Mahinda Rajapakse replied to the diabolical lies disseminated by Maithri-Champika-Ranil Trio
Posted on February 9th, 2015
Yahapalanaya News
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today rejected the statements made about him by the present government and said these statements were ‘false’ and diabolical lies.
At a recent TV interview, President Maithripala Sirisena said that over Rs. 100,000 million had been allocated to the Presidential Secretariat for the year 2015 and that it had now been reduced to Rs. 2,720 million. Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa refuted this allegation and said a sum of 100,000 million was never allocated to the Presidential Secretariat. The actual sum allocated for 2015 was Rs. 9,593 million (Koti 959),” the statement said.
In his statement the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa further elaborated that no less than 25 state institutions such as the National Salaries and Cadres Commission, the National Ocean Affairs Committee etc, were listed under the vote of the President.
Full text of former President’s statement:
False and misleading statements continue to be made about me by members of the present government. At a recent TV interview, it was said that over Rs. 100,000 million (Koti dahadahak) had been allocated to the Presidential Secretariat for the year 2015 and that it had now been reduced to Rs. 2,720 million (Koti 272).
A sum of Rs 100,000 million was never allocated to the Presidential Secretariat. The actual sum allocated for 2015 was Rs. 9,593 million (Koti 959). No less than 25 state institutions such as the National Salaries and Cadres Commission, the National Ocean Affairs Committee etc, were listed under the vote of the President. Former presidents and their widows are also maintained by the Presidential Secretariat under this vote. The Establishments & Organizations Division of the Presidential Secretariat serves all the above mentioned institutions and absorbs the bulk of the expenditure. This expenditure therefore represents a large number of institutions and not only expenditure allocated to the President.
The actual sum allocated to the Office of the President (which is only one component of the vote that is designated under the President) for 2015 was Rs. 3,754 million (Koti 375). This included Rs. 1,000 million (Koti 100) which was meant to be spent on the construction of various community projects around the country. If this item is removed, the expenditure on the President’s Office is reduced to the Rs. 2,750 million (Koti 275) that is said to be the new allocation for the president.
It was also said that a special plane for my exclusive use was to be bought with taxpayers’ money at a cost of 16 million USD. No plane was ever ordered for my use. When Sri Lankan Airlines ordered new aircraft, Airbus Industries had provided a complimentary VIP conversion kit to install a cubicle with special facilities for special customers on commercial flights which can be installed and dismantled as required. The sum of 15 million USD was only the manufacturer’s indicative value of this kit which is actually provided free.
The various presidential residences are being mentioned in such a manner as to convey the impression that I had built them for my use. Temple Trees, President’s House and the residences in Nuwara Eliya and Kandy have been used by heads of State and government since the colonial era. The presidential residences in Anuradhapura, Embilipitiya, Mahiyangana and Kataragama were built by President Premadasa. None of these properties were built during my tenure. It was reported in one newspaper that Temple Trees and President’s House will be opened for public viewing soon. I welcome that because tens of thousands of schoolchildren from rural and remote areas and adults toured Temple Trees even when I was occupying it. It was indeed a pleasure to meet and interact with them and to find out snags in development in their areas. Crowds flocked to Temple Trees for my Poya day programmes as well.
It was also said that some vehicles of the Presidential Secretariat had not been returned. News reports said that 22 Defender Jeeps had been ‘discovered’ in Borella and another 53 vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secretariat found ‘abandoned’ in Pitakotte. These are official vehicle yards of the Presidential Secretariat and to say that vehicles were ‘discovered’ at such places is absurd. The vehicles found in Pitakotte are mostly high security vehicles dating from the 1980s which were condemned but cannot be auctioned off as per the normal procedure. All vehicles used by me and my staff have been returned. The details of other vehicles that had been issued to various officers and institutions under the Presidential Secretariat should be known to the Establishments & Organizations Division and can easily be traced by perusing the register maintained for the purpose.
February 9th, 2015 at 7:18 am
DIFFICULT TO READ. CAN WE HAVE THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION PLEASE ????
February 9th, 2015 at 7:27 am
Following is the link to Lanka c News article.
https://lankacnews.com/sinhala/main-news/128182/
February 9th, 2015 at 1:57 pm
I checked the budget estimate figures.
Allocation for 2015 (estimate) is Rs. 9.6 billion =US $ 75 million as ex-President correctly stated ( by saying රුපියල් කෝටි 959).
