The final week of the Presidential Election is approaching. The Ministers who were close to President Ranil Wickremesinghe were surprised to see him standing in his usual calmness without any hurry in the political arena.
The President started his busy week making a visit to a youth concert at the Diyatha Uyana Outdoor Theatre, Battaramulla. He arrived without any prior notification. The President had a friendly chat with the youth and listened to the music and left saying “I am building a country that can fulfil your expectations.”
On Monday (September 9) morning, a group of Rishad’s Bathiudeen party came to the President’s Political Office at Flower Road, Colombo to pledge their support. The group called a press conference and said that even though Rishad supported Sajith due to some influence, the majority of the party was with the President.
The President, who participates in three or four daily rallies daily, waited for a while at his political office at Flower Road. A group of UNP leaders and Ministers went there to discuss future political plans.
“Sir, have you heard the latest idiom?” Wajira started the conversation, rousing everybody’s curiosity.
“What is it?” asked the President. “Oh, it’s called giving Geetha and taking Thalatha,” Wajira said.
“What about “Big brother is sick and grandpa is still running?” said Shehan, joining the conversation. The President listened with a smile but did not say anything.
“Sir, you seem to be popular with the youth on Facebook, and our campaign is getting better and better,” Ruwan said. “The majority of the younger generation are intelligent. Many of them know what to do even though they are silent. The younger generation is not much interested in political rallies,” the President said in response to Ruwan’s comment.
“It is being said that the Cabinet has not approved the increase in the salaries of public servants. We need to correct it, don’t we?” Shehan said.
“What a lie? Cabinet approval was obtained to increase salaries. I only say what is possible. What is impossible, I say directly. Even the MPs of those parties could have been taken to my side, by making false promises. Did I do that?” the President said.
On Tuesday (September 10), the President participated in three public rallies in Kilinochchi, Medawachchiya and Panduwasnuwara.
The President went on stage at the Medawachchiya rally wearing a hat worn by workers. The President explained how he got that hat, quenching the curiosity of the Ministers and the people who participated in the rally. “When I finished the rally in Kilinochchi, an elderly Tamil lady gave me this hat as a gift. “You gave us food, medicine, and fertiliser and we lived,” that’s what the woman told me and asked me to take this gift. That’s why this hat is worth more than Rs. one lakh to me,” said the President, making the crowd at the rally emotional.
It was a little late when the President came to the meeting of businessmen and academics at Kurunegala the same evening. Kurunegala businessmen, doctors, lawyers and other professionals were present.
“What do you say about the Compass (Malimawa)?” a question was addressed to the President by a professional. “The direction of the compass is found with a magnet. If the magnet is wrong, it shows the wrong direction. That is what has happened now,” the President said, leaving something for everyone to think about. These days, the President has a habit of getting out of the car and going to the platform to participate in public rallies in the cities and talking to the employees of the shops. Young employees who work in those shops are interested in taking selfies with the President.
Selfies
“Sir, your selfies taken with young girls are going on Facebook saying “Girls crush these days”.” The President also laughed at the comment by Chamara Sampath during a rally.
“Sir, Anura has agreed to a debate, right?” Akila asked the President during a telephone conversation.
“Yes, I am ready to debate with Anura. But ask them to discuss within the party and come to an agreement whether their policy is an import-oriented economy or an export-oriented economy. After that, let’s talk to the IMF and if necessary, let’s talk to Sajith as well.”
“Sir, I will bring over 15,000 people to the Kuliyapitiya rally on September 17. By that time, work will also begin at the vehicle assembly plant in Kuliyapitiya,” Akila said.
The President asked Director General of Government Information, Dinith Chinthaka Karunaratne, regarding the impartiality of the Government media as well as the rest of the media during the Presidential Election.
“Together with the Election Commission, we have drawn up a program to properly implement the media regulations. The Government Information Department and the Election Commission have started a program to inform all parties involved in the election, including election officers,” Dinith said. An awareness program related to the election was held at the Anuradhapura District Secretariat and the Director General of Government Information, Dinith Chinthaka Karunaratne, Commissioner General of Election, Saman Ratnayake and its Director Channa P. de Silva also took part.
Interviews
On Thursday (September 12) morning, the President gave interviews to the Sunday newspapers. A journalist asked if anyone else from the SJB was coming. “We don’t need anyone else. We will win. I have the entirety of the votes in the North and East. The vast majority of the estate sector votes are also with me. We will win and form the next Government,” the President said with great confidence. The President said goodbye to the journalists saying, “I have to go to the Wijaya Group.”
The launch of the “Times School of Higher Education”, set up with foreign universities and three higher education institutions, was held at the Galle Face Hotel, Colombo under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
Seven days
There are exactly seven days left for the release of the Presidential Election results. By now, it has become a three-way battle between President Ranil, Opposition Leader Sajith, and Anura. Unlike the last Presidential Election, this has become a battle on the rock alone. Not only the people but also the Presidential candidates are keenly interested in how the votes will be divided among the three main candidates this time. This was discussed at length at President’s Wickremesinghe’s Presidential Election Operations Office at Flower Road, Colombo last Monday.
“How many votes will I get from Pohottuwa?” The President asked.
