election night coup what really happend

8/9/2019 Election Night Coup What Really Happend

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Election night coup What really happend?

January 23, 2015, Thursday

Earlier this week, Indian media quoting new External Affairs Minister Mangala

Samaraweera reported there was a fear of a real coup in Sri anka during the early

hours of !anuary ", when it was #ecoming e$ident to former %resident Mahinda

&a'apaksa that the poll results were not in his fa$our(

)owe$er, as the first light of the day hit the city of *olom#o on !anuary ", former

%resident Mahinda &a'apaksa accepted his defeat and left +emple +rees, assuring a

smooth transfer of power to the incum#ent %resident Maithripala Sirisena( +his came as

a surprise to many, and mostly to those who foretold the -./ %residential election

would record the highest election $iolence in the history of polls in Sri anka( )owe$er,

these claims of the alleged attempt to stage a coup on election night ha$e cast dou#ts on

whether his exit was as peaceful as it appeared to #e ( ( (

It was on !anuary ., -./, that the present %rime Minister, who was then the 0pposition

leader, disclosed details of an alleged attempt #eing formulated #y the &a'apaksa regime

to deploy ex1ser$icemen and utili2e the military esta#lishment to manipulate the

elections process in their fa$our( )e ga$e the media, a document titled 3Western

%ro$ince 1 *olom#o 4istrict *ampaign Segment 5II67 that contained a list of

names8contact information of ex1ser$icemen who had #een assigned to 3handle7 a part of

*olom#o that had #een di$ided into four areas 1 9olonnawa, 9otte, Maharagama and

4ehiwala(

Although the document does not specify the tasks that these officials had #een assigned,it notes that each of the four areas had #een gi$en a group leader, an assistant group

leader, a full1time group consisting of two ex1ser$icemen and two additional groups

consisting of four ex1ser$icemen each( +hey were to take turns during :o$em#er .- 1;,

-.;, 4ecem#er < 1 ., -.; and !anuary / 1 .-, -./( +he document also contained

details of other groups of ex1ser$icemen who had #een assigned to se$eral other parts of

the country including =adulla, Sa#aragamuwa, Anuradhapura etc(
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+he former regime denies the allegations and claims it was a 3purely political

campaigning exercise7( >et, the deployment of the military in *olom#o in the days

leading up to the elections and on the election day, has #een in clear $iolation of election

results(

+he Elections *ommissioner on se$eral occasions in the days leading up to the electionsreiterated that the security forces had no role in the polls and that the %olice were

capa#le of protecting the polling process and the $oters( 4espite the E*7s assurance of

not in$ol$ing the military in the elections process, a confidential letter titled 30peration

4irecti$e %ro$ision of assistance to the %olice #y the security forces during the

%residential election -./7 issued on 4ecem#er ;, -.;, signed #y the *hief of

4efence Staff, @eneral !agath !ayasooriya states that military was to #e deployed to

assist the %olice to maintain law and order during the run up to and the aftermath of the

election(

In a category titled 3Special instructions7 in the letter, notes ha$e #een made onpro$iding security to 3$ulnera#le points7 with effect from .u$an'an Wi'eyathilake himself instructed

the *I4 to pro#e the alleged 3election night coup7 when his ad$ice was sought to

commence the in$estigations(

+he details remain sketchy and the truth remains #lurred( Was the transition of power as

smooth as it seemed? Are these simply political claims? 0r was it the outcome of a


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failure in a dangerous plan that could not #e hatched?

