Can Ranil opt to be independent at election
How firm Shashindra in leaving the family clique
LG elections in confusion
Basil’s Secret referendum
We’ve heard that Basil Rajapakse visited Sri Lanka and is now terrified after seeing the results of a poll he conducted about the election. There is no one who can stop Samagi Jana Balavega from winning the upcoming elections. Pohottuwa cannot be prevented from losing the election. That is why they are now attempting to postpone the elections…’
Last week, the media spokesperson for the Samagi Jana Balavega, Member of Parliament Mr. S.M. Marikkar, made the following statement in Parliament. Marikkar made this statement against a backdrop of unprecedented attention to elections paid by all political parties, the Election Commission, and the judiciary. With Marikkar’s statement emerging against such a backdrop, everyone was curious as to what information Marikkar had to make such a statement. Many people were curious about the basis of Marikkar’s statement that Pohottuwa has come to reconsider holding elections, especially given the popular belief in the country that the Rajapaksas are not afraid of elections.
Two weeks ago, we also said in this column that during Mr. Basil Rajapaksa’s stay in the United States, he had held many rounds of discussions with the leaders of Pohottu regarding how the Pohottu Party should work in the future, how it should face the elections, etc. We also discovered that Basil had conducted a poll using various groups from America about how the vote would be divided in the upcoming elections. Although the results have not been officially received by Basil, according to Basil’s general calculations, SJB will get more than 50% of the votes in the next election, while Pohottuwa will get 35% of the votes. Accordingly, we mentioned that Basil’s calculation was that Pohottuwa would take the second place.
However, immediately after arriving in Sri Lanka, Basil received the official results of the referendum he had conducted. The most significantly visible here was that there was an unimaginable gap between the results that Basil had calculated from America and the results that were actually learned by this opinion poll. This poll also confirmed that SJB will take the first place by receiving more than 51% of the votes as Basil had estimated in America. But the problem was that receiving Basil’s brow furrowed after the second place.
Basil thought that Pohottuwa would get 35% of the votes and get the second place, but according to these results, Pohottuwa was placed in the third place. Basil’s eyes went up when the opinion poll revealed that the JVP would get the second place. Accordingly, Basil was very upset when it was revealed through this opinion poll that JVP will become the opposition in this country for the first time. But Basil, who didn’t show it to anyone, locked the result document containing the poll in the desk drawer of his room in the party office on Nelum Mawatha, where no one would go near it.
The results are surprising
As a result, Nelum Mawatha reports that Basil has reconsidered his plans once more. Basil was initially of the opinion that the polls should be held under any circumstances, but with the results of the opinion poll, Basil is forced to postpone the polls as Ranil . The reason for this is that Basil has realised that voting in this situation would be tantamount to committing suicide on the part of the party.
So what will Basil do now? Under this situation, will it be possible to hold the local government election before next March and establish that institution as the Election Commission and even the opposition are saying?
However, even though the Election Commission says that the local government elections will be held before March, there is a reason hidden here that many people do not know. That is Mr. Nimal Punchihewa, who was the Chairman of the Election Commission, was a close friend of the Rajapaksa family as well as their confidant. During the administration of Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the 19th constitution amendment was abolished, and Mr. Nimal Punchihewa was appointed as the chairman of the election commission established by the 20th constitution amendment, because he was a close friend of the Rajapaksa family through his loyalty and ability to expand or shrink the electoral map as per Rajapaksa’s wishes.
The Election Commission has repeatedly said that it will hold elections at a specific time, but due to the secret result of the opinion poll that was in Basil’s hands, it will not be surprising if the Rajapaksas put pressure on the Election Commission to proceed with the government’s plan without holding elections in the future.
Mahinda returns to Nelum Mawatha
In addition to this, last week, Basil kept these results in mind and held several rounds of discussions with the ministers, constituency organizers, and high level and village level members of the party at the party office in Nelum Mawatha. The most special happening witnessed here was that Basil took steps to invite the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is the leader of Pohottuwa after a long time, to the party office for these discussions. In these discussions, Basil commented on the elections from a position of being on the fence that ‘you can have an election or you can’t have’. In these discussions, Basil presented facts about all matters related to setting up nomination boards, conducting campaign activities, and managing the party machinery if the election is held.
