Under what law war victory cannot be campaigned? Bandula
Posted on October 17th, 2019
Lahiru Pothmulla Courtesy The Daily Mirror
Opposition MP Dr. Bandula Gunawardana today asked under what laws the Elections Commission has said that it was prohibited to use war victory and slogans in the election campaigns.
He said as a member of the Constitutionality, he cannot figure out under what laws or regulations that the EC has said campaigners can’t use war victory.
Addressing a news briefing, Dr. Gunawardana said the LTTE could not be defeated by any of the previous Commandants-in-Chief because they did not have a defence secretary like Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
None of the previous Presidents were able to defeat the LTTE since no defence secretary was able to strategies the war properly. Without Gotabaya’s efficient strategies, the LTTE could not have been defeated. That’s why we request the people to rally behind him when there is a terror threat again. No one is committed to national security like Gotabaya. If the Elections Commission is prohibiting to use war victory in campaigns, maybe we can talk about reasons led to military defeats during the war,” he said.
He said under President Ranasinghe Premadasa’s era, tax payer’s money were sent to fund the LTTE through the government. We have receipts to prove this. If false, anyone can file a case against us for forgery. At one point, two UNP leaders Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake brought an impeachment motion against President Premadasa for funding the LTTE,” he said.
October 17th, 2019 at 5:20 pm
It is Jungle law. Somebody must go to court to teach this guy a lesson. He thinks that he is the king. What a stupid proclamation.
October 17th, 2019 at 7:15 pm
The war was won by the people of the country and the military. No politician can claim credit for winning the war. Certainly not politicians who presided over just 4 years of the 26 years of war. The outcome was achieved by the work of all governments.
Denzel Kobbekaduwa, PWV Kularathna, PWV Laphir, General Janaka Perera, etc., etc. didn’t die in vain.
The war was won with their sacrifices too.
We had 4 administrations fighting the war to various degrees of success. It was won during 1 such administration. The other 3 failed to cross the finish line.
Of course 3 out of 4 runners cannot cross the finish line in a relay but they all get the medal. The war victory belongs to all people and all parties that ruled since 1983. On the other hand JVPers, LSSPers and the Mulberry group who disrupted the war effort deserve no credit of the war victory; especially those who were in the JVP and LSSP in 1989 to 1990s including Wimal, Vasudeva and Dilan crowd.
Similarly Sajith should not be allowed to market his father’s death caused by Tamil terrorists. It is a sacrifice made for the country but he was not the only one to make the ultimate sacrifice.
A good decision by the EC.
October 17th, 2019 at 7:26 pm
Some simply want to take the 100% credit just because of holding offices during last stages of war. At the same time they say, ” No. We were not in-charge of the Army” when questioned about war crimes during last stages of war.
October 17th, 2019 at 9:18 pm
@Dilrook,
“The war was won by the people of the country and the military. No politician can claim credit for winning the war. ”
BALONEY! BILGEWATER! UTTER HOGWASH!
The SAME people of the country were MISLED by spineless leaders without the courage and determination of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Govt for 30 years bringing the Nation to its KNEES; leaders without the wisdom and ability to marshall all the resources of the nation, appoint able commanders, revive the faith of the common soldier in the military leadership, and take the risk to fight to victory!
Without that able, skilled and determined leadership, the people of the country would have continued to WALLOW in DEFEAT for NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN! A “War that CAnnout be Won Militarily” according to the jaded PUNDITS, was won in a way that reduced Western Powers to TEARS of ENVY!
The Election Commissioner Deshapriya is a GOOD MAN doing a very difficult job impartially, whom I commend highly!
Neverthe ess, in this instance, the EC is ABSOLUTELY WRONG!
The War was the CENTRAL ISSUE of those times on which the fate of the Nation teetered! How it was won and who won it, and the nation made secure and reintegrated, goes to the HEART of the current concerns about National SECURITY.
On the ONE HAND, we have the Leaders who WON the War claiming the Right to lead the Nation, now confronted by the RISE of a NEW Muslim TERRORIST ENEMY, and the DEFEATED Tamil Separatists once again demanding a SEPARATE STATE,.
ON the OTHER HAND ,we have the CURRENT INEPT Yamapalana UNP Govt that BUNGLED National Security BIG TIME, demonizing and imprisoning our national intelligence officers who are key to our defence against separatists, systematically dismantling our Security installations, and discouraging the Security Forces in general.
Let us recall, that the leaders of the Yamapalanaya are the very same TRAITORS and NINCOMPOOPS who MOCKED the drive to Win the War, aided and abetted external powers to PREVENT that Victory, and after it was won, betrayed the defenders and the nation in Geneva.
These ISSUES are ESSENTIAL FACTS that the VOTERS need to be reminded, and their FADING memories jogged into alertness, before they go to the polls, for their vote decides who is better qualified and fit to PROTECT their Motherland!
The National Security and Future Progress of their Motherland. our Motherland, your Motherland, depends on how they will vote. It is their DEMOCRATIC RIGHT that must NOT BE DENIED!
It is ABSOLUTELY WRONG to BAN the discussion of these ISSUES central to our safety, individual and national, on the eve of ELECTIONS! This decision by the EC should be challenged immediately in SUPREME COURT!