Pohottuwa Wins the Poster War
Good News Backfires
Wimal and Co. Realign with Old Ally
‘Good News’ Exposes Power Grab Tactics
‘Pot’ Poised to Present Strong Candidate
Basil and Sagara Assert: Their Candidate is Not Ranil
We were the First
It is reported that President Ranil Wickramasinghe is planning to address the nation again on the 26th.
It is also known that the President is ready to address the nation on that day and announce that the country has been rescued from bankrupt status.
Currently, the negotiations regarding the restructuring of the foreign debt have reached the final stage, and it has been learned that Mr. Shehan Semasinghe, the State Finance Minister, is participating in the related negotiations in Washington, USA.
According to sources close to the government, the final agreements regarding the restructuring of foreign loans will be signed during these negotiations.
This is the special news that ‘Mawrata’ newspaper revealed to the country in its lead news on the last 23rd Sunday. In a background where no Sinhalese newspaper or any media had reported information in this regard over the weekend, we took steps to report this information to the country through the original news, which we received from a very reliable source, because of its national importance. The President addressed the nation on the 26th, confirming that our revelations were 100% correct.
Repetition of last year
Following our disclosure, the President’s address to the nation became the focal point in the political arena from the day ‘Mawrata’ hit newsstands. Concurrently, the opposition began scrutinizing various aspects of the President’s speech. They discovered his assertion that he had rescued the country from bankruptcy last May, prompting them to scour for related videos and newspaper articles. Critically assessing the President’s claims, the opposition convened a press conference, presenting these materials to the media.
In the aftermath of the President’s address, several other political maneuvers unfolded. Last week, in our ‘Inside Politics’ column, we revealed that the President had simultaneously played multiple strategic cards aimed at the upcoming presidential election. Additionally, we reported the inauguration of three high-profile campaign offices in Colombo. Beyond these moves, the President launched numerous initiatives such as land deed distributions, regularization of casual workers, and granting deeds to apartment owners—all geared towards bolstering his presidential bid.
Despite these efforts, the President was poised to make another significant move: announcing his candidacy for the presidential elections, emphasizing his role in steering the country away from bankruptcy.
Big disadvantage to Sri Lanka
But in fact, although the President announced that the debt was restructured, it was only with bilateral creditors. Although it is a victory of sorts, Sri Lanka has a long way to go in terms of debt restructuring. Or debt restructuring should have been done with private bond holders, but the discussions in that regard have not yet reached a successful end.
Also, in the revelations made by the opposition, it had been pointed out that Sri Lanka has suffered a great disadvantage through the completion of these bilateral debt restructuring activities in a hurry to get the presidential candidacy. If the negotiations had been done properly, a grace period of not paying the debt could have been obtained until 2033, but due to the haste of the government, the opposition had pointed out that it had to be done upto 2028. Also, countries like Argentina and Ghana, which were bankrupt, were able to cut their debt by 51% and 27% respectively during their debt restructuring negotiations.
Government’s ulterior motive
However, the government had played a different political game here. In particular, the government planned to announce the success of this debt restructuring program to the country and set off firecrackers to have a strong impact on Pohottuwa and SJB. Although the main purpose of this was to prevent a candidate from Pohottuwa from contesting the presidential election and to break a part of nearly 20 MPs from the party into the government, with the opposition to the President’s speech, the trump card played by the government backfired.
A candidate by ‘bud’
One of the issues that had already emerged from the discussions within Pohottuwa was that a separate candidate from Pohottuwa should be presented for the presidential election. Although no final decision has been taken, steps were taken to pass a special resolution in this regard at the meeting of the seat organizers held at Mahinda’s house in Wijerama last Tuesday. Although the name of Mr Rohitha Abeygunawardena, who was appointed as the national convener of Pohottuwa, was used for that day, it was a special event that during the discussion, MP Sanjeeva Edirimanna suggested that a candidate from Pohottuwa should be nominated for the presidential election.
As soon as Sanjeeva made this proposal, everyone applauded and saw how the proposal was passed. At that time, MPs like Prasanna Ranatunga, and Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who are close to the President these days, were also in the meeting, but with the high response given by the seat organizers to the proposal, it was seen that they too could not do anything. After the meeting ended, Sanjeeva came out and stated this to the media, but with a darkened face, Mahindananda told the media that only the confirmation of Rohitha Abeygunawardena’s position happened there. According to this, everyone could see that there are two opinions in the ‘pot’ regarding the presentation of a candidate for the presidential election.