+he 4ailymirror spoke to se$eral officials whose names ha$e #een linked with the issue

and to se$eral politicians who ha$e #een $oicing their concerns on the matter ( (

(

Rajapaksas plan was to ask the Police to call for

a military interventionJHU General Secretary and Minister of Power and Energy - Patali Champika Ranawaka

B+his was a part of the multifaceted plan formulated #y the &a'apaksas to

gain the upper hand at the elections if the results were not in their fa$our(

+hey appointed ex1ser$icemen to coordinate with the elections process( +he

*olom#o district was di$ided into .C sectors, and each sector wasdesignated with high1le$el military officers to coordinate with the political

representati$es( It was a plan that amalgamated ex1military, existing military

and the political mechanism(

)owe$er, this plan met with se$ere protest from the officials on the lower

ranks( Moreo$er, the people7s mo$ement was gaining ground and the

&a'apaksas felt the heat( +hat is why their plans were scuttled(+heir attempt was to ask the %olice to call for a military inter$ention, #ut our I@% refused to do that(

!agath !ayasooriya asked the Elections *ommissioner to deploy the Army in the so1called 3$ulnera#le7

areas #ut the Elections *ommissioner refused to do that and that was how this carnage that waswaiting to happen, was thwarted( It was definitely not Mahinda &a'apaksa7s hum#le, humane

approach(


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Dnfortunately, M& was spurred on #y the 4efence Secretary and a few personnel in the 4efencesector(

In fact, I can say with assurance that they esta#lished armed cordons co$ering $arious key points in*olom#o( 0ne circle was to co$er the area spanning from Wellawatte #ridge to the 9elaniya =ridgeF

the second was to encircle us 1 the 0pposition politicians from Sirikotha to the Elections*ommissioners office 1 &oyal *ollege and 4S Senanayake *ollege counting centres( +he &a'apaksastried e$ery possi#le mo$e in order to remain in power, #ut all their schemes fell apart( 4emocracy is

still pre$ailing in this country, thanks to the #ra$ery of our Elections *ommissioner, the I@%, the

Attorney @eneral and some of the military commanders(

This was a part of the multifaceted plan formulated by the Rajapaksas to gain upper

hand at the elections if the results were not in their favour.

These claims are too sensitive and politicizedrmy Commander - !t" Gen" #aya Ratnayake

+he Army *hief declined to comment on the issue as well and stated

B+hese are only rumours( +hese claims are too sensiti$e and politici2ed( So

I think the media should not get us in$ol$ed in these issues and anyway whyshould we get in$ol$ed?

I am not aware of any coup$ormer #irector%Spokesman - Media Centre& Ministry of #efence 'rig" -R(wan

)anigasooriya

B+he Sri anka ArmyF #oth #efore and after the

elections did the utmost to protect the democraticfreedom, which they are committed to preser$e(

0$er G-,--- li$es were sacrificed in the :orth

and East in preser$ing democracy and freeing ourcountry from the clutches of terrorism(

I am not aware of any 3coup7 or any other suchattempt, #ut, since there is an ongoing

in$estigation on the matter, I would prefer torefrain from commenting on the topic( +he SA

is proud of #eing an organi2ation that has #een

instrumental in protecting the democracy of this country for the past


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+herefore, we neither confirm nor deny these claims, let the in$estigation re$eal the truth( ( (

I am not aware of any coup or any other such attempt! but! since there is an ongoing

investigation on the matter! I would prefer to refrain from commenting the topic.

The military was strategically located in variouskey points in "olomboElection Monitoring *ody - Ca$$E

*aE Executi$e 4irector, &anith 9eerthi +ennakoon howe$er states that they can confirm that

#etween .(-- am 1 (G- am on !anuary ", there was a definite attempt to in$ol$e the military in

$iolating the election process(

B+he military was strategically located in $arious key points in *olom#o, including leading mediainstitutions as well as telecommunications towers and operation centres( +hat indicates a plan that wasunderway to shut down the communication structures(

It has #een confirmed that some top officials of the state including the top official of the 'udiciary and

the Attorney @eneral were among those summoned to +emple +rees that night( +hrough ouro#ser$ations, we can also note that certain =rigades of the military were ready to follow the

instructions of the former regime to acti$ate their scheme of which the master plan is yet to #e

re$ealed( =ut it is important to note that the %olice was ready to take up any challenge that night andwas ready to thwart any attempt to $iolate the elections process(

