The bulldozing of the Bhuvanekabahu’s royal palace by Kurunegala Mayor Thushara Sanjeewa Vitarana was a litmus test for Gotabhaya soon after becoming president. The new young voters who elected Gota as president, as well as the Sinhala Buddhist forces, believed that Thushara should be arrested and severely punished. However, Sanjeeva Vitarana was Johnston Fernando’s best protégé, one of the Rajapaksa family’s most trusted allies and the political protector of the Rajapaksa family’s crown prince Namal.
With Mahinda’s decision to seek contest from Kurunegala, Mayor of Kurunegala Thushara Sanjeeva became an important factor in the Kurunegala election battle. As a result of Johnston’s advice, Mahinda, Basil, and Namal were forced to protect Thushara Sanjeewa. However, the advisers who advised Gota to win new youth votes forced Gota to apply the law to Thushara Sanjeewa. But Gota was powerless due to his family’s influence. A.J.M. Musamil was the North West Governor at the time.
Mahanayake Theros reqested Gotabhaya to appoint a Sinhalese Buddhist as the Governor of the North West, because North West Temples, connected to Malwatu-Asgiri Viharas, Gotabhaya transferred Musamil to Uva Province and gave the North West Governorship to a war hero Wasantha Karnagoda. Gota may have used Wasantha to teach a lesson to the mayor of Kurunegala who made him helpless. After a while, Wasantha also started clashing with Johnston, the political protector of Rajapaksas in kurunegala. Gota took Wasantha’s side at that time as well.
The struggle started when Gota was strongly pressured by the Rajapaksa family to remove Wasantha. At that time, Wasantha Karnagoda was also in a position where he could not face the pressure of Mayor Thushara Sanjeeva. Due to the struggle, the Rajapaksa family and Gota had to go home. Ranil became the president. Wasantha Karnagoda took hold. He appointed a committee to investigate corruption charges against Thushara Sanjeeva. Mayor Thushara Sanjeeva’s budget was defeated.
A member of Samagi Jana Balavega was proposed as mayor. When Mayor Thushara Sanjeeva did not resign despite the defeat of the budget, Wasantha Karnagoda used the power of the Governor and removed Thushara Sanjeeva from the post of Mayor. Johnston did not tolerate this. Before Tushara Sanjeeva was removed from the post of mayor, Johnston’s biggest hope was to get a ministerial post. Basil started his work when Ranil’s media unit planted news in the media saying that Ranil would not give Johnston a ministerial post.
Fearing that if Vasantha was in Kurunegala Pohottuwa power hold would be lost and also to resolve Ranil and Johnston political power struggle remove Vasantha from the governorship and appoint Basil’s disciple Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena as governor. Lakshman Yapa is Basil’s loyal disciple who Basil appoints as Minister of State when Basil becomes Minister.
Due to the defeat of Laxman Yapa in the 2020 general election, when Basil became the finance minister, Basil could not make Laxman Yapa the state minister for finance. Instead, he made Laxman Yapa a mentor and gave Laxman Yapa the nearest room to him in the finance minister’s office.
The truth is that Gotabhaya did not do everything that Basil said. But today, Ranil as Basil asked appointed, Lakshman Yapa as the North West Governor.
We said to strengthen the government by taking enough from the SJB. So you have to do that…’ (16.05.2023)
This is the story that Johnston Fernando told the media when he was excited about the removal of Karnagoda.
‘Then Ranil’s colleagues say that the Samagi Jana Balawega should support Ranil to finish off the Rajapaksa’s and strengthen Ranil…’
This is the story told by a UNP member who listens to Ranil’s colleagues.
Ranil’s media news plant said that the Rajapaksas were against the removal of governors, that Ranil would take his authority firmly and control the governors well and truly… U.N.P loyal thought so.
But those excited UNPers did not realise it is not Ranil who wanted to remove these governors but Basil.
Jeevan Thyagaraja, the governor of the north and Anuradha Yahampath, the governor of the east were appointed by Gotabhaya, and, did not do politics in those provinces. Anuradha was helping archaeologists to find Eastern Buddhist ruins. Mrs. Charles was the Governor of the North before Thyagaraja was appointed as the Governor of the North. Basil made Mrs. Charles governor of the north. Gotabaya removed Mrs. Charles and appointed Thyagaraja and appointed Mrs. Charles to the Election Commission on Basil’s advice.
Now it has been proved that Mrs. Charles played hide and seek game being a puppet of Basil and Ranil to prevent mini election being in the Election Commission. Basil may have promised Mrs. Charles to get the governorship of the north to play hide-and-seek game with Mrs. Charles. That is what has happened now. To postpone the election, she danced and Mrs. Charles saved the skirt of the pohottuwa and the elephant.
Senthil Thondaman, who was appointed as the Eastern Governor, was a political dealer of Basil. When there is a election, the Ceylon Labor Congress will set up Basil with his deals. Basil advised Ranil to place him in the east, probably for an eastern vote deal.
‘Ranil these days kick out army chiefs as governors by Gota’ this is how that excited UNP followers sing and dance.
The Western Governor was Roshan Gunathilake who was a war hero. He is a close friend of Gota. Gota told Ranil not to remove him. Ranil listened to Gota and did not remove him.
‘ this means all this happens as Mahinda and Gota says’
This is what happens as well known by many except stupid UNP followers Southern province governor Vilie Gamage is Basil’s good disciple, there is no issue for him.
‘ the war hero who was sanctioned by USA face a plight where man fell off from the tree being horned by a bull being thrown away by Ranil but why so called Buhist monks and organizations are silence about it…?
Because they know it is not Ranil’s decision it is Rajapakse family decision’.
‘we all get together and corporate and deliver’
when we see these cannot resist recalling ‘sunils’ song!