M&R Soap Opera – From the Frying Pan to the Fire?
Posted on February 5th, 2015
Prof. Hudson McLean
News clips in Sri Lankan media and the on-going discussions in LankaWeb, is as entertaining as watching a TV Soap Opera like Dallas or South or the British Coronation Street, which some of the younger readers may have missed.
A discussed during and immediately after the Presidential Elections, one of the reasons Why ex-President MR lost the election was, due to having listened to Incorrect Information given by MR & GR advisors.
Even after GR visited My3 to enquire about his possibility of opposing MR as the Joint Candidate, GR failed to obtain valid responses. After all Colombo is a tiny City compared to Washington or London and is not shrouded like Beijing or Moscow. GR, as the leading advisor to MR on Security, failed in his Network.
The past three (3) weeks flushed with tons of garbage with accusations, mainly against the Rajapaksa Clan, seem to contain Unverified claims, such as-;
1: GR illegally hoarding millions of SLG funds in his private bank account. FALSE.
2: MR acquires a Personal Jet. FALSE.
3: Value of the New Presidential Jet. INCORRECT.
4: M&R cancellation of the Presidential Jet. INCORRECT.
“I come (NOT) to Bury Caesar, Nor to Praise Him”.
*Yes there was money. But it was proven that the funds were in GR custody on behalf of SLG.
*Average value of Bombardier – Gulfstream – Falcoln – Boeing, is in the region of US$30 million ++.
*Placing a Purchase Order might require a part-payment plus a Bank guarantee. Were there such documental evidence?
Withdrawal of such claims, in a matter of hours of publishing these claims and accusations, proves disturbing. Whoever providing such information to the President is possibly by totally incompetent advisor(s) or a “mole” from MR regime.
Under similar circumstances, M&R might accuse an important foreign government or a leader, which might have disastrous political consequences.
Several readers of LankaWeb pointed out the details on the price of an Executive Jet, and the impossibility of canceling such a high-value asset, as if one is canceling the Purchase Order of a TV set.
Right now M&R are behaving like the Tom & Jerry Show, where cunning Jerry is winning all the way. Looks like Ranil is having a good laugh, sitting at Temple Trees whilst the President is making all the “goulash”, with apologies to follow.
May I respectfully suggest to the Leader of Sri Lanka, (HE) sorry Mr. President, should use the proverbial “Monkey’s Paw” to rake the hot coals by appointing a (disposable) “Presidential Spokesman” to do the Monkey-dance to the tunes played by a team of Organ Grinders!
This will save the Presidential fingers from getting burnt, and may “kick” the Presidential-spokesman bugger-out, when necessary, and still look good.
lokubanda Says:
LankaWeb February 3rd, 2015 at 7:31 pm
Professor, ‘rampant corruption’ is yet to be proven,
Please read: Corruption Gets Worse in Sri Lanka…. Highly Corrupt!
Sri Lanka Placed 79th in Global Corruption Perception Index www.transparency.org ›
Sri Lanka becomes more corrupt in 2013: Transparency Int’l Widespread corruption in Sri Lanka has placed it in the 91st position among 177 countries worldwide, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-12/04/c_132941451.htm
More than two thirds of the 177 countries in the 2013 index scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean).
Lokubanda, Sir: I am not making any direct accusations. Sri Lanka has been corrupt almost since the Independence in 1948. Governor-Generals were ok, except Sir Oliver Gunetilake and his mistress. DS & Dudley did not need the “moolah”. Neither did Sir John Kotalawela, who was kept happy by his coterie of lovers.
Then from the President & Prime Ministers to the Policeman have been known to be corrupt. The second generation Politician-sons of previous UNP-SLFP Ministers, who were known to be corrupt, are now taking the “Line-of-their-fathers” in triple-digit figures.
The Wijewardane-Jayawardane Clan.
For the record, I was invited to drinks by late Esmond Wickremesinghe, to his personal wooden-panel study, where he uttered proudly of his son Ranil now being “groomed” to be the next leader of Sri Lanka.
