Gambling for a Common Candidate as Sri Lankan President and Global Leader
Posted on November 11th, 2014

Shenali D Waduge

The Common Candidate Search Group all agree for the need for a Common Candidate but for months on now they are in a twist who to choose. As for the voters of Sri Lanka, what is important when casting their vote is to realize how far they want change, what that change is likely to result for the country and whether any reversal of the gains are likely to result in bringing about that change. It becomes all the more important that our choice of leader for Sri Lanka needs to be looked more upon the ability to protect Sri Lanka from the global sharks than simply wearing the crown of President of Sri Lanka. The contenders all of whom had held leadership roles in the past it is good to look back and take cognisance of how far they have actually protected and guarded the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. If they have not they do not deserve any place in re-contesting to repeat their felonies.

Candidate 1: Ranil Wickremasinghe

Gambling with the prospects of

  • Winning UNP votes (significant number though let’s not forget that there are some UNP voters who put their brains before their hearts and place the interest of the country first. They have done so in the past and they are likely to be the key decider for this election)
  • Winning Muslim votes (significant number of commercially inclined Muslims who believe that only the UNP is capable of drawing Western investments. Lets not forget that a large number of rural Muslims did not vote for the UNP or the Muslim Congress at the last election)
  • Winning Tamil votes (the Northern and Southern votes assured as has always happened)
  • Winning the Christian/Catholic votes (these votes are now split in half and there are again large numbers of people who put brains before heart and vote and generally large numbers of urban voters end up not going to vote too)
  • Not wanting to win the Buddhist vote (this has been a known fact. UNP have never cared to change the status quo and instead preferred to woo the non-majority voters only – a mathematical hara kiri)
  • Will people remember or care to remember
    • The betrayal of the nation and the soldiers as well as over 60 intelligence officers in agreeing to sign an agreement not shared with even his key Ministers? (Cease Fire Agreement of 2002)
    • The appeasement and subservience towards Western domination likely to leave Sri Lanka as a servant state with a puppet leader and bring down the country and reverse all that we have gained post-conflict?
    • The ability to actually lead the nation when needs of the majority populace are purposely ignored in UNP policies is a key obstacle
    • What has Ranil done for Sri Lanka in 40 years of politics – Is 30 election losses an achievement!

Candidate 2: Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga

Gambling with the prospects of

  • Winning support of the current Ministers in the UPFA as a support base and cross over
  • Winning support of the majority Buddhist bloc aligned to organizations now calling for the abolition of the Presidency – aim to divide the Buddhist vote
  • Winning support of the UNP vote base as common candidate
  • Winning support of the Muslim vote base as common candidate relying on Muslim Congress support
  • Winning support of the Tamil vote base as common candidate assured of TNA support
  • Winning support of the Christian/Catholic vote base as common candidate
  • Winning the JVP insignificant vote base through friend Mangala
  • Will people remember or care to remember
    • The beeshana period under both her terms
    • Now promises end to corruption – Lest we forget – The ‘chowra rajina’ Bandit Queen allegations and Water’s Edge verdict
    • Now promises Rights for Women – women supporters of the UNP stripped naked and forced to march along the street under her rule
    • Didn’t she pledge to remove the Executive President in six months in 1994 and stayed on for 2 terms!
    • She did promise Prabakaran to allow him to rule the Northern Province for 10 years without elections!
    • We are now told she has bowed out of the Common Candidate race – there’s also the possibility to change one’s mind too!

The web comments are quite interesting and reveal the views of people for other prospective Common Candidates

Anura Kumara Dissanayake – able to drag Sri Lanka into stoneage. Lets also remember that all the people they killed were Sinhala Buddhists and not a single LTTE terrorist!

Sarath Fonseka – Revenge mantra will lead to doom but people like to hear some ‘kalawedda’ stories!

Sajith Premadasa – All Talk No Action

Sobitha thero – Referred to as Mr. by some and that says it all! The thero promises he will hold forte for 6 months if elected and then abolish the Executive Presidency …. Similar story was told by that trishaw driver to Sirisena Cooray at the Municipality Elections but refused to step down thereafter!

Karu – A Journalist claimed he was bribed Rs.50,000 per month for publicity! Not a good start for a Common Candidate

Arjuna – Leading Sri Lanka and representing Sri Lanka on world political stage is no game of cricket!

