62ND UNGA REF: A) STATE 101170 B) COLOMBO 1077 ¶1. (SBU) Embassy Colombo has received by diplomatic note the following list (para 2) of the official delegation and media members who are scheduled to visit the USA accompanying H.E. the President of Sri Lanka for the 62nd United Nations General Assembly. ¶2. (SBU) (begin list) Composition of Delegation for the Official Visit of H.E. the President to UN General Assembly in New York 23 to 26 August 2007: H.E. Mahinda Rajapaksa, President Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa, First Lady Honorable Ministers: Honorable Rohitha Bogollagama ) Minister of Foreign Affairs Honorable Douglas Devananda, Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare Honorable Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Minister of Mass Media and Information Honorable Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Environment Honorable T. B. Ekanayake, Minister of Highways Officers from Presidential Secretariat: Mr. Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President Mr. Sajin Vass Gunawardena, Coordinating Secretary to the President Officers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Dr. Palitha T. B. Kohona, Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr. M. M. Jaffeer, Chief of Protocol Mr. Gihan Indraguptha, Assistant Chief of Protocol Medical Staff: Dr. S. D. Jayaratne Dr. Asela Wijeratna (Army) Security Staff: Advance Security Police: Mr. S. M. Wickramasinghe, DIG Mr. S. A. R. P. Jayathilake, ASP Army: Brigadier K. J. Alwis, Military Security Coordinator H.E. the President's Security: Major S.W. M. Fernando Major U. A. A. P. Ubeysiriwardena Lieutenant Y. M. L. Abeyrathna Lance Corporal K. B. Rohana Bandara Lance Corporal H. P. S. Sisira Bandara Lance Corporal M. L. Wijepala Food Taster: PC Amarasinghe Saman Udaya Kumara Personal Aide: Mr. E. W. Kamal Wasantha Media Personnel: Mr. Newton Gunaratne, Director - Electronic Media Mr. Lucien Rajakarunanayake, Director - Media Mr. Sudath Silva, Chief Official Photographer Mr. Sugath Sri Lanka Dias, News Cameraman ) SLRC Mr. Chaminda Gunaratne, News Producer ) SLRC Mr. Sumudu Ranjith, Teleprompt Operator Mr. A.H. M. Azwar, Advisor to the President Mr. Sisira Kothalawala, DG Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Mr. Pramod De Silva, Editor ) Daily News Mr. Aruna Balasuriya, Journalist ) Divaina Mr. T. D. K. Jayantha, Journalist ) SLBC Mr. Buddhika Eanjeewa, Producer ) Swarnawahini Mr. Asoka Lal Sigers, Cameraman ) Government Film Unit BLAKE
Kamalika Rathnayaka / June 20, 2012
Look at the size of the delegation!!
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gamini / June 23, 2012
It is a shame that a proper photo of the full audience should have been posted, for the readers to count the exact number present to listen to this JOKER speaking. I see of the five or six listners in the photo, one is DJ.(Disc Jokey).
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Kalu Albert / June 20, 2012
OMG!! tax payers’ money. Uneducated rascal, can not talk without a Teleprompter.
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Kodage / June 22, 2012
Are you the same Kalu Albert who normally defends MR in virtually every blog?
If true MR is loosing the handful of racists who had defended him.
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Andre / June 20, 2012
CBK was disgraced by all means to that time without seeing the facts as they really had been, today, all come back. This is the merely the karma. In her terms, even if the war was still going on, with emergency law situations, crime rates, prices of commodities were much less than those of today.
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gamini / June 21, 2012
Not only MR even R Premadasa used teleprompters. This is the level of intellect of these individuals unable to deliver a speech impromptu claiming to lead this Nation as the Head Of State. MR is supposed to be an Attorney at Law. Give him a piece of paper and pen to see whether he can draft a motion. Let alone drafting a motion, MR can not speak ten words of English without murdering the Queen. This is the stark reality of these individuals.
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West is the best / June 22, 2012
So what? Can’t you be a leader of a country if you can’t speak English? Rajapaksa is the president of Sri Lanka, not the president of UK. He needs the help of Teleprompt because he delivers speeches in a foreign language. There is nothing wrong with that. All good.