My proposal to late Minister Gamini Dissanayake in ~1983 on a Land Reclamation project cost the company I represented UK£10k to a “honcho”, but received nothing.
“Honour Amongst Thieves”
In 2013-2014 my client withdrew from a major project due to “Upfront” fee demands of multi-million dollars by one UNP member, through his “honcho”. Today this UNP Member sits in under the new President My3, as a Minister.
My client was not impressed when told that the UNP Member has “direct cables” to Temple Trees, to clear all hurdles.
“Through the Looking Glass”
After all the changes in the Powers in Colombo, there are some signs that the First 100 days might provide some comfort to the “man-in-the-Street”.
MR after defeating the LTTE Tamil Terrorism, was glorified above any known God. However the “Power Circle” created by MR and his immediate family, brought both Pain & Comfort to the citizens. If ever, (Never-say-Never) MR bounces back, and MR might, he might be a more prudent leader, together with GR, sans Namal.
With China being side-lined, and greedy-hungry Hawks (USA & India) flapping their wings above Galle Road, time will tell, sooner than later, if M&R have “Jumped from the Frying Pan into the Fire”!
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February 4th, 2015 at 6:29 am
Dear professor, you are right, and I fully agree with you about corruption in Sri Lanka (despite the fact that we still maintain a better ranking than most of our neighbours). What I expect from the current rulers is to investigate and punish the culprits sooner than later. And systems that support corruption must be reviewed and improved so as to prevent recurrence. We see what’s being reported daily by the media. It’s all talk and not much of action! Some stories are blatant lies. And, after all, who is talking? Certainly not those who are lily white, eh?
February 4th, 2015 at 6:37 am
Dear Prof,
He never used the word “Presidential Jet”. He sued Sinhala and never used the word Jet.
He said ” A new plane has been ordered for the exclusive use of the president”.
As I said elsewhere, knowing the man and what he has done, I don’t doubt if he intended to keep it to himself.
Anyway, here we have a man who gave up luxury worth $16 million . He also ordered allocation of 95% of his budget ($700 million) towards price reductions and salary increases.
Even if he has done this for the show, has any other president done it ever in Sri Lanka ?
Yet, people in this forum abuse him using words such as MF, proven backstabber, liar and a totally incompetent person .
Is it fair , Sir ?
February 4th, 2015 at 6:38 am
Sorry. Typo “sued” should read “used”.
February 4th, 2015 at 7:59 am
In neighboring country the president was called 10%, now he is called 20% for it is said that he now insists on 20% commission and not 10% as before.. Well, it does not mean that we Sri Lankan leaders have to do it.
February 4th, 2015 at 8:18 am
SL needs cleaning up from the bottom to the top. We need people with proven ability from abroad and that’s the honest truth, unless we get the help of the people of the commercial sector to advice the cabinet. People who runs our big companies, except for few rouges that had the blessing of the politicians must be commended for their survival instincts where they have to daily battle the stupid atmosphere created deliberately by the politicians. As far as I know they are the real heroes and they should be in the reckoning with respect to develop the country. Development in par with the developed democracies of the world. China seems to do that and why not sl?
February 4th, 2015 at 8:38 am
Dear Prof
You are 100% correct.
Sirisena never used the word Presidential jet, but said special aircraft from the US for the exclusive use Mahinda Rajapaksa. The President further claimed that Sri Lanka was earlier scheduled to take delivery of the aircraft next month. It would have cost USD 16 million and that amount could be now utilised to acquire spare parts required by the Sri Lankan airlines.
This statement is very immature and irresponsible.
All these corruption allegations came to the surface suddenly during the election period and I believe it is part and parcel of the Facebook revolution carried out by the paid agents of US
Now it is evident that the Rajapakse government is ousted using the well known Americal facebook revolution methodology already practised by American agents in Egypt, Libya,Ukraine and many more countries. Thousands of Lorenzo like agents were hired to disseminate false facts and figures about Rajapakse government to accusing Rajapakse family of corruption and financial treason to discourage voters to vote for the MR government.
