President Ranil Wickremesinghe had not planned any ceremony or other celebration for his birthday even though it fell last Sunday.
Throughout the day, he stayed with First Lady Prof. Maithri Wickremesinghe at his official residence at Paget Road, Colombo.
Former Presidents, Ministers as well as ordinary people had made phone calls to wish the President. Some had come to the Paget Road residence to wish him well.
According to the instructions given by the President to call again to thank everyone who greeted him over the phone, the security personnel had connected the calls to President Wickremesinghe from time to time last week.
Instead of coming to the Presidential Secretariat as usual, President Wickremesinghe went to Sujatha Primary School, Narahenpita with a gift for the children. It was to mark the inauguration of the Government’s policy of providing lunch to children from Grade one to five. The President came to the President’s office in the evening, after providing meals to the little children and interacting with them.
In the evening, the President received message after message appreciating the provision of lunch to the children of the country. Principals, teachers as well as parents of remote schools sent messages to the President through people known to them, appreciating it.
Director General of Government Information Dinith Chinthaka showed the President a message sent by a principal of a village at Kalpitiya.
It stated: “Sir, nearly 90 percent of the parents of the children who come to our school are wage earners. Therefore, children come to school hungry. Many of them don’t come to school because they faint. There are children who drink water for dinner and go to bed. Now the situation has changed. Ninety percent of the children come to school and conduct their studies as their food is given. Sir, thank you very much.”.
Political cabinet meets
The President told him that in the future this will be gradually developed so that it can be given to all school students. On that day too, the Political Cabinet had met before the Cabinet meeting and the talk about a General Election also came up.
But the position of the President was that since the IMF program will drag on until the end of July, it is not possible to hold an election until then. President Wickremesinghe also informed the Cabinet meeting held thereafter.
The President had said that he would not be able to hold elections until August as he could not disrupt the IMF program by holding mid-term elections. President Wickremesinghe informed the Cabinet of Ministers that since the Election Commission will get the power to call for a Presidential Election after July, it is possible to hold a Presidential Election first.
The President had assigned UNP Deputy Leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam to coordinate the affairs of the education sector.
Accordingly, he came with a group of university lecturers and professors to meet the President on Monday evening. Most of those who came did not belong to any political party, but they only agreed with the President’s ideology.
The President spoke about the political freedom students had in universities then and also about its loss today and requested the university lecturers to intervene to change this situation.
Centre for AI
President Wickremesinghe joined the Digital Common Facilities Conference on Tuesday morning and spoke about the construction of a centre for artificial intelligence (AI).
The President, who opened the liver disease treatment centre at Ragama Hospital, came to the inaugural assembly of the National Student Parliament. There, a young student appreciated that he got to see the President face to face and asked him to solve the problems in education in the same way as solving economic problems.
Everyone appreciated the student’s forthright answers to the questions asked by the President. At the end of the meeting, the President looked at the officials including Secretary Saman Ekanayake, who was next to him and said, “There is nothing to fear about the future of Z Generation. I also asked JVP questions, but the children’s answers were not the JVP’s answers,” President Wickremesinghe said with a smile.
UNP Management Committee meets
That evening, the UNP Management Committee met at the Presidential Secretariat. As soon as the President arrived, General Secretary Range Bandara gave a report on the party’s work and the President asked Range Bandara whether the organisers had been officially appointed for the Jaffna district.
“Sir, no one has been appointed as yet. Currently we are appointing only regional organisers. The Jaffna list has not been received as yet.” When Range Bandara said that, Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene and Deputy Leader Akila Viraj Kariyawasam endorsed Range Bandara’s speech and said that they have not appointed any electoral organisers.
Another group also said that no one has been appointed except the regional organisers. After that the President asked about May Day organisation activities and General Secretary Range Bandara said that since 1,000 regional organisers will be appointed, they have been assigned the responsibility of bringing people to the May Day rally. Minister Harin Fernando had also presented his plan to the President.
National Art Gallery
The President visited the closed National Art Gallery and instructed the authorities to open it this year. The President went to Galle on Wednesday to open Sri Lanka’s largest maternity hospital.
The Sri Lanka national football team, which defeated Bhutan, met the President and presented a jersey named after him.
National Security Adviser Sagala Ratnayaka and others who had gone to India to implement the agreements between the President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of India met the authorities there and discussed the way forward and the President was also informed about it.
“Intervention of women”
When President Wickremesinghe came to the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday morning, a group of people were waiting to provide information to him about the Executive Council of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP).
