Problem of being SB

Wednesday, 5 September 2007 - 10:30 AM SL Time

Former SLFP heavyweight and present UNP National Organiser S. B. Dissanayake is obviously at the end of his tether. He is being forced into an uneasy cohabitation with his political enemies. Hence, his diatribe against his former boss turned bete noire Chandrika Bandaranaiake Kumaratunga, who has now joined forces with the UNP to topple the government. She will, he has said, certainly ruin the UNP. In taking up that position, he has flown in the face of his leader Ranil Wickremesinghe`s decision to make her a partner in his oust-the-government campaign. SB may be right, given CBK`s track record. The COPE findings now before the Bribery Commission are going to open a can of worms for her. Her political enemies are calling for a probe into a number of questionable deals that were clinched under her watch. The UNP itself levelled many allegations of corruption against her and successfully launched the Jana Bala Mehevuma in 2001 to dislodge what it termed her corrupt regime. When she speaks, for each word uttered, she makes about a hundred enemies. Hell hath no fury like Chandrika scorned. Her political agenda has only a single item. She wants to avenge humility she has suffered at President Mahinda Rajapaksa`s hands. She is determined to personally rub his presidential nose on the Temple Trees lawn. There are, no doubt, many UNPers who look forward to that kind of entertainment but it is doubtful whether her cause is marketable to the vast majority of the people, to whom she became a hate figure towards the end of her second term. The UNP has at its disposal a huge vote bank and all that it needs to win an election is to rally a sufficient number of floating votes in favour of its cause. This is not something that the UNP can achieve with CBK`s help, as she has no appeal to the independent voters. Defectors, on the other hand, cannot cause an erosion of the vote bank of either of the two main parties. When CBK left the SLFP in the 1980s, it may be recalled, she became a political nonentity. Only a few hangers-on left the party with her. Even a political heavyweight like Gamini Dissanayake had to come back to the UNP`s fold finally, having left it with Lalith Athulathmudali to form the DUNF, following a dispute with President Premadasa. For, he realised that the UNP`s card vote was rock solid (just like that of the SLFP or the JVP). That was why Mahinda Rajapaksa didn`t want to leave the SLFP despite all the humiliation he was subjected to in the Kumaratunga government. Had he left the party, he wouldn`t have been able to get elected even to a Pradeshiya Sabha, let alone become President. The same goes for the Mangala-Sripathy duo and the UNP dissidents. They may have some faithful voters who will stand by them, regardless of what they do but that kind of support is not sufficient to help their new masters eat into the vote bases of their former bosses. Now that the SLFPers are aware that CBK is without any prospect of coming back to power, her chances of mobilising them in support of the UNP are remote. Else, the UNP-SLFP(M) combine, which has her blessings, would have been able to attract SLFPers in their thousands to their recent rally at Attanagalla, which is her stronghold. If the UNP gives CBK a piggyback lift, in so doing, it will be giving the lie to the surfeit of allegations it made against her during her presidency such as the Thavakkal scandal. It accused her of using the PSD as Gestapo to violently suppress political dissent. The Wayamba election which opened a new low in Sri Lankan politics, the many instances of violence against Opposition activists and dastardly incidents such as the UNP supporters including women being stripped naked and paraded on roads must be etched in the minds of many a UNPer, to whom the name, Chandrika, is anathema. However, it is not out of any love for the UNP that SB is opposing the party`s decision to share its platform with CBK. She was, as is public knowledge, instrumental in his incarceration. He is trying to lionise himself with the help of his jail term, banking as he does on the verdict of the UN Human Rights Commission on his punishment to gain a boost for his political journey. Therefore, if he happens to be seen with CBK on the same platform, his political project will cave in. On the other hand, he runs the risk of being eclipsed by the johnnies-come-lately in the UNP. Many UNP top guns who used to be seen with their leader are now resentful, as they have lost that privilege to the SLFP dissidents. A similar situation is prevailing in the government owing to the presence of the UNP dissidents, whose entry has also distanced the JVP from President Rajapaksa. But, it is being argued in some quarters that SB has no alternative but to toe the party line. Despite initial protests, they point out, he had to swallow his pride and embrace Mangala in public. Will he be made to give a bear hug to CBK as well? In politics, they say, anything is possible. For, shame is something alien to politicians.

