‘Save SLFP from being held responsible for a divided country’ ‘Blue elephants’ urged to quit ruling coalition
Posted on August 12th, 2016
By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island
August 9, 2016, 9:58 pm
Reiterating its strong opposition to controversial VAT Amendment Bill, the Joint Opposition (JO) yesterday urged those who had been elected on the UPFA ticket at the last parliamentary polls to quit the UNP-led government without further delay.
Gampaha District MP and JO convenor Prasanna Ranatunga told The Island that the grouping wouldn’t be demoralized by recent suspension of UPFA Puttalam District MP Sanath Nishantha for being publicly critical of President Maithripala Sirisena.
The MP emphasized that the JO campaign intended to oust what he called a treacherous coalition government was on track. Of the 95 member UPFA parliamentary group, the JO consisted of about 50.
Responding to another query, MP Ranatunga pointed out that the Supreme Court had provided immediate relief to consumers struggling to make ends meet consequent to petition filed by JO member and leader of National Freedom Front (NFF) Wimal Weerawansa.
Commenting on Special Assignment Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama’s recent declaration that the SLFP/UPFA group in the government would vote for the VAT Amendment Bill, MP Ranatunga alleged that those loyal to President Maithripala Sirisena, too, were sharply divided over the group’s stand.
MP Ranatunga pointed out that SLFP spokesperson and State Highways Minister Dilan Perera had publicly contradicted Dr. Amunugama’s claim.
MP Ranatunga said that the SLFP couldn’t be allowed to be used to prop up the UNP led administration.
Addressing a group of JO activists at his residence at Udugampola, Gampaha, yesterday morning, MP Ranatinga alleged that ‘blue elephants’ had made a desperate bid to deceive the public on the basis VAT Amendment Bill would be amended. The SLFPer alleged blue elephants had been greedy for perks and privileges and therefore clung to ministerial portfolios at the expense of both SLFP as well as public interests.
MR Ranatunga said that as people couldn’t bear the proposed sharp increase in VAT, the SLFP/UPFA group shouldn’t in anyway strengthen the government.
MP Ranatunga warned that as the main partner of the UNP-led coalition, the SLFP would eventually would have to take responsibility for ruining the country. MP Ranatunga regretted that the integrity of the party had been severely damaged due to the failure on the part of the SLFP leadership to comprehend ground realities.
The SLFP couldn’t move forward by propping up the UNP, MP Ranatunga said, drawing the attention of the current leadership to the fact that the party never received a mandate at the last parliamentary polls to go for a coalition.
Commenting on post-war ongoing national reconciliation efforts, MR Ranatunga accused the government of facilitating project to divide the country on ethnic lines. Western powers, pro-LTTE Diaspora and an influential section of the NGO community had been pursuing an agenda severely inimical to Sri Lanka. Alleging that the government had been indirectly backing the eelam project, the JO spokesperson said that the Constitution couldn’t be amended to appease the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The SLFPer stressed that Western powers, pro-LTTE Tamil Diaspora as well as the NGO community couldn’t be permitted to intervene in the constitutional making process.
Speaking in his capacity as former Chief Minister of the Western Province, Ranatunga said that police and land powers shouldn’t be given to Provincial Councils under any circumstances. MP Ranatunga said that since President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s defeat at January 2015 presidential polls, the separatist project had received a tremendous boost. Acknowledging that Provincial Councils should be allowed to exercise administrative powers at a certain level, MP Ranatunga emphasized Provincial Councils should work in harmony with the government.
MP Ranatunga alleged that the yahapalana administration had imposed restrictions on the armed forces deployed in the Northern Province, released LTTE terrorists, imprisoned members of the military, including those assigned to the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) and basically undermined national security.
The Gampaha District MP said that the government should take up responsibility for the rapid deterioration of national security. The MP warned of dire consequences if the eelam project succeeded. The JO heavyweight said that such a situation couldn’t never be reversed though various acts introduced in parliament could be abolished.
MP Ranatunga alleged that the SLFP knowingly or unknowingly contributing to war winning Sri Lanka’s downfall.
August 13th, 2016 at 1:49 am
Blue elephants should indeed quit the ruling Yamapalanaya govt, lest they be destroyed in the tsunami of public criticism and anger that will sweep away all those who betrayed the nation by supporting the Yamapalanaya.
For your own survival, disassociate yourself as soon an possible from this treacherous government. The available time window is fast closing; strap on your parachutes now!
August 13th, 2016 at 2:38 am
The missing persons commission, the name is a misnomer. it should be called ‘those combatants on all sides who died in the war i.e. Sri Lankan Forces, Police Force. Civil Defence Forces, IPKF, Tamil Armed Groups against the LTTE and the LTTE terrorists themselves and whose bodies have not be found’. Therefore the name itself is wrong and invented by the UNHRC to tarnish the image of the armed forces of Sri Lanka.
