Sudarshani omitted at Basil’s request: Arundika who saw Ekneligoda too, left out!
- Thursday, 10 October 2013
Dr. Sudarshani Fernandopulle, the widow of the late minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, has been omitted at the last moment from the list of nine deputy ministers who took oaths before the president this morning, at the request of economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa, according to internal sources of the government.
The president had promised Mrs. Fernandopulle that she would be given the women and child development deputy minister position, but minister Basil Rajapaksa had been able to get the promise annulled. Minister Basil’s plan is to ensure that the women’s unit of the SLFP comes under the control of his wife, attorney Pushpa Rajapaksa. Therefore, he is getting rid of every female figure who could pose a challenge to her.
However, in this instance, he tries to give the impression that Mrs. Fernandopulle was omitted at the request of western provincial council minister Nimal Lansa, from whom he gets all his menial jobs done in Gampaha district.
Senior ministers of the SLFP are of the view that the president has once again demonstrated his hatred for traditional SLFPers. The late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had been one of his two friends during the period he studied law at the Law College. The other is Deepthi Bogollagama, the wife of former foreign affairs minister Rohitha Bogollagama. Even after Mahinda Rajapaksa became president, Deepthi Bogollagama continued to address him as ‘Mahinda’, the result of which was that Rohitha Bogollagama was left high and dry.
The late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle was a politically inflexible figure and dealt with the president with a ‘don’t care’ attitude, and even addressed him as ‘Machang.’ The president could not at all stomach the manner in which his once closest friend addressed him. The first clash between the president and Mr. Fernandopulle came at a nightly discussion to appoint the cabinet in 2005. Jeyaraj vehemently said he wanted the finance ministry. Leaving the meeting, the president had told Lalith, Dullas and P.B., “How can that be given to him? I want it for myself. Tell him to ask any other thing.” In the end, Jeyaraj agreed to accept the highways ministry.
However, Amarasekara was appointed secretary to the ministry and, using him, first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa unofficially ran the ministry. The situation aggravated and the clash between the president and Jeyaraj worsened. The result was a cabinet reshuffle in end-2006. But, on that occasion Jeyaraj demanded point black that if the highways ministry is withdrawn from him, he wanted the finance ministry. Giving into him, the president beat a temporary retreat. But, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle had to pay with his life in April 2008 for having retained the highways ministry. Today’s incident makes it clear that that particular wound is not healed yet, said a SLFP senior who told us the story.
The other prominent figure who did not make it to today’s list of deputy ministers is SLFP organizer for Wennappuwa, Arundika Fernando, who unashamedly lobbied for the government by saying that he had seen the missing journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda in France. Yesterday (9), he threw a liquor party for a large number of his friends at the SSC club to celebrate his imminent elevation to a deputy ministerial position. Also, he had sent several Papare Bands from Colombo to Wennappura for receptions organized for him in the electorate. A dejected and humiliated Arundika Fernando kept his mobile phone switched off for the entire duration of today and avoided his friends. The plight of MPs Manusha Nanayakkara, P. Digambaram and Prabha Ganeshan who had sold opposition votes to strengthen the hands of the president is no better than the plight of the likes of Sudarshani Fernandopulle and Arundika Fernando, added our sources.