UNP TREASURER RESIGNS AND THE DEMOCRATIC WING OF PARTY ANNOUNCES A SECOND LAW SUITE OVER MOU WITH MANGALA

By Walter Jayawardhana

As an immediate repercussion to United National Party(UNP) leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s decision to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Mangala Samaraweera the UNP treasurer has resigned and the UNP Democratic Wing has announced that it would file a second law suite against what it called “the leader’s arbitrary decision”.

Thilak Karunaratne, the treasurer of the UNP said he has resigned from his party positions as the treasurer, working committee member and party member in protest against the leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s arbitrary decision to sign a memorandum of Understanding with the Mangala Samaraweera wing of the S.LF.P.

He said he was shocked by the statements made by the party leader devaluing the military victories of the Sri Lankan armed forces and his recent statements insulting the Buddhist monks. He was referring to UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s statement that the Buddhist monks in the parliament belonged to a “Duseela Samagama” or a “company of corrupt conduct.”
He said the above were reasons for him to tender his resignation for the second time, from the United National Party.

He is believed to be joining the Democratic Wing of the United National Party led by Karu Jayasuriya, who are now part of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government.
Thilak Karunaratne who is a chemist and businessman, on an earlier occasion resigned from the

UNP to form the Sihala Urumaya and later JHU but disagreements with certain elements of the party led him to rejoin the UNP.

Karunaratne has said it was an arbitrary decision on the part of the leader to sign a MOU with Mangala Samaraweera, and the party leader failed to discuss the matter in the party working committee, or any other body before making that decision .

Meanwhile , Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena , of the Democratic Wing of the UNP said, they would file a second case against the decision to sign a MOU with the SLFP (People’s wing) without consulting any other party official or party body like the working committee , the executive committee or a party conference. He said party President Rukman Senanayaka, Party Secretary Tissa Attanayaka or National Organizer S. B.Dissanayaka did not know until the signing of the MOU was announced.

He said before the rally Ranil Wickremesinghe held with Mangala Samaraweera it had been boasted that 15 government parliamentarians would get on the platform but none did. It had been boasted that they would bring five hundred thousand to show their strength but only a meager 15,000 came for the rally. They knew people were not coming and that was the reason why the UNP that customarily take Municipal Council grounds went to Hyde Park.

Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said the people like M.H.Mohamed and Gamini Lokuge who used to bring crowds to the UNP rallies were with the government now.

Mangala 'Goebbels' Samaraweera

Monday, November 21, 2005

Mangala 'Goebbels' Samaraweera

Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945) the father of propaganda and Mangala Samaraweera

What makes Mangala Samaraweera, a.k.a. Mangy the most dangerous person in the UPFA government?

Remember Sudu Nelum (White Lotus)? 1995?

President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge, at the inauguration ceremony for the Sudu Nelum movement. (08/07/95)

Let us resolve to work with determination to keep the Sudu Nelum Movement that blooms today, without fading for a long time to come. If the people of all of our communities - Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher and of all religions join hands with a sense of brotherhood, "White Lotuses" of peace will bloom in tens of thousands in their hearts. Peace is the prerequisite for our prosperity. Our fervent appeal to the people on this occasion is to come together bound by a deep sense of brotherhood and create a durable peace which is the foundation for our development and prosperity.

Wasn't it Mangy who designed and ran the Sudu Nelum campaign all those years? He let Nimal Siripala De Silva run it for some time, but everyone knew that the Sudu Nelum campaign was Mangy's baby.

The Sudu Nelum campaign at that point (even with all it's flaws and inherent corruption) was at that point the most progressive move in the country towards mainstreaming multiculturalism and pluralism. With several Non-Governmental Organisations supporting their effort the Sudu Nelum movement was able to do a fair bit of work. It is responsible to a great extent for raising rural people's understanding of the complexities of multiculturalism, and life in a multiethnic society. The level at which the PA Government coordinated with civil society groups and sought their support to reach the masses was astounding. They had a very clear understanding that in order to achieve peace, everyone had to be on board.

