Sirisena Backtracks, Gives Election Ticket To Rajapaksa
Posted on July 3rd, 2015

By P.K.Balachandran Courtesy The New Indian Express

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA), on Friday backtracked from his earlier stand and agreed to give an UPFA  ticket to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to fight the August 17 Lankan parliamentary elections.

Sirisena’s chief political lieutenant and cabinet spokesman, Rajitha Senaratne, told Express that the decision was a compromise” between one group wanting Rajapakasa to be designated as the Prime Ministerial candidate and another wanting Rajapaksa to be discarded totally.

The President has now agreed to allow Rajapaksa to contest the election as an ordinary candidate of the UPFA and not as its group leader or its Prime Ministerial candidate,” Senaratne explained.

Asked if the Sirisena group will stop attacking Rajapaksa and his group, discarding the virulent anti-Rajapaksa stand taken during the January 2015 Presidential election, Senaratne said that the Sirisena group will continue to attack Rajapaksa and his cohorts.

But he also said that the Sirisena group will attack the United National Party (UNP), though the two of them are running  a coalition government.

Some political analysts say that the Sirisena-UNP alliance is heading for a crash, while others say that the pro-Sirisena group will break away and establish an alliance with the UNP.

UNP Irked

Meanwhile, UNP MP, R.Yogarajan, said that his party will break with Sirisena as he has failed to carry out his election promise to politically destroy the corrupt and authoritarian Rajapaksa.

The UNP put him up as the joint opposition Presidential candidate on the basis of this promise, but he has made up with the corrupt Rajapaksa. We will hold him responsible for not fulfilling the election promise to establish Good Governance and ask the people to give us the vote to establish Good Governance,” Yogarajan said.

Jathika Hela Urumaya

Ven.Rathna Thero, leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) and a  Sirisena supporter, said that one cannot say that Rajapaksa will emerge strong enough to be considered for Prime Ministership. It will depend on the overall results. As for the JHU, it will work to strengthen the Sirisena group in the SLFP/UPFA, Rathna Thero said.

Rajapaksa Faction Thrilled

National Freedom Front and UPFA leader Wimal Weerawansa said that the August 17 elections will throw up a Maithri-Mahinda” government with Sirisena as President and Rajapaksa as PM. He  congratulated Sirisena for preventing a split in the SLFP and UPFA.

UPFA leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara congratulated Sirisena for rescuing the SLFP and UPFA from the clutches of the UNP.”

10 Responses to “Sirisena Backtracks, Gives Election Ticket To Rajapaksa”

  1. Susantha Wijesinghe Says:

    ****COULD SIRISENA HAVE BACKED TRACKED WITH A VERY SINISTER AGENDA****??

    Sirisena has many a trick up his sleeve. Could he be trusted. There are EIGHT hardcore LTTE Suicide cadres that have been supposed to be released from custody. Who released them, and on what basis ? Will there be an assassination attempt on Rajapakse. Can Abracadabra turn to a holocaust ? Iam not a sensationalist, but just weighing the pros and Cons.

    Sirisena has already irked his bedfellow. So it seems.

    Nevertheless, let us wait and see the future developments. GOOD LUCK TO THE WINNERS, GOOD LUCK TO THE LOSERS TOO.

  2. Jag Says:

    ”****COULD SIRISENA HAVE BACKED TRACKED WITH A VERY SINISTER AGENDA****??”

    Susantha, No one can rule this out. Siraa was and is, trying every trick in the book to come out of his predicament. SLFP or UNFPA can’t win this election without MR. However, siraa’s intention of sidelining MR as a normal candidate isn’t going to work. Who can ignore and sideline MR in Sri Lankan politics?

    Siraa is digging his own grave by not naming MR as the PM candidate. MR cannot be fooled by anyone. Siraa, even if he is reborn thousand times can’t even come closer to the ”Master Politician”. MR is in his element. He thrives under pressure. Nothing can stop him from becoming the PM of Sri Lanka.

  3. Lorenzo Says:

    This is the BEST outcome IF Maru Sira is not up to something sinister.

