Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Mahinda Rajapaksa
I have not been able to make a post in quite some time because blogger's been giving me hard time.

Even though I said I'd dedicate a post to Mahinda I now realise I don't know enough about the man to do it. I just have a gut feeling that he's a good guy. I met him last Saturday. No you asses! I do not know him personally! I was just in the same room as him :)





images stolen from mahindarajapaksa.com

But here's what I do know.

I know a few people that he's treated badly, and minor involvement in some illegal logging activities in the South. He's also dished out a few contracts to friends and family, had a few cops transferred to the North when they pissed him off.

But when you think about everything all the othere have done, Mahinda seems like a saint. And he has a very nice smile :) Kinda like a Don. He's got a pleasant smile and look about him, but you know he's not the kinda guy you wanna cross. I know at least one woman who has a major thing for him. So the appeal's not fake.

According to what I've heard he doesn't screw around. He's also had very long tight relationships with many of the grassroots level civil society groups in the South as well as in Colombo, and this is something that I believe has influenced the way he politicks.

He may have had more than three people killed. That I really don't know. And he's not family, though I guess there must be some relationship since all the people from the South are related to each other in some way.

He has an official website. Check it out.

That's all folks :)

posted by Morquendi @  8:43 PM   || 10 opinion/s ||
Comments:
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : June 12, 2005 3:57 AM
 
Boring, really - no you don't know anything about him - that's why you're hoping he might be "OK" - you're so numb to politicians murdering, etc that so long as you don't have an active reason to hate them - they'll do.

He's not OK & it would be really good if the standard of behaviour by politicians not to mention monks was raised a 100-fold in this country. It's a pity that so few Sinhalese people know how this behavious affects the attitude people have towards the country. A bit like people used to have about whites from South Africa.

The JVP, the JHU, Chandrika & who knows in time Mahinda make the international press. Mad monks spitting out racial hatred - it's seriously wrong and embarrassing when you're out in the real world and you have to explain it.

There's only so long that we can all make a joke about the whole thing ... eventually it's going to blow up in our faces.

Time to do a bit more research Morq ... get a bit more serious about the value of human life - I know it's hard when there is so much of death around you - but don't let go of your humanity - or you'll end up like the rest...

Met 2 Bollywood produces last week - been given a role in this upcoming movie - looking forward to the whole experience - should be fun

Anon Anon
# posted by Blogger Morquendi : June 12, 2005 11:40 PM
 
Among a whole bunch of murdering thieving bastards Mahinda happens to be the one who is the most clean.

I would mention some concrete examples of a few of the terrible things he's done, but those were always as a local level politician or a junior minister. As the Prime Minister he has shown an almost impeccable record, and could be the one person who unites the progressives on the right and the left, against the rabid nationalists.

He is a Sinhala Buddhist who is not a bigot, therefore, while he can command the Sinhala Buddhist masses, he can also stop them from turning against the other communities. He can also take the Sinhala Buddhist vote away from the JVP.

He has also worked closely with civil society groups and shown that he is capable of listening to the opinions of serious experts and not just hacks with political ambitions.

This is why I like him.

And why do I think he will turn out any different from Chandrika? I don't know. Maybe he will become a raving lunatic like her. But somehow, I don't think so.

Their backgrounds are very different. She was always used to power, having had two PM's for parents. Mahinda too has come from a family with no small political clout, but his roots are more among the people than Chadrika, and I think this might make a difference.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : June 13, 2005 6:45 AM
 
I don't know Morq - I'm so depressed - I feel so upset about this whole thing.

I hear you loud and clear about the Sinhala Budhist vote - rah rah rah - but you know you're so missing a point. Every other civilizatiion apart from ours has realised that you MUST sperate State from Religon. You - it doesn't work having Buddhist monks being politicans - it's just absolutely CRAZY - look what is happening. When we turn on each other again and 100's of 1000's end up dead again - who are we going to blame - the Tigers - I think not.

If MR is worth half his whatever for this country - he should tell the monks to get back to the Temple & pray for his soul - especially is he is no better than all of them.

I WANT my country BACK - I do NOT want it run by a whole bunch of LUNATICS and opportunists. We are a special and blessed people - ALLLLLLLLLL of us - why are we doing this - sorry Morq - I'm really upset now - I glanced over your other articles - it's just stuffed.