Unfortunately at that time the UNP openly sabotaged Chadrika's peace plans and the LTTE played along and broke the ceasefire and ensured a return to war.

Through the movement the Chadrika Government sought to use the massive mandate they had received to take peace to the people, to mainstream multiculturalism. Even when there was a war going on in the North and East, the Government insisted on keeping the Sudu Nelum movement and the Thavalama Peace Caravans and the National Integration Policy Unit funded.

Mangala Samaraweera, formerly a fashion designer, who went to to design school with Boy George and Sade, worked with Buddhi Keerthisena (Snr) on the Buddhi Batiks line of clothing, then Minister of Information and Media, used his understanding of the importance of symbols and icons to design a campaign that really made an impact. A lot of people thought he was working for peace because he had a genuine belief in making it work.

But over the past few years what we have seen is that Mangala has no committment to peace. He has no committment to anyone or anything.

By moving from working closely with civil society groups to stating at a press conference that even if the Free Media Movement and Sunanda Deshapriya stood on their heads the Government would not care, Mangala Samaraweera did not degenarate. He merely shifted his position to the stance that would most benefit him, and then engineered the environment.


Goebbels with Hitler, Mangala with Mahinda

going quick!!!

Do we want her back?????????????


BIG NO NO to Chandika.

Chandri akka

Ranil's work

Kawda mewata waga kiyanne?

Kawda mewata waga kiyanne?

Anura Bandaranaike, Wimal Weerawansa and Varuni Amunugama

By Frederica Jansz

Six months into office, President Chandrika Kumaratunga and her alliance government including the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna are still owing state media institutions over Rs. 22 million in dues having failed to pay for television and newspaper advertisements carried in the run-up to the April 2 general election.

The UPFA owe The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL) a sum of Rs. 10,819,049.30/-, the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Rs. 9,083,295.29, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Rs. 1,269,600, ITN Rs. 904,006.25 and Lakhanda Radio Rs. 126,500.

Letters sent to the advertising agency requesting a settlemetn of dues

The monies are outstanding despite guidelines which dictate that any political advertisements in the run-up to an election must be paid for upfront and that no political party will be allowed credit.

Media institutions do not accept political advertisements unless payment is made upfront but with the state media being under the control of the UPFA in the run up to the 2004 general election, the party has literally gone to town, ironically pushing their slogan, "kawda mewata waga kiyanne?"

Triad Advertising Pvt Ltd., and its sister company Adpack Productions (Pvt) Ltd., handled the advertising campaign for the United People's Freedom Alliance.

Joint Managing Director, Triad, Varuni Amunugama, daughter of Finance Minister, Sarath Amunugama, said that they have made repeated requests to the government urging them to meet these costs but to no avail. "We have spoken with everyone concerned," she said, when asked if she had discussed the matter with Presidential Advisor, Mano Tittawela.

Zuhair knows nothing

Chairman, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, M.M. Zuhair, on the other hand claimed he knew nothing about this. "I am not personally aware - if this has come up for recovery then you will have to speak with the Finance Department," he said. Zuhair denied Mano Tittawela had discussed the matter with him and asked him to keep it under wraps.

We reliably learn that Tittawela had indeed discussed the matter both with Zuhair and Varuni Amunugama.

That the Chairman of the SLRC remains unaware that a sum exceeding Rs. 9 million is owing to the corporation only confirms the sorry state this state arm of the media is in under his stewardship.

On May 28 this year, the accounts officer of the marketing division at SLRC wrote to the media manager at Adpack Production drawing attention to the outstanding balance of Rs. 9.8 million. According to the letter, the monies are due for television advertisements carried for Tourism and Investment Promotion Minister Anura Bandaranaike and the JVP.

Loss of credibility

Varuni Amunugama said Adpack handled the media campaign for the United People's Freedom Alliance in the weeks preceding April 2, 2004. She reiterated there is no hard and fast rule that insists on payment upfront for political advertisements but said credit is given in certain cases if the advertising agency lends an assurance.