“Divide And Rule Or Work Collectively ?” by Jayantha Wijesingha

What should you do to see that change? Keep Mahinda in power for another eight long years and see nothing change for sure, or transfer it to My3 for 100 days and see how he executes his manifesto?

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/divide-and-rule-or-work-collectively/

“Political Battle Between Two Defence Ministers & Justice For Victims In Sri Lanka” by Nirmanusan Balasundaram

After execution of mass atrocities and their failure to stop it, international actors have accepted their failure. Time has arrived for course correction, and Sri Lanka’s forthcoming presidential election will be the litmus test for it, and a challenge to international conscience. Will international actors bring perpetrators of mass atrocity crimes in Sri Lanka to international justice and prove “Never Again” to be more than just a slogan?

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/political-battle-between-two-defence-ministers-justice-for-victims-in-sri-lanka/

“Dayan Jayatilleka’s Arguments For Supporting Mahinda: False Premises And Faulty Logic” by Niranjan Rambukwella

“This article is not about Dayan Jayatilleka – it’s about the arguments he uses to defend the Rajapaksa regime. These arguments are currently the most sophisticated apologies that exist for the Rajapaksa regime. If they are flawed, then the entire foundation underlying the case for supporting Mahinda Rajapaksa crumbles.

Arguments can be flawed for two distinct reasons. First, if an argument’s premises are false. The second cause of flawed arguments is invalid logic linking premises to conclusions. For example, the conclusion in the argument below:”

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/dayan-jayatillekas-arguments-for-supporting-mahinda-false-premises-and-faulty-logic/

“Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse asks Tamils to re-elect ‘known devil'” by abc.net.au

Sri Lanka’s embattled president Mahinda Rajapakse has urged minority Tamils to back him in next week’s election, calling himself the “known devil”.

via: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-03/sri-lankan-president-asks-tamils-to-re-elect-known-devil/5998238

“Mahinda vs. Maithri: Frenzied contest races to final week” by Daily FT

At the Bambalapitiya junction, a larger-than-life silhouette of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is illuminated with hundreds of tiny blue, red and white fairy lights. It’s a strange depiction because his hair and facial features are covered in tiny blue lights. Behind the giant light spectacle is an entire façade of presidential portraits and signatures. Last week, a large screen television was mounted upon the façade. It plays propaganda videos about the last days of the war in 2009 and President Rajapaksa kneeling to kiss the ground upon his triumphant return home from an overseas trip on 18 May 2009.

via: http://www.ft.lk/2015/01/01/mahinda-vs-maithri-frenzied-contest-races-to-final-week/

“The High-Stakes Battle for Sri Lanka’s Presidency” by Sudha Ramachandran

Mahinda Rajapaksa’s plans to return to power as Sri Lanka’s president for a third successive term has run into trouble. With less than a month to go before the vote, Rajapaksa is ahead of his rivals but joint opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena is closing in and could unseat him in a free and fair election.

via: http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/the-high-stakes-battle-for-sri-lankas-presidency/

“A struggle for democratic space” by Ahilan Kadirgamar

Ahilan Kadirgamar: “Sri Lanka is facing a crucial election, possibly its most important since 1956 when the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) came to power. For the first time since S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike split from the United National Party (UNP), the two-party system may be reconfigured as members of the two elite parties come together in an attempt to overthrow the Rajapaksa regime, which has gone too far down the path of authoritarianism.”

via: http://m.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/comment-on-sri-lanka-presidential-election/article6732968.ece/

“State-Nation-Hero: A Clarification On Rajiva’s Observations” by Dayan Jayatilleka

“As my dear friend Rajiva Wijesinha would recall, I have, even at my most acerbically critical of the policies, ideological doctrine, structures, policy process and personalities of Govt and State, always and explicitly exempted Mahinda Rajapaksa from that critique, except for his sins of omission. As such I have never advocated the defeat/removal of Mahinda Rajapaksa and would have done so only if it represented a step forward, which would have been the case ONLY with a Sajith-Karu ticket (i.e. with Sajith or Karu as candidate, and the other as PM). At no time would I have thought positively or charitably of a post-Mahinda dispensation in which the dominant personalities were Ranil and CBK. I regard such a prospect as a dangerously reactionary retrogression.”