“We have come to know that MP Rohitha Abeygunawardena was due to be appointed as the National Organiser of ‘Pohottuwa’. But the people told us that the appointment of MP Namal Rajapaksa was done with the intervention of a group of women.” This was how Minister Manusha opened the conversation.
“After Basil quit the National Organiser post, Chamal, Mahinda, Basil and Gotabaya had met and talked about the person who will be given the post of National Organiser. Chamal’s idea was that the Rajapaksas should leave their positions for a while. Chamal had said that because an opinion against the Rajapaksas is being created by the JVP, SJB and the people who broke away from ‘Pohottuwa’, give this position to someone other than the Rajapaksa and show the country that there is no such thing. Everyone had agreed to it,” Prof. Ashu Marasinghe said, disclosing the information he received.
“Two names had been proposed for the National Organiser. One was Prasanna Ranatunga and the other was Rohitha Abeygunawardena. Since he is the Chief Government Whip, Prasanna did not want to accept the position saying that accepting this would be an obstacle to dealing with other parties. But when Rohitha wanted to take this position, things turned the other way,” said MP Wajira Abeywardena, joining in the conversation.
“Surprised”
“The Ministers had gone to the Executive Council meeting not knowing that Namal would be appointed. Many of them were late due to their official duties. But they are surprised by the appointment. A friend of former Minister Chamal Rajapaksa told me that he was upset and was standing aside,” Manusha Nanayakkara raised his voice again.
“Now these people are divided into two camps. It is said that Basil Rajapaksa is also frustrated. On the other hand, people who made statements to the media about Namal’s appointment did not highlight or praise him. The statements were made by them in a very disappointed manner. This division may also affect the upcoming elections. We also have to be careful here,” Range Bandara said.
“There is chaos in the party and in the family. So, we have to take a balanced view. We have to go for the Presidential Election with everyone.” When Ashu Marasinghe completed his speech, the President, who had heard everything, only smiled and said nothing.
PM visits China
Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena went to China for a six-day official visit following an invitation extended by the Chinese government. Premier Gunawardena who went to China last Sunday (March 24) met Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang, Speaker and many senior Ministers.
During the Prime Minister’s visit, nine agreements were signed between the two countries. Premier Gunawardena, who discussed with the Chairman of the National People’s Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Zhao Leji, came to Beijing’s Tiananmen Square and paid floral tributes to the martyred war heroes at the War Heroes Memorial. The first thing the Prime Minister did was to meet Sri Lankan professionals at the Sri Lankan Embassy there.
“Participate in the economic development efforts and be an asset to the motherland, it is imperative at this time,” said the Prime Minister.
The capital Beijing looked like an ‘ocean of lion flags’ because all the main leaders of China had organised meetings for Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang welcomed Premier Gunawardena to the people of China at a ceremony and they had a special bond with him.
“You and your family have continuously worked to strengthen the friendship between China and Sri Lanka,” Chinese Premier Li Qiang said during official diplomatic talks.
The discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping was extremely important and it was held for over an hour at the Great Hall of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing.
“For nearly a century, we considered Philip Gunawardena and his family as China’s closest friends. Your visit is like meeting a long-time friend. That is why we are providing special support to Sri Lanka at this time,” Chinese President Xi Jinping said with great tenderness.
Philip’s grandson, MP Yadamini Gunawardena was also there at the time. State Ministers Shehan Semasinghe and Ashoka Priyantha accompanied the Prime Minister on this visit.
The Chinese President remem bered with gratitude Philip Gunawardena and Kusuma Gunawardena.
Premier’s mother, Kusuma Gunawardena, was the first President of Sri Lanka China Friendship Association (in 1950). Philip Gunawardena went to China in 1951, the first Sri Lankan delegation to visit the country since the Chinese Revolution. It was then that the foundation of the non-aligned policy was laid.
National hero
The 52nd commemoration of national hero Philip Gunawardena was also held on March 26 and Premier Gunawardena was in China that day. Therefore, he fulfilled his duty before March 26 and offered floral tributes to Philip Gunawardena statue at Boralugoda, Avissawella.
‘Smart women’
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa started his work recently by participating in the women’s conference of the ‘Samagi Wanitha Balawegaya’ at the Samanala Grounds, Galle.
The Opposition Leader said that the maximum strength and empowerment that can be provided for women in a Government of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) will definitely be implemented.
Opposition Leader Premadasa said that 52 percent women in the country will be created as a generation of ‘smart women’ and a separate Presidential Task Force and a Commission will be created for them and the party that has done a record service for women is the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.
