Interview with CBK in November 2003 – after taking over the 3 key portfolios from UNP
Posted on November 3rd, 2016

Talking Heads with Chandrika Kumaratunga (Aired November 2003)

 

5 Responses to “Interview with CBK in November 2003 – after taking over the 3 key portfolios from UNP”

  1. Dilrook Says:

    One may love her or hate her, but this bold decision going against the “international community” saved the nation. Fonseka correctly attributed his continuation in service to this decision. The background is little known.

    In 2003, LTTE made it a condition that the army is removed from High Security Zones in Jaffna to continue peace talks. UNP government was getting ready to do it when President Chandrika and Jaffna commander Fonseka disagreed. Peace talks collapsed as ISGA proposals could not be agreed to without removing the army fro HSZs. UNP was furious and tried to remove Fonseka. However, the matter remained under the Commander-in-Chief (the president) and not the UNP defence minister. Then the UNP tried to retire Fonseka (approaching 55 years) and a few other senior army commanders. They argued the defence minister (Marapana) had the power to do so and not the president. Chief Justice Sarath Silva indicated that the president can block such a decision. Angered by it, UNP was planning to impeach the chief justice on November 6, 2003. Had it not been for the takeover, we would never have won the war and Vigneswaran would have crowned king of the north in 2004 and not 2013.

    Meanwhile UNP severely compromised national security over and above what the CFA specified. UNP goons attacked state institutions with impunity (e.g. State Printing Corporation). The president had to intervene. Internal affairs ministry was an absolute disgrace.

    She took over defence, media and internal affairs on November 4. It saved the nation.

    She also prorogued parliament for 2 weeks. UNP budget which was due to be presented in November 12 could not go ahead. When it finally went ahead, the Opposition could successfully block it.

    As pointed out by some, it took her exactly 700 days to realise the UNP was a disaster and takeover these ministries. If Sirisena is as wise as Chandrika, he should do the same on December 8, 2016. He should also takeover the corruption ridden Finance ministry. In doing so Sirisena will have to go against Chandrika as well. Defeating Mahinda was no easy task but Sirisena did it. Therefore, it wouldn’t be difficult to defeat UNP nasty plans that will irreversibly ruin the country.

  2. Ananda-USA Says:

    Yes, Indeed!

    This act by Chandrika was the single best thing she did while she was President. She ACTED DECISIVELY to protect Sri Lanka …. and I loved her for that!

    Many of her subsequent decisions, especially after she lost her eye in the suicide bombing when she lost heart and became a PEACE NAK blaming the Sinhala people and VALIDATING the LTTE separatist demands turned me against her.

    Her latest role in the REGIME CHANGE operation against the MR/UPFA government was the last straw …. a TREACHEROUS STAB IN THE BACK of her own people! By doing that she betrayed ALL that her revered parents SWRD and Sirimavo’s stood for as staunch defenders of their people.

    Chandrika was DRIVEN BY PERSONAL JEALOUSY …. JEALOUSY against Mahinda Rajapaksa who, in uttetly crushing the LTTE and developing Sri Lanka as never before, ACHIEVED WHAT SHE COULD NOT, and as a result gained the love and respect of the Sinhals people she believed was rightly hers ALONE by birth!

    The GREEN – EYED MONSTER brought Chandrika VERY LOW IN CONDUCT and DESTROYED the chance we Sri Lankans had of becoming the proud citizens of the NEW WONDER OF ASIA!

  3. plumblossom Says:

    Yes, Ranil Wickramasinghe must resign immediately. This is the honourable thing to do. The country should be run by a PM who holds the confidence of most people. This is very important. Someone else who holds the confidence of the people should be appointed the PM by President Sirisena. Besides, Arjunan Mahendran did say the PM, meaning Ranil, asked him to do it. Therefore he should resign immediately which is the honourable thing to do and let any investigations take place without any interference. In other countries, this is what happens after this type of incident. So it is not at all unique.

  4. Fran Diaz Says:

    CBK had a difficult task as President, in the post Cold War period, and did handle some of the problems well enough.
    She had to face the death of her father and also her husband at the hands of political assassins. She herself was targetted by a LTTE suicide bomber and lost an eye and probably had head injuries too.

    But CBK also made her share of serious blunders when she was President.
    We were under the impression that she suffered from some form of PTSD after the LTTE suicide cadre attack.
    We agree with former President MR who said that ‘he would not comment on her recent statements as she is unwell’.

  5. Lorenzo Says:

    Augusta, she did this in 2003 because KADIRGAMAR told her to do. Not because she had any brains anytime.

    Now she is TOTALLY INSANE.

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