UNP wants Yoshitha to resign

5 February 2010 09:20 am - 85 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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By Sumaiya Rizvi

The main opposition, the UNP today called on President Mahinda Rajapakse’s son Yoshita Rajapakse to hand over his resignation if the government has decided on compulsory retirement for 14 Army officers based on their political involvements.

“Yoshitha Rajapaksa must be the first to retire as there is video and photograph evidence to show that he actively took part at political rallies unlike the 14 Army officers who are forced to retire,” UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekara said today at a press conference held at the party office.

He charged that there could not be one rule for the Rajapaksa’s and another for the public. According to Jayasekara, retired military officers that helped General Sarath Fonseka during his campaign are being hunted down and arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

“The CID has arrested 35 retired Army officers that helped General Fonseka during the campaign and are keeping all of them under special powers granted to the Defence secretary that allows their arrest for 30 days without reason,” Jayasekara said.

He further said that these retired officers are confined to one room within the CID premises and they fear that charges will be framed against them on the conspiracy to assassinate the president.

Speaking to Daily Mirror earlier Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) Director General Lakshman Hulugalle said Yoshitha Rajapaksa was not involved in politics but had attended certain rallies of the President as a family member.

Hulugalle also said the Defence Ministry had decided to grant compulsory retirement to Army officers who actively participated in political work prior and during the recently concluded Presidential elections.

Hulugalle in his statement said “the Defence ministry had received Information with regard to a handful of Armed Forces officers who had actively participated in political work prior and during the recently concluded Presidential elections.

The statement further said the government had decided to terminate their services by awarding compulsory retirement irrespective of their ranks.

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Comments - 85

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:24 PM

We urgently need two sets of constitutions: one for Rajapakse family tree and other for innocent citizen of Sri Lanka***

Friday, 05 February 2010 02:51 PM

soory folks, had SF won, you would have seen them in prison. thank god they are safe.

Friday, 05 February 2010 02:41 PM

Appata Siri.........!

Friday, 05 February 2010 02:40 PM

Dayasiri, have you not heard of 'Presidential Pardon'? Shavindra can be Chief Minister while being Basnayake Nilame! So why not Yoshitha?

Friday, 05 February 2010 01:37 PM

All service personnal who campign for MR should be sent home not only Yoshitha.And all public servants.Including the elections commissioner.

Suba anangathayak????????????.

Friday, 05 February 2010 01:26 PM

Good idea and well think Justice is equal to all citizens whether rich or poor ,big or small

Friday, 05 February 2010 01:11 PM

fair enough

Friday, 05 February 2010 01:02 PM

Yeah. God knows everything & thats why Praba got what he got.

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:56 PM

Hey guys..sense the sarcasm :)

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:55 PM

Very true = and what about the four Army officers who appeared on TV and batted for MR ??

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:47 PM

send him home.

Friday, 05 February 2010 02:51 PM

Guys have a sense of humor...... He's just joking. Good one Hemantha he he he heee

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:23 PM

Heyyy....dont even think about it.....he's our kings son.....by law, then can do anything in this country........

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:22 PM

Wakeup Hemantha, blind folded Idiots like you can't understand the reality

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:19 PM

Well said, Mr. Jayasekera unlike our Elections Commissioner who deserves an oscar for his performance that is getting a bit stale now that he repeats his performance every year.

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:16 PM

what about the army officers who campaigned for MR who got promoted after the presidential election.
Is this the freedom we are talking about. Thank you Mr President for politicizing the Srilanka Army too. Hope it does not become another Srilanka Police.

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:15 PM

Hemantha, Which planet are you on?

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:12 PM

In the Salvation Army ??

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:12 PM

main man behind LTTE victory????

WAT THE HELL???

MADNESS???

CLEARLY SHOWS THAT PPL WHO ACTUALLY VOTED FOR A CERTAIN RULER ARE DUMB!!!

GOD SAVE SRI LANKA!!!

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:01 PM

What are YOU? Poor YOU!

Friday, 05 February 2010 12:01 PM

This is the most outrageous statement of this century !!! Hemantha - u really must be desperate from some handouts from MR and company !!

