As the Presidential Election battle rages, a program of Opposition MPs switching to the parties of their choice is continuing in the political arena.
Meanwhile, there are allegations that various parties exchange money back and forth in the political arena. It is clear that everyone is keeping an eye on the way President Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is also a Presidential candidate, is running his political campaign.
While two major political parties are playing on the stage, President Wickremesinghe is quietly planning the way forward. Everyone is searching for the end of the journey of realising the still sea deep imagination, but no one is in a position to think about it yet. That’s why there are many rumours going on in the political arena.
President meets Kandy traders
President Wickremesinghe spent the last weekend in Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. The first meeting was held at the President’s House, Kandy and the representatives of the Kandy District Trade Association participated. All trade association representatives thanked the President for restoring the country’s economy and they also presented facts about the complications in tax collection.
President Wickremesinghe spoke about the development of Kandy as well as the import of vehicles next year. Pointing out that there will be more taxes for vehicle imports, the President also spoke about changing the country’s tax policies.
Following the meeting, the President went to the Peradeniya road to meet the plantation labour union leaders. The President had earlier instructed the Security Forces that his presence should not disturb the large crowd that had come for the Kandy Esala festival.
The President also had to attend the meeting after travelling like an ordinary citizen in the middle of the traffic jam due to the implementation of his advice not to disturb the people by closing the roads he was traveling on.
After that, there was a meeting of the former heads of the Local Government institutions of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), where the former Mayor of Kurunegala, Thushara Sanjeewa, said, “Just like we ensured the victory of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, we will also ensure your victory this time.” Following this, the others too echoed the same statement.
After the meetings in Kandy, President Wickremesinghe went to Hatton city to attend the meeting of the business and plantation community organised by MP Vadivel Suresh. Later, the President joined a UNP rally organised by K.K. Piyadasa and left for Nuwara Eliya.
President Wickremesinghel, who arrived at the Flower Road political office, Colombo early on Monday morning, went to the Presidential Secretariat in the evening for the Cabinet meeting. In the meantime, SLPP Puttalam district MP Jagath Priyankara who was also present said that he would support the President.
The President spent most of last week on his election work in the political office. For the sake of the alliance, SJB MPs and Muslim and Tamil MPs met the President to support his presidential battle.
On Wednesday evening, the President had summoned Director General of Government Information, Dinith Chinthaka Karunaratne to his office. The President asked about the behaviour of the state and private media.
Media
“We are monitoring the behaviour of all the media from the day nominations were given up to now. The Election Commission also asked us to do it. We present the collected information to the Election Commission. I also receive complaints against the Government and private media,” Director General Dinith Chinthaka said.
“According to the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, the Election Commission has the power to control the media. Please also inform me about these regulatory affairs,” the President told Dinith Chinthaka.
While President Wickremesinghe was in office, he received a phone call from the Prime Minister of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus. As a result of an attempt to contact him to congratulate him on his new position, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh called President Wickremesinghe.
After President Wickremesinghe first congratulated Yunus on his new position, the Bangladesh Prime Minister said that he will try to settle the situation in his country as soon as possible.
When President Wickremesinghe asked him to protect the country’s economy, Prime Minister Yunus requested him to inform Sri Lankan investors who have invested in Bangladesh not to leave the country.
While President Wickremesinghe said that he would work for the development of Bangladesh in every possible way, Prime Minister Yunus also invited him to visit Bangladesh after the situation calms down.
“We need your support to establish law and order in the country and to revive the economy. Just as Sri Lanka was rescued from the crisis, help to rescue Bangladesh from the crisis,” Yunus finally asked the President.
Nominations
President Wickremesinghe signed the nomination papers that morning. He arrived at the political office on Flower Road in the morning as Thursday was the day set aside to hand over the nomination papers to the Election Commission.
MP Wajira Abeywardena had prepared the auspicious time of departure from the office and at that time the President left for the Election Secretariat, Rajagiriya. After the religious rites, the President went to the Election Secretariat before leaving for the main hall and asked the election officials how many candidates there were.
When the election officials said, “Sir, 40 candidates have deposited money.” The President replied, “Oh, then a bus will have to be deployed here for them.” The officers couldn’t stop laughing.
When his turn came, President Wickremesinghe, who came with Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, went to hand over the nominations. Then Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa also came and stood in the queue behind him. Sajith, who was in the queue, went behind the seats where the election officials were sitting and everyone started talking about his attempt to hand over the nominations.
“In 2015, President Mahinda Rajapaksa also handed over nominations in the same way.” Sagala Ratnayaka who was there nodded his head with approval, remembering what happened to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
President Wickremesinghe spoke to all the candidates. When the President left after the nomination process, he shook hands with Opposition Leader Premadasa, but the way he reacted was criticised by everyone there.
The President went near Anura Dissanayake who was sitting in the last row of the main hall and greeted him and said something and no one heard what it was.
Congratulating Namal Rajapaksa as well, the President left to greet the people who had come to support him. Meanwhile, the President asked his brother Channa to look into the ballot symbol. President Wickremesinghe told the election officials and Director General of Government Information Dinith Chinthaka to provide support if needed.
They had already planned to use the gas cylinder as the election symbol and since no one asked for that symbol, they got the gas cylinder as the symbol of President Wickremesinghe. Since the country was taken over in an era when there was no gas, those present started saying that the symbol was the most suitable symbol for the President.
Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Rathnayake conveyed a message to Director General of Government Information Dinith Chinthaka asking him to inform President Wickremesinghe immediately.
The message stated that a group of people from Wattala were going on a procession in support of the President. Dinith Chinthaka immediately informed the President and he also showed the photographs provided by the Commissioner General of Elections to the President.
The President then informed MP Wajira Abeywardena and Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayaka to give instructions to stop the procession.