This interview of the president is a TOTAL failure. We don’t expect 10 fold mistakes from a president. Not sure whether he made the same mistake on his own reduced budget of (රුපියල් කෝටි 272) which is supposed to be Rs 0.272 billion the way he said in the interview. But if it is Rs 2.72 billion , this becomes a deliberate lie. People will surely make note of such lies.
February 9th, 2015 at 2:19 pm
President Sirisena cannot understand a Lakshaya or million, or a kotiya or a billion. These are difficult things to fathom in his simple mind. It is not like eating Aappa! So it is best not to rely on his numbers. He is only good at putting his signature that is put in front of him. After all he is the President of Sasiri Bara Yahapalana Siri Lanka!
February 9th, 2015 at 2:23 pm
Thank you, past President Mahinda Rajapakse for clarifying the situation.
It is sad to see the state of affairs in Sri Lanka’s so called Democracy. ‘Aththa Naththa karana govt’ or YAAL-palanaya govt. is a more suitable name for the present new govt.
Who rules Sri Lanka ? Did Lanka ever get Independence ? Small countries are made to loose their self respect and grovel as if in shame for defending themselves against terrorism started by outsides.
One wonders whether the Democratic System really works for any country ….
February 9th, 2015 at 2:32 pm
President Rajapakse it was all your fault not being able to come out with these explanations before the elections. You depended on your astrologers, the monkey gods at Thirupathi, and the God who likes the smell of “burnt flesh” – God Abraham, more than the Triple Gems. Moreover you forgot the simple Sinhala Buddhist folks who were the foundation of your victory over LTTE terrorism. Without strengthening your foundation you went around wooing the Tamils, the Muslims and the ever ungrateful Christians- at least the majority of them!
Now all the horses have bolted – what is the point in trying to close the gates!
February 9th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
SenaD said
“MR’s imperfections pale into insignificance in comparison with RW’s and CBK’s proven track record.”
Bravo! This is what I HAVE BEEN SAYING all along!
SIMPLY said, there ARE NO PERFECT PEOPLE, but MR is the BEST we have had since the days of Parakramabahu the Great!
And what did the Sinhala people do? Enough of them BELIEVED the REGIME CHANGE PROPAGANDA and JOINED the Anti-National Forces arrayed against themselves to OUST, as H.L.D. Mahindapala quite correctly put it, “The Greatest Overachiever of Our Time”!
Why could we not keep the ONE LEADER that we had who could match that BELOVED 4-Term US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) who RESCUED the US from the Depth Of the Great Depression, propelled the US Economy into an EFFICIENT JUGGERNAUT through INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, and died as President near the end of WW II having shepherded the USA through that Herculean struggle against its enemies. FDR was NOT PERFECT, but he was the BEST LEADER they had in a century!
If only WE Sinhalese had the WISDOM of the Americans of that era to PROTECT, DEFEND & KEEP the Patriotic LEADER who had led us to VICTORY and BEYOND to ESCAPE from 3rd World Status Forever!
How STUPID can WE Sinhala People BE??? We are bedeviled by SIMPLY TOO MANY “Gamaralas” and “Watti Ammas” without Strategic Vision among both our leaders and our voters!
NOW, We can FORGET about RESUMING our MARCH towards Our National Vision of TRANSFORMING our Motherland into the New Wonder of Asia for AT LEAST ANOTHER DECADE.
The Patriotic Forces will have to LAUNCH A HARD FOUGHT STRUGGLE to REGAIN the REINS OF POWER and the RETRIEVE the MOMENTUM towards that National GOAL beckoning in the distance!
February 9th, 2015 at 2:33 pm
Independent Says:
February 9th, 2015 at 1:57 pm
Independent, lot of people get confused with millions and billions particularly when using along with Lakh (= 0.1m) and Crore (= 10m) used in Sri Lanka.
Nobody is going to believe that it it was an innocent mistake; after all it is the president of the country saying these at his own show.
One by one, more of the lies uttered by the president MS himself and members of his government including the PM are being revealed!
February 9th, 2015 at 2:54 pm
As I said it is important to know whether he made a “mistake” on “Crore” or lied.
If it is a mistake , MR’s money = $75 million, MS’s money = $2 million ( He re-allocated $73 million to people)
If it is a lie , MR’s money = $75 million, Ms’s money – $ 20 million ( He re-allocated $55 million to people )
It is a $20 million question, in addition to previous $16 million from aeroplane for MR’s exclusive use.
