Appointing SF Field Marshal was Prez’s biggest mistake: Thewarapperuma

3 January 2019 12:35 pm - 17 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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While assuming duties as Deputy Minister of Social Empowerment, Palitha Thewarapperuma said yesterday among the many mistakes done by President Maithirpala Sirisena, the biggest was to promote Sarath Fonseka to the rank of Field Marshal.

He said Fonseka did not have qualifications to be promoted to that post and Sri Lanka was fortunate that he was not elected as president.

"When I assumed duties as the deputy minister of the Wildlife Ministry, I thought I was so lucky to work under a war hero like Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka. But I gradually realised that he was not the person he appeared to be," the deputy minister said. “I suffered a lot because of Sarath Fonseka. I was sentenced to prison for 400 days. My party membership was suspended. He did not even have the courtesy to ask me what happened.”

He said they had helped him unconditionally when he was nominated as the common candidate during the election and that he was personally involved in re-erecting elephant fences because Fonseka was not concerned about such issues.

"Fonseka has said I will not be nominated but it is Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the party who will decide whether to nominate me or not. It is none of his business. I secured 1.8 million votes. Fonseka got only 2,000 votes. It is clear who should be given nominations,” the deputy minister said.

He said I was removed from my post because of a wise decision taken by the Prime Minister.
“If the Prime Minister has taken that decision, he should be responsible for the human-elephant conflict and should be answerable to the people. Fonseka ruined the funds of the Wildlife ministry and had done nothing for the country. Fonseka has also claimed that my family used vehicles belonging to the ministry. My family has not even seen my ministerial vehicle. The truth behind this whole drama is that Fonseka is not ready to accept that I have worked hard in the ministry. Now he is mad and crying because of not having a ministerial post. I can offer my Social Empowerment Deputy Minister’s post if he wants,” the deputy minister said. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)

Video by Susantha

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Comments - 17

Priya Thursday, 03 January 2019 02:52 PM

Well said Thewa.... We always respected SF for what he had done for the country but after entering politics and becoming so greedy for posts, he has lost all the respect. At least you have shown that by hook or crook you can get the work done......

xxx Thursday, 03 January 2019 06:13 PM

As SF said we don't need showmen who are doing menial jobs in front of cameras in the highest legislature in our country.

bill Thursday, 03 January 2019 07:32 PM

We need people with brains in our parliament. People like PT are good for LG bodies.

Janaka from Matara Thursday, 03 January 2019 04:38 PM

Sri Lanka has a huge problem of mental patients. None of its citizens probably suffered more in the hands of mentally challenged persons than General Sarath Fonseka. No wonder he passionately argued for the introduction of mandatory mental check-ups for persons with high-level responsibilities.

Mike Thursday, 03 January 2019 04:51 PM

We respect SF for winning the war. We also appreciate Palitha T for some of his actions. However a naval rating is no match for field marshal.

Badur Thursday, 03 January 2019 05:03 PM

We had great respect for the role played by Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka in winning the war. But we need to admit he is a total failure as a politician.

Samson Thursday, 03 January 2019 05:05 PM

PT is displaying his ignorance. You have contributed to your party but SF has contributed to the country. Two of you cannot be compared. Far from it. Naval rating is no match to a General, forget Field marshal is a decoration.

Amara Thursday, 03 January 2019 05:08 PM

Mess with Thewarapperuma at your own peril. And he is right especially about the number of votes he got.

Sofia Thursday, 03 January 2019 08:24 PM

Which election he got 1.8 million votes ????

Lord Wolfstein Thursday, 03 January 2019 06:19 PM

What is that for a nonsense Ministry of Social Empowerment? Absolute useless. But it fits you education.

Mandy Thursday, 03 January 2019 06:22 PM

In what election did he get 1.8 million votes ? I thought the best was Ranil at aroung 700,000 in Colombo.

Dee Thursday, 03 January 2019 07:31 PM

Any party needs shirtless guys like him. To appeal to the "Late" guys. This is very much like TN or SL politics. Need a guy who will tear off his shirt, sleep on a highway, sit on top of a vehicle, attempt to commit suicide. Better if the blokes an actor. That'll cap it all.

Sumaiyya Ahamed Thursday, 03 January 2019 07:32 PM

The biggest and the worst mistake ever was the UNP using its powers, their members and their supporters to elect Maithripala Sirisena to Power. No body realised that he, the hypocrite has beeing playing a double, triple game and establishing himself as the worst mole and a cancer embedding himself into the centre of the United National Party - All the while putting out a false front in the presence of the great Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero

tom Thursday, 03 January 2019 08:28 PM

This guy now talks big, he was hiding like a mouse when he was at the Ministry when the Hon. Minister was there. He doesn't know the duties of a Deputy Minister. He verbally abused the Wildlife dept officials and the Zoological dept. officials. He misused govt vehicles and he was censored by the Minister. He gives money to cameramen to get cheap popularity and I saw that on our visit to Ampara.

Banda Thursday, 03 January 2019 08:38 PM

FM Fonseka’ s service for the country cannot be matched with any any politician in the country. Who is Thewaraperuma?

Malli Friday, 04 January 2019 08:42 AM

When you have pavement hawkers in the parliament what more you could expect in the so called high office....

MADUKRM22 Friday, 04 January 2019 09:44 AM

We saw what you did in Parliament. Going around threatning with a knife in hand.

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Appointing SF Field Marshal was Prez’s biggest mistake: Thewarapperuma

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