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Raja / June 22, 2012
Very rarely do you get leaders of any nation who do not have either written notes to read out from or teleprompt operators to assist with their speech. This is the better way of not wasting time and avoid going off the subject. GL Peris and Obama could be exceptions as they are able to rattle off without notes.
Good on you President.
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Sarath / June 22, 2012
Not only Mahinda, none of his siblings had a post-secondry education. The way his son NAMAL sat the Attorny at Law exam was widely reported some time back.
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Rubert Vanderkoon / June 22, 2012
Stark reality is the depth of your ignorance. Why would English be that important to run a country, where the entire population speaks fluent Sinhala or Tamil? MR ain’t alone, majority of the world leaders cannot speak any English. Powerful people who never speak English include German leader Angela Merkel, French Zarkosy (now Hollande), Russian Putin and Chinese Hu Jintao. On the other hand, almost every single leader, Obama, Cameron and even the Queen uses a speech writer.Those leaders may read from a pre-written script, but is it any different from reading it over a teleprompter? It is only a matter of time before everybody turns to teleprompters.
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gamini / June 23, 2012
Rubert, I am not surprised that you have not understood my view point. What was stated was apart from the lack of English knowledge or for that matter any medium of expression, this man MR has no intelligence or common sense. Hence he has over 80 Advisors at any given time at the cost to the tax payer and yet he gambles on his own discarding many as condoms that he uses for his extramarital relationships. Many of the Advisors who came to help him, have gone back realising their folly. It is only people like you, the Hurrah Boys who are left to defend him. Therefore your level of intellect has to be the same, for the birds of a feather getting together.
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Raja / June 24, 2012
Gamini, can you give a speech impromptu in English? Maybe you can as that is the yardstick you use for measuring intellect. I wouldn’t, and I dont think the leaders of the non-english speaking world are idiots simply because they cant speak proper English. In fact leaders of France, Germany, Russia, japan etc do not like to speak in English, even if they knew. I think President Rajapakse is a very clever politician, qualified as a lawyer and inteligent enough to eliminate the terrorists who had the support of hostile nations and NGOs.
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kota uda / June 20, 2012
Why 2 docs??
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DAS / June 20, 2012
There is a “food taster” too. Like the kings of old,who had ‘food tasters’ to avoid being poisoned ! !
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richardson / June 21, 2012
They never tasted food,they tasted what came out AFTER THE MEAL
That was during King’s time. I will not take that job even for a Billion dollars a day.
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Panda / June 20, 2012
For a small nation, that depends mostly on foreign aid, the President and his planeload of supporters, are a high maintenance lot that travel in style, while the poor Sri Lankan suffers.
President from wealthier nations do not travel so frequently as our Dictator and his family.
Talk about frequent flyer miles.
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kota uda / June 20, 2012
this is back in 2007 when he was two years into eating,now it’s 7+ years and the retinue has grown,first lady retinue too.
We have natural gas,oil,we are the hub for finance & commerce Mumbai,Singapore,HK yet to catch up with us.We are really rich and well off,switch onto state tv and affliated channels one evening and then you will know.
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maradankadawala Jakadaya / June 20, 2012
We all thought CBK was worse.MR is just enjoying the tax payers money.As he is the Dutugemunu.He owns Sri Lanka.Till 2016 he and his servants will rob the country to the maximum.May be he got some other trick to stay on even after 2016.This is the curse of Sri Lanka.Sad,Sad,Sad.
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JANAKI / June 20, 2012
Obama BROUGHT 1000 Securityofficers plus his own bulllet proof cadilac with amazing technology to the UK when he visited . Also his security requested the windows in his room in Bukingham Palace had to be bullet proof prior to his visit . The queen had no option but to oblige, to these security concerns . This is how the USA looks after their President .
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Chandra / June 20, 2012
Janaki
And your point being?
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gamini / June 21, 2012
Chandra are you nuts asking Janaki for her point when she is only hollow. She is not only hollow but rather shallow as well.
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Panda / June 20, 2012
Sri Lanka is cursed with this family, and obviously with sons being groomed, and brothers eagerly waiting in the wings, this family will darken this country for years to come.
We are not fleeced by one person, but by a huge family, including in laws, who are given top posts, and who abuse their powers for personal gain.