“Sir, Gotabaya Rajapaksa got 6.9 million votes. But at the General Election we got 6.8 million votes. Sajith got about 5.5 million votes at the last Presidential Election. But there were also UNP votes there. Of course, Sajith got only 2.7 million votes at the General Election as the SJB. In both elections, Malimawa (Compass) took nearly 400,000 votes,” Minister Prasanna said, preparing for a long explanation.
“Yes.. So?” the President started to ask more earnestly.
“Sajith, who got 5.5 million votes at the Presidential Election, got 2.7 million votes at the General Election. Nearly 2.8 million votes of Sajith have reduced. The UNP, which supported Sajith in the Presidential Election, got 250,000 votes in the General Election alone. People did not want to vote for the UNP in the General Election. Those votes did not fall,” Minister Prasanna said.
“Yes… I am asking about how many votes will fall from the Pohottuwa,” the President said.
“That’s it.. Sir, I told you.. more than 100 of the MPs who were in Pohottuwa are with us. It is true that the votes are divided in the Pohottuwa. But we who are members of Pohottuwa are with you, Sir, you can get about four million votes,” Minister Prasanna said with great confidence.
“I am coming only to rebuild the country. If we leave this track, the country will collapse,” the President said in reply to Minister Prasanna’s comment.
House-to-house canvassing
“We must make people understand that. The biggest advantage is having pocket meetings rather than mass rallies,” said former minister Manusha. “Canvassing is the best solution. I am doing canvassing in Gampaha. There are more pocket meetings. Some people spoke for the Compass, but more people remained silent. Those votes will go to the President,” Minister Prasanna said again.
“Yes.. tell the truth to the people in your villages. I don’t want to win by lying,” the President said, ending the discussion.
Minister Prasanna met several local leaders of the Malimawa in the Gampaha district last week. A former JVP Provincial Councillor had arranged the meeting.
“Sir… we would like to work for the President” they told the Minister.
“Why did you suddenly decide to join us?” Minister Prasanna asked.
“Sir, our leaders are not as clean as some people say. If Anura wins by chance, this country will be a pool of blood. He does not have the personality to stop such a conflict. He can only scream at political rallies.”
Minister Prasanna and others couldn’t stop laughing at this comment.
“Why did you all join Aragalaya? Do you see what has happened in Bangladesh now? But it’s a good thing that you have understood the truth at least now,” said Minister Prasanna.
“Sir, we just went to the Galle Face Green. But sir, we were not involved in burning houses. That’s why we are fed up with the Compass,” the representatives of the Compass said with regret.
“Okay.. let’s work together brother. We are with the leader who can save the country at this time. If it fails this time, the future of the country is over. You have made the right decision. It is important to understand that. Tell the story that you have understood to the others in the village,” said Minister Prasanna, giving instructions.
The Southern Province Sangha Convention organised by MP Wajira Abeywardena and Southern Province Governor Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena to ensure President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s victory at the upcoming Presidential Election was held at the Sanasa auditorium, Nupe, Matara last Saturday
The Sangha Convention was held under the patronage of the Most Ven. Omare Kassapa Thera and nearly 800 bhikkhus from Galle, Matara and Hambantota districts were present. They appreciated President Wickremesinghe’s program and invoked blessings on him at the upcoming Presidential Election.
MPs Wajira Abeywardena, Southern Province Governor Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera, Kanchana Wijesekera and other political authorities were also present.
The speech of Ven. Dodampahala Rahula Thera, was the talk of everyone among the Maha Sangha. “Before President Wickremesinghe came to power, if you were a bhikkhu teaching in a Pirivena to get a salary, you received money in your hand with brand new currency notes. That means the Government printed money to pay your salaries. But during these two years, the President did not print a single currency note.
“Sometimes, we saw that some rulers as Minister of Finance printed money as they wanted their names to be on the currency notes. But President Wickremesinghe brought this country to this situation in a different manner. He developed the tourism industry.
“He worked to build the confidence of Sri Lankans working in foreign countries. No matter who said no, they started sending dollars to this country based on that trust. That’s how this President launched the program to uplift the country,” he said.
MP Wajira Abeywardena addressed the Maha Sangha after the speech of Ven. Dodampahala Rahula Thera. “In my opinion, President Wickremesinghe used Buddhism to completely put out the fire burning the country. On July 9, when his house was set on fire, I remember his security detail told him to leave. I saw Ranil Wickremesinghe, as the Prime Minister at that time, faced the problem without any fear or doubt according to Buddhism. How he managed to extinguish the flames of the people of the country without even looking at those flames in the morning.
Namal in Jaffna
Namal Rajapaksa was campaigning in the Jaffna district last week and a large number of people were seen gathering with Namal Rajapaksa. Everyone was questioning Namal whether he would give police and land powers to the North. “No, I will not give police and land powers to the North. Namal replied, “All the other candidates are saying that the 13th Amendment will be implemented. What will you do if you come to power?” a journalist asked Namal.
“If I come to power, there will be Provincial Council (PC) elections first,” Namal said. Seven members of the group who left the party recently met Namal and Basil last week and the discussion ended without a decision. But again, several members of the group of seven called Namal.
“Many who leave will come back and join hands with you at the General Election,” they said.
“Yes, let’s talk about it with Basil. Because Basil is looking after the party,” said Namal.
“Yes, our team will have a meeting with Basil Rajapaksa again about that,” said an MP.
“Let’s meet again after the election,” Namal told them.