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:51 AM

Yeah, punishment will be given to SF very soon !!!!

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:44 PM

This is interesting how you quote Marley! a Weed smoking Rastafarian...

Sunday, 07 February 2010 01:11 AM

This is Royal rule. Dont try to mess around with us.

Friday, 05 February 2010 07:54 PM

NO! He did his A/Level !

Friday, 05 February 2010 07:28 PM

MDK, at least that weed-smoking 'Rastafarian' spoke sense! Unlike our present day leaders!

Friday, 05 February 2010 05:54 PM

'What's sauce for the Goose, is sauce for the Gander.' That is how it should be, though in Sri Lanka, it is not so!

Friday, 05 February 2010 04:48 PM

Daysiri, mind your words. Dr. Vermin is waiting with his 'expertise' to treat you.

Friday, 05 February 2010 04:03 PM

Yoshitha did not try to overthrow the Gov. like others.Eventhough he resigns it is good for him. he can get a better job. Nomatter who said what 60% Sri Lankans recommended MR.He is the winner and thats it.

Friday, 05 February 2010 04:02 PM

Ish, you have mistyped the sentence.. it should be the other way...

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:57 PM

Mohandev, the educated people in this country knows very well about this govt. But unfortunately the number of uneducated is high.

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:51 PM

Calitistus, Are you representing the Royal Family or the genral Public. I have been following your online comments. for many months...

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:46 PM

There has never been a leader in this country before where they have given their children to the army. And not only Yoshitha, even the presidents family members have given their sons to the war.. and they have fought many battles in the recent war.. they have eaten food which not even dogs can eat. they survived on snake mean to survive and bees honey.. people here comment on things without knowing what these people have done... do your research before you open your big gab!!

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:46 AM

Excellent blow & a attack for this buddy. Well done Chandika, these fellows are thinking that we are keeping flowers in our ears. Generals are always generals not like the existing rottern garbage politicians.

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:38 PM

He has just passed only OL. Please don't make this poor fellow unemployed !

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:32 PM

Not SF???

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:31 PM

Or dogs have started to lick the bones???

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:27 PM

No He is an Admiral !.

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:22 PM

A Commodore has been appointed to look-after the Baby Officer. Even Rear Admirals are ready to salute him !.

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:18 PM

In the Kingdom one Rule for the Royals, and another Rule for the subjects, what a state of affairs. Will the King think about his obligations and UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION & RULE OF LAW & ORDER in this Paradise Island.

Friday, 05 February 2010 03:15 PM

absolutely

Friday, 05 February 2010 02:56 PM

he he...yep yep yep he'll be our navy commander very soon

Friday, 05 February 2010 02:54 PM

ha ha.. a bunch who doesn't understand to "read between lines". come on guys.. get a life

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:54 AM

100% true

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:21 AM

Send him home

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:19 AM

Whenever people are just among themselves, their rulers will be just to them; whenever people defraud and cheat each other, their rulers will do likewise to them;

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:15 AM

Law is Law.

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:13 AM

We are going from bad to worse.

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:07 AM

The point noted.

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:07 AM

your right UNP ..... he should be the first one arrest... is this the democracy of the country....

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:03 AM

I don't think these people were arrested for supporting Sarath Fonseka, but for the threats they have had made as to what they would do to the President and his relations, once Fonseka was inaugurated as the new President. Thankfully it did not happen but the threat was inexcusable.

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:58 AM

If honest senior officers been asked to go on compulsary retirement, (NO VALUE GUYS) like Mahinda's son tendering his resignation is very reasonable. Mann, before anything works wrong get out.

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:54 AM

If MR's regime places rules and regulations for others, why not his son tender his resignation. Even if he exist or resign it doesnot make any difference of this good for nothing chap.

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:54 AM

Ela Ela,
Well Done Dayasiri !!!

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:22 AM

He was the Luckeyest Naval Officer in the history of the Navy..
He became the Flag Officer of the President...Before getting Commissioned breaking all the rules of the Navy!.

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:52 AM

how long we have to fight against this silly administration ... shame on MR regime

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:51 AM

Excellent request. Yes, MR's son should resign.... this will be the request of the comman man which is very reasonable.