The common candidate confusion cannot erase and in fact has raised people’s doubts of how the country can be led when the parties vying to select a common candidate have yet to select one and they have been on the job for quite some time now. Just imagine how decisions may be taken after their Common Candidate gets elected and the disagreements likely to arise given the ideological and other political agendas each of the common candidate group are all aligned to. How many promises and pledges must be taking place for the support of each group, what are their demands to canvass their people for votes, will the common candidate President be able to give in to all these demands and will he/she actually honor these demands or will all this end up in further chaos for the nation – these are factors that Sri Lanka’s voters be they Sinhalese, Tamil Muslim, Burgher, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian/Catholic, Islam or atheists and agnostics will need to think about BEFORE they cast their vote!

While the common candidate group are busy selecting a candidate it is good for voters to think about their selection too and most of all imagine what Sri Lanka is likely to be like if their choice of common candidate wins and he/she can’t or won’t honor the promises made to appear as common candidate.

It is also a good time for the general public too to realize that each of us individually have a greater role to play and are ourselves accountable by our actions for taking the country forward or backwards – the blame cannot always be placed on the doorstep of the politicians.

A Leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and has shown the way’.

Aspirants for that role are those who don’t know the way, have gone the wrong way and can’t show the way”.

18 Responses to “Gambling for a Common Candidate as Sri Lankan President and Global Leader”

  1. Lorenzo Says:

    EXCELLENT!

    SW never writes political stuff. This is the fist I think. Surely she has GOOD REASONS to do so.

    All common candidates are CLOWNS. MOST of them don’t have even 5% of the votes but dream of becoming president!!

    The first two are SERIOUS candidates. Others are just CLOWNS. If Kalla Jaya can be the common candidate, why not PABA who is MORE popular than him? If Fat Anura can be the common candidate why not Anjani Umma who is MORE popular than him?

    No surprise. Previous COMMON CANDIDATES include Hudson, Siddhalepa, AJ Ranasinghe, Paithiyum Mohomad, Puli Sivaji, etc. They LOST the deposit money too!

  2. AnuD Says:

    After so many years of congress party in India, it is the Hindu s came to power. See, the trends in Europe.

    Why only Sri Lanka should have a Common Candidate ?

    I think they are preparing for a political disaster unless the Sinhala -buddhist vote is highly divided.

  3. AnuD Says:

    I think, CT is getting money already from a camp to publish against Karu.

  4. Lorenzo Says:

    AnuD,

    CT has published MANY anti-SL articles written by KJ!! They are in the same boat.

    So far KJ’s office has NOT rejected or sued CT over this which means the allegation STANDS (until proven otherwise).

    NO MORE CLOWNS. If a genuine NON-POLITICAL COMMON CANDIDATE comes, he should be OUTSIDE of politcs. Otherwise he is NOT common.

    This COMMON CANDIDATE thing came with Gonzeka because he was NOT a politician until then. Can the opposition find someone like him? I don’t think so.

  5. Susantha Wijesinghe Says:

    LORENZO !! Yes, All common candidates are CLOWNS of the First Order. They are there for a dime a dozen. They are not worthy of even polishing the Shoes of the Incumbent President. Hell, they are So Common, they cannot get anywhere near the UN-COMMON CANDIDATE, HE THE INCUMBENT PRESIDENT, MAHINDA RAJAPAKSE.

    People must remember, Cease Fire Agreement, Waters Edge, Killing Sinhala Buddhist Youth in their thousands, Kalaveddas, all ocean and no ship, Mr. Sobitha, a bribe King, and a Mental Disorder Cricketer, all hoping to sit on one chair. A SET OF CLOWNS, IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE TERM.

  6. Ananda-USA Says:

    Many Blind Men are FEVERISHLY GROPING for THE Common Candidate.

    Touching a little bit here, pulling a little bit there, but being Blind, not everywhere to get the full picture.

    They are trying to figure out who the Common Candidate is by EXTRAPOLATING their PARTIAL groping data, but not one of them REALLY knows what the Common Candidate looks like in his/her ENTIRETY, and not even what the Common Candidate SHOULD look like!

    But, the REAL Common Candidate is really SITTING in the MIDDLE of the room, high upon a PEDESTAL to avoid being GROPED by these filthy Blind Men with dirty hands, and is enjoying their antics immensely!

    You see, HE KNOWS who the Common Candidate is; he is. He is the sitting President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

  7. Nanda Says:

    Wait until the real common candidate appears. Can sing song until then.