Warning from party organizers
However, especially many councillors and seat organizers informed Basil that if the election is dragged on without holding, the fate of Pohottuwa may become more severe. They further told Basil that in any unfavourable situation, if an election is held, the unfavourable situation could be avoided up to some extent, but postponing the election will only aggravate the situation further. This idea of the MPs and seat organizers was settled firmly in Basil’s head by last week. In particular, they pointed out that all the parties, organizations and individuals that were there at that time should once again work together with Pohottuwa as before at least to get 35% of the votes. If not, they had pointed out to Basil that the percentage of votes in Pohottuwa could be greatly reduced.
Accordingly, last week, Basil once again started his operation to collect all those who were broken away from the Pohottuwa. Basil started sending messages to different parties to reunite the GL-Dallas team, Wimal team and Anura Yapa team who are now independent with in Pohottuwa. But the problem was that all these parties had pulled away from pohottuwa on Basil’s issue.
A harsh retort from Wimal
However, in order to negotiate with Wimal and Gammanpila, Basil had sent a special message through a messenger, and he had asked Wimal that he had an invitation from Basil to make up the old shortcomings and re-align with Pohottuwa. The news we have here says that immediately upon receiving this invitation, Wimal and Gammanpila has gaven a stern reply to this messenger. Wimal’s reply was that he would not go to form an alliance again with the people who destroyed the president who had a mandate of 69 lakh; people destroyed the government which had a two-thirds majority, lost the finance minister’s post, lost the parliament MP’s position, and ultimately destroyed the party. Basil also send messages to GL- Dallas team, but there was no response from those parties. Accordingly, it was clear from those responses that no one who leaves the pod and becomes independent will join the pod again.
On the other hand, a group under the leadership of Ramesh Pathirana has been seen emerging in Pohottu. Kanchana Wijesekera and others are in that group and their mission is to remove the current general secretary of Pohottuwa Mr. Sagara Kariyawasam and appoint someone else. But since that operation has failed so far, it seems that the group has started talks to form another new party. The ‘Rajya Rahas’ column has heard that the discussions are currently taking place both inside and outside the Parliament.
Will Ranil become independent?
In the midst of all this, Mahinda come to the Parliament as usual and discussed amicably with all the ministers in his usual style. Historically Mahinda is known for someone who has good PR. Accordingly, these days when Mahinda is in the assembly, when he is in the lobby and when he is in the canteen, he talks more with the MPs who have left Pohottuwa. Mahinda is also seen very relaxed, hanging out with them and cracking jokes.
Also, in these discussions, there has been a discussion about a conversation said to have related by Amaraweera in the opposition lobby. Amaraweera had said that during a discussion regarding the elections in the cabinet, the president said that there is a possibility of holding an election, and if that happens, he has declared that he would be independent without supporting any party.
How the three ministers survived
Last week we reported how a group of MPs from Pohottuwa planned to defeat the budget heads of three cabinet ministers along this belt. There we pointed out that Pohottuwa is planning to defeat the budget heads of Ministers Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, Nimal Siripala da Silva and Nasir Ahmed, and that they are planning to defeat these budget heads based on the fact that Pohottuve MPs are not taken into consideration and Pohottu MPs are not respected.
However, after this revelation that we made, this situation came to the ears of the heads of the government. Since Basil Rajapaksa, the mastermind of Pohottuwa, was in Sri Lanka at that time, this topic was brought up in a discussion between Basil and the President. Finally, Basil asked the MPs to abandon the operation. Then when the MPs pointed out their problems to Basil, said that he would discuss it with the President and take steps to provide solutions.
Fate of Nimal Siripala’s budget vote?
According to Basil’s account, the Pohottu councillors abandoned the mission of defeating the three ministers’ budget heads, but this story was renewed once again after a message sent by SLFP General Secretary Mr. Dayasiri Jayasekara to the Pohottu councillors last week. In that message, it was said that if Mr. Nimal Siripala de Silva, who joined the government from the SLFP, worked to defeat the budget head, SLFP Party members would vote against it. Dayasiri further said that if 10 or 15 Pohottu MPs do not come on that day, Nimal’s budget can be defeated.
Anyway, the debate for Nimal Siripala’s budget head is scheduled for next 05th. But to what extent Dayasiri Pohotutu’s request will be fulfilled on that day, it is not possible to say right now.
