REFUGEE

Dec 13, Colombo: Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered the police to remove all banners, cutouts, and posters displaying his portraits in public to ensure a free and fair election.

The Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya said at a media briefing today that the President has given him clear instructions to implement the 14(1) of Presidential Act, No. 15, 1981 and remove all posters, banners, and cutouts displayed after 17 December.

The President has requested the IGP to start the operation by removing the material with his photo even before the date of nomination.

"He asked me to remove all his display material in public even before nominations are handed in," said IGP Balasuriya.

The IGP appealed to the organizers of candidates to remove them by themselves and also advised them not to display them to avoid unnecessary expenditure.

The Commissioner of Elections has promised to extend his cooperation by providing labourers, he said.

A massive cut out of the President has been put up opposite the Fort railway station in a manner that has caused much inconvenience to rail and bus commuters.

Commuters say the police filed legal action against the Convener of the Unemployed Graduates Union, Sujith Kuruwita for allegedly obstructing the free movement of rail and bus commuters in Fort when the union organized a continuous strike opposite the Fort railway station, but has thus far remained silent about the massive cutout that has become a nuisance to everyone.

Legal experts observe that action could easily be taken against the erection of the cut out as the board carried the name of a sponsor. The cut out is said to have been produced by the Federation of Self Employed Entrepreneurs.

Massive cut outs of the President have also been put up outside the Viharamahadevi Park and several other areas in Colombo. A survey conducted by the Colombo University has found that a majority of the people were displeased with the erection of such large cut outs.

The President facing a difficulty in appointing the Chief Minister and the rest of the Ministers to the Southern Provincial Council several weeks after the conclusion of the election.

Prior to the election, the President had promised two of his relatives, Indika who topped the preferential votes list from the Hambantota District and Hemal Gunasekera who topped the list in the Matara District that the person who received the highest preferential votes would be appointed Chief Minister of the Province.

Unfortunately for the President, both, Indika and Hemal topped the preferential votes lists in their respective districts.

It was later decided to appoint Hemal Gunasekera to parliament to fill the vacancy that was to be created by the resignation of Basil Rajapaksa on the guise of taking charge of the President’s campaign for the next Presidential election. In such a backdrop, Indika was to be appointed as the Chief Minister.

Lanka News Web learns that the media ploy to capture the President kissing a small child at the ceremony in Anuradhapura to launch the construction of Seyas (dagabos) in every province to mark the military victory had failed when the President had mixed up the children.

The President arrived at the venue after the ministers dug the ground at the auspicious moment and unveiled the name board of the Hela Maha Seya. Drummers were used to play the magul bera and a small boy was used to blow the conch shell. Organizers were ordered by higher authorities to use a small boy from the South to blow the conch shell. The plan was for the President to kiss the small boy from the South and inquire his hometown and upon hearing a name of a Southern town, the President was to say that heroes were born from the South.

However, unable to find a boy from the South, the organizers had found a boy from a school in Homagama, Colombo for the task. As planned, the President had walked up to the boy and asked, “From which village are you?” The child had responded saying he was from Homagama. The President had been unsure of what he had just heard and had asked the child a second time from where he was from. The child had once again responded saying he was from Homagama.

The President had then said “Ok” and walked away. He had later summoned the organizers of the event and reprimanded them for their failure.

Military sources say the President has stopped consuming meat to fulfill a vow undertaken by him to invoke the blessings of God to overcome any ill effects. However, it has also been reported that the vow has excluded the consumption of liquor.

The President who attended the banquet held at Hilton Hotel to mark the 60th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Army had told several army heads that he was a vegetarian these days.

Although the President was supposed to address the gathering, he had made an early departure without making any speech due to ill health.