    Now UNP is DEAD DIRT.

    But Maru Sira might be trying a TRICK to TRAP MR.

    What happens to WIMAL and GAMMANPILLA?

  4. Christie Says:

    Has Sirisena done what Mahinda did in 2005?

    How it happened? Another Indian job. The former President called an early election. The Indian imperialists (India) were ready to correct its mistake in 2005 when it backed Mahinda Rajapaksa over Ranil Wickramasinge. Then, Indian imperialists advised Indian block vote in the island to abstain from voting. The reason for the preference was Indian imperialists thought it will be easier to negotiate with Mahinda an unknown matter for India. Unfortunately for India, Mahinda did not follow Indian directions as former Sri Lankan leaders did since 1956. In 2010 India enrolled General Sarath Fonseka as a presidential candidate against Mahinda and failed. So behind the scene as Indian imperialist always do they were planning for years and got former governor Chandrika Bandaranayake-Kumaranatunge to do the job and succeeded with doing a repeat of what India did with her father Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranayake in 1951. India did not have to wait for four year this time. India managed to divide the non-Indian vote and got the Indian block vote for Maithripala Sirisena the new governor of Sri Lanka who may be the proxy for the real governor Chandrika

    Has Sirisena done what Mahinda did in 2005?

  5. Christie Says:

    “MR cannot be fooled by anyone”. He was probably fooled by his Astrologer who may have been paid in millions of dollars by Indian Imperialists and Indian Colonial Parasites and Vermin in 2014-15.

  6. Metteyya_Brahmana Says:

    I am not exactly clear on UPFA rules, but if contesting from a party within the alliance does not permit one to field a candidate from a district where another candidate from a different party within the alliance is contesting, then Mahinda should reject Maithripala’s offer to contest from the UPFA. It is imperative that Mahinda retains the ability to challenge the 30 disloyal SLFP MPs by fielding his own pro-Mahinda candidates in each of these MPs districts, as most of these MPs are in districts Mahinda carried in January. Otherwise, he is going to have a problem forming a government after the August election even if he garners the most votes for PM. Ranil is counting on these same 30 disloyal SLFP MPs who are currently part of his government to continue with his minority-rule after the election, so Mahinda needs a rock solid plan to either re-gain the loyalty of these 30 MPs or replace them in the August election with MPs who are loyal to him.

  7. aravinda Says:

    MAHINDAPHOBIA is a sickness which had infected Ranil and his regime for 6 months. They may need to double their medication now.

  8. Kumari Says:

    The main purpose here was to keep SLFP intact. That has happened now, which rules out handing the country on a platter to the UNP. This would result in a SLFP majority once more. Though Mahinda rules the country in the near future or not the country is heading in the right direction. Majority of the majority.

    I heard the UPFA has pledged to protect both Mahinda and Sirisena. Then Sirisena will not be vulnerable. Let’s see the mud slinging that come to Sirisena now. The embassies and HCs of the US, UK and India tried to wrestle Sirisena now they will start their dirty tricks.

  9. Ratanapala Says:

    Indian RAW is the hidden hand. In 2009, it was the Indian High Commissioner who put a wedge between the then Gen Sarath Fonseka and MR by telling him that he is getting too strong and that he even might topple him from power. Soon after the war Sarath Fonseka wanted the military strength increased for post Nanthi Kadal operations and mop up operations. At the same time there was a big Army show in Colombo and Sarath Fonseka moved around Colombo as if he owned the place. This little incident was blown sky high and the High Commissioner was able to drive an irreparable wedge between the two. MR and SF both fell into the RAW trap and now the rest is history.

  10. SA Kumar Says:

    Ratanapala -the rest is history.We can talk about out history how Indian ruling us last 2,500 years but have we done anything about it ?
    look at big picture North Indian always ruling south indian (include you know where Mother Lanka ) .

    Now You know why We-Demila kicked out IPKF even though they offered NEP in gold plate than until now We are begging for Land &police power from you for NP & EP !!!

    is that our Karma We both Modayas & Sakkiliyas believe !!!

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