In the afternoon, President Wickremesinghe went to the Gangaramaya and the Walukaramaya and invoked blessings and returned home. Many Ministers and MPs were there and they discussed the current political situation with the President.
Rs. 4 billion
They also discussed how parties and groups changed sides and how Rs.4 billion was transferred to the Opposition from a foreign country. Those there said that even though their parties are gone; the MPs are with the President. The President left the group to worship at the Sri Dalada Maligawa and called on the Chief Prelates of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters and invoked their blessings.
Later the President joined the inaugural public rally of the Presidential Election at Salgadu Ground, Anuradhapura yesterday, August 17 in the midst of cheers and applause of a massive crowd.
The day for electing the ninth Presidential Election in Sri Lanka is approaching.
The process of accepting nominations for the 2024 Presidential Election ended on August 15 of last week. The proceedings were held in the auditorium of the Election Commission office, Rajagiriya and 39 of the 40 candidates who had deposited money submitted nomination papers. Twenty-two candidates from recognised political parties, 17 independent candidates and one candidate from another political party submitted nominations for this year’s Presidential Election. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa handed over the nominations to contest the Presidential Election from the Samagi Jana Balawega (SJB).
After handing over the nominations, Opposition Leader Premadasa who addressed the party members said, “A new era that will bring prosperity to all and free our country and 22 million people from suffering, an era that will eliminate corruption, fraud and theft and serve the public selflessly, will definitely begin with the September 21 Presidential Election. The Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the Samagi Jana Sandanaya are starting the journey to win 22 million people with the strength of the common people.”
Educated and intelligent people
“The Samagi Jana Balawegaya and the Samagi Jana Sandanaya have educated and intelligent people who can rebuild the country. In the process of bringing Sri Lanka to the number one position in the world, we will create a public era, which sacrifices everything and keeps the common people alive, respects the law of the country, and recover the stolen money and the lost property and resources,” he said.
After handing over the nomination papers, the Opposition Leader went to the Gangaramaya Temple, Hunupitiya, to perform religious rites. Following which he participated in the religious ceremonies organised at the Hindu Kovil in Modera, Grand Mosque in Central Colombo, St. Mary’s Church, Bambalapitiya and the Nalandaramaya in Nugegoda.
Fair decision
Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that the decision taken by the SJB to revoke the party membership of Ministers Manusha Nanayakkara and Harin Fernando was in accordance with the law.
The Supreme Court had dismissed the petitions filed by Nanayakara and Fernando demanding that the decision taken by the SJB to revoke their party membership was against the law. Commenting on this, SJB General Secretary MP Ranjith Madduma Bandara said, “After discussion within the party, the Election Commissioner will be notified as to who will be appointed from the SJB National List for the vacant positions.
“Bandula Lal Bandarigoda is next in the list after Nanayakkara in the list of the Galle district, Accordingly, Bandula Lal Bandarigoda is legally appointed to Parliament. In future, we hope to discuss within the party and take decisions related to the vacant MP positions,” he said.
“The party will take a decision about the SJB National List MP and inform the Election Commissioner as to who should be nominated from that list. The Court has given a fair decision. It is a victory of democracy,” Madduma Bandara said.
Another 27 political parties have decided to support Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa at the upcoming Presidential Election. An agreement was signed with the Samagi Jana Sandanaya with the 27 political parties.
On Friday, the 27 political parties, including the Humanist People’s Alliance, Eksath Lanka Podujana Party, Democratic People’s Congress, Progressive New Left Front, New Democratic National Front, and New Lanka Progressive Front signed an agreement with the Samagi Jana Sandanaya.
Member of Parliament Patali Champika Ranawaka, who represents the United Republican Front, also extended his support to Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in the upcoming Presidential Election, and joined hands with the Samagi Jana Sandanaya.
An agreement was reached between Opposition Leader Premadasa and the All Ceylon People’s Congress led by MP Rishad Bathiudeen for the upcoming Presidential Election.
MP Tissa Attanayake said, “The SJB has already started campaigning for the Presidential Election. It is expected to hold 100 election propaganda rallies all over the country for the victory of SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa.
“Arrangements have also been made to hold nearly 400 medium scale meetings. By now, preparations have been made to hold a group discussions to inform the people at the polling station level through the organisers of the SJB. A number of programs had been planned to be held in conjunction with the Presidential Election,” he said.
MP S.M. Marikkar said, “The people come like a tsunami for the public rallies attended by SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa. We were also able to go to Weeraketiya, the stronghold of the Rajapaksa’s, and show the strength of the SJB. The opinion of the people in rural areas was clearly explained in the SJB’s Jana Pavura program in Elpitiya.
“A large number of people in rural areas also participated in the ‘Jana Pavura’ program in Mahiyanganaya. Since the problems of poor people were not looked into in the past, the interest of people in rural areas towards the Government is decreasing,’’ he said.
Before the inaugural rally of Sajith Premadasa, he visited the Sri Dalada Maligawa, Kandy and invoked blessings. Thereafter, the Opposition Leader went to Sri Maha Natha Devalaya, Sri Maha Vishnu Devalaya and Sri Maha Kataragama Devalaya and invoked blessings. Following which the Opposition Leader called on the Chief Prelates of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters. The Opposition Leader’s wife Jalani Premadasa, MPs Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Gayantha Karunathilaka, Lakshman Kiriella, Sujeewa Senasinghe, Harshana Rajakaruna and Rohini Kumari Kaviratne were also present.
The inaugural public rally of Opposition Leader and SJB Leader Sajith Premadasa was held in Kurunegala on Friday, August 16. A massive crowd attended the inaugural public rally and all the leaders of the political parties who joined the Samagi Jana Sandanaya were present.
