Enter CBK; Offer “11%” to UNP and Protect SLFP!

‘Money and corruption are ruining the land, crooked politicians betray the working man, pocketing the profits and treating us like sheep, and we’re tired of hearing promises that we know they’ll never keep.’ 

- Ray Davies
 

• 90% SLFP organizers opposed Maithri’s decision to support MR
• She had only 65 votes in favour of SLFP out of 500 votes
• Harin discloses 11% deficit for Sajith

Daily Mirror front page news on October 16 stated that former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaranatunga would return soon from London. The news item further says, ‘She issued a statement two days ago criticizing the SLFP’s decision to join the SLPP and has already made arrangements to summon the SLFP electoral organizers and hold several rounds of talks as soon as she arrives in Sri Lanka, according to sources’. Report also said that Mangala Samaraweera, Finance Minister, had talks with a section of SLFP parliamentarians and upon their success UNF candidate SajithPremadasa would be getting support from this group and some SLFP’s electoral organisers.

Harin confirms intelligence reports

In the meantime Harin Fernando, the young and energetic campaigner for SajithPremadasa, has confirmed at a TV talk show on Wednesday about state intelligence finding of eleven percent margin [deficit of 1.4 million votes] in favour of opponent Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The 11% precisely tallies with SLFPs strength as per Elpitiyaresults.
Harin, the minister who received reliable intelligence reports and refrained from going to church on 21/4, believes the picture is true and says good campaign in the last two weeks will account for the shortfall. Is he in possession of further secret information saying ‘enter CBK’ project would hugely assist Sajith, whose rhetoric and brag [prepared to sacrifice his head like King Siri Sanghabo] has offered little so far?
Has intelligence findings motivated the ‘flip flop’ Senanayake of October 2018 constitutional coup fame to make another volte face to Rajapaksa camp?  He questions Sajith if he was elected, ‘will Ravi Karunanayake and Rishad Bathiudeen who play a major role in his election campaign hold cabinet posts’ – will he ask the same question from Gota, perhaps he intends joining him, about leading speakers in Gota’s platform who are equally corrupt?

90% SLFP support to CBK?

Issuing a statement, CBK has said about 90% of the party organizers have opposed Sirisena’s decision to form an alliance with SLPP led by Rajapaksa. “Our beloved party is a political party with a proud history of 68 years. Not because we were the most powerful party in the country after independence, but because it is the political party that has led the liberation of the rightful heirs of the motherland tied by the chains and shackles of the pro-imperialist regimes.” This lady who, once formed a new party named Sri Lanka Mahajana Peramuna, betraying her father inaugurated and mother led SLFP, who even attempted to forcibly take over party head quarters at Darley Road, continued saying  the SLFP, which won four out of seven presidential elections in its past was betrayed by the present leaders. “We have produced prime ministers. We have created Presidents. We have created common people leaders. We have taken steps to equip the disadvantaged public in our country economically, politically and educationally. As I took the lead in 1994 to win the most victorious victory of the party surviving all the harassment we have endured for 17 years I boldly declare that I am sacrificing my life to save the party supporting you in your isolationist struggle to defend our party at this critical juncture” she stated. 
Beleaguered former President, who is responsible for wrecking the ship in political high waters in late 2014 merely to gratify her vengeance against Rajapaksa has received  ‘a shot in the arm’ with disgruntled former SLPP/SLFP heavyweight from Kalutara, Kumar Welgama’s announcement that he eagerly awaits her arrival and her efforts in salvaging the wreck along with a few displeased, unimportant electoral organizers as her rescuing the party. SLFP, launched by her father and nurtured by her mother ruled the nation for more than 35 years has been receding in strength alarmingly during ‘yahapalana days’ and the degradation of balance in alliance with SLPP has already commenced and will soon disintegrate into thin air without leaving a trace. 

