With another election on the cards, the daggers are drawn with accusations going to and fro, hither and thither. The former ruler who suffers from selective amnesia about his past record is at it again, playing to the gallery, waving both arms and shouting himself hoarse. Attempts are also being made to blame the PM for the recent disgraceful behaviour in Parliament. This is, as is usual with the JO and others who do this, just another slanderous fabrication.
We all know who started the fracas leading to fisticuffs. It was none other than a famed long jumper who had done it before when he was on the other side. He is certainly more famed for brawn rather than being a mental heavyweight! A certain speech made by him when a Minister is still talked about for the many gaffes he made. It is a disgrace that we as taxpayers have to fund our lawmakers who behave in this fashion. The Prime Minister of the country was on his feet, making a statement on the Bond issue, on which many unfounded accusations were thrown at him. Instead of listening, they shouted names at him. We all know about the billions of loss to the country due to the corruption of the former regime and their extravagance of spending state money to enhance their personal glory. This led to the PM who is human and not a God and MP’s returning the insults; he did not resort to fisticuffs, which in earlier times led to some dying after heart attacks due to such assaults.
Second line of the UNP consists of a group of educated qualified young men/women, who are capable of holding their own in any assembly anywhere in the world. No other party in our country has that advantage
Objects were even thrown at the PM, after which began the violence bringing this most august assembly, the Parliament of Sri Lanka to become like an unruly marketplace. One young MP collapsed. Is this the kind of behaviour for our youth to witness? It should have been controlled as it began and the situation brought under control by those who have the authority to do so. Nothing has even been done about Weerawansa who threatened to set fire to Parliament, thereby inciting others to do so.
The second line of the UNP consists of a group of educated qualified young men and women, who are capable of holding their own in any assembly anywhere in the world. No other party in our country has that advantage. This is entirely due to Ranil WIckremesinghe who was responsible for this. Some parties only have jokers who cannot discipline their children, teach them right from wrong, instil the right values and principles in them to keep them from adhering to the rules of the land leading breakaway political groups. Other candidates riding piggyback on ancestor’s names are disgracing those ancestors by doing pole-vaults from party to party. I was very impressed when I met some young people contesting the forthcoming local government election for the UNP the other day. Among them were young Shavil Bandaranayake Kariyawasam, son of impeached Shirani Bandaranayake, Duminda Attygalle, Dilshan Jayasinghe and some female candidates.
At long last women are getting a better chance of being involved in decision making with the representation of women increased to 25 %. This was the brainchild of the PM, who at the initial meeting in 2015 to discuss this with a committee of women, hand-wrote the entire document himself as his brain invariably works ten times faster than most others. Particularly those who are suffering from selective amnesia and those who project themselves as great intellectuals.Due to this we have formidable groups of women contesting from most major parties.
UNP list is led by Rosy Senanayake, who has proved her capabilities in her role as UNICEF Ambassador, High Commissioner in Malaysia and as a Minister
The UNP list is led by Rosy Senanayake, who has proved her capabilities in her role as UNICEF Ambassador, High Commissioner in Malaysia and as a Minister. I saw all this for myself as I accompanied her to Jaffna and other places when among her first projects were the presentation of a nutritional pack worth Rs. 20,000 to pregnant mothers.This is still being done.Under this regime the Ministers of Finance, Health, Housing, Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction and Education have done yeoman service. Salaries of government servants were increased, schoolchildren get insurance, medicines at a discount, there is an increased intake of students to universities, the Mahapola allowance has been increased, there have been several housing projects all over the country and in the North which suffered long and silently during those miserable war-torn years, land which rightfully belonged to the people and were taken away has been returned to them.
Medicines have been reduced in price,stents and lens for cataracts are free, an urgent need for an ambulance service all over the country has been established saving many lives,model villages have been started. The PM worked hard at getting back GSP. There are still a few among us, with an IQ probably below Zero who talk about the former ruler’s sibling glorifying Colombo. This was a just a face lift where it shows, the side roads inside which were still full of potholes are only being attended to now. This facelift also caused the bigger tragedy of Meetotamulla, when people during that regime were shot when they protested.
Here again the PM and Ministers concerned have solved the problem. They listened to the people’s woes and acted on them. Was there ever a Bond Commission in spite of all the accusations when the former regime was in power. Have people forgotten the white van syndrome where anyone who dared to question or protest was killed or just disappeared leaving spouses and families distraught and in great distress. Previously although the UNP controlled the Municipal Council, they were given step-motherly treatment by the central government for 25 years. This time round there is a concrete plan for Colombo to make it a city that we will be proud to live in.
I was happy the other day when talking to some people to hear some comments which I quote below. A lady who I asked to vote for the UNP said. ‘All my life, my three prime loyalties have been to my old school, Bishops College, my church, the Anglican Church and my party the UNP. I will never change’. Another gentleman who is well known his expertise in finance and accountancy said ‘I only have faith in Ranil who can strengthen our economy’. Still another when I questioned why Ranil was singled out for unfair and slanderous attacks said. ‘Don’t you realize that they do this because he is the only challenge? Good thinking which I hope will inspire one and all to go the polls to cast their vote. Women and all must set aside their political differences, vote to have our first woman Mayor of Colombo.