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:49 AM

Why only Yoshitha Rajapakse? What about who came on State Television & openly spoke for the President? They too should go home.

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:49 AM

Well said! There cannot be one rule to rulers and another rule to the general public. Where are those CID guys? Are they sleeping?

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:46 AM

Certainly there are two different sets of rule. One is for the opposition and one is for the ruling party. Please read Mahinda Chinthanaya- Part 2.

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:46 AM

Well said.

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:44 AM

This is a very VALID point Mr Dayasiri.
"GET UP STANDUP......STANDUP FOR YOUR RIGHT.
GET UP STANDUP......DONT GIVEUP THE FIGHT-Bob Marlay

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:43 AM

UNP will never learn, not even from their own voters who have discarded their policies. they keep making the same treacherous mistakes people of this country have seen since 1977. Current leadership will soon celebrate silver jubilee in losing elections in SL but greed for power is paramount for them at the cost of loosing more voters. they are not commenting on the main issue of military coup allegations & the evidence that keep mounting but trying to attack even the siblings of the great people's president country has ever seen.

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:39 AM

Come to think of it he might like to revert to civilian life.UNP will in fact be doing him a favour

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:05 AM

How dare UNP to ask Mr.Yositha to resign from the Navy, He is the mian man behind the victory against LTTE. If not him we will never win this war. Mr.Yositha, please do not do that for the sake of our beloved country. Your service is required at least for another 100 years.

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:41 AM

God knows everything and the due punishment is near

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:40 AM

Hay small fellow don't be childish. You have no right to comment about Hon. Ranil Wickramasinghe nor SF nor Somawansa , as they are rated as "GENERALS" get lost buddy.

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:37 AM

If commanding officers of a formidable force such as the Army can be treated like play things and made to look like rabbits, despite their very physical contribution to free the Nation from daily mayhem and carnage; what are the prospects for the ordinary man and woman in town and village. They say, " people get the governments they deserve" . By the way, the govt. was sitting on their sweet bums, while the troops did the fighting. Decision making and war strategy? One look at who's who in this govt. is enough to prove that its a non-starter.

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:33 AM

Is Dayasiri being paid by MR to get his son off national duty now that the war cannot be sold anymore?

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:30 AM

all UNP'ers, hooo, hooo, hoooo, hooo ...
When Ranil acknowlege the deteat nothing to be despute now.

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:28 AM

All those ambassador's such as Newton Gunaratne campaigned for election must resign as they are representative of whole country and not a representative of one individual or party.

This is a disgrace to the country - " Eyalata kiri -apita Kakiri"

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:26 AM

"Naduth Hamuduruwange, Baduth Hamuduruwange"

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:16 AM

care of ur business Mr. Jayasekara. you all messing the country.

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:13 AM

God knew everything. We do not know anything. Punishment will follow.

Friday, 05 February 2010 11:06 AM

if the opposition thinks there will be a common law for the Rajapakses and the public, they are living in a morbid dreamworld!

You should realise that by now. Only the public and opposition cannot commit crime.

Friday, 05 February 2010 09:30 AM

we support MR and MR support his family....this is awesome...i just realized we are slaves...

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:46 AM

Well said, why there different rules to the public and the presidents family, didnt the people of SL elect the president. As the noble Kings of SL did in our history the president should be impartial and be righteous.

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:44 AM

Yes , You correct Mr.Jayasekara.

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:42 AM

Yes true, the rule of law should apply to all. The serving officers in the 3 forces are not allowed to take part in politics, albeit in the open but then the "King can do no wrong" and the law does not apply to members of the Royal Family. In this country, the law is only to control the hoi polloi but then these hoi polloi dont have the brains even to realise that!

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:34 AM

Excellent argument, wonder how the royal family will answer this one.

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:32 AM

Is he a commander?

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:31 AM

election commisiner is the real vote machine used by mahinda. now we cant realizes what was happened last all elections
all results and rules and regilation creat for their benifit only

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:27 AM

Good one!!

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:27 AM

Dogs have started their barking again...

Friday, 05 February 2010 10:26 AM

hik hik... Good joke...!!!

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UNP wants Yoshitha to resign

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