Former President’s statement discussed
Meanwhile, there was a discussion between the Opposition Leader and a group of SJB Parliamentarians about former President Maithripala Sirisena’s statement that he knew the truth about the people who committed the Easter Sunday attacks. The Opposition Leader said that there is a need for a fair and transparent investigation regarding the Easter Sunday attacks.
“There is a need for a transparent investigation composed of foreign and domestic experts without hiding information or trying to save people who are responsible. All those involved in the Easter attack should be found, brought before the law and given the maximum punishment according to the law. The President said that Scotland Yard would be brought in to investigate the Easter Sunday attacks. Until today, Scotland Yard has not come to the country to investigate this,’’ the Opposition Leader said.
“There were many cases in the court about the Easter Sunday attacks. Former President Maithripala Sirisena did not talk about this even on one occasion. Now he is talking as if he has woken up. I don’t know if he is crazy or not. It may be a political conspiracy with an election approaching. Former President Maithripala is trying to enact some kind of drama,” SJB MP S.M. Marikkar said.
“It is a big sin that former President Maithripala Sirisena knowingly and concealing information regarding a crime hides that information. He should be arrested in this regard,” MP J.C. Alawathuwala said.
“The statement made by former President Maithripala Sirisena regarding the Easter Sunday attacks was not a statement he just made on his own accord. This is a ‘political trap’. We need to find out the politicians behind this ‘political trap’. That scenario can be a part of a political drama. This is a statement made based on someone’s political need. Those who conduct investigations in this regard should carefully investigate this matter. It can also be a part of a scenario to be led by a certain party to gain power in the country,” MP Nalin Bandara said. When the conversation ended like that, the Opposition Leader resumed the work of the ‘Sakwala’ program as usual without taking a break.
The Opposition Leader, who started the ‘Sakwala’ program last week by giving a smart classroom to Kiwula Primary School, Ambalantota, said, “Many people ask me if I am not visiting the US, Canada and Australia. My aim is not to travel from country to country. I will go to the 10,126 schools in Sri Lanka and look for deficiencies and help the 4.1 million students in the country.
On the occasion of giving a smart classroom to Kotawaya Maha Vidyalaya, Tangalle, the Opposition Leader said, “The Government has arranged to provide lunch to schoolchildren. But lunch is given only to children of primary classes. Late President Ranasinghe Premadasa gave uniforms and lunch to students. There are things to talk about for a whole day about the work he did. Is it possible to divide the children into parts? We cannot do so.
“The lunch program is an essential program for every school. It is regrettable that only primary schoolchildren are given lunch. By the end of this year, 4.1 million students in 10,126 schools will be given lunch under a SJB Government,’’ he said.
The Opposition Leader told a meeting with the members of the Opposition that there is a situation where the rights of parties are limited from father to son and then to grandson. Even though some political parties do that, the country belongs to 22 million Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim citizens of all races and religions. Because the ownership of the country does not belong to any family and we should act as temporary caretakers by giving priority to the democratic rights of 22 million people.
“The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna and the Rajapaksa’s live on politics today. They cannot live without positions. Namal Rajapaksa cannot survive if he leaves politics. Rajapaksa family politics is a business. The Rajapaksa’s only thought is about their family. The dreams of 22 million people were shattered by the Rajapaksas. We did not get the opportunity to develop the country for 30 years. The Rajapaksa’s got success in politics because of Ranil Wickremesinghe’s power struggle, SJB Presidential Polls Operational Chief Sujeewa Senasinghe said.
Humanitarian capitalism
The Opposition Leader participated in the Blueprint program to unveil the economic vision of Samagi Jana Balawegaya last week. “Many people say not to use the word capitalism. But, not me. The entrepreneurs created through capitalism are the ones in the country today. Therefore, it is not good to be reluctant to talk about capitalism.
Capitalism has its flaws. So, we follow humanitarian capitalism. It is necessary to create space for the social market in humanistic capitalist progress to build the country. There will never be any room for entrepreneurship through socialism. Socialism is an anti-entrepreneur concept,” the Opposition Leader said.
Then MP Nalin Bandara said, “National People’s Power (NPP) has also named an economic council. I invite the Economic Committee of the NPP for a fresh debate with the Economic Committee of the SJB. This is the seventh time that I am making this challenge to the Economic Committee of the NPP. When we challenge, the people of the Economic Committee of the NPP hide in fear.”
Sujeewa Senasinghe said, “We hope to launch the ‘Samagi Jan Sandanaya’ on April 5. We also hope to bring the largest number of people to a May Day in history this year. The base of the SJB has been strengthened now. We hope to turn the floating votes towards the SJB. Those who hold ministerial portfolios in the Government have also expressed their desire to join the SJB.”