A dinner hosted by Chandrika
Last week, the former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who was a patron of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, took steps to give a dinner to several MPs representing the independent MP group from Pohottuwa. During this dinner, there was a discussion between Chandrika and independent MPs about the current political situation as well as the political measures to be taken in the future.
Here, Chandrika pointed out to the MPs that a broad alliance should be formed from the opposition side in the future. Chandrika was of the opinion that since Samagi Jana Balawega has now established itself as the main opposition in the country, this broad alliance should be formed together with it. Accordingly, it was also discussed that the dates of holding the related discussions should be discussed with Sajith Premadasa and used as soon as possible.
Position Chandrika gets in the alliance
Here, Chandrika took steps to reveal one more secret to the MPs. It is about the responsibility she will have in this broad alliance that is emerging.
I have already received a proposal from that side. To work as a patron of this emerging alliance. Because they say that I am the only experienced former president here. Let’s see what we shall do in the future…’ said Chandrika to the MPs.
Shashindra dropped the scarf
On several previous occasions, we have taken steps to report through this column that a political crisis is emerging in the Rajapaksa family. We also pointed out the related incidents one by one and said that after Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa assumed the office of President, this situation turned into a serious situation.
Finally, how Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa had to resign as Prime Minister, how Mr. Basil Rajapaksa had to leave the country not only from the position of Finance Minister but also from the position of Member of Parliament, and finally the proposal that dual citizens cannot hold the positions of MPs through the 22nd Amendment, Chamal Rajapaksa, Shashindra Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa voting for the amendment. We also reported how the crisis escalated through the show of hands. We said there that Chamal and Shashindra have decided to go on a separate political journey.
Another serious incident happened here last weekend. That is the decision of Chamal’s son Shashindra Rajapaksa, who is ready to become the next political strongman of the Rajapaksa family, to drop the Kurahan scarf, the official emblem of the Rajapaksa family. Accordingly, for the first time last week, Shashindra took the step to come to the Parliament dressed in a full set of European clothes without the kurahan scarf.
Kurahan Satakaya and Rajapakses
This Kurahan sataka of the Rajapaksa family has a great political history and significance. In short, the political brand of the Rajapaksa family is the Kurahan scarf. Even today, the Rajapaksa generation is politically baptized wearing the Kurahan scarf. Accordingly, in 2009, when Shashindra entered politics for the first time and competed for the post of Chief Minister of Uva, the then former President Mahinda Rajapaksa took steps to politically baptize Shashindra by wearing a headscarf for the first time. After that, when Mr. Namal Rajapakse ran for the parliamentary election for the first time in the general election held in 2010, Mahinda baptize with the Kurahan scarf and took steps to give Namal a political identity.
Accordingly, from 2009 until now, Shashindra was engaged in politics wearing the national dress and wearing a kurahan scarf. But bringing the Rajapaksa family’s political crisis to the fore once again, Shashindra took off his kurahan scarf and put on a tie coat to come to Parliament last week, and it was a special happening.
Namal missing
Meanwhile, we are ready to reveal another incident that happened within the Rajapaksa family this week through the ‘Rajya Rahas’ column. It is about an incident that happened to Namal. We mentioned here once about the operation launched within the party by Namal to seize power in Pohottu when Basil was in America. There we pointed out that a series of meetings had been organized with the aim of getting the post of national organizer of the party held by Basil.
We have mentioned here how Namal planned to take this series of meetings all over the country starting from Beliyatte, how the seat organizers called Namal and how he was asked to stop the meetings after two or three meetings, and how Namal’s presence in his villages could adversely affect the party. Accordingly, the countrywide meetings started by Namal with the aim of capturing the power of the party were limited to only to two or three meetings.
With the return of Basil Rajapaksa to Sri Lanka, this situation has become more acute. By now, it has been almost three weeks since Basil came to Sri Lanka, but within those three weeks, no one was able to find Namal.
Gota, who said would come, has not come
Meanwhile, last week D.A. Rajapaksa Commemoration was held in Colombo. A press release was issued by the party office in Pohottuva informing the media in this regard. It was stated that in addition to Chamal, Mahinda and Basil, former President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is also scheduled to participate in this event. Accordingly, this D.A. Rajapakse commomoration was to be the first public meeting that Gotabhaya was going to attend after returning to Sri Lanka after fleeing from Sri Lanka. Before that, Gota had attend the pirith chanting held at Carlton House on the occasion of Mahinda’s 77th birthday, but it was limited to only a few family members.