Anyway - I hope one day when all these MORONS are gone - we can all turn everything around. - I just hope we all survive it.

Sorry - I'm just not my usual happy bloggie Anon Anon self tonight - I just feel that something really horrible is going to start happening.

You know when the JVP and the UNP with Srimavo and Chandrika floating around were butcher each other - we all should have done something . - I know what you're saying we were scared - well you know what now - we are worse than scared - we are Numb.

How dare these people take everything away from us.

Like I said - I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK. It does NOT belong to the monks or the JVP - the sooner they realise that they will not be able to lie and bully their way around the better.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : September 12, 2005 10:56 AM
 
The bad thing on internet is that anyone can destroy anyone willingly unwillingly or on contract. If being in a same room made you write a blog about his life, you dont know Sri Lanka and Mahinda. He is a man from common people, honest and clean. It would be rather good for Sri Lanka if you dont write this blog...
remove your blog and get a life
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : November 04, 2005 2:52 PM
 
Professional for Mahinda Rajapaksa
http://www.mhinda4srilanka.org
visit and find out who is mahinda and who he intend to do, make comments to Mahinda

see this mahinda story in flash
http://www.mahinda4srilanka.org/unidata/m79/mahinda.swf
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : November 08, 2005 8:40 PM
 
People talk MR or RW is more suitable to lead Sri Lanka, Basis should be to select is performance, and leadership qualities of both. I know RW from 1979 as Minister Youth affairs & Education then as Minister of Industries. He has never contributed to develop the education or the industry. The downfall of education and industry started by him
Where as I know MR as Minister of Labour and as well as Minister of Fisheries. He contributed in many ways to uplift poor community of SL society. At least MR has quality of listening to others view. That is the reason Sri Lankan should vote for MR for SL next president
# posted by Blogger sittingnut : November 09, 2005 5:48 AM
 
another anon vouching for mahinda. mr anon did you ever lived in sri lanka?
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : November 09, 2005 6:57 AM
 
Let us listen to Lalith Kotelawala and Rev. Oswald Gomis



by Malinda Seneviratne



I have seen so many Ceylinco advertisements carrying the face of Deshamanya Lalith Kotelawala that I have come to think that his brand managers treat him like god (with a lower case ‘g’ of course). It is of course possible that the Deshamanya thinks that the potential consumer would purchase his product by associating his face with it, much like beer and vehicles are advertised using half-dressed females as though the model comes with the product. I doubt it.



Lalith Kotelawala, Deshamanya (no less), is a patriot, and a loving and understanding one at that. He would lend his name and face gratis to anything that furthers the national interest, I am sure. This is probably why he is doling out millions these days, taking full page ads in every major newspaper, in all three languages, telling anyone who thinks he is worth listening to what to think and how to vote. Hats off to him! I only wish the rest of that tiny minority called the rich would be as compassionate in their sentiments and as generous with their advice.



We ought to listen to the man, even though he chooses election-time to use his SOLO-U outfit (we hope it is not a one-man operation) to place newspaper ads. He was all over the newspapers this past week, this lone voice of love and understanding. He asks “Do those who sow the seeds of racism wish to take us back to the past?”



Good question. He doesn’t name names. He is too much of a gentleman to do that. I, on the other hand, am no “gentleman” and not titled either. I believe, however, that Lalith K wants the voters to think and I being a voter, thought. I thought long. “Who is the Great Man talking about, who indeed sowed the seeds of racism?” I asked myself.



I thought about the 1983 July riots, orchestrated by Cyril Matthew, aided and abetted by the ruling party, the UNP, by ordering the police to turn a blind eye. I thought about the DDC elections of 1981 where Gamini Dissanayake openly robbed the people of Jaffna. I thought about the Jaffna Library, burnt by UNP goons. I thought about the 600 plus policemen (mostly Sinhala) ordered to surrender to the LTTE by the then president, Ranasinghe Premadasa (of the UNP). I thought about the Ranil Wickremesinghe regime which demonstrated virulent anti-Sinhala sentiment during “peace” talks with that ethnic-cleansing thug, Prabhakaran. I concluded, “Lalith Kotelawala is talking about the UNP and he is warning us that this party with a horrendously racist track record should be kept out of power at any cost”.



