By ; A.A.M.NIZAM- MATARA

The veteran journalist H.L.D.Mahindapala, who was the Chief Editor of ‘Observer’ and now resides in Australia has said that watching the video of the launch of the UNP manifesto, one of the factors that surprised him most was the performance of Sajith Premadasa. He says that he had never seen him so stiff in delivering his public speeches and he was speaking more like a ventriloquist (a comedian) than as a fired-up, rabble-rousing politician gesticulating frenetically, or beating his chest on public stages. He stood there at the launch as stiff as a statue made of clay and only his tongue was moving to make noises.

Mahindapala says that somebody must have told him that to look presidential he must not throw his hands around and blast his opponents at the top of his voice. So he was as solemn and stiff as he could be, cutting a very poor image of a want-to-be president. The image he projected was that of defrocked priest delivering a Sunday sermon from his pulpit which is about to come apart.

 However, it must be conceded that the flow of his verbal gymnastic was flawless. But it was all puffery. It was all sound and no substance. Sajith is a man in a hurry to make an impression. He is trying to cover his immaturity and inexperience with sounds of empty phrases. But all his rhetoric so far comes down to offering freebies, ranging from gewgaws, lollipops and tampons. His offering of tampons to villagers is the equivalent of Ranil offering computers to farmers in previous election campaigns. I was wondering whether Sajith got this idea of distributing free sanitary pads from Prince Charles who once wrote endearingly to his mistress, Camilla Parker Bowles, saying that his ambition in life was to be her tampon!

All his sound and fury can be reduced to one simple argument: he is going to be the new broom that will sweep all evils away in one swipe and bathe Sri Lanka in milk and honey. There is nothing new in this. He is repeating what Ranil and Sirisena promised in 2015

Mahindapala asks did he lift a finger, or raise a whisper to stop the daylight robbery of his leader, Ranil?0r when Ravi Karunayake found guilty by the courts, was reappointed as a Cabinet minister, sitting next to him? Or when his leader failed to honour his promise of bringing back from Singapore the crook who steered the robbery on the floor of the Central Bank? Etc? Etc? If he did nothing then how can we trust him to do something now?

Premadasa is telecasting a TV ad in which he says that upon his election as President, he would appoint a new Prime Minister and a Cabinet of Ministers and repeats his ear claim that he will not appoint anyone with allegations of corruption, bribery, wasting public funds, and allegations of malpractices.  Under this utopian dream will he guarantee the following to fulfil this promise in order to clean the political frauds in the UNP and its allied partners?

Will Sajith Premadasa, first of all, surrender to the authorities for the lapses on his part which include :

• Distribution and driven by himself of several luxury buses each valued @ Rs. 45 Million to several schools; Can the public know who was/were the donor of these buses and for what reason these donations have been and what the donor will get in return.
• Allegedly keeping over 1,000 persons on his Ministry payroll without any employment;
• Spending huge sums on advertisements to chicken pen houses projects at the times of foundation laying and at the times of opening;
• Distribution of building materials and 15 bags of cement to each from the Hambantota district;
• Distribution of money to incumbent priests of some temples as political bribes etc.
• Misuse of funds belonging to the Central Cultural for his personal image building;

Ranil Wickremasinghe (Alleged architect of TreasuryBonnd Scam and commission agent for the sale of state properties and making the country liable to pay damages to China for suspending Port City, Lotus Tower and some other projects) )

Ravi Karunanayake (Alleged beneficiary of a residential flat and commission agent for power purchases)

Mangala Samaraweera (alleged money launderer for Tamil diaspora and commission agent for large scale government projects and for promoting MCC and other American projects)

Pa.Cha.Ranawaka (accused in a court verdict on malpractices in a coal tender award etc, and for promoting MCC and other American projects)

Malik Samarawickrema (alleged involvement in a railway coach project and promoter of the Singapore FT etc)

Lakshman Kiriella (alleged recipient of commissions from Kandy expressway project and misusing his Ministry funds to make monthly payments to over 75 persons)

Kabir Hashim (allegedly making the country liable to pay millions of Dollars as a breach of agreement in respect of aircraft orders)

Sarath Fonseka (self-confession relating to the receipt of several million rupees from Arjun Aloysius.  Another 118 persons including government MPs have received several hundred million rupees from Arjun Aloysius

P.Harrison (causing several Million Rs. Loss to Mattala airport by using it for storing paddy)

Rajitha Senaratne(alleged import of sub-standard drugs and malpractices related to Neville Fernando Hospital and becoming a shipowner during the last government.  A complaint in this connection with documentary evidence was made to Bribery Commission by the Matara district MP Niroshan Premaratne but no action was taken))

Sujeewa Senasinghe (an alleged receipt of Millions from Arjun Aloysius for writing a book to clear him from Treasury Bond Scam allegations )

John Ameratunga (demolition of a walking track built at a cost of Rs. Several million to facilitate one of his friends to take lorries to his property )

Mano Ganneshan (allegations related to multiple frauds and malpractices)

RaufHakeem (allegations related to multiple frauds and malpractices including 200 million US$ believed to have received for the toilet )

Rishad Bathiudeen (allegations related to multiple frauds and malpractices including drug peddling through Sathosa imports and frauds related to re-exports)

Harin Fernando (Allegations related to WI-FI project and Google Baloon mishap)

Arjuna Ranatunga (Allegations related to nepotism and frauds in the railways)

Palani Digambaram (an alleged receipt of funds from India in the name of various projects)

Ajith P.Perera(Acting as a footnote man of Arjun Aloysium}

Harsha de Silva (Acting as a footnote man of Arjun Aloysius)

The Galle district MP Wijepala Hettiarachchi has sent letters to his supporters in Akmeemana saying they will be given Rs. 50,000 each Gamperaliya housing loans when they come to attend the UNP Balamandala meeting.

The inter-party conflict in the UNP is reported to have increased with each group attempting to form themselves as the dominant group and to become future stakeholders.  SeveralUNP Ministers have been heckled by their own party supporters in their own areas. The latest was heckling received Minister Daya Perera at a UNP meeting in Ampara. 

Many Sri Lankans resident in overseas countries is coming back to vote for their favourite candidate Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.  The flood gates were opened today with groups arriving from Australia, England, UAE, Kuwait,  They told media that this is the last chance they can offer to save the country. They said that over 2million Sri Lankans resident will be arriving to vote for Gota and the will come until 15^th night.

Meanwhile, Ministry sources indicate that several Ministers were clearing their desks at their Ministries.  They say Rajitha has taken away some files and Pa.Cha.Ranawaka has set fire to some files 

The indecent and inhuman Sarath Fonseka reputed as Kalawedda (wild cat) extremely disappointed by the Ill-prospects of Sajith has once again started his wild talks.  A few days ago he said that all Rajapaksas will be hanged at Medamulana.  He has now said that Gotabhaya will become a worm in his rebirth and when it happens that worm will be killed by striking with a mammoty.