Poster War
At the heart of this unfolding crisis was a series of posters. Early Monday morning, a mysterious poster reading ‘Aranchiya Subai’ appeared across Colombo, directly challenging the President’s recent speech. This enigmatic poster, lacking any specific attribution, swiftly became the talk of the political landscape. Unexpectedly, by Tuesday morning, it faced a retaliatory strike from another poster that had spread overnight throughout the country, proclaiming ‘Aranchiya Subbai – A candidate from the ‘bud’.
Following Pohottuwa’s significant setbacks in the past, many believed its political future was bleak, doubting its ability to recover. Yet, Basil, reputed as the strategist behind the ‘pot’, refused to concede defeat. Devising a subtle design, Basil entrusted Renuka Perera, Pohottuwa’s managing secretary, to blanket Sri Lanka with the new poster, announcing a candidate nomination from the ‘bud’. This move not only countered the government’s ‘Aranchiya Subai’ poster but also caught them off guard.
Upon its widespread visibility on Tuesday, many, including embassy representatives, initially mistook the poster for a campaign by the JVP due to its extensive reach—an organizational strength historically associated with the JVP. Basil’s guerrilla poster strategy posed an unexpected challenge, resembling a bombshell at the onset of Ranil’s presidential campaign.
The government is worried
Pohottuwa did not plan this attack for the sake of doing so. It is evident by now Pohottuwa has started his campaign activities targeting the presidential election from village to village. The government was so alarmed by this guerilla attack that on Tuesday itself, UNP-Pohottu MPs took steps to hold a joint press conference on the theme of ‘Aranchiya Subai’. Ministers Manusha Nanayakkara, Prasanna Ranatunga and MP Mahindananda Aluthgamage were present. There, when journalists asked Manusha about Basil’s guerilla poster, Mahindananda jumped into the middle and proceeded to answer, laughing like a fool and saying that it was a ‘jungle’ poster and that no candidate would be nominated for the presidential election from Pohottuwa. Mahindananda also said that Pohottuwa will support a winning candidate.
Firm reply by Sagara
However, a few hours after Mahindananda’s comment,Sagara Kariyawasam, Secretary General of Pohottuwa, made a special statement to a weekly newspaper and said that no matter what Mahindananda said, Pohottuwa would present a candidate for the presidential election.
Sagara Kariyawasam said that the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna has not yet informed President Ranil Wickremesinghe that he is running for the upcoming presidential election and that he has not had any discussions with the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna about his preparations to run for the presidential election. The MP said that if the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna informs that President Ranil Wickremesinghe will run for the upcoming presidential election, the party will inform him of the decision taken by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna to present as a candidate for the upcoming presidential election.
Gota comes out again
When the government boasted that the country had been rescued from bankruptcy, the question that arose for many people was what has happened to the former President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who was accused of paving the way for the country’s bankruptcy. Since there was no mention of Gota in the media in the past, we also inquired about what happened to Gota. There we learned that Gota, who had been hidden from the public in the past, had celebrated his 75th birthday last week and held religious ceremonies at the Reverend Valpola Piyananda Thero’s temple in Kohuwala. For that, for the first time, all the Rajapaksa family was seen together.
After Gota stepped down from the presidency, there was no occasion that all the Rajapaksa family met together. Although Rajapakse family celebrations were held on several occasions, for some reason, all the Rajapakses were not seen sitting at one table. It was also seen in the past that various parties had launched various plans to divide the Rajapaksa family and create some conflicts of opinion among the children of the Rajapaksa family. It was also seen that some of those plans had succeeded. But by now all the conflicts within the Rajapaksa family have ended and the previous harmony has re-emerged through the participation of all the Rajapakses in this celebration held on Gotabaya’s 75th birthday.
Wimal back with ‘bud’?
However, in the past many people thought that because of the close friendship between Gota and Dilit Jayaweera, Gota and Dilit’s homeland party will join them. But that did not happen. Later, Dilith and Wimal formed an alliance called Sarvajana Balaya, and its inauguration ceremony was arranged to be held in Nugegoda recently. But it was not seen that there is as much public attraction to it as it was thought to be.
Under this background, it was seen how Mahinda and Basil had launched an operation that no one could imagine until last week. That is to bring Wimal Weerawansa back into the fold. On a previous occasion, we made a special disclosure through this column and said that a few weeks ago, Dilith Jayaweera had organized a meeting between the President and Wimal Weerawansa at his residence in the Shangri-La Hotel. We revealed that this meeting was arranged before Dilit left for Australia and that the plan was to ally Wimal and Udaya with the President. But it was not successful at that time, and that is why it could be seen that there was some disagreement within the party.