Now They got stuck, enough accusations, not enough evidence to prosecute Rajapakse family .
February 4th, 2015 at 9:23 am
NMY
You are right-wild accusations and no evidence to prosecute.
Mahinda Rajapakse has been transparent and acted in the best interest of the country.
All these mudslinging on Mahinda Rajapakse is just typical and jealousy of the great things that he has done to the country that no other politician or President has done or unlikely to do.
February 4th, 2015 at 10:10 am
More to add, Prof.
All the accusations against MR are false or are exaggerations. Even the Lambro story is false – Namal is not the owner of any
Lambo. There are only two owners of Lambos in Lanka, and Namal is not the owner of any of them. MR’s sons were educated at St Thomas’ Mt Lavinia which fact is not spoken of at all – might damage the Brits, huh ? After all, an imported Brit Warden is in charge of St Thos ! Hello ! misled folks, that is why MR’s sons play football – that’s their training at St Thos.
and has nothing to do with social services etc.
The Coup story is all false too as testified by many top people in Lanka.
So who has won with False Stories ? None other than the “Ms Hora-golla-Fawlty Towers”, Run-nil & “Yes, Minister’ players CBK & Ranil & MS !! And a Win for the KKKK !
Greatest loser is the ordinary Sinhala folk & the Armed Forces of Lanka, judging by the new Pres Sirisena’s speech calling the war against terrorism a ‘mlechaya war’ (base war). Hello ! forced to talk tosh Pres S – it was TERRORISM that was ‘mlechaya’ not the JUST war against terrorism.
Poor Pres. Sirisena suffers greatly from a sad malady called British Foot IN Mouth Disease.
Says Dr Dayan Jayatilleke :
“Such was the degree of divided sovereignty, the diminution of the Sri Lankan State and the erosion of our collective self-respect as a nation.
Society will be divided for a long time between those for whom it was a “mlechcha yuddhaya”, a barbaric war, and for those of us for whom it was a “saadharana yuddhaya”, a “shreshta yuddhaya”, a Just War; a great patriotic war of liberation and reunification.
These were precisely the years of Chandrika and Ranil. And they have won. Those who won the war have lost to those who sold out. This is not the way things should be. There is something unnatural, ethically wrong, about this state of affairs. This is a state of moral disequilibrium. Natural justice must be restored”.
February 4th, 2015 at 10:33 am
It is obvious that present government already has got away with so many lies that its authenticity is irrelevant. If the current government lied on so many issues just when they got power, then one can presume that they got power by lies too.
If they have won power by lies, continue to increase power by lies then the current government has already won on lies and there is nothing short of a revolution that could stop them.
February 4th, 2015 at 12:59 pm
NMY,
I had NO US connection!
-Rest deleted –
Moderator
We have to delete your comment because you are not a genuine commentator as you have confessed. We have noted that Instead of posting comments you are carrying out a premeditated and organized propaganda exercise on behalf of the new government. Even your IP address is counterfeit. We know who is using fake IP addresses.
February 4th, 2015 at 1:01 pm
As I expected, Nanda’s and my comments are moderated!!
Why?
Why can’t we face the truth?
Moderator
We have to moderate you because you are not a genuine commentator as you have confessed. We have noted that Instead of posting comments you are carrying out a premeditated and organized propaganda exercise on behalf of the new government. Even your IP address is counterfeit. This is applicable to some other commentators also. We know who is using fake IP addresses.
February 4th, 2015 at 2:02 pm
Sri Lanka’s Marxist party public complaints unit receives complaint against President’s brother
Wed, Feb 4, 2015, 09:07 am SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Feb 04, Colombo: The public complaints unit of Sri Lanka’s Marxist party, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has received a complaint on the alleged involvement of one of President Maithripala Sirisena’s brother in illegal sand mining in the Polonnaruwa District.