  8. Nalliah Thayabharan Says:

    Aberrant leadership of Ranil Shriyan Wickramasinghe in UNP that was once patriotic and national but is now reduced to a servile and vocal outfit beholden to foreign powers and agencies that are hellbent on destabilizing Sri Lanka. Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe’s manifesto is always paving the way for mortgaging Sri Lanka to international community, World Bank, IMF and the multinational corporations.
    Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe has lost several elections. Under Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe’s ‘leadership’ the UNP has lost several of high-profile MPs, hundreds of other elected officials, and millions of voters.

    Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe ordered and witnessed the execution of hundreds of innocent young men from Kelaniya area including prominent human rights lawyer Wijedasa Liyanarachchi who died as a result in September 1988, in his illegal torture centre maintained by the police Counter Subversive Unit (CSU) headed by Douglas Peiris who was directly responsible for the torture at the Batalanda Housing Scheme, during the height of the People’s Liberation Front (JVP) insurrection between 1988 and 1990 which was confirmed by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry which comprised retired judges. Since Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe committed these horrendous crimes in Batalanda, Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe had to abandon not only his electorate of Biyagama, but also the Gampaha District. Since these murders Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe is an MP without an electorate – thanks to his uncle Junius Richard Jeyawardene’s constitution. Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe recruited a convicted killer and hardcore criminal Gonawala Sunil as his secretary. Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe’s secretary Gonawala Sunil went around killing and intimidating people Ranil Wickremesinghe wanted to be silenced. When Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe was the education minister, officials at the education ministry used to call Gonawala Sunil as Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe’s husband. Gonawala Sunil is one of the earliest criminal gang leaders in Sri Lankan underworld. Gonawala Sunil had major connections with the UNP government at that time. Gonawala Sunil was convicted of the murder, and was serving in prison when he was famously released on a presidential pardon given by President Junius Richard Jayewardene just before the 1982 presidential election. Gonawala Sunil was involved in the massacre of 53 prisoners at Welikada Prison in 1983 and gang raping a 14 year old girl in 1982.

    Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe’s corruption in “LH Plantations” has been highlighted with excruciating details by his very close friend Mangala Pinsiri Samaraweera. Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe’s very close family members own several media outlets which promote Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe and help to prolong Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe’s political survival.

  9. Nalliah Thayabharan Says:

    Ranil Wickremesinghe was not born to lead. It was known that his uncle, J.R. Jayewardene was grooming him to take over the party reins at some point.

    Ranil Shriyan Wickremasinghe when he was Prime Minister under the Presidency of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga went to Singapore and Signed a Ceasefire agreement with the LTTE.

    The contents of this document was not even divulged to the House of Representatives. This was with the connivance of Erik Solhein.

    During this period the Deep Penetration unit of the Army was harassing the LTTE and taking out their cadres one by one.

    The LTTE greatly feared this unit of army commandos. Ranil Shriyan Wickremasinghe agreed to arrest this group under false pretenses and give out their identities to the LTTE. This was carried out with the help of John Anthony Emmanuel Amaratunga who was the Home Minister at the time.

    They brought a group of Police from Kandy and arrested all the commandos, took their photographs and published in the newspapers with detailed information and exposed them to the LTTE. The Army Commander had to go to the Court House in Kandy and rescue these Commandos, but the damage had been done.

    The LTTE killed all these Brave Commandos one by one. This is the Greatest Betrayal in the History of Sri Lanka.

    “Since coming to power in late 2001, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken steps to steer Sri Lankan foreign policy closer to the U.S. Wickremesinghe’s pro-U.S. views have been long-standing and are in part a function of family connections. His uncle, J.R. Jayewardene, for example, was Sri Lanka’s president from the late 1970s through the late 1980s, and maintained very close links with the U.S.”
    the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

    The above leaked cable is from the WikiLeak database. The cable classified as “CONFIDENTIAL” analyses the Sri Lanka’s foreign policy under Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. The cable written on May 29, 2003 by the US Ambassador to Colombo E. Ashley Wills.

    Ambassador Wills wrote “Moreover, Wickremesinghe, who comes from a very wealthy busi.ness family, is a strong advocate of free enterprise and strongly opposed to the disastrous socialist policies of former governments. Wickremesinghe is also surprisingly knowledgeable about U.S. history and politics; he is an avid reader about the American Civil War, U.S. military history, and U.S. legislation. The prime minister’s pro-U.S. views also emerge out of his political calculus that Sri Lanka needs the support of the international community, especially the U.S., to constrain the Tamil Tigers. With the peace process his government’s number one priority bar none, the prime minister has worked hard to secure U.S. support for his efforts in this area from very early on in his tenure.”