He was trying to score points obviously but he should have done it according to his own principle of “Yahapalanaya”.
Most people voted for “Yahapalanaya”, not for his “donations”.
February 9th, 2015 at 2:57 pm
Remember , he also said Rs 150 million MR’s food ( I mean food expenditure in Presidential Palaces all over the country) only for November and December. Ex-president has not denied that claim.
February 9th, 2015 at 4:54 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: http://www.MahindaRajapaksa.lk
E-Mail: MahindaRajapaksaPresident@gmail.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.
February 9th, 2015 at 4:56 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.
February 9th, 2015 at 5:11 pm
Ananda,
Agree with you – all you say here !
February 9th, 2015 at 6:47 pm
Brother Ananda-USA,
“1 kotiya = 10 million”
Way to go brother!!!
I am going to get this laminated in large, big bold letters, insert it in a nice frame and hang it my bedroom!!!
Hat’s off to you brother!
OaO Asithri
February 9th, 2015 at 6:48 pm
Fran Diaz,
Thank you! I was afraid that my translation may not be accurate enough! It was good of you to check and verify!
February 9th, 2015 at 6:59 pm
If only one has seen the glee on the part of “We Tamils” racist, separatist, pro-LTTE diaspora after MR lost the PE – that I saw in much of my travels in West then!
That alone should have told any peace-loving, proud, patriotic Sinhela (errr…not the “half-baked” kind that is) what this Regime Change was all about!!!
Already I hear the “We Tamil” separatist agenda is in full swing and if anyone thought that the removal of the NE Governor (who had a military background) and replacing him with a docile-geek-yes-sir was the end, well, better think again and follow the incoming actions/gestures/nuances very closely my brother/sis.
OaO Asithri
What a damn shame befell upon our dear Motherlanka! So, is this what it came to – that our dear Ranvirus would shed their blood by giving life and limb for our Motherlanka?
February 9th, 2015 at 8:58 pm
Ananda, I feel you have produced a very good translation. But let me make a little addition to help solve this number confusing for I have often seen, even educated Sri Lankans complicate themselves with ‘million’ and ‘kotiya’ (කෝටිය) and more so when talking billions and pra-koatiya (ප්රකෝටිය). They do not appreciate that in SI system there is a comma or separator in every three zeros where as in Vedic or Indian base numbering system, the separator or coma is at every two zeros after the first thousand.
1,00,000 = lakshaya (ලක්ෂය) = one hundred thousand
1,000,000 = ten lacks (දස ලක්ෂය) = one million
1,00,00,000 = kotiya (කෝටිය) or korore = ten million
1,00,00,00,000 = one hundred korore = one billion = 1,000,000,000
Referring to ex President mentioned allocated expense of 375 kotiya for 2015 it means 375 X 1,00,00,000 or 3,750 million or 3.75 billion and not 37.5 billion as perhaps erroneously indicated in Ananda’s translation. If rest of the figures are not corrected it may well give a wrong and inflated picture.
As Ratnapala says above, this kind of terminology may well confuse a simple mind. Then again what can we expect if he was Chandrika’s choice for the consumption of Ranil’s and diaspora.
February 9th, 2015 at 11:02 pm
Our President Mahinda Rajapksa was always accurate. He never cheated the poor people.He walked with the people,He listened to the people, He ate with the people and fight for the rights of the people. He never sits in one place or in a Air-condition room and wasted his time or anyone’s time. He was a man of action all the time moving around the country and solve problems of the masses. He never used bad words on his opponents or treated them differently than his own party members. He always respected the people and in turn people respected him.
To tame Tamils & Muslims we need to have Mahinda Rajapksa back as our leader. America & India is going to mess with our country and Ranil will be their paid agent so we have to keep an eye on things if not we can witness another EELam war in the coming days or months. How much we do to these two communities they never appreciate except they keep on dreaming to have their own land. America & India is behind this coup with the help of UNP traitors and we should not forget the UNP connection with Norway during the war in 2000 and after. Get united under S.L.F.P. and other parties in UF to eliminate UNP from the electoral map.
February 10th, 2015 at 12:05 am
How much we do to these two communities they never appreciate except they keep on dreaming to have their own land. – Agreed
Naalai pirakkum TE (not today)
February 10th, 2015 at 2:21 am
Leela,
Thank you for catching those errors in my translation from kotiyas to billions, in all but the first number.
