President Gets His First Birthday Wish From A Secret Admirer Called "Ranil Wickremesinghe"

November 19, 2014

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is known for his early morning birthday wishes and almost all the members of Parliament, regardless of their party, are on the birthday wish-list of the President. Usually, the President calls birthday boys and girls early in the morning and some even go to the extent of “publicizing” birthday wishes from the President – through their journalist-friends – merely for publicity purposes.

President Rakapaksa, who celebrated his 69th birthday yesterday, started his day with a “special telephone call” that came from Hong-Kong. And he heard a familiar voice from the other end, wishing him “happy birthday”. He was none other than his old friend Ranil Wickremesinghe – yes, the Leader of the opposition. In fact, it was the first telephone call received by him on his birthday. It was testament to the camaraderie that exists between the two leaders, despite political exigencies.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s phone calls to President – especially during the times of elections – are newsworthy in more ways than one. For instance, a day after the presidential election in 2010, when the common candidate of the opposition was literally beleaguered at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel - Wickremesinghe telephoned the President and wished him for his victory, saying “oyath dinum – mamath dinum!”