  10. dingiri bandara Says:

    Does any one know as to what happened to the house Chandrika is said to have purchased in Australia(I think in Melbourne) paying millions of dollars when she was the president?

  11. Eusense Says:

    Shenali,
    No politician is perfect. I guess you are aware of it. MR did an excellent job on ending the 30 year long terror and stood up firm against foreign bullying. What do you have to say about his post war breakdown of honesty and spread of corruption in every element of politics, politicians and hence in our society? He has taken no effort to flush out undesirables in his gov., has he? Shouldn’t people give a thought on this before it is not too late? To be fair you should also talk and write about MR’s weaknesses too.

  12. Lorenzo Says:

    Sarath Silva has made vile comments against the supreme court (after losing his argument). He should be punished for INSULTING the court. SB Dissanayaka was punished for insulting the court, so why not Silva?

    Opposition’s main demand is CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE. For that they NEED Silva. REMOVE Silva and their campaign will COLLAPSE.

  13. Nalliah Thayabharan Says:

    Bandit Queen CBK kept millions of cash under the name of her sister in a locker at the Suduwella branch of HNB. CBK betrayed everybody who had trusted her including her own husband, her best friends and her own party. Bandit Queen CBK got money, houses in foreign countries as bribe from secret deals including Airlanka, Shell Gas, Channel 9 etc. Why the Parliament did not impeach Bandit Queen CBK?

    The JVP is well known for the two insurrections to capture power in 1971 and in 1987-1989. In 1971 the JVP attacked all Police Stations in a “Cuba” type of attack to capture power. The Government of Sirimavo ably fought back. It was found that North Korea had played a very subversive role in that insurrection and its Embassy in Colombo was immediately closed down and the diplomats ordered out.

    In the crucial days in April 1971, when the Government had lost control of the entire Matara District including Hakmana and Akuressa and holding only the towns of Matara, Dondra and Weligama on the coast, a very large ship appeared close to our shores, unloaded a number of boats and were loading some things into them. The 1971 uprising was an attempt by a foreign power to take over the entire country.

    A mystery plane, loaded with 35 tonnes of lethal weapons-including surface to air missile launchers, and twenty four 240 mm guns, so far never used, all documented as oil drilling equipment, had to be refueled at Don Mueng Airport at Thailand in 2009. The arms were valued at $ 18 million. It was said to be heading for Sri Lanka. It had come from North Korea accompanied by 4 persons from Kazakhstan and Belarus. It is important to note that North Koreans master minded the 1971 insurrection in Sri Lanka In entire South Asia, Perhaps the plane was heading here. Zimbabwe where in 2004 a plane laden with weaponry and mercenaries led by Simon Mann, former Commander of G squadron 22 of the SAS(UK) had to land to refuel. The smart sleuths of President Mugabe found that the plane was heading for Equitorial Guinea, impounded the weapons and incarcerated the mercenaries. That was an attempt to stage a coup and take over an oil rich country, financed by Sir Mark Thatcher, son of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The SAS officer and others caught were later jailed in Guinea and pardoned in 2009. Mann says that tacit approval for the regime change came from the Pentagon, CIA and the big oil companies. The ‘buddhist’ sleuths of Thailand may fail to get the terrorists to speak.

