Gotabhaya the traitor : Ranil
June 4th, 2008
Related Update: Protesters call Ranil ‘The Traitor’ [Sandeshaya]
The leader of the opposition in Sri Lanka has described the powerful Defence Secretary as a traitor for leaving the country as war against the LTTE intensified.
Ranil Wickramasinghe said Gotabhaya Rajapaksa left Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to live in the United States while the SLA engaged with the LTTE in the north and the east.
[Mr. Hakim says the APRC is a 'fraud' by the Govt. to deceive the world]
He was commenting on alleged threats by the powerful Defence Secretary to journalists and the defence ministry describing those criticise the SLA as ‘traitors’.
Mr. Wickramasinghe made the remarks as UNP eastern provincial councillors who boycotted the inaugural meeting of the EPC held on Trincomallee took oaths before him in Colombo.
APRC ‘a fraud’
“The traitor is the one who resigned from the SLA to leave the country,” the opposition leader told journalists.
The leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Rauff Hakim, was among the 15 EPC councillors took oaths in Colombo on Wednesday.
The SLMC leader said the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) is an attempt by the government to deceive the international community.
[15 councillors boycotted the inaugural EPC meeting]
The opposition contested the EPC to reveal the government’s inaction to find a political solution to Sri Lanka’s ethnic problem.
“The government’s statements that they will find a political solution through APRC is a fraud,” Rauff Hakim said.
The UNP councillors decided to boycott the inaugural meeting of the EPC to protest rigging of the election, Mr. Hakim added.
Election petition
The UNP, meanwhile, submitted a petition against the recently concluded EPC elections.
Citing 20 defendants including the elections commissioner, the petitioners appealed to the court to annul the results of Ampara and Batticaloa districts.
Mr. Hakim, who was UNP’s chief ministerial candidate, told BBC Sandeshaya that they will produce evidence of government ministers rigging the elections on 10 May.
Because of intimidation and vote rigging, Mr. Hakim said, the elections were not free and fair in both districts.
The UNP won Trincomalee district, while the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) secured victory in Ampara and Batticaloa.
All opposition parties, including Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), accused the ruling party of rigging the elections and intimidating the voters using armed groups.
Entry Filed under: Courtesy: BBC News
15 Comments Add your own
1. jayasingha | June 5th, 2008 at 12:22 am
Gota atlest joint the army. What Ranil do for the counrtry?
2. Kurudan | June 5th, 2008 at 11:25 am
Hmmm…times have changed.
“International safety net” will not protect Ranil from Rajapakse brothers..
3. ilaya seran senguttuvan | June 5th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Although he makes fantastic claims of his exploits while in the Army, the truth was he was one among hundreds of Brigadiers
of little consequence, who eventually yielded to the cliche “He who runs away lives to fight another day” I hope he does not decide to take me to the “Bambu Usaviya” for saying this.
4. Gayan | June 6th, 2008 at 3:53 am
Such tough words from the man who allowed his henchmen to compramise the LRRP & its founding members in 2001for a worthless “peace” deal..Allowed safe passage for shiploads of weapons/High Tech communication equipments to LTTE terrorists from the colombo port itself .Allowed terrorist spies to infiltrate the south by removing road blocks.
As for the vote rigging and election violance-such things were not practised before 1977.Ranil should ask his uncle for an explanation for introducing such crimes to general politics after 1977 election victory by the UNP.
Useless leader then, even worse now
5. crazyoldmansl | June 6th, 2008 at 4:27 am
Let me tell you. Ranil stopped fighting and started talking. The result was the the war stopped. There were no bombs going off all over the place, no checkposts blocking traffic, no disappearances, no killing of people. Tourism picked up, businesses began to invest and the economy began to move on. Interests rates dropped thereby stimulating the economy. Media persons were not murdered. NGO workers were not killed. Is that not enough?
6. Devinda Fernando | June 6th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I can’t beleive the ldepths to which Ranil sunk to undermine the current government.
7. pathma | June 6th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Look who is talking!
8. ilaya seran senguttuvan | June 7th, 2008 at 1:45 am
Crazyold man #3 brings out more wisdom and reality than most
of our politcal leaders. I am totally with you. I know many Sinhala
friends who told me during 2002-2004 – after visiting Nagadipa
and Trinco “We thought we’ll never see these places in our lifetime”
Thanks to Mahinda R yielding to the pressure of the racial twins
JHU/JVP the Peace Accord is out. Want to bet MR will be forced
to eat humble pie and bring back the Norwegians now that all channels of communiation to Wanni is out? CBK had to do that,
remember? C.O.man, do you remember phsyco analyst Karl Jung’s celebrated comment “Show me a sane man and I’ll cure him for you” Sir, we are all crazy at some point of our daily lifes. Its just that those whole rule us are incurably crazier.
9. ilaya seran senguttuvan | June 7th, 2008 at 1:50 am
Please read my comments above as “…we are all crazy at
different levels at diffrent points of time” I rember many years ago
Time-Life held a survey around the Rockefeller Centre in Manhattan during lunch time. From the 200 odd samples, the conclusion was
“over 60 of the successful professionals interviewed many can fall within the category of those who crossed the thin grey line” – although they were
by no means nuts – in the accepted sense.