In the meantime, Basil and Mahinda had started a long round of negotiations with Wimal through a special agent, the ‘Inside Politics’ column learns That is to bring Wimal back into the fold. The ‘Inside Politics’ column has also come to know that Vimal has presented several conditions to this agent. It has also been reported that Wimal has given some positive hints that if a person who is not a Rajapakse stands for the presidential election, it can be considered. Accordingly, it has been learned that the discussions have ended with the agreement to meet again shortly.
We talked about Dhammika
Meanwhile, we revealed to the country for the first time that Dhammika is planning to run for the presidential election from Pohottuwe on the 16th of September last year through this column . At that time, when the seniors of Pohottuwa came to press conferences and sent the media shop saying that the candidate of Pohottuwa is someone with a three-letter name, we clearly said that Pohottuwa is going to present a candidate for the presidential election, and he is not a three-letter candidate, but a four-letter candidate. And the week after that, we revealed that the candidate was Dhammika Perera. Accordingly, as we revealed, the date of Dhammika Pohottuwa’s announcement as the presidential candidate is approaching. Even now, the approval of the seniors of Pohottuwa has also been received. Although this has not been publicly announced by Mahinda or Basil, this fact came out of Basil’s mouth during a special discussion held last week.
Basil takes Dammika forward
Indian Foreign Minister Mr. S. Jayashankar suddenly came to Sri Lanka last week and met with the President, the leader of the opposition and the leaders of the Tamil National Alliance, and the photos of these meetings were published by the media. But there was another special meeting that did not come out through the media through photos. That was the meeting between Jayashankar and Basil. In addition to Jayashankar, Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha also attended the meeting at ‘India House’.
In the middle of this discussion, Santosh asked Basil a certain question. Is Pohottuwa presenting a presidential candidate for the presidential election, and if so, who will that candidate be? Basil’s answer to India was that Dhammika Perera was the front-runner for the presidency. It has been learned that the Indian representative heard the statement but did not make any announcement regarding it.
This is considered to be the first time that Dhammika’s name was publicly mentioned by Basil in connection with the presidential election. However, we believe that Basil’s response must have reached the President through some means. Accordingly, we believe that the president suddenly addressed the nation and announced that Sri Lanka has recovered from bankruptcy to exert a strong influence on the pot.
Mahinda to be PM
In addition to this, last week another special message was arranged to be sent to Mahinda by a third party within the government from a certain high place. The message read that the government has decided to give the post of Prime Minister to Mahinda. But after Mahinda received this news, Mahinda said to himself that this could also be Ranil’s rope. Many people in Pohottuwa who heard the message said that they heard that Dhammika will be nominated for the presidential election and thus the government is now working to send various messages to Pohottuwa.
However, earlier we revealed special news in the ‘Inside Politics’ column and said that the government had issued a notice to show the inclusion of SJB MPs to the government before June 15. However due to various reasons presented by the government, Pohottuwa extended the time to bring the SJB MPs into the government before the 15th of July. Accordingly, the latest news received from Ranil’s side has been read that a group of 12 people from SJB will join the government in the near future, and all these activities are being coordinated by Vajira Abeywardena.
Fonseka’s book
Meanwhile, Mr. Sarath Fonseka, who is the president of the SJB, is currently engaged in direct political dealings with the President. This was further confirmed when Fonseka invited the President as the chief guest at his book launch ceremony last Friday (28th). Fonseka also took time from the government to address the House during the previous parliamentary week, using the opportunity to launch a strong attack on Sajith.
The relationship between Fonseka and the President began months ago. The Sunday Times, a newspaper associated with the President’s family, disclosed that during the 2010 presidential election, a colossal amount of money he received. Fonseka had met with the President to discuss the release of foreign currency amounting to crores in Fonseka’s name, despite a court order prohibiting it. The report mentioned that some of the money from a safety deposit box had been stolen by thieves, and Fonseka frequently visited the President’s Parliament room and the Ministry of Finance to retrieve the money.
This interaction between Fonseka and the President escalated after Fonseka filed a case against the SJB and subsequently launched a strong attack on the SJB and Sajith, taking time from the government to do so. Unofficial sources indicate that the disputed amount of money has since been released to Fonseka.