The complaint was handed over to JVP Western Provincial Councilor Lakshman Nipunarachchi by businessman Sujeewa Sudhasinghe, who engages in sand mining on a license received by the government.
Sudhasinghe has stated that despite engaging in sand mining work on an official license received by the government, one of President Sirisena’s brothers had continuously obstructed his business and in some instances forcibly taken away consignments of sand while being kept for official inspection before distribution.
According to the JVP Councilor, the businessman has requested for justice to be meted out to him and to be ensured the freedom to carry out his legal business.
February 4th, 2015 at 3:38 pm
Dear Prof: I appreciate the point of view expressed by you as regards M&R the Soap Opera. If you trace the historical facts commencing from 2010 to 2015, you would very probably have noticed the “Soap Opera” that was staged by the “Inner Circle” of MR. That President who brought us the “Freedom” from Terrorism, unfortunately for us , got “CAUGHT” in a “Trap” laid by the “vultures” who were waiting to “prey” on him. He too was responsible for the mess that got created and allowed to be created during that period of five years of his Presidency. You pointed at (1) above some information as regards an “Account” being opened in the name of GR. It is TRUE that this account was not in his personal name; but the fact remains, such an account cannot be opened after the sale of an “State Asset” in the name of a Government Institution. It has to be credited to the consolidated account of the Government Treasury. Now the “million dollar” question is : Why did no personnel involved and responsible for handling such financial transaction advised GR against opening such an account? Even if GR wanted it that way, the personnel responsible should have stood against such action and given the correct guidelines in handling such transactions. Should we not “Blame” even the Secretary to the Treasury for that lapse. He too has to be made “responsible”.
So, as pointed out above, MR fell a “PREY” to all those encircled him and that was called the “Inner Circle”. He too got carried away, because of his own mistakes of not being vigilant and “Don’t Care” attitude. I have been pointing out his mistakes to some of his own party members who were close to him and the information received was that he is not “listening” and they too have given up. I criticized him on very many times through this web too, expecting that would reach his “Media” outfit. To my surprise the information I received there too was alarming. They too did not “CARE” of what was going on in the “Social Media”.
Anyway, all that have now added to the “history”. There is a very high voice raised of this “Presidential Jet”. I watched that “interview” live on ITN, that one conducted by Mr. Sannasgala. The present President “did say” he cancelled the order on this Jet costing 16.00 million dollars and ordered that money be utilized to buy spare parts for the aircraft of Sri Lankanair.
Now look at this incident. Several weeks ahead of this “interview” this matter of 16.00 million dollar “order” for a “Luxury Kit” was reported in the “social media” and even I received an e-mail containing the “pictures” of the relevant “kit”. It was “widely” discussed and did not remain a “secret”. Now the point, I raise here is: How did it escape the attention of the President’s Media Unit and why the President was not “BRIEFED” appropriately? Did that “Media Unit” personnel told him that it was an “Actual Jet” that was on order? If they “said it” or “did not” briefed him as reagards the actual facts, in my opinion, in both those scenarios, those manning that “Unit” including its Head must be “KICKED OUT”. That is how these “INNER CIRCLE”, confidantes bring the DOWN FALL of their bosses.
Next turning to that “Interviewer” Mr. Sannasgala. The real “Facts” concerning this “JET” should have been known to him well in advance, through the media and other news channels. If I can come to know of it several weeks ahead, there was no reason why a person of that standing in a State TV Channel could not know of it. He should have had the presence of mind to pose another question to the President as : Mr. President, are you correct in saying it was an order for a complete JET Aircraft OR a “Refurbishing Unit”?. Then he would have been very fair by his “interviewee ” the President. That is how a very constructive interview turned out be a “Disaster” for the Head of the Government.
The above brief account will show you HOW the State Employees and Confidantes who become “INNER CIRCLE” members bring the DOWN FALL of their own BOSSES. Even the President of a country is not SPARED by them.