The Deshamanya tells us to cast our votes wisely, “so that we may not be dragged back to another monstrous war”. Who causes war if not war-mongers, armed thugs and those who abhor democracy? Who has been waging war, monstrous or otherwise, from Day One? The LTTE! The LTTE has continued to conscript children, bring in arms shipments and assassinate its opponents, even while a ceasefire has been agreed upon! Anyone who does not want to disarm Prabhakaran (who is a man unwilling to listen to reason, whether it comes from a Deshamanya or not) and who confuses the LTTE with ordinary Tamil people and their aspirations, does not deserve our vote, Lalith K seems to be arguing. Anyone who mollycoddles a terrorist is a facilitator or terror and an advocate of war. The question follows, “Who wants to placate terrorism?” The answer is clear. Ranil Wickremesinghe. Ranil would not end the war. He would strengthen the tyrant by giving him legitimacy and he would thereby condemn the Tamil people to perpetual slavery under Prabhakaran. That’s racist, in my book and would be in the Deshamanya’s book too, I am sure.



In another commendable advertisement, the Deshamanya has used Most Rev. Dr. Oswald Gomis, Archbishop of Colombo as both model and co-advocate of love and understanding. I have no way of knowing if Lalith K’s SOLO-U is a propaganda arm of the Catholic Church or Christianity in general or if the Most Reverend is a spokesperson for SOLO-U and/or the Deshamanya, but one thing is certain. They are both revered (by some at least) and both gentlemen, men of God (with an upper case ‘g”) on might even say.



Rev. Oswald Gomis through Lalith K (or Lalith K though Rev. Gomis) makes an appeal: “Christians Awake!” When I first saw that line I though to myself, “Oh on, here we go again, the God Squads and their Crusades!” I was wrong. The statement was a revelation.



Rev. Gomis reminds us that this election will have “an impact on our community and the country as a whole.” He points out the civil war (he is too much of a gentleman to call it a problem about a megalomaniac, I suppose) and moral degradation as the key problems we are facing today. He says that “Radical and extremist elements are paving the way for war”. I don’t know about “radical”, but he is right about “extremist” elements. He must mean the LTTE. He wants us to use discretion, prudence and foresight when we go to vote on November 17, 2005. He is not naming names either, but he must be saying “Please don’t vote for anyone who would give in to extremism” and we know that there is no one who is as extremist as Prabhakaran and there’s no one who is ready and willing to submit to him than Ranil Wickremesinghe. A vote for Ranil, consequently will not be prudent, and would be lacking in discretion and foresight. Rev. Oswald Gomis is essentially saying “Don’t vote for Ranil,” correct me if I am wrong, good father.



Rev. Gomis also tells us that “radical groups have been propagating hatred and dissention in the name of religion paving the way for religious strife”. He is of course referring to the evangelical zealots engaged in unethical conversion who have been responsible for the diminishing numbers in Catholic churches island-wide. Their form of “propagation” has included dashing Buddha statues on the ground, making people munch on biscuits in the shape of Lord Buddha and other uncivilized acts that would have made Jesus of Nazareth recoil in horror at what is being done in his name.



Rev. Gomis is absolutely right when he says that “A nation could be built only on mutual confidence, love, maitri and deep respect for each other and not on hatred or violence”. This is why I can’t understand his opposition to the Anti-Conversion Bill, which is all about preserving mutual respect and letting people practice their faith without their circumstances being exploited and in other ways inducing them to convert. But that’s a small oversight on the good father, I believe.



In any event, both the Most Reverent and the Deshamanya are to be commended for having showed us how to vote, or more accurately, how not to vote. On November 7, 2005, I might vote for Mahinda Rajapakse or some other candidate or not vote at all, but one thing is sure: I will follow the advise of Deshamanya Lalith Kotelawala and the Most Reverend Oswald Gomis, the Archbishop of Colombo, and will not vote for the UNP candidate, Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe.
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : November 27, 2005 11:41 PM
 
All of you have received your answers by election results. Whatever your excuse for the results, it doesn't matter. He is the President for our Motherland now. The most suitable person for the presidency.
# posted by Blogger sittingnut : November 28, 2005 5:38 AM
 
why do ppl post comments in out of date threads like this one? may be they are afraid of something? what cold that be?:-)
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