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Request to be ‘Marshal’
However, this time we are ready to reveal details of another significant discussion between Fonseka and the President through the ‘Inside Politics’ column. The main topic was the highest post in the military, the title of Marshal. Fonseka, currently appointed Field Marshal, expressed his desire to be promoted to Marshal during this meeting. He informed the President of his request, which was promptly communicated to the Ministry of Defense.
The response from the Ministry was strongly disapproving. Officials pointed out that there is no military battalion in Sri Lanka to justify granting the title of Marshal. This information, reported by the ‘Inside Politics’ column, also indicates that Fonseka was extremely angered by the ministry’s reply and reprimanded the officials.
Additional chapter to the book
Meanwhile, various details are emerging about Fonseka’s book, released on Friday. Initially, Fonseka planned to launch the book a few months ago, but it was delayed due to a sudden decision to add a new chapter. This new chapter focuses on former President Ranasinghe Premadasa allegedly providing arms to the LTTE, detailing how the organization was supplied with weapons.
At the time of writing the book, Fonseka was close to the SJB, and while this topic was not originally included, many believe the chapter was added to cater to the political interests of Fonseka’s current camp. However, in adding this chapter, Fonseka seems to have overlooked a critical point: during President Premadasa’s tenure, the current President, Ranil Wickremesinghe, was also part of the government.
When Gamini and Lalith left the UNP and exposed this information, it was Ranil Wickremesinghe who staunchly defended President Premadasa both in Parliament and publicly. Wickremesinghe is the only remaining member of the cabinet from that time, so any attempt to tarnish Premadasa’s reputation might inadvertently affect the current President as well. Consequently, it is expected that Ranil Wickremesinghe’s statements, related videos, and Hansard’s reports will come to light in response to Fonseka’s allegations.
Mahinda to China
Last Wednesday, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa suddenly left for China for a long visit. Although this is considered a private visit, during his stay in China, several meetings have been arranged between Mahinda the Chinese President and the Chinese Prime Minister. It is also rumored that these meetings will take place because of the strong friendship between China and the Rajapaksas. However, many opine that meeting the Chinese President Mahinda at a time like this when a presidential election is about to happen is a great welcome for them.
Attorney General’s position
Another piece of news that stirred as much controversy as the President’s address to the nation last week was the proposal to extend Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam’s tenure by another six months. The President had initially sent this proposal to the Legislative Assembly, but it was rejected by a vote of 5 to 3. Following the rejection, Mr. Rajaratnam had begun preparing his retirement documents.
Despite this, the President resubmitted the proposal to the Legislative Assembly. The Speaker scheduled a session for Wednesday, the same day the President was to address the nation. Initially set for 4 PM, the meeting was rescheduled to 6 PM due to an emergency cabinet meeting called by the President.
On the same day, at 2:30 PM, Mr. Rajaratnam announced his retirement, and a farewell party was organized at the Attorney General’s Department. By the evening, political rumours suggested that one of the three independent representatives who had previously voted against the extension might change their vote. Amidst this speculation, Sajith received numerous calls but did not take the rumours seriously. He promptly called Kabir, instructing him to ensure his participation in the evening’s Legislative Council meeting.
The meeting, which started at 6 PM, lasted nearly two hours. However, the outcome remained unchanged, with the Legislative Assembly again rejecting the proposal to extend Mr Rajaratnam’s tenure by six months. Consequently, Mr. Rajaratnam, despite his distinguished service, had to retire with the blemish of having his extension rejected twice by the Legislative Assembly.
A message to Nimal
Currently, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is divided into three factions: one led by Maithripala Sirisena and Wijedasa Rajapakshe, and another led by Chandrika Kumaratunga and Nimal Siripala de Silva. Last week, Nimal Siripala received a message from the highest levels of the government instructing him to take over the exclusive rights of the SLFP as soon as possible. This urgency stems from the fact that 17 to 20 individuals are poised to officially join the government before the 17th, and the SLFP must be prepared for their inclusion. Nimal has agreed to this directive and has expedited the legal process to secure the party’s official rights to incorporate this group swiftly.
Bribe to the bud
Last week, the media reported another significant piece of news regarding Pohottuwa. It was revealed that 21 MPs from Pohottuwa are receiving a monthly allowance of 200,000 from the highest levels of the government. Among these 21 MPs are two female members. The allowance, amounting to 200,000 rupees each month, is intended to secure their support for the government when needed. Additionally, it was reported that this allowance was distributed to the 21 MPs with the involvement of a prominent figure from another party.