February 4th, 2015 at 3:55 pm
Despite being a long time expat, I still consider myself Sri Lankan (bar citizenship). As a regular visitor to the ‘old country’ during the past years, was sadden by 30 year ethnic conflict and elated by the post war progress. There are
two major issues that confront the Nation i.e. ETHNIC and ECONOMIC. The first (in my opinion) could be resolved
if the country’s minorities learn to live like their counterparts do, in places like Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Canada and Britain. The second is not that simple because the standard of living in Sri Lanka has risen exponentially, since the end of the conflict. The luxuries of the past have become the necessities of today. The divide between rich and poor is wide.
February 4th, 2015 at 3:56 pm
Douglas,
I don’t agree with you on failure of “Media Unit”. I watched the video and he had the intention to score points there. So he is the one responsible, not anyone else.
But I still think this is not just a KIT, it is much more than that. It must be a custom designed to the liking of ex president and I am also convinces he had the intention to use this plane whenever he likes, disregarding profitability of the business, so I would call it a “private jet” if I want to gain political advantage from it.
February 4th, 2015 at 5:18 pm
Namaste: I must be the only mad man here trying to show people to understand what Indian imperialists are doing to the island since the leaving of British and leaving Indian colonists and imperialists in the island. Who are Bharrat Jagdeo, Nisha Biswal, Kamalesh Sharma? Why the hell Foreign Minister go to India, and Modi the new Emperor coming to the island? What are their interests? We are fighting among ourselves while they are getting our wealth as they have done since they arrived under British guns. Jai Hind
February 4th, 2015 at 6:44 pm
L Perera,
“The first (in my opinion) could be resolved if the country’s minorities learn to live like their counterparts do, in places like Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Canada and Britain. ”
True to some extent.
There are problems in these countries too. Malaysia is the worst. Why ? Ethnic Chinese know to handle it well. But the other one, common to us too are living in <great anguish.
February 4th, 2015 at 7:11 pm
Independent: Thank you. I agree that “he had the intention to score points…”. I still feel that being in his position as the President, that “intention to score points” should have been “earned” by making an honoust ,truthful revelation.
Definitely this is not a “Private Jet”. It is a “refurbishing kit” to be fitted to the Air Bus on order. As you correctly said, it is not to be used for “Commercial Purposes”, but exclusively used for the VVIP – The President.
The “media person” had an opportunity to correct the situation by, prompting the President to make that correction, had he asked the question ” Is it a separate Jet or a retrofit kit to an aircraft due to arrive for the use of the President?. I have seen such “Media Persons” doing that type of prompting to avoid ambiguity.
Of course, if the President did not know the truth of what he “canceled”, he would have fallen into a very disturbing situation in trying to answer that question. The President said “I Canceled it, and ordered to use that money to buy spare parts for the aircraft”. So he knew what he canceled. Was it a “Private Jet” or a “Retrofit Kit”?
February 4th, 2015 at 7:29 pm
Douglas,
You are correct. Somehow it is not good for his image. He can still correct it by disclosing everything , including photos videos of the VIP kit exactly planned to this “party house”. 16 million cannot be a simple thing.
I believe either you or Marco gave a description of what happened to SriLankan Airlines from Peter Hill’s time. We must evaluate this deal in the light of the chronology of the company history and incidents.
Lying is the 4th precept. Not easy to keep 100% all the time , especially for a politician. So the kamma vipaaka is that his generosity had become valueless and this incident has backfired despite his pure intentions ( scoring points aside).
February 4th, 2015 at 8:33 pm
Dear LankaWeb Moderator,
My heartfelt thanks! You have again DONE THE RIGHT THING discharging your DUTY to defend and protect our Motherland!
I have worn your shoes as a moderator in the past, and have been forced to take SIMILAR ACTION to protect those things we hold dear, by denying a platform for those who wish to undermine and destroy our country.