    The national minded members of the JVP have left under Wimal Weerawansa’s leadership. UNP is acting as a hireling for a foreign power. There is room to think that the USA and the other Superpowers are now trying to covertly defeat President Rajapaksa at the Presidential Election.
    It is important to note that the USA has a record of interfering in the internal affairs of foreign countries when their rulers do not adhere to the ways of thinking of the Superpowers. If the countries fail to adhere to the IMF rules by which the multinationals are allowed to plunder the resources, and have dealings with other countries like Russia and China, then that country has to be destabilized. The modus operandi is to offer advice and help at first and if necessary let lose the CIA goons. The instances range from Lumumba in the Congo to what is currently happening in Iraq, Ukraine and Afghanistan. Details are included of a few instances where the record shows that the USA has blood on its hands.
    In the Congo, Patrice Lumumba was elected as the Prime Minister of Congo. At the inauguration instead of being thankful, he insulted his former colonial Master- he said that Belgium should apologise for the pillage and plunder done by them. In a matter of ten weeks, “Lumumba’s Government was deposed in a coup… he was subsequently imprisoned and murdered in circumstances suggesting complicity by the Governments of Belgium and the US
    In Iran, “the 1953 Iranian Coup d’etat deposed the democratically elected government of Iranian Prime Minister Mossadeq. The USA CIA overthrew the Government of Mossadeq at the request of the British Government and enabled Mohamed Reza Pahlavi to become an authoritarian monarch who went on to rule Iran.. till 1979.”
    What happened in Chile in the Sixties rings bells of what is happening in Sri Lanka today. In Chile, In 1962 the CIA received authority to carry on covert action projects in support of the Chilean Radical Party and the Christian Democratic Party. … to assist these Parties to attract larger followings… to influence political orientation to support US objectives in the Region ,,, to support efforts to split the Socialist party….The CIA was tasked to support continued unilateral placements of propaganda in the mass media to influence public opinion against leftist public opinion, against leftist parties and candidates… In 1970 Allende was elected President. President Nixon instructed the CIA to unseat Allende and authorized $ 10 million. President Nixon specifically directed that this action be carried out by the CIA without advising the Departments of State or Defence or the US Ambassador in Chile. CIA took a variety of actions-… making overtures to the military, initiating efforts to promote public opposition to Allende . A coup’d’etat was planned- it included the abduction of General Schneider, a strong supporter of Allende. His men guarded Allende day and night. In the process General Schneider was killed. Schneider was a strict constitutionalist and was therefore an obstacle to US efforts to promote a military intervention. Scheneider’s murder was classified as collateral damage. During Allende’s regime 1970-1973, $ 6.5 million was spent for covert activities against Allende. In September 1973 the Chilean military staged a coup against Allende, who is said to have shot himself or was assassinated.
    It is sad to state that what is happening in Sri Lanka today is similar to the very process of foreign conspiracy that unseated President Allende, with perhaps many Superpowers having a hand in the pie.
    It is upto the citizens of Sri Lanka be they followers of any political party to open their eyes to the nefarious conspiracies of the Superpowers- understand that our beloved political parties including the UNP that won our independence have been totally infiltrated and riddled by the Superpowers to do their bidding. We have to stand firm as a nation.
    The Party System of politics has been bequeathed to us by the Britain to keep us divided and fighting.
    If we fail to go beyond party politics and guard our beloved motherland, it will be the end of Sri Lanka as a sovereign nation.
    It is perhaps a travesty of fate that the foremost Superpower, the USA does not realize the fact that President Rajapaksa has contributed to World Development by not only defeating terrorism but also by dismantling the LTTE drug trafficking and extortion network which was world wide. All the Developed Countries stand to benefit from this. It was a task that their CIA, MI5 and many other security organizations have miserably failed. No other country leader has accomplished such a task for the USA and other Superpowers.
    The USA stands to gain more by helping the democratic forces in Sri Lanka than by attempting to subvert it. The USA has to realize for once that it will gain more in prestige and dignity by allowing a sovereign country to attend to its own affairs, without interference.

  14. aloy Says:

    NT,
    Your last two paras says it all. Who is carrying on with the drugs trade now?. Is it not the GOSL politicians?. At the last two elections people elected a socialist president. He is no longer socialist now and is playing with big money ( in billions of dollars). Who cares for Ranil ot the thieves in UNP?. As I have said before on a comment of yours, I get reminded of the riddle of the twins. If the motive is not clear, it is better to take a different path to the one being shown.

  15. Lorenzo Says:

    Sob-itha has agreed to accept a written undertaking by MR to do his demands. But he wants to ask others in his group.

    MR had visited Sob-itha at Tiran’s house and Sob-itha had agreed to accept MR’s written undertaking in the presence of GR.

    Common opposition is COLLAPSING before it was formed!

    Good strategy by GR. Isolate common candidate clowns and address one donkey at a time.

  16. callistus Says:

    There is a Thisaranee here commenting I noticed. Lorenzo, you are right to call mr Sobitha as sob-itha.

  17. aloy Says:

    callistus,
    Whom do you think?. Is it the pukshima of Colombo Telegraph or the Kallikasaltus of Lankweb, whom I believe is of Arab origin denigrating monks at every turn.

  18. Lorenzo Says:

    callistus,

    I don’t generally agree with you. But this time I agree. Nice baiting!

    Yes TG aka “Anurudda Thilakasiri” is commenting here. NO ONE hates MR as much as she does so not difficult to guess. Using a male nickname is normal for her.

    BTW CID has been restrained by the president NOT to question the monk after a meeting yesterday. Good move.

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