10. Duminda | June 8th, 2008 at 2:44 am
Traitor is the person who support enemy for his own gain,
Traitor is not a person who leaves army
so leaving army does nt make Gota a traitor.
On the other hand Ranil sold the country to LTTE for his own survival, things he gave to LTTE by way of CFA was unimaginable to a partiotic person.
So who is the traitor???
Ranil is 100% traitor.
Gota is back now fighting with the enemy, while Ranil is still supporting the enemy, for every bomb blast he blame the Government not LTTE. He never mentiona Velu’s name or LTTE name.
11. samuel | June 8th, 2008 at 9:56 am
Gothabaya has not yet sued Ranil for defamation.
APRC was a futile exercise to saisfy the international community – a national referendum and/or a new costitution would have been necessary to implement its decisions, which measures are impracticable.
The 13th Amendment was finally thrust on the APRC by the president – but devolving all powers to PCs will never occur.
Now Pillayan wants all except police powers.
He is unable to control/prevent tamil/muslim enmity. He says that his cadres are responsible for the killings of muslims – but so far, none have been arrested. Hence the TMVP is more powerful than the armed forces !
The government refuses to disarm paramilitaries to “prevent them being slaughtered by the LTTE”.
This, after the “liberation” of the east, and the presence of government militia in the province.
The question is as to how these paramilitaries who are not any payroll survive. They have to necessarily prey on the people !
The LTTE too may not disarm as all its members will be slaughtered by the Armed Forces.
So, it is a stalemate – the war will go on.
12. KINGSLEY | June 8th, 2008 at 10:20 am
I am beginning to wonder whether Ranil has a personality disorder. He did right by organizing democratic protests with carts and horns etc. But when he was confronted with goons in Parliament rediculing him, he should have posed the all imprtant question ” What else can we do other than protesting through the democratic means available to us, or do you want us (UNP) to take up arms? (Rhetorically). then the general public would realize the gravity of the democratic protest.
I am beginning to wonder whether he is in cahoots with MR and VP surpassing all the radical elements to implement some agreements!!!!
13. AP | June 8th, 2008 at 10:43 am
It’s only in Sri Lanka that traitors like Ranil still enjoy at least some popularity despite his treacherous acts when he was the Prime Minister.
No where else in the world you can find a leader of a country who allowed the betrayal of his country’s own brave soldiers like what his Minister John Amaratunga did at Millenium City. No where else in the world you can find a leader who took his Navy Commander to task for destroying an enemy ship full of weapons. Now where else in the world you can find such leaders without a back bone who allowed LTTE to violate the Cease Fire Agreement at will and yet did not not take any action.
Despite all his treachery he is the leader of the UNP and some people still vote for people like him.
It’s a tragedy that we are left with people like Ranil to lead the country. Are we so short of enough talented men that we have to settle for a traitor like Ranil?
14. ilaya seran senguttuvan | June 10th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Ranil is no traitor. It is only the foolish who think of him as such.
It is because of Ranil’s foresight the Sinhalese were able to revisit Nagadipa after 25 years. If Sinhalese rushed to Trincomalee beaches in large numbers between 2001-2004 to see a “part of the country they conceded they had lost forever” that is thanks to Ranil. Today you cannot go to Yala or Wilpattu – admit it. In the international area Sri Lanka’s image is very poor.
Many Western countries have advised their people to avoid visiting the Island. People in Polannaruwa, Anuradhapura border, Moneragala live in fear
and uncertainty because Ranil is not there as President. Ranil did not lose the 2004 Presidential Elections. The Sinhala people lost.
Look at what the JHU and the JVP the Sinhalese trusted did for the country. It lies in shatters and totally broke. It is only the Ministers, MP’s and those brothers in the throne who are having a good time. The vast mass of the people are suffering. The army is losing their men by the hundreds every week and the details of casualties from the Govt side are hidden. Ranil would have won by 1.2 million votes more if not for the JVP cunningly sabotaging 600,000 certain UNP votes in connivance with JVP-inclined Grama Sevakas who did not deliver polling cards to voters who they knew would vote for the UNP in the South. The other 600,000 votes were lost when Mangala Samaraweera arranged for Tiran Alles (with the knowledge of MR) to buy the LTTE, who threatened to harm Tamils in the LTTE-controlled areas not to vote for the UNP. Of course, Navin Dissanayake and Milinda Moragoda flunked by talking openly and unwisely of “an international safety net” to contain the LTTE and the Wanni Tiger supremo clung on to this to make some big money and to see the Sinhala South Govt bleed to death. Ranil’s flaw is his PR is awfully poor and he is adamant to be controlled by the Royal College clique of no gooders close to him. The entire international community has faith in his governing ability. India trusts his experience and his’ political sagacity. He cannot lie like MR, the JVP, the JHU, MEP. Sri Lankans are all the poorer they do not have Ranil as their leader. Ranil needs to be strong and honest to study NGP Panditharatne’s Report and make it available to all UNPers and the country and not hide it. Of course, the report criticises Ranil’s leadership. So what?
He still is the best bet for the UNP. For God’s sake, don’t let people like SB, Moragoda, Mahinda Wijesekera, Rajitha Senarathne near the UNP again- if Sri Lanka is to be saved.
15. KINGSLEY | June 12th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Talking of traitors, tell me of one politician in Sri Lanka who is not, in the strict sense of the term!
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