Some NAIVELY THINK that FREE SPEECH is an unlimited right to run amok exploiting the very system that enables those freedoms, to DESTROY it.
It is not so. In every DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY there are RULES OF THE ROAD that must be OBSERVED. Those rules are set by those who wield power, usually lawmakers representing the democratic majority. Those who violate those rules suffer the consequences. There is always a conflict between FREE SPEECH and NATIONAL SECURITY with the pendulum swinging to and fro in favor of one or the other. In the USA, the Sedition Act of old, the more recent Patriot Act, and the latest legislation on the monitoring of phone calls and internet content and indicate the PRIORITY that Americans, quite rightly, place on National Security in the interest of National Survival. So must the Patriotic sons and daughters of Sri Lanka protect their Motherland.
LankaWeb, from its very INCEPTION, was concerned with the defense and protection of our Motherland. Accordingly, to that end, it has a DUTY to discharge by preventing the use of its website for the purposes INIMICAL to the VERY SURVIVAL of Sri Lanka as a Sovereign Unitary Nation; the ONLY homeland of the Sinhala people.
The ENEMIES of Sri Lanka throw “Free Speech”, “Democracy”, “Human Rights” and “Buddhist Values” in our face to RENDER US DEFENCELESS against their onslaught, while they exploit those very values to destroy the system that gives them those freedoms. We MUST NOT ALLOW THAT by falling prey to those Siren Songs!
In that same way, the enemies toppled established governments in the Middle East, confusing the people, and transforming those countries into lawless anarchies, condemning their people to death, destruction, homelessness and despair.
You would think that having suffered through 30 years of such pain ourselves, Sri Lankans would not let our guard down, to let it happen again. Yet, they have recently succeeded beginning that very process in Sri Lanka as well. Before the recent election, we saw a WELL ORCHESTRATED, CONCERTED EFFORT to disseminate REGIME CHANGE Propaganda on the INTERNET and elsewhere, to SOW DISSATISFACTION in the minds of WEAK MINDED GULLIBLE people; an effort that continues to this day.
I am doing my part towards to stem that Tide of Anti-National Propaganda. I find NO JOY AT ALL in the particular approaches that I have been FORCED to take at LankaWeb in the defense of my Motherland; but as a Patriotic Son of Lanka, I MUST fight FIRE with FIRE.
Please CONTINUE to Monitor these Anti-National Propaganda activists; and DENY them every opportunity to use LankaWeb as a WEAPON against our Resplendent Motherland.
February 4th, 2015 at 8:50 pm
Ado Dependent,
Please do not beg; I HATE those who BEG for leniency after EARNING the beatings they receive. Another way of putting it is to say, “people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.”
And KNOW THIS: I ROUTINELY THROW BACK STONES THROWN AT ME. You chose to throw stones at me, so ENJOY the RESPONSE!
Who is ANGRY and NOT CALM? I am ABSOLUTELY, ICILY and CALMLY pursuing THOSE WHO ENGINEERED A REGIME CHANGE in Sri Lanka to hold them ACCOUNTABLE for their ACTIONS!
That process of accountability involves STRONG WORDS which I am happy to supply following in the footsteps of Anagarika Dharmapala throughout his career, and Ven. Mohottiwatte Gunananda thera who led the Buddhist team in the Panadura Wadaya.
When GREAT ISSUES are at stake, we must forget LESSER things and RISE to the OCCASION with SWORD in hand. A GREAT SCAM orchestrated by Enemies of Sri Lanka, both local and foreign, was perpetrated on the people of Sri Lanka. This SCAM, that could DESTROY our Motherland, must be EXPOSED as such and REVERSED!
If you have neither the vision, nor the commitment, to recognize the THREAT THAT HAS ARISEN to our Motherland, that is your folly, not mine, but please don’t dish out palliatives to those who do.
…………
It is good that you watched the CBK video, but please don’t swallow all of the self-serving stuff she dished out hook, line and sinker. There are at least TWO SIDES to EVERY STORY. You have not heard MR’s side as yet on HER ALLEGATIONS. That’s all they are: UNPROVEN ALLEGATIONS.