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/state-nation-hero-a-clarification-on-rajivas-observations/

“Something Tells Me Mahinda May Pull It Off” by Marlon Dale Ferreira

“Those opposing President Mahinda Rajapaksa should stop for a moment and perhaps reflect on a few good things that he has done so far in office.

He no doubt has got more than what it takes to be just another politician and let’s be honest here, he pulled off the 2005 Presidential Elections when the whole country felt that Ranil Wickremesinghe was going to win. The abstention of the Tamil vote was at the end of the day a brilliant stunt he pulled off with the help of Vellupilai Prabhakaran the then Tamil terrorist leader.

Four years later in May of 2009, he got the support of the entire nation behind him and sent everyone into ruptures of delight, lighting fireworks, moreover when announcing that peace is here to stay at last.

This is when he pulled the wool over the eyes of the ‘Tiger Head’ and annihilated him and his entire terrorist army of soldiers in manner, vanquishing any thought of them taking up arms ever again.

Then again in the run up to the next Presidential Elections in 2010, when every mother hen and goose said that they had voted for Sarath Fonseka to be the next President, lo and behold he pulled off another stunner. ‘Computer Jilmart’ or not, he pulled it off and did not relinquish his seat continuing to remain in power.”

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/something-tells-me-mahinda-may-pull-it-off/

“Reading Election Manifestos” by Sumanasiri Liyanage

“Let us review the election manifestos of the candidates. At the moment, I have three manifestos with me. I will focus first on the Manifestos of Candidate Mahinda Rajapaksa (MR) and candidate Maithripala Sirisena (MS). It is not uncommon to have some degree of rhetoric in election manifesto.”

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/reading-election-manifestos/

“Mahinda Rajapaksa Who Stole 83 Million Rupees Of Tsunami Funds Is A Callous Thief: Mangala” by Colombo Telegraph

“I am very sad to say, that this politician is a callous thief. He stole 83 million rupees of Tsunami relief funds and used them for his personal gain.
The former Chief Justice has publicly apologized saying that the Helping Hambantota judgement, which he presided over and which protected that thief from conviction and ultimately jail, was the biggest mistake in his entire life. What right does this man have to speak of the people’s development and the country’s development? His achievements and energy over the last nine years have been spent only on own his family’s development and enrichment.”

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/mahinda-rajapaksa-who-stole-83-million-rupees-of-tsunami-funds-is-a-callous-thief-mangala/

“For Sri Lankan President, Renounced by Aides, Confidence of Re-election Dims” by Ellen Barry

In the days after Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan president, was betrayed by a group of his longtime aides, comparisons were made to Judas Iscariot and the serpent in the Garden of Eden, but nothing expressed the depth of the president’s hurt and bewilderment like the fact that the desertion had occurred just after a shared meal of hoppers.

via: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/26/world/for-sri-lankan-president-renounced-by-aides-confidence-of-re-election-dims.html?_r=1

“Sri Lanka president pledges fresh war crimes probe” by Amal Jayasinghe

Sri Lanka’s president, under pressure from his main opponent in upcoming elections, on Tuesday promised a judicial inquiry into allegations that his troops killed thousands of Tamil civilians at the end of the civil war.

via: http://news.yahoo.com/sri-lanka-president-pledges-fresh-war-crimes-probe-003856427.html?soc_src=mediacontentstory&soc_trk=tw

“True Nature Of The Relations Between The Government / LTTE Has Been Exposed: Champika” by Colombo Telegraph

JHU General Secretary and a front-liner of the common Opposition movement, Patali Champika Ranawaka today challenged the Rajapaksa regime to clarify the crimes that are being probed and punishments that would be meted out on those found guilty of war crimes by the Presidential Commission on Disappearances.

via: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/true-nature-of-the-relations-between-the-govt-ltte-has-been-exposed-champika/

“Insights into Mahinda Rajapaksa’s re-election campaign on social media” by Groundviews

As virtual extensions of the power and influence of real world party politics, these social media campaigns will be vital to observe in the weeks ahead, to see to what degree both leading candidates will go to in order to influence voters whose primary source of information around politics and the elections will be mediated through the very platforms Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the President’s all-powerful brother, once called a threat to national security.

via: http://groundviews.org/2014/12/18/insights-into-mahinda-rajapaksas-re-election-campaign-on-social-media/