“Saman, I’ll come. But tell the prime minister not to put ‘ads’”
Oct 14, 2016A storm is brewing in the Sri Lankan politics due to the strong criticism of the CID, FCID and the Bribery Commission by president Maithripala Sirisena made the day before yesterday (14) at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. Political Hanumans are now busy at work, carrying tales and provoking both sides. The task of these political Hanumans is to sabotage the national government and to bring the racist tribals back to the throne.
An adviser to the prime minister, instead of resorting to provocation, but in order to settle the matter, took steps to resolve the matter in a long-lasting manner. He used a person who is loyal both to the president and the prime minister in that task.
The PM’s adviser who got involved is none other than senior journalist, acting chairman of ITN, Saman Athaudahetti. Using his wisdom, Athaudahetti thought and got popular actor, social services deputy minister Ranjan Ramanayake to mediate.
“Ranjan, as a person who knows both the president and the prime minister well, intervene in this matter immediately. First, meet the president and then come to meet the prime minister,” he proposed to Ramanayake. “Saman, I will come. I will also intervene in the matter. But, on one condition. That is, when I explain matters, tell the prime minister not to put ‘ads’”. Perplexed by Ramanayake’s answer, Athaudahetti asked him, “Ranjan Emathithuma, what is this thing about ‘ads?’ It is the news channels that put ads.”
“Exactly, Saman. Most news channels put ads in between the news. That is a disruption of the news. The prime minister too, is like that. When we come and explain something to him for two minutes, he stops us and lectures us for 20 minutes. In the end, we forget what we wanted to say. Therefore, I will accept, only if the prime minister does not put ads in between.”
Later, when Athaudahetti explained to the PM about this ad talk, he laughed aloud and said, “Ok. Ok. I will not put ads. Tell Ranjan to come.”
President not informed about legal action against Fowzie
Explaining to Ramanayake as to why he attacked the Bribery Commission during his speech at the SLFI, the president said, “the Bribery Commission filed action against minister Fowzie for having used a special vehicle owned by his ministry during the period he was the disaster management minister. That vehicle was gifted to our country following the tsunami. It has a special signal system that can identify a tsunami. Minister Fowzie used that vehicle until his official vehicle was repaired. But, instead of declaring that, an assistant secretary of the ministry was summoned and a statement was forced from him that the minister took it by force. Like that, the Bribery Commission has taken legal action against 13 SLFPers under me. That will make them to go after Mahinda once again. When big fish are out in the open, the Bribery commission catches only the sprats and the other small ones.”
Ramanayake gave a patient hearing to the explanation made by the president, who went onto say, “The commission investigating corruption has so far not given just one of its reports to me. I don’t know what is happening there. It has Bribery Commission’s Dilrukshi, Attorney General’s Department’s Yasantha Kodagoda, senior lawyer Krishantha Weliamuna. They meet once a month under the chairmanship of minister Sagala Ratnayake. They have an obligation to inform me, who is the country’s top executive, about what is happening. At the Security Council meeting, I just keep looking at the mouths of others. When they say, so and so was caught, so and so was sent behind bars, I look on like a puppet. They treat me as a joke.”
“The reports I get from military intelligence are not good at all. Recently, several soldiers were arrested, saying they had felled trees. Also, military intelligence men were last week remanded over a murder in 1997. Several military intelligence men are in remand custody for 16 months. If this is not rectified immediately, they warned me that a military coup could be possible. I have to think about everything.”
As Ramanayake explained what he was told by the president, the PM listened without putting ads in between.
President, PM watched Perahera together
Ramanayake was still with the PM when the president called him before departing from Polonnaruwa to Colombo by air. He told the president, “Sir, I explained everything to the prime minister. He admitted that something has gone wrong. He promised to correct that immediately.” The president replied, “Tell the prime minister not to worry over it. Let’s continue our work together. Tell him to come and watch the Perahera at Valukaramaya tonight. I too, am coming. Thereafter, we can have a talk.”
Accordingly, the president and the prime minister watched the Perahera at Valukaramaya in Kollupitiya last night (13) and thereafter, they had a lengthy discussion until midnight, reports say.