I am surprised you concluded that her ALLEGATIONS “proved what type of a person our ex-president was”! NOTHING could be further from the TRUTH; she is HEAVILY biased and therefore is NOT CREDIBLE.
She is ONE of the two FAILED LEADERS of Sri Lanka who COLLUDED to OUST, in the words of H.L.D. Mahindapala, the “Greatest Overachiever of Our Time”! We need an IMPARTIAL ASSESSMENT of the FACTS, not only the charges of a VINDICTIVE INSANELY JEALOUS woman!
You learned by listening to it; I LIVED through all of that and I know what happened by chapter and verse. If anything, it confirmed my view that she is DRIVEN BY JEALOUSY & HATE against MR, and not by the WELFARE of our Motherland.
In her mind, NO ONE is ALLOWED to DO ANY BETTER than her and gain the GRATITUDE of the nation. In her mind, that is her SOLE BIRTHRIGHT, and no one else is allowed to infringe upon HER preserve.
To my mind, she did only ONE THING RIGHT during her tenure as PM and President: She dissolved Ranil’s UNP GOSL when Ranil was getting ready to sign an agreement to GIVE the North and East to the LTTE, and implemented Presidential Rule calling for new elections. That is ALL she did that was a TRUE SERVICE to the Nation: There was no liberation and reunification of the nation, no infrastructure development (eg. Expressways and Nulum Pokuna contrary to her claims), no significant progress in education. When she left, bombs were still killing tens of thousands of innocents annually! SHE IS A FAILED POLITICAL LEADER of Sri Lanka bar NONE!
After she lost her eye in the BOMB BLAST she lost ALL COURAGE, gave up on the WAR, and started to support the Tamil Separatists saying they have “JUST GRIEVANCES”. The Sudu Nelum movement that she initiated drove a stake through the heart of our Armed Forces discouraging them and cutting them off at the knees.
Although she claimed that much of the North was already liberated under her government, and that only the area around Mullativu remained in LTTE hands, that was an ABSOLUTE LIE. I KNOW EVERYTHING about the war zones of that period; everything except a small portion of land around Jaffna, and all land North of Vavuniya was in LTTE’s hands. Anyone who fails to appreciate the ENORMITY of THAT LIE ALONE is a CONGENITAL IDIOT!
February 4th, 2015 at 9:40 pm
http://www.lankatruth.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8351:mahinda-exposes-mahinda-&catid=87:other-stories
How Mahinda Rajapakse Wasted money could have spent for poor people.
February 5th, 2015 at 1:04 am
SL to introduce DEATH PENALTY! Good move.
Death penalty was stopped in 1970s and we have TOO MANY problems now. Prisoners hire hitmen to kill judges! Run drugs from prison.
Good move to bring it back. Hang all the crooks, druggies, murderers, etc.
February 6th, 2015 at 9:43 am
Instead of posting comments you are carrying out a premeditated and organized propaganda exercise on behalf of the new government.- is not that freedom of expression.
I am clearly confused !!!
February 9th, 2015 at 5:03 pm
Dear LankaWeb readers,
I have translated from Sinhala into English President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s rebuttal of the FALSE allegations leveled against him by various officials of the new GOSL.
This letter, which strictly confines itself to FACTS ONLY, CLEARLY SHOWS the DEVIOUS & UGLY nature of the PAID MUD SLINGERS who are trying to tarnish the image of this DECENT, HONORABLE and COURAGEOUS man that we Sri Lankans were fortunate enough to have as our President for 10 years, during one of the most difficult, yet victorious and productive times in the history of our Motherland!
Jayawewa Mahinda Rajapaksa Janadhipathithumani ! </b
Obathumata Thunuruwan Saranai !
Hatarawaran Devi Pihitai !
NB:
1 kotiya = 10 million
Please feel free to bring any necessary corrections to my attention. Thanks!