Sri Lanka will never recover from this.
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Andre / June 20, 2012
Srlanka is already a wonderland:
All the followings are observed by the general public including interllectuals of the over 90% literate nation- peoples behaviour have been apathetic as never before in the history
1. Country s president abuse his foreign trips with over crowded delgation – size of the delegation isnot comparable to any predessesors but with those of afro style presidents – I would compare it with former Sahire ^s president..
2. National Airline is abused by the incumbant president and the family as it is their cab service – media revealed lately that president does not want to book flights on regular flights – no matter the cost of living of the country is on a sky hire
Moreover, Presidents brother in law is caught with FC of millions value keeping under his pillow – nobody seems to be bothering with that…. go on bending their heads further – calling the president as Raja
Raja…
3. His brothers, Cousins, Sons abuse the prevailing law as heard never before in the history of the country – people still kneel the Rajathutma.
4. Crime rate is on its top as never before int he history – no women can free as had been the case for them in history- they have been harrased, raped and even killed – incumbent govt seems to be not reacting any murders or killings punishing the perpetrators according to the law of the country – No body – let alone lawyers of the country stay silent further- without raising their legitimate questions- as they are the ones who could comprehend the law regulations – not the common man.
5 Those who go against the rulers are physically assaulted, tortured even killed – some ministers openly continue their way of punishments with the approval of incumbent president – President forgive them – peoples cant realize why- MOST KNOWN EXAMPLE is Mervin silva- whose public speeches contain only filthy langauge- as no other politician used in the history. Sociologists, paedgogists, psychologist keep silent further – not thinking about the impact of his and similar persons behaviour before the youth of the country.
6 Some ministers in the current cabinet shoot presidential advisers – but nothing seems to be as punishment – perpetrator is being defenced by the President and his ministers- general public and all others keep further silent as this should be the procedure of a court investigation
And annd. ..
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Reporter / June 20, 2012
May be the president went there to make a movie with this much of ministers and cameramen. Don’t any of these idiots question from MR why he spend poor tax payer’s hard earned foreign exchange.Can’t a doctor be a food taster also. Is the personal aid to give the massage. No wonder the US president might be laughing behind to see all these joker entourage following the C…l, Last time he went to Russia he took the Sri Lankan dance troop comprising around thirty also. Unless everybody get together with foreign governments and the diaspora to put a stop to this unwanted waste, MR will drain public money and the country to the brim.
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Helena Waidiyasekerta / June 21, 2012
With such wanton waste and vulgar spending, even the poor ordinary man cannot obtain a loan from the Peoplers Bank or any other Bank to repair or build his house as all loans have been stopped, and the vulgar extravagance at the expense of the poor citizens are being wantomly wasted. Eevn the EPF & ETF contributions of the poor people including the savings of tyhe NSB are bei8ng exploited and robbed in broad daylight. This country must listen and understand the shoutings and cries of the reasonable and intelligent economists like Dr. Harsha and so many others who are trying to explain to the masses all the robberies that are taking place in broad daylight by this Goon Mafia rulers. Very soon this place will be a doomed nation with no resources and it wuill be a ethiopia,zimbabwe, or a sudan situation.
T
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Suji / June 21, 2012
Has it ever occurred to any one of you that maybe, just maybe, with our stupid rice eating voters, we deserve all this? After all, as the saying goes, the country deserves the rulers it gets…
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West is the best / June 22, 2012
Are we stupid because we eat rice? So leave us in our stupidity and find another country to live. Eat bread and improve your level of intelligence.
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Ponniah Mahalingam / June 21, 2012
Oh my god! A teleprompt operator?! LOL, really scraping the bottom of the barrel for ‘dirt’ aren’t we.
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Vis8 / June 21, 2012
What’s wrong with having a teleprompt operator? Obama’s speeches are flashed in front of him through ‘teleprompters’ via computer screens.
Trying to make a big deal out of nothing.
These morons are just hell-bent on discrediting Sri Lanka for their own gain.
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richardson / June 21, 2012
Get a life you fool.You know nothing about what’s going on here.
You are born boot lickers.LICK LICK LICK
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Kaputa / June 21, 2012
Get a real job you moron. What is the point of this kind of stupid journalism. Are you a real journalist or some assailing donkey? You give bad name to all other self-respecting journalists.