However, the D.A.Rajapakse commemoration held in Colombo witnessed two special events . The first of which was for the first time in history a United National Party leader attending a D.A Rajapakse commemoration. The second incident was that Gotabhaya, who was originally supposed to come, did not attend his father’s memorial service.
Through these events, early signs of a political alliance between the United National Party and Pohottu were seen. Another incident is news to the ‘Rajya rahas’ column is a notification given by the President to several UNP constituency organizers last week.
UNP to work together with Pohottuwa
Here the President has said to party organisers to prepare to work together with the organizers of Pohottuwa. When the President made this statement, many UNP seat organizers looked at each other’s faces, the ‘Rajya Rahas’ column understands. How can we work together with the people of Pohottuwa? We have a shame. Many seat organizers have said to each other that it is better to say goodbye to politics…’. According to this, many UNP seat organizers are ready to announce that they will leave politics in the future.
Minister who brought double black to the party
In a message received by all the ministers of the ruling party last Tuesday morning, it was said that a special dinner has been prepared at Temple trees and that they should be present at Temple trees by 7 pm. The most notable here was that all the ministers were informed to bring their wives along.
Accordingly, while many ministers who met in Parliament that morning were talking about this, the story about liquor came out. The MPs said that since the party is being held at Temple trees the Prime Minister will take steps not to provide alcohol. According to that, some remedies were seen taken by the Ministers.
However, although there was no alcohol in the Araliyagaha Madura, Minister Prasanna Ranatunga had brought several bottles of ‘Double Black’ whiskey in his car as a remedy, the ministers who were present with the wives noted. Accordingly, leaving the wives in the function hall, many of the ministers came towards the car park slowly to drink a couple of sips of double black whiskey brought by Prasanna. Already at that time several people were there and could see how they were enjoying.
However, the most special event that was seen here was that the President also came to the place after hearing about this. It was seen how the President who arrived there spent a lot of time talking and laughing with the Ministers of Pohottuwe.
What is wrong with the leaders?
President Ranil Wickremesinghe is generally regarded as a leader with international relations and known to international leaders. Because of this, the media had reported that in the past, the president not only met the heads of state on several occasions but also took steps to hold telephone discussions with them. In some cases, the President himself had taken steps to mention this publicly. However it was witnessed so far is that several state leaders whom the President spoke to and met have lost their positions within a very short period of time.
The first incident was reported by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Once the President publicly said in Parliament that he had a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and he promised to help Sri Lanka. But few days after the President’s this story, Boris Johnson was forced to resign as Prime Minister. Mrs Liz Truss was sworn in as the new Prime Minister.
The second incident was reported by Chinese Finance Minister Mr. Liu Kun. The President once went to a ceremony held at a farm in Siambalandu and said that while he was surrounded by a group of students, he made a phone call to Chinese Finance Minister Mr. Liu Kun, where the Chinese Finance Minister informed him that China is ready to help Sri Lanka. Not a few days passed after the President made this statement. Mr. Xi Jinping, who was elected as the President of China for the third time, took steps to remove Mr. Liu Kun from the position of Minister of Finance while electing his new cabinet. Instead, a new person was appointed to the position of Finance Minister.
Something happened to Ramaphosa
The third incident was reported last Thursday. It is from South Africa. A few days ago, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited Sri Lanka for a few hours break on his way to his country after participating in a foreign conference. The South African President stayed at the air force base near the airport. However, after the arrival of the South African President was reported, the President also went to the Air Force Base and had a friendly conversation with the South African President. Moreover, since it was South African President Ramaphosa’s birthday on the same day, the President also cut a special cake and wished Ramaphosa on his birthday.
However, after few days of this a serious crisis fallen on the head of the South African president. That is, in the investigation which was based on the discovery of a large amount of dollars belonging to Ramaphosa, the investigation committee issued a report ruling that Ramaphosa was guilty. The opposition has now decided to bring an impeachment resolution against Ramaphosa to the South African Parliament. This incident happened last Thursday. If the proposal is passed, Ramaphosa will have to say goodbye to his presidency and go home.