The translation of the first number of Rs. 10,000 kotiya as Rs. 100 billion was correct, but the others were too large by a factor of 10.
Knowing that the correct conversion was 1 kotiya = 10 million, I don’t know how I managed to make this mistake!
Therefore, as Leela points out, the correct numbers are:
Rs. 10,000 kotiya = Rs. 100 billion
Rs. 975 kotiya = Rs. 9.75 billion
Rs. 375 kotiya = Rs. 3.75 billion
Rs. 275 kotiya = Rs. 2.75 billion
Rs. 272 kotiya = Rs. 2.72 billion.
My profuse apologies! I will also post the corrected translation of the article below.
February 10th, 2015 at 2:30 am
CORRECTED VERSION:
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 !
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 false 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 2.72 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. 9.59 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 maintaining itself.
The total funds budgeted for maintaining the President’s Office in 2015 was Rs. 3.75 billion. This amount is only a part of the expenses of the Presidential Secretariat. Of this President’s Office budget, Rs. 1.0 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. 2.75 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 Nuwaraeliya 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 activities at the Temple Trees President’s residence.
A report was published that some vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secretariat 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 Presidential Secretariat.
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Former President of Sri Lanka.
February 10th, 2015 at 3:40 am
1 kotiya = 10 million, you mean lechcham !!! so confused with this figures .
February 10th, 2015 at 8:35 am
LEELA !!! In College, our Mathematics Master taught us to write the figures that you have reflected thus:-
Rs.100,000……. = I Lakh…..Lakshaya
Rs.1,000,000…….. = 1 Million…..10 Lakhs…….Laksha 10
Rs.1,000,000,000… = 1 Billion……100Lakhs……Laksha 100
I do not know why we are getting involved with CRORE which is Indian Currency. Nevertheless:-
1 Crore (Indian)……….= Rs 10 Million
10 Crore (Indian)………= Rs 100 Million
100 Crore (Indian)……..= Rs 1000 Million….. I stand to be corrected.
SA K This is not about Nandikadal KOTIYA. We are referring to Kortiya. What is Lechcham ? Male of Lechchumy ???Ha, Haaa!
February 10th, 2015 at 10:20 am
Male of Lechchumy ???Ha, Haaa!- great thank you machang.
February 10th, 2015 at 1:45 pm
SA K !!! I love your great sense of humour, Machaang. For lunch, I had Hut Dhaal, Brinjaal, Sambaal, thuts arl.
February 10th, 2015 at 1:47 pm
ANANDA !!! THANK YOU FOR THE TRANSLATION. Iam a little bad bad in my Sinhala.
February 11th, 2015 at 3:55 am
I love your great sense of humour, Machaang- I must agrred with you We-Tamil not are not sense oh humour like you Sinhalese ( not joking) We in Tamil say suduthannis(hot water) people.
Where ever you live please enjoy Tamil food, I love Sinhala curry(malu) , seeni samblo etc.. also war is finished now.
I hope & pray We will have peace in mother Lanka for ever .
eg:look that our Kaddala Thalabathy (first in commad) Karruna Amman speech in parliament even though He memorised his speech fluently in English at least he realised We-Tamil can live with Sinhalese better than Indian or any other outsiders.
February 12th, 2015 at 5:07 am
Dear President Rajapaksa….
In an Opinion column piece published in The Island, January 29, 2015, I made my comment to honor you at a time when many were silent.
I COPY IT HERE IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT, and because it has not found its way to the Lankaweb!
There is a 58% of the majority in this nation who voted for you!!
Theruwan Saranai!
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http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=118512
An appreciation of the previous regime
January 28, 2015, 8:31 pm
I must state at the outset that I have never met President Mahinda Rajapaksa, nor have I even seen him at close quarters. Although I was born in Sri Lanka, and now have the good fortune of returning to live back here for several months each year, I have not been at any event where such an encounter could have taken place.
While resident in the United States, however, and being long involved in attempts along with other Lankan expatriates to correct the island’s predicament at being misrepresented in that country for decades, we do get invited to the Sri Lanka Embassy’s events including those at which President Rajapakse had been present, but by coincidence, we have always happened to be visiting Sri Lanka at the time! So we have never met President Mahinda Rajapaksa in person.
