Election reminiscences

Part IV

Continued from October 17

In the late 1960s, the UNP Government took steps to build the first state-owned hotel at Bentota. At the General Elections in 1970, the SLFP candidate made a promise that this hotel would be immediately converted to a hospital, once they came to power. But once they came to power, it was announced that the Premier Sirimavo Bandaranaike was going to ceremonially open the hotel. Posters came up announcing it. Then there were counter posters put up by the UNPers to the effect that it is the promised hospital that is to be ceremonially opened.

At the opening ceremony the SLFP candidate (now the MP) who promised to convert it to a hospital also spoke. He said that it is true that during the election campaign he promised to make it a hospital and that the people are witnessing today the opening of the hospital.

“This hospital,” he said, “…is going to ensure the recovery of Mother Lanka from the serious malady she is suffering from. Namely an insufficiency of Valuable Foreign Exchange!”

***

A Government MP who had signed the Impeachment Motion of President Premadasa, by way of explanation, had said that he thought it was a motion to import peaches (im-peach-ment), adding that he very much liked to eat peaches.

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There was a 1956 Basha Boy in Parliament who displayed his much professed love for Sinhala. One day he said that at his home, the children called their mother ‘Maniyo’ and that they called him ‘Piyano’. “What do they call your father?” asked a colleague. “Grand-Piyano” he said.

***

A disgruntled new MP once said “I regret that there are members is this House, who would break up a funeral procession if they are not allowed to drive the hearse.” When the decrepit old hospital in his electorate was being renovated, the MP said that there would be new urinals and arsenals, both.

***

Once the male attendants at a hospital went on strike for some frivolous reason. And, when the Minister heard about it, he was furious. “Tell those bloody men to get back to work immediately,” he shouted, “…or I will womanise the whole hospital.”

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A new breed of JPs called “Janapriya Pandankarayas came to be appointed. Once one MP, said, “Now that I am elected, I will have to look into the promises I have made, which I must forget.”

***

G.V.S. de Silva was the UNP MP for Habaraduwa in 1983. One day at a meeting, the UNP youth Leaguers severely criticized him, all because he allotted teaching posts to both UNPers and SLFPers in proportion to the votes their candidates had received at the polls. “Right is not right in today’s politics,” he lamented.

***

Henry Abeywickrama was a member in the S.W.R.D. cabinet, who was found guilty of bribery and corruption by the Talagodapitiya Commission. One day he was giving evidence in the Galle District Court, when a counsel, in order to belittle him asked, “Is it not a fact that you were found guilty of bribery and corruption?” “Not by a court of law” he replied laconically.

***

U.B. Wanninayake who was elected as the M.P. for Yapahuwa in 1965, was appointed a Cabinet Minister. And, his constituents organized a grand welcome to him and was expecting him to come in his official car by motorcade, with his bodyguards.

When an advanced party went to welcome him on the way, they found him near a culvert at a junction. When they asked him why he did not come in the official car, he had said that as usual he came by train, without wasting public money on petrol and that he was taking a rest as he was tired.

***

Dr. N.M. Perera’s reference to some of his fellow M.P.s as ‘Puduma Saththu’, way back in 1952, when he addressed a mass meeting at the Galle Face Green, was raised in Parliament as a breach of privilege. The LSSP leader’s defenders claimed that the word ‘saththu’ was quite harmless and inoffensive. They argued that Buddha himself used it, when he said “Siyalu sathvayo niduk vethvaa” (May all beings be happy), and that clinched it.

***

Prins Gunasekera, one time MP for Habaraduwa, who fought for the rights of youths in our country, had to leave his motherland to save his life. His phrase “Gaalu Giya Awe Netho” refers to the disappearance of youth during the 1971 youth uprising.

***

Sometimes one’s professional career also has an impact on one’s political fortunes. Dr. Colvin R. de Silva once lost the election as some women voted against him, for defending the cricketer Sathasivam, who was accused of murdering his wife.

***

Some election petitions were fielded after the elections. The first such was filed in 1921, when E.W. Perera contested the Western Province B Division Seat in the legislative Council and defeated a formidable opponent, Forrester Obeysekera. The petition was dismissed.

W. Dahanayake was unique, as he filed two election petitions; one for the Bibile Seat and the other for the Galle Seat, arguing both cases himself before court and wining both cases.

***

A Doctor of Medicine, who was elected for a seat in a suburb of Colombo, was proud of his humble beginnings. One day he and some of his friends were drinking Pol arrack on the ground floor of a hotel, when one of friends said, “Doctor, you are drinking Pol arrack here, while your son is drinking whisky on the upper flour.” The MP quipped, “Mama waduwage putha (I am a son of a carpenter), “Eka dostarage putha.” (That fellow is a son of a doctor).

***

One of the MPs rode on the tidal wave of 1977. One day when he came home for lunch, he saw some workmen busy installing a telephone. He asked them what was going on? “Manthrituma! We are installing your Nila Telephone,” they said. (We are installing your official telephone.) “Nila Telephone be damned. I want a Kola Telephone!” (Nila Telephone be damned. I want a green Telephone!)

To be continued…