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Tomsamusa / June 21, 2012
The classicale regression of the failed banana state of sinking lanka.
This is beyond the scope of God.
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silva / June 21, 2012
Janaki- Not only Obama but,all American Presidents travel in keeping with threat level being a very powerfull nation economically and militarily.
Do you think Lanka can afford a plane load? Not forgetting cost for food,hotels,transport,per diems and loss of productivity.
JR travelled with two security at the most.Ate most of his meals at home and lived in Ward Pl too (big saving here)I guess lanka is now a miracle and we can have plane load now.
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MR / June 22, 2012
Our president’s security is a top most concern both locally and internationally. Why Roberto Blake is quoting such a silly teleprompt issue. Or why he(and his CIA) is so concerned over even a such thing addition to their agenda full items regarding Sri Lanka and her current president.
Sri Lankan
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kevin / June 21, 2012
dont worry about spending money to much on security.
If this brave person wasn’t there sri lanka is divided country.
Tamil tigers will suck the blood of all singhaless people 78% population of sri lanka.
So what’s wrong with taking extra caution . MR is clever man and not taking any chances he knows who arround and what thier ultimate target.
God Bless him
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Panda / June 21, 2012
I guess you missed that point. The entire planeload is not made up of security personnel – just family members, supporters, and leeches who want the share of the pie. They live in top hotels (actually rent the entire floor or more) and eat at top restaurants, and guess who pays for these joy rides?
MR is a clever man alright, but his cleverness is not to benefit the country, mostly for dear family and opportunists who surround him.
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kevin / June 21, 2012
panda I understand Your point.
Top Political powers are always surround by opportunists. It is everywhere same weather it is, Asian or western.
We understand MR family lavish spending using state recourses etc. It is not something new in sri lanka.
Remember CBK period. But she didn’t bring any good to the country.
Compare the country before MR came to power and now. No leader ever face this kind of multi prong challenge during very short period. .
I think sri lankan ignore any minor fault from MR and family. Because now at least
live peacefully under one flag without any fear of life.
Zero percent corruption or 100% best economic management is not a reality my dear PANDA.
Opposition should be able pin point this and make it correct, any wrong doing by the GOSL and president.
But it is very unlikely under the leadership of Ranil w.
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Panda / June 22, 2012
Yes CBK was bad, but this Rajapaksa regime is worse. Never in the history of Sri Lanka have we had such a large scale of nepotism. Over 200 top positions in our government all held by members of the SAME family. So where is the opportunity for the people of Sri Lanka to hold accountable the lavish, out of control spending, and for any kind of oversight? WHen this shameless family has blocked any kind of monitoring of corruption by covering each other’s crimes? They are scratching each other’s backs, and the people are the losers. Take a look at the lavish lifestyles of this family, the flashy, latest cars, and the shopping sprees abroad, and it will not take a rocket scientist to wonder where all the money belonging to the Sri Lankan people go.
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gamini / June 22, 2012
Panda you are spot on. This Kevin type of character are blind to reason. They are living in a make believe world, thinking this rogue MR saved this country from the LTTE. The truth is the time was up for the LTTE, in the world agenda. Thus the US with India decided to end the drama and helped MR in the staged war. They also drumed up an event as if they tried to save VP in the last stages, just to hide their involvement. So individuals as Kevin think MR single handed, defied the whole world and defeated the LTTE. What Bravado in a world full of stakes? Now these forces as the US and India are reluctantly compelled due to pressure coming from the Human Right Watchdogs to take some kind of action to save their skin of the involvement. Hence, watered down resolutions and threats to MR to implement LLRC proposals, where irrefutable evidence is unfolding of Human massacre. Wonder how long the public can be fooled, for Kevin type to survive to cheer this type of Human slaughterer?
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Ann / June 22, 2012
War winning millitarily is almost like comparable with irradication of dengue mosquitoes by burning out all the house structures. And Ltters are not powerful only wihtin Lanka, as it was easily obvious to us during the late VISIT paid by MR to London and the huge protests made by powerful LTTE voices being stood before the Queen who is regarded as one of the most respected queens in europe.
