Rajapaksa Votes At Medamulana, Wickremesinghe, Anura Dissanayake In Colombo (PHOTOS)
August 17, 2015Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa casted his vote for the 2015 General Election at Medamulana D. A. Rajapaksa Vidyalaya today.
Meanwhile, UNP leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe casted his vote at the Colombo University. JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake casted his vote at Abeysingharamaya, Panchikawatte, Colombo.
Rajapaksa Plans Comeback As Sri Lanka Heads To Polls
August 16, 2015Mahinda Rajapaksa is on the campaign trail. In the run-up to a crucial parliamentary election tomorrow, he is doing what he does best: making speeches, holding children, talking to the elderly and, inevitably these days, grinning for selfies.
In Kantale, a small town in the eastern Trincomalee district, about 6,000 people have turned out to see the veteran politician.
“He is the leader that brought dignity to this country ... we could hold our heads high because of him. He took on terrorism and was the first leader ever to defeat terrorism,” said Chandrasiri Gamalath, a 47-year-old paddy farmer who had traveled 40km to see Rajapaksa in action.
The stakes are high for Rajapaksa, who was ousted as president after calling a snap election in January with the aim of winning a third term. If he, and his numerous relatives, cannot gather genuine mass support in Monday’s poll, his comeback bid will have failed.
“There is unfinished business from January. Does the country want the Rajapaksas back in some shape or form?” asked Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, a well-known local analyst.
The most recent surveys indicate only moderate support for the 69-year-old candidate. “There doesn’t appear to be a big groundswell,” Savanaramuttu said.
As the month-long campaign for the August 17 Sri Lankan parliamentary elections closed this weekend, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned of a constitutional logjam if Mahinda Rajapaksa becomes Prime Minister.
“No Prime Minister can take the country forward while being at loggerheads with the President,” Wickremesinghe said, alluding to the on-going public spat between his rival, former President Rajapaksa, and the incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena.
While Wickremesinghe has good relations with Sirisena, having fought the January 8 Presidential election as allies, Rajapaksa and Sirisena have been at daggers drawn since Sirisena quit his party to fight Rajapaksa as the Joint Opposition Candidate in the Presidential election.
They are fighting over the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and also the Premiership. While Rajapaksa is desperate to become PM, Sirisena has told him that he will not appoint him PM under any circumstance. To weaken Rajapaksa’s hold over UPFA and SLFP, Sirisena has sacked their General Secretaries.
Rebuts Rajapaksa
Rebutting Rajapaksa’s charge that he will yield to the demand of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) for a “federal constitution” and eventually “an independent Tamil Eelam”, Wickremesinghe has said that he is only for a “unitary” constitution.
On Rajapaksa’s charge that he has stopped all developmental work started in his time; stopped Chinese-funded projects; and had fallen prey to Western machinations, Wickremesinghe’s has said that all projects, except one, have been reassessed; renegotiated for favorable terms; and restarted. All new highway building contracts have been given to Chinese companies.
As if to rebut the charge that that he will favor India, Wickremesinghe has ordered an inquiry into the US$ 881 million Indian railway project in North Lanka.
On Rajapaksa’s scare that he will be sent to the electric chair abroad for alleged “war crimes”, Wickremesinghe assured that no Lankan will be handed over to foreigners and no international body will be allowed to inquire into war crimes charges.
(The New Indian Express)
UPFA Election Operations Room Removed From SLFP Headquarters
August 14, 2015The election operation room of the UPFA was removed from the SLFP headquarters, hours after it was announced that President Maithripala Sirisena had sacked the General Secretary of the UPFA and the General Secretary of the SLFP.
The reason for the removal was unclear. It was reported that this was done under orders from 'a higher authority'.
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the Chairman of the Elections Committee of the UPFA.
Colombo District Court today gave an injuction order against the Susil Premajayantha and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa acting in the capacities of General Secretaries of the UPFA and SLFP respectively.
Rajapaksa Defends His Foreign Policy
August 14, 2015Elections Commissioner Requests State Media To Stop Transmission Of Sirisena's Letter (SEE EC's LETTER)
August 14, 2015Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya requested state electronic media to cease broadcasting and telecasting of President Maithripala Sirisena's letter to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The request was made after considering two complaints filed by United People's Freedom Lawyers' Association and United People's Freedom Alliance Lawyers' Association. The Elections Commissioner also said that the issue was brought to his attention by UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha over the phone.
Deshapriya said that the broadcasting of the letter will have a negative impact on the election campaign of the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
SLFP Seniors Reject Sirisena's Offer
August 14, 2015Mahinda Rajapaksa Responds To Maithripala Sirisena (FULL LETTER)
August 14, 2015Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa responded to President Maithripala Sirisena's lengthy letter with a short reply.
He acknowledges that he has received Sirisena's letter. Rajapaksa refuted all allegations leveled at him and said that he handed over the party to Sirisena days after the election defeat in January.
Rajapaksa also said that he believes Sirisena will accpet the people's mandate after the general election.
Related: Rajapaksa Will Not Be Appointed Prime Minister, Sirisena Informs (SEE FULL LETTER)
Agreement Already Signed To Name Rajapaksa PM: Premajayantha
August 14, 2015UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha said that an agreement has already been reached by senior UPFA leaders to name Mahinda Rajapaksa as the Prime Minister when the UPFA wins the forthcoming general election.
Speaking at the UPFA rally in Homagama, Premajayantha said that Opposition Leader Nimal Siripala de Silva, SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Bndula Gunawardena, Wimal Weerawansa, Dinesh Gunawardena Vasudeva Nanayakkara were among the signatories of the agreement. Premajayantha said that he also signed in the capacity of UPFA General Secretary.
Premajayantha also said that the agreement was signed and sealed in July, on the day the first UPFA rally was held in Anuradhapura.
