Uva campaign to Basil, as Namal failed!
- Wednesday, 28 May 2014
The president has decided to handover the government’s election campaign at polls for the Uva Provincial Council, which is due to be dissolved shortly, to economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa, as his eldest son, MP Namala Rajapaksa has failed to, leave along show any progress, protect its votes at the recent elections for the southern and western provincial councils as the chief campaign organizer, and caused the loss of around 300,000 votes.
The campaigning at the two PC polls was handled almost entirely by MP Namal and his Nil Balakaya, while minister Basil Rajapaksa kept himself confined to Gampaha district. Delighted at this setback by MP Namal, he has formed a presidential election campaign committee and demonstrated that he was committed for the victory of the president.
Despite objections by the first lady, the president has advised minister Basil to conduct the Uva campaign with chief minister Shashindra Rajapaksa, by giving a second thought after MP Namal spoiled the government’s image by acts such as the attack, with his knowledge, by the Hambantota mayor on a group of UNP MPs on an observation tour of Mattala, his absence at the World Youth Conference in Hambantota, the shooting near the Tangalle court of ‘Army Amila’, a former leading member of Nil Balakaya, and his outburst in parliament in the presence of hundreds of onlookers that “I will kill P.B.”
Accordingly, minister Basil has already launched the election campaign although the Uva PC is yet to be dissolved. Furthermore, he has given interviews to several weekend newspapers to highlight the development projects undertaken by the government in the province. Also, minister Basil is spending most of his time there, attending various meetings together with CM Shashindra.
Making elaborate plans, minister Basil will use his full strength and employ the entire state mechanism to ensure victory for the government at Uva polls, with the intention of securing the campaign for himself at the next presidential election. His final objective is to see that Mahinda Rajapaksa is re-elected and he is appointed the prime minister. With that goal in mind, minister Basil is slowly, but steadily progressing forward on the advice and guidance of his advisers.
‘Dosthara Hondahitha’ loses out due to his honesty!
- Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Dr. Ajith Ranawaka, who has been the long-term physician of the president, is known as ‘Dosthara Hondahitha’ among his friends, because he goes out of his way to help people in trouble and very often ends up falling himself into difficulties.
We are reporting below one such instance, in which he lost out due to his honesty:
A group of Thai investors that had been here recently had met Dr. Ranawaka to inquire from him about the investment opportunities available in Sri Lanka. Setting aside his all other work, he has taken them, at his own expense, around the country to show them the investment opportunities. That concluded with a meeting with the president at Temple Trees.
Very much delighted with their meeting with the president, before leaving Temple Trees, the Thai investors had handed ‘Dosthara Hondahitha’ a sum of around Rs. 1.5 million in a mark of gratitude to him.
After the group had left, ‘Dosthara Hondahitha’ had taken the parcel containing the money to the president and told him that he was given it by the Thai investors. The president had grabbed the parcel, saying “Who will give us money like this? Give it to me.”
Perplexed by the president’s action, ‘Dosthara Hondahitha’ has said, “OK sir, keep it. But, give me some money to have a drink.” Saying “Let’s meet for a drink in the night,” the president has taken the money to an inner room.
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(Reuters) - An uneasy calm returned to the streets of Donetsk on Wednesday after the biggest battle of the pro-Russian separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine, a conflict transformed by the landslide election of a pro-European leader who vowed to crush the revolt.