The missing persons commission to date has receive 24,000 complaints from 1983-2009 period. Of this number over 5,000 are regarding missing Sri Lankan Forces members, whereabouts unknown, almost certainly executed by the LTTE terrorists. Over 12,000 complaints are against the LTTE itself recruiting young persons by coercion. Therefore over 70% of complaints are against the LTTE itself which amounts to over 17,000 complaints. The rest of the complaints are I am sure about the whereabouts of LTTE combatants or terrorists who died while fighting but whose bodies have not been found.
My question is, why cannot the UNHRC the US,UK, EU, Canada, Norway, Sweden and India accept that Sri Lankan Forces, Police Force, Civil Defence Forces, IPKF, Tamil Armed Groups against the LTTE and the LTTE terrorists themselves died fighting in this war and leave it at that. What is the point in looking for these combatants now? Why is it that the UNHRC the US,UK, EU, Canada, Norway, Sweden and India never ever talk about the over 35,000 Sri Lankan Forces, Police Force, civil Defence Force members who died in the war? or the 1,200 IPKF members or the over 2,000 Tamils Armed Groups against the LTTE members who died in the war? or the over 6,000-7,000 Sinhala civilians and even Muslims civilians who were massacred by the LTTE? or the around (my estimate) over 3,000 Tamil civilians massacred by the LTTE?
Why is it that the UNHRC the US,UK, EU, Canada, Norway, Sweden and India is not concerned about the over 10,000 Sri Lankan Forces members permanently disabled by the war, or the over 23,000 Sri Lankan Forces members both temporarily and permanently disabled by the war? or the over 136,000 Sri Lankan Forces members who were injured due to the war?
Why is it that the UNHRC the US,UK, EU, Canada, Norway, Sweden and India not concerned about the over 65,000 Sinhala people and over 75,000 muslims ethnically cleansed from the North?
Why is it that the only the around 35,000 LTTE terrorists who died inclusive of Prabhakaran are the concern of the UNHRC the US,UK, EU, Canada, Norway, Sweden and India? Perhaps this missing persons commission should answer that question first.
August 13th, 2016 at 2:39 am
The missing persons, the name itself is a misnomer. When a soldier or an LTTE terrorist died in combat and a body was not found due to let us say the other side burying the body, the combatant is considered missing in action. Therefore the name of this commission should be ‘Those who died in the war on all sides and whose bodies have not been found’. Therefore now looking for all of these combatants whether LTTE terrorists or Sri Lanka Forces members is useless since it is a complete waste of time. Also what about all the navy personnel or even LTTE terrorists who died at sea, their bodies certainly would not have been found. So all of these combatants are missing in action.
The missing persons commission to date has receive 24,000 complaints from 1983-2009 period. Of this number over 5,000 are regarding missing Sri Lankan Forces members, whereabouts unknown, almost certainly executed by the LTTE terrorists. Over 12,000 complaints are against the LTTE itself recruiting young persons by coercion. Therefore over 70% of complaints are against the LTTE itself which amounts to over 17,000 complaints. The rest of the complaints are I am sure about the whereabouts of LTTE combatants or terrorists who died while fighting but whose bodies have not been found.
Therefore it is extremely clear that it is the LTTE which should be questioned about these missing persons and this treacherous yahapalanaya has placed our Sri Lankan Armed Forces in deep trouble for no reason as usual.
August 13th, 2016 at 3:05 am
The JVP until around 2010 was an extremely patriotic political party. However after Rathu Ali Patiya or Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the traitor, took over and a few other traitors to their own motherland took over (Sunil Handunneti, Vijitha Herath, Tilvin Silva etc.) the JVP has become traitors to their own Sri Lankan people and to their own motherland and become lakcys of ultra, extreme capitalist forces and lackys of the US,UK, EU, Canada, Norway, Sweden, India (‘mankolla kalliya’ who steal other countries resources by bombing those countries) the racist TNA, the separatist terrorists etc.
The JVP is today being indirectly funded by thousands of US dollars and they are indirectly working for US imperialism. It is absolutely clear to most people. It calls itself ‘socialist’ only to hoodwink its gullible supporters in order to get those gullible supporters votes.
The US imperialists have done this elsewhere, in other countries, who resist their imperialism. They buy off small fake socialist parties indirectly with thousands of US dollars. These fake socialist parties are useful since they are there to raise some valid but not so important issues (but not at all a threat to US imperialism’s aims in the unfortunate country concerned) and hoodwink a few thousand voters to support them. In Sri Lanka the JVP, Wickramabahu and the NSSP, the FLSP they are all indirectly supportive of setting up an Eelam and indirectly supporting US imperialism. It is obvious from their actions, utterances and statements especially regarding national security, sovereignty of the country, independence, freedom. separate state, federalism, lack of any comments about the racist, fascist TNA, lack of any comments about the thousands upon thousands of Sri Lankan armed forces members and civilians massacred by the LTTE terrorists etc.
In other independently thinking countries also where the US wants to bring about ‘regime change’ the US imperialists support small fake socialist parties such as the JVP, FLSP, Wickramabahu of the NSSP. So this is not at all a surprise to anyone who has observed these world trends over many years.