……………….
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Carlton, Tangalle
Phone: 047 2240344
Fax: 047 2241113
Web: www dot MahindaRajapaksa dot lk
E-Mail: MahindaRajapaksaPresident AT gmail dot com
————————————————————————————————
February 09, 2015
PRESS RELEASE
Members of the current government are continuing to make faslse and misleading allegations regarding me.
I believe it is necessary to respond to these charges to prevent the public from being misled.
In a recent Rupavahini program, it was reported that a sum of Rs. 100 bilion allocated for 2015 to the Presidential Secretariat by my government was reduced by the new government to Rs 27.2 billion, and that the balance was released to provide assistance to the public. I would like to categorically state that at no time did I allocate a sum of Rs. 100 billion to the Presidential Secretariat. The full funds allocated to the Presidential Secretariat for 2015 was Rs. 95.9 biliion. There were 25 government departments, including the National Salaries Commission and National Maritime Committee, operating under the direction of the Presidential Secretariat. The expenses of the previous Presidents and their families also fall under the purview of the Presidential Secretariat. The Executive and Administrative departments of the Presidential Secretariat provided all the services, and the most of the funds, necessary to maintain these departments. Therefore, all of the funds allocated to the Presidential Secretariat do not go towards mainitaining itself.
The total funds budgeted for maintaining the President’s Office in 2015 was Rs. 37.5 billion. This amount is only a part of the expenses of the Presidential Secretariat. Of this President’s Office budget, Rs. 10 billion was allocated to the assistance provided by the President’s Office to Small Enterprises and Projects throughout the island. When this amount is deducted from the total, the budget of the President’s Office is reduced to Rs. 27.5 billion. Therefore, the amount mentioned as being allocated as the budget of the new President’s Office is this amount.
Another story related by some is that USD 16 million in public funds was spent to order a special plane for my use, and that the new government has refused to take delivery of it, and has made arrangements for new owners to assume responsibility. I hereby state that no special aircraft was ever ordered for my use. While Sri Lankan Airlines was arranging to buy new aircraft for its own use from the Airbus Corporation, they had arranged to obtain a kit to remove some regular seats and convert that space into a special compartment to accommodate VIPs as needed, and had instructed their accountant to cost it as an option. The USD 15 million that was mentioned was the manufacturer’s estimated cost of this facility. It was an option that was to be provided free-of-cost.
There is also an allegation that I have built official Presidential residences at various locations throughout the country for my reacreational use. The President’s residences at the Temple Trees, in Colombo Fort, as well as the existing residences in Nuwara Eliya and Mahanuwara, have existed from Colonial times, and were used by the government leaders of this country. The Presidential residences in Anuradhapura, Embilipitiya and Mahiyangana were built by President R. Premadasa. I must point out that none of these President’s residences were built during the tenure of my government. It was reported recently that the Temple Trees and Colombo Fort President’s residences would be opened for public viewing. We must recall that while I was living at Temple Trees, thousands of school children and elders came to tour this Presidential residence. While I enjoyed the opportunity this afforded to talk with them, I also used the opportunity to learn from them the development needs in various parts of the country. Furthermore, thousands of citizens participated in my Poya day activties at the Temple Trees President’s residence.
A report was published that some vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secrretariat have still not been returned. It was reported that 22 Defender Jeeps were “found” in Borella, and that 53 vehicles were found to have been abandoned in a land in Colombo, Pettah. The places where these vehicles were found are the official storage parking lots belonging to the Presidential Secretariat. These vehicles were found where they were supposed to be. Many of the vehicles found in Pettah were high security vehicles from the 1980’s decade, that could not be auctioned off according to routine operating procedures. I myself have handed over per regulations all of the vehicles used by my Office. The assignments of remaining vehicles allocated to various officials and departments of the Presidential Secretariat can be found in the vehicle records of the Presidetial Secretariat.
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Former President of Sri Lanka.