Therefore, this appreciation of his service to Sri Lanka is written without any personal motivation other than of a Sri Lankan who wishes to honour him at a time when he is no longer at the top, and is being humiliated in this country by persons currently in power, along with other citizens who have some grudge or another of a personal nature, or have simply wanted the ‘Change’ or ‘Wenasak’.
When in May 2009, the Eelam war was brought to an end, the whole country was jubilant that the then President with his brother Gotabhaya as Secretary Defence and the tri forces had proceeded with courage, discipline and the political will to rout the LTTE completely. This finally happened at Nandikadal. We watched on TV the hordes of surviving Tamil people who had been used as a human shield by the LTTE, freed to wade across the lagoon to safety. The nation’s jubilation at freedom from that 3-decade long reign of terror was natural….what nation would not be? However, the jubilation was short lived as it became misinterpreted by a global media, with the President and his team becoming the focus of international attack in the guise of Human Rights abuses, and the filing of action at the UNHRC through what we perceived as a frame-up exercise wherein allegations were accepted as proof from the word ‘Go’.
However, with the support of the Parliament and the majority of the Sri Lankan people President Rajapaksa went on for 5 more years during which he threw himself, the Ministry of Defence which he headed and in which his brother Gotabhaya continued to serve as Secretary, as well as the Tri services personnel (who could have been demobbed and sent home) into a massive nationwide development effort. At great cost to Sri Lanka’s Treasury, projects for rehabilitating and post-war resettlement of the internally displaced persons (IDPs), for rebuilding the damaged and neglected highway and railway system to the north, destroyed by the LTTE for building their bunkers, as well as building new infrastructure such as nationwide expressways, roadways and bridges, and upgrading existing ones in the rural and interior parts of the island, were launched and completed. Urban Sri Lanka has seen a clean-up and polish, as well as an upgrade as never before in its post-Independence history. Southern, rural Sri Lanka which had remained neglected from colonial times, with preferential attention centered on the more urbanized and vocal in their demands for attention, finally got their long awaited hearing. Hambantota, no longer the sleepy old town, got projected into serious future importance as a Port closest to the active sea lanes off its shores.
Colombo became once more the most gracious of South Asian cities with its newly spruced up colonial architecture, open parks and public spaces, restaurants and hotels of international level, and above all, back to its original fame for years hospitality, now with a cleanliness the city had not experienced in a long time. All of this happened in a mere 5 years. It is sad to see the Rajapaksa political defeat being ignorantly compared to Churchill’s defeat as England’s PM. WWII had lasted only six years compared to Sri Lanka’s 30-year-old conflict. If not for America and Allies’ help it is not likely that Churchill would have won that war. Living in London as a student in the early 1960s, i.e., about 15 years after WWII had ended, it was still a very dirty,smog filled city with many bombed out areas still charred and remaining as empty shells. England was nothing like what has been delivered to Sri Lanka in the way of post-war transformation.
This nation’s Defence Ministry personnel played a valiant part in much of this development and the public has appreciated their contribution and their presence even after completion of the projects, where they serve in order to ensure public security and safety.
These two Rajapakse brothers and the Tri forces will go down in the history of Sri Lanka for their commitment and their immense contribution to the country. One would like to see greater appreciation and less attention to humiliating them than is being done by the new administration. People who gave of themselves to this nation both in war and in peace need to be given their due. These were not ‘Failures’ as they are now being projected; they were great ‘Successes’ for this island nation. Hopefully, those engaged in pursuit of humiliating them will see the damage being done internationally to this country’s image.
Dr Mahes Ladduwahetty
Another Concerned Woman
Hits: 3478
February 12th, 2015 at 5:10 am
Dear President Rajapaksa….
In an Opinion column piece published in The Island, January 29, 2015, I made my comment to honor you at a time when many were silent.
I COPY IT HERE IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT SEEN IT, and because it has not found its way to the Lankaweb!
There is a 58% of the majority in this nation who voted for you!!
Theruwan Saranai!
—————————————-
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=118512
An appreciation of the previous regime
January 28, 2015, 8:31 pm
February 12th, 2015 at 5:19 am
Dear Editor, Lankaweb,
I find that of late, comments made by me carry with it your proviso: “Your comment is under moderation”, before it appears on the site, which was the usual practice. I do not know whether to take this as a compliment or whether it means my writings are suspect and I am Blacklisted!. I do hope that it is not the latter