"Her arrival and participation in the Presidential stakes this time is unlikely to make the slightest impact on the electorate this time around. PA suffered an appalling defeat at the Attanagalle PS which has been an SLFP stronghold since the 1950s"

CBK, who played a crucial role in 2010 against the MR candidacy and supported Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka, the UNF common candidate; repeated her stance by placing the General Secretary of SLFP  Maithripala Sirisena as UNF led alliance common candidate, against Rajapaksa in January 2015, is very likely to play a strong role this year as well, political analysts pointed out. She led the Attanagalle campaign against her own party supporting UNP on both these occasions but lost the electorate. She, however, worked tirelessly for SLFP at last year’s  LG election [Feb 2018] against SLPP, But failed miserably losing the Attanagalle Pradeshiya Saha by a huge majority [45%-12%]. SLPP  --  45.91% :UNP - 24.73% :SLFP - 12.22%
Unofficial reports reaching the media confirmed that the particular ballet box where she cast her vote had only 65 votes were cast in favour of SLFP out of a total 500 votes. Her arrival and participation in the Presidential stakes this time is unlikely to make the slightest impact on the electorate this time around. PA suffered an appalling defeat at the Attanagalle PS which has been an SLFP stronghold since the 1950s. Except at the highly-rigged (organised mass impersonation was the order) 1982 referendum,SLFP always won it by huge margins.  

CBK in Attanagalle

However, at 2002 March LG election, which CBK as all powerful Executive President personally  supervised  on election day, President CBK threw her full weight behind the party campaign. She even turned down a meeting with the visiting US Assistant Secretary, citing her busy schedule with the polls campaign. On the polling day, she made her presence felt in her stronghold Attanagalle, chatting to the voters in an invincible Bandaranaike fortress. But the SLFP lost the Attanagalle Pradeshiya Sabha and SLFP fortress Gampaha; the local council faced a dismal defeat. Results of Attanagalle – LG Elections -2002 –February: UNP--   50.14%  :SLFP -- 41.39% :JVP -- 7.67% 
She told a few days ago at a media conference at Mt. Lavinia that she would not support either of the two main candidates saying she would remain neutral. Former SLFP leader Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in January 2010  returned from London and pledged her support to UNF common candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka. They, at a special ceremony held at her ancestral manor at Horagolla offered floral compliment to the Bandaranaike Samadhi, before she issued a statement on the eve of Presidential election requesting all her supporters in historic Attanagalle to vote for SF against MR the incumbent at the January 26 election.
Maithripala Sirisena, the then SLFP General Secretary, who immediately issued a statement to the media, condemning CBK’s decision to support the common candidate against her party’s choice, said she had insulted her memorable parents SWRD and Sirimavo. Five years later Sirisena himself obeyed CBK and covertly led down the party and Bandaranaikes by competing against his party’s choice MR following the infamous ‘hopper dining’. James McGrath, a former Tory adviser who was dismissed for making a controversial observation about London’s black population was one of the architects behind the election campaign of General Sarath Fonseka in 2010.

He earlier worked for Boris Johnson, David Cameron, and the shadow chancellor George Osborne, was seen in Fonseka’s temporary operation office compiling reports of intimidation by supporters of MR, at night on election-day. He was advising him on strategy in the run-up to polls. Arriving here a month ago he was intensely involved in the campaign. Speaking to The Daily Telegraph,McGrath said that Sarath Fonseka would respect human rights, introduce democratic reforms, and improve people’s standard of living. “I’m here on behalf of the leader of the opposition, Ranil Wickremesinghe; but it was alleged that CBK was behind this move. “The UNP is a pluralist party, strong on defending minorities, even at the cost of their popularity” McGrath said.
SLFP MPs Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, Arjuna Ranatunga and Faizer Mustapha, switched their loyalty to the UNF Common candidate in the run-up to the poll. In a remarkable coincidence, Wijedasa and Mustapha have already announced their return to Rajapaksas, while Ranatunga is in the process of negotiations with Basil Rajapaksa.  The war-winning general after 40 days in politics felt he had come a long way; he believed he had acquired  much more than what MR had in his 40 years. SF lacked the power to meet dangerously manipulative political base of the Rajapaksas together with the innumerable opposition forces backing him. Incumbent President MR scored a significant victory over Opposition’s common candidate. He polled 6,015,934--57.88% to set the phase for parliamentary elections due in a couple of months. SF received  4,173,185-- 40.15% while there were candidates polled a total of 204,494 --1.9%, with JVP not contesting in support of SF.