So it is understandable that MR and his efforts together with lanken heroic forces should be given due credit for war end. But this means necessarily know that whatever the crime that the MR regime is responsible should be neglected by the nation.
Today, our folks have been brainwahsed by local media as a result of bias information that have constantly been spread by them. Innocient folks who make up the majority are misguided by local media. They are brought to a positin not being able to separate good from bad today. .
As revealed to yesterday, even if 100 warrants had been issued to take a most crime doer had NOT been taken to custody even if courts have ordered police to do so. This is an issue those who seek the improvement of human rights within lanka to drag the country to further depth- who should be responsible for all these ? If not the INCUMBANT regime RUN by MR ?
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Vasu / June 21, 2012
Food Taster, yes sir yes sir teller, no madam no madam teller, show polisher and all the prostitutes for these men are in a different list, they have taken an earlier flight and does not belong to the official delegation. But stayed at the same hotel
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silva / June 21, 2012
kevin-so prosecuting a civil war (not with another nation mind you but our own citizens)gives a licence to rob for life?
Like a supplementary card ?… 300 other supplementaries!
And whilst prosecuting a war on tigers was he not paid a salary?
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Nagarajah / June 21, 2012
What people are ignorant of is not only MR takes teleprompt and speech writers, almost all foreign leaders including the most erudite Obama and Cameron. Even local politicians, MPs and mayors in the West have speech writers and teleprompters. In the West politicians seldom make impromptu speeches which most often end up as garbage and make no sense. The speeches have to be focussed and meaningful. The malady ailing today’s Sri Lankans is shooting their own foot because of political bickering.
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Jerry / June 21, 2012
Poor man Rajapaksa who has been walking behind some buffolows plowing the fields has had a chance to fly anywhere, stay in posh hotels ect, please do not harras him let him enoy becouse he is in his last stages of life, let him do anything & be happy before he leves us alone.
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Saman / June 21, 2012
Selling and exploiting the War is the only way the GOSL is using to waste public citizens money and to stay in power.That’s why they don’t want to resolve the conflict. People suffered for 30 years thinking there will be relief after the war, but the misery is worst now.It is time for citizen and opposition to question these expenditure and to show the cost of expense to the public.
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Amaroe / June 21, 2012
Obama uses teleprompter on a daily basis So Why can’t MR ?
Un educated theory does not work here does it?
Obama is a Harvard Graduate
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whywhy / June 23, 2012
I said the same thing with a pinch of more flavours but got completely
edited out without any explanation,making me wonder whether CT is also trying to walk the walk of SL!
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Somaratne / June 21, 2012
Can anybody give the total Sri Lankan entourage that went for the UN general assembly.We like to know for curious sake. Also like to know the food and lodging cost and travel expense like vehicle rental etc. I don’t mind nominating and contesting for next presidential election as a candidate.
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Prakash / June 22, 2012
President of banana republic lol ! idiots are ruling sri lanka :) A leader of a nation represents the quality of the people … now this sucks man !
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whywhy / June 23, 2012
Lawyers are known globally as greedy and utterly money oriented.Why shouldn’t we focus on, not electing any of them to our top position?
Instead encourage knowledge of politics as a criteria to lead us!
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AYMAN / June 25, 2012
MAHINDA, CAN HAVE ALL THE SECURITY, DOCTORS, “FOOD-TASTERS”, BUT WHEN THE
TIME COMES, HE WILL HAVE TO GO, THATS ACCORDING TO BUDDHISM AND ALL RELIGIONS.
SRI LANKAN HISTORY IS FULL OF “INTRIGUE” WITHIN RULING FAMILY.
AMONG THE SINHALA BUDDHIST KINGS WE HAVE HAD BROTHERS, SONS AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS KILLING THE RULER FOR POWER.WE SEE IT WITHIN OUR RULING FAMILY. “VIRUSES ARE SELF TERMINATING”
BANDA WAS KILLED BY A MONK. IN INDIA, GHANDI BY A HINDU FANATIC.
INDIRA BY A SIKH,RAJIV BY A TAMIL. WHY THIS SINISTER CAMPAIGN AGAINST MUSLIMS?
WHO KNOWS RAJAPAKSE MIGHT END LIKE HITLER.
SUBA ANAGATHEYAK
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