{"id":142523,"date":"2015-04-08T14:22:51","date_gmt":"2015-04-08T08:52:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=142523"},"modified":"2015-04-18T15:15:59","modified_gmt":"2015-04-18T09:45:59","slug":"gota-to-lead-upfa-snubs-alliance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/gota-to-lead-upfa-snubs-alliance\/","title":{"rendered":"Gota To Lead UPFA Snubs Alliance"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa<\/span><\/a>, despite initially stating he has no intention of entering politics is now saying he will in fact enter politics and Colombo Telegraph reliably learns he will be leading the UPFA snubs.<\/p>\n

\"Gota\"<\/a>

Gota<\/p><\/div>\n

In an interview with Sri Lanka Mirror this week, the Rajapaksa sibling said although he initially did not have any intention of entering politics, he feels as if various reasons have pushed him into deciding otherwise.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if I get a chance to contest, I will,\u201d he said while adding that he has not chosen a political party to contest yet. However, Colombo Telegraph reliably learns that it is he and not Mahinda Rajapaksa<\/span><\/a> who will be leading the UPFA snubs at the upcoming general election. It has also been revealed that the extremist group Bodu Bala Sena<\/span><\/a> which grew powerful during the Rajapaksa regime under the patronage of Gotabhaya has requested to join the alliance that would be formed by the UPFA snubs and officially pledge their support to Gotabhaya at the upcoming election campaigning period.<\/p>\n

He says he was genuine in his intention to do some service to the country and its people and that he feels this goal was achieved during his tenures as the Defence Secretary and later Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban planning.
\n\u201cI was able to, not simply end the devastation caused by terrorism but also afterwards, improve the defense situation and thereafter, transform Colombo into a beautified, well-planned city,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Speaking further Gotabaya says he never took into account, personal benefits or advantages when serving the masses and added that he feels he will be able to continue delivering tangible results with concern to the development of the country by entering the political arena of Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n

Despite expressing his dedication to be a genuine public servant, it was revealed that Gotabaya and his brother were leading lavish lifestyles at the expense of public finances. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been keeping some 43 imported dogs from various foreign countries and some 23 varieties of exotic birds at the Temple Trees. Meanwhile, it was reported that Gotabaya had been keeping a shark at his residence, which had been taken care of by a Navy official along with two baby elephants, that he handed over to the Wildlife department in January following MR\u2019s defeat. The shark was gifted to a businessman in Mount Lavinia according to Sri Lanka Mirror<\/p>\n

Despite his repeated rejection of the reports rearing a shark in his house, his weakness for elephants and sharks is evident from the wooden, ornamental shark and elephant ornaments that are placed in a glass cabinet at his house, which can be seen in the backdrop.<\/p>\n