In addition, NORAD wrote a detailed report about why the 2001-20014 treacherous Ranil’s Eelam project failed. There the NORAD report mentions buying off the JVP and the Hela Urumaya for future success in setting up an Eelam. that is exactly what has happened today as anyone can see.
August 13th, 2016 at 3:08 am
There is absolutely no doubt about imperialistic US plans to build a US army, navy and air force base at Trincomalee. Please note that once the US builds their US army, navy and air force base at Trincomalee, they are not going to stop there. They will build other bases within the island. For example, Hambantota harbour could also end up as a US navy base and the Mattala airport a US air force base. Iranawila will again recommence their CIA operations and Palaly in the North in Jaffna will also be converted into a US air force base.
This is the main reason that the US has, from the every beginning, supported the LTTE terrorists, who are their proxy force, wage a war against Sri Lanka to set up a bogus Eelam. The US knows that the only people who are standing against them are the Sinhala people who due to they being majority Buddhist and wanting to preserve Buddhism, being the indigenous people of the island with over 2500 years of history behind them and with our tribal ancestors having over 30,000 years of history within the island and due to they being very socialist in nature and supportive of socialist ideals will never, ever let the US set up any bases in the island.
Therefore the imperialistic US, UK ,EU, Canada, Sweden, Norway and India supported the LTTE terrorists and the TNA set up their Eelam within the island for sure so that they can then set up US army, navy, air force bases within the island.
Sri Lanka lies along the world’s busiest sea route or the maritime silk road. South of Sri Lanka is a the vast Indian ocean. Sri Lanka is located at a most strategic location with the Middle East, Africa and Europe to the North West, with India to the North and with South East Asia and East Asia to the North East of Sri Lanka.
At present the US uses its Diego Garcia base extensively to subdue, bomb, decimate and dominate the rest of the world. However, due to sea level rises, low lying Diego Garcia may even be taken over by the sea. What better place therefore to build a US base than Sri Lanka? This is the reason that the US supports Eelam since sepoy, slavish LTTE, TNA will do whatever the US tells them to do. The only people standing in the way of the US building bases in Sri Lanka are the Sinhala people and they have been slapped with bogus US resolutions at the UNHRC with a view to partitioning the island and bringing on an Eelam with these constitutional changes to turn Sri Lanka into federal states or to even implement the13th amendment to the full which should never ever be implemented and no more powers should be given to the provincial councils, especially no land, police or fiscal powers should be given to the provincial councils under any circumstances. Also the concurrent list subjects should be given over to the national list.
About Trincomalee Harbour, please visit this absolutely stunningly and vast harbour and then anyone can see its potential. Already, the road from Trincomalee has been built and the roads and bridges around Trincomalee harbour has been built. There are over 99 oil tanks near the harbour. There is the existing Sri Lankan air force, army and navy bases. Trincomalee town has been refurbished. Trincomalee harbour is the world’s second largest natural harbour. It has a submarine canyon along its sea floor which is a very deep canyon along the sea floor which can accommodate submarines which then cannot be detected by radar. The harbour itself can accommodate a large fleet of ships. There is also a railwayline all the way from Colombo to Trincomalee. All the infrastructure development was completed by the previous government.
Therefore, there is no doubt that the US would want to build a US army, navy, airbase at Trincomalee. For that they only need an Eelam or federal state and this treacherous Ranil, Sirisena, CBK and Mangala will make sure that happens since they have accepted the bogus US resolution at the UNHRC and placed our armed forces in deep trouble when our armed forces are totally not guilty but the LTTE war criminals are now suddenly totally innocent of all the war crimes that the LTTE terrorists committed for over three decades. Also all Sri Lankans should totally oppose implementing the 13th amendment to the full or any more powers being given to the provincial councils than they have at present. Especially no land, police or fiscal powers should be given to the provincial councils under any circumstances. Also the concurrent list subjects should be given over to the national list.
August 13th, 2016 at 4:25 am
The JVP was extremely patriotic especially during 1987 when they campaigned against the infamous Indo-Lanka Accord and was at the forefront of the patriotic struggle to rescue Sri Lanka from being dismembered by India and imperialistic forces led by the US, UK, EU, Canada, Sweden, Norway etc. and the TNA and the LTTE terrorists led by Prabhakaran. The JVP was so patriotic that they fully supported UPFA governments to keep Sri Lanka’s unitary status and to preserve Sri Lanka’s independence and freedom and worked towards social justice and was again at the forefront of opposing totally the separatist terrorists. The JVP even went to court to nullify the illegal merging of the North and the East.
However from 2010 onwards, after Rathu Ali Patiya or Anura Kumara Dissanayake took over, the JVP has become a treacherous party who have become lackeys of ultra capitalists such as the UNP the US, UK, EU, Canada, Sweden, Norway imperialists, the racist TNA and the separatist terrorists. The JVP today is totally working against the interests of the Sri Lankan people and is being treacherous to its own motherland and this is having a very deleterious effect on Sri Lanka as a country.