When I $isited the Elections 4epartment that night, I saw the %olice and e$en the S+ preparingthemsel$es #ut they did not allow us to panic( It is also important to note that none of the state officials

whose names ha$e #een linked with the e$ents that expired that night, has denied the facts that were

made pu#lic concerning the e$ents that took place on election night(

It was o#$ious that 3something7 was a#out to happen and now when you add up the #its and pieces

together, it is e$ident that an act that would ha$e #een detrimental to the democratic process of Sri

anka was a#out to take place( =ut fortunately, for the %olice and the enthusiasm #uilding among themasses to challenge the military set up did not allow for it to proceed(

#dditional $%%% troopers got down

to "olombo to implement this plot!eader #emocratic Party% E+-rmy commander - General Sarath $onseka

BAccording to the information we ha$e recei$ed, the Army *ommander

under instructions of the %resident, the 4efence Secretary and *hief of


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4efence Staff planned something fishy, something irregular and to implement this plot, they got down

an additional group of --- troopers to #e deployed in *olom#o( It did not materiali2e due to a request#y the I@% or the Elections *ommissioner( )ence, it was a definite $iolation of law and order in the

country( It was an unwanted, secret deployment and specific officers were assigned to #e in1charge of

this deployment(

We learnt that when the election results were going against Mahinda &a'apaksa, they were to dosomething similar to the plan they implemented in -.-, where the E* would #e detained and theresults changed( +his time, we heard that e$en at the last minute, they were discussing on how to stay

in power for at least another two more years without announcing the results(

+he army deployment was irregular and it was definitely not in the interest of the security of the state(0n the election day, it is not lawful to deploy military in that nature and this indicates a definite coup

attempt(

inally, #ecause the results were way against them anddue to the mounting international pressure to

refrain from meddling with the results, they took a step #ack( +he Army was there e$en for the next

two days until former %resident *handrika 9umaratunga informed the 4efence Secretary to instructthe troops to #e pulled out of *olom#o(

+he Army *ommander is responsi#le for the deployment of the troops and it was a clandestine

arrangement( :either the Army *hief nor the *hief of 4efence Staff can wash their hands off the actnow(

&hen the election results were going against 'R! they were to do something similar to

the plan they implemented in $%(%

I have no evidence to commentElection monitor - P$$RE!

%eople7s Action for ree and air Elections, Executi$e 4irector &ohana )ettiarachchi says he willneither confirm nor deny the claims that are #eing made of the alleged 3election night coup7( BI7m not

in a position to say anything a#out what occurred at the +emple +rees that night, #ecause I was not

present there( So without any e$idence, I cannot make any comments( )owe$er, we deployed ouro#ser$ers to ./ selected counting centres and I can assure you that those processes continued in a

peaceful manner(

In fact, I personally $isited some of the counting centres in *olom#o and these claims of the military#eing stationed in close proximity to the counting centres are not true(

Im not in a position to say anything about what occurred at the Temple Trees that night

&e know nothing of what happened outsideElections #epartment official


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When contacted #y dailymirror , the Elections *ommissioner was una$aila#le to comment on thealleged 3coup7 attempt #y the former regime( )owe$er another top official of the E4 has the following

to say BMany ha$e #een asking me as well a#out these claims that are #eing made a#out an attempt to

in$ol$e the military in annulling election results( =ut we know nothing of what happened outside(Within the 4epartment of course, there was no such issue( ( (

Its nothing more than a political witch)hunt$ormer #efence Secretary& -Gota*haya Ra,apaksa

@ota#haya &a'apaksa completely denies allegations made concerning the alleged attempt to stage an

3election night coup7(

BIt is a #aseless allegation made to discredit the former %resident and other officials( It7s nothing morethan a political witch1huntF e$en #efore all the results were announced the %resident and all his staff

left +emple +rees( irstly, no such 3clandestine7 discussion took place #ehind closed doors that night(ormer %resident, with his supporters and staff mem#ers were gathered room o#ser$ing the results( Iwas actually in a different room( )e 5M&6 then contacted the then 0pposition eader8 current %rime

Minister &anil Wickremesinghe #etween G(-- H ;(-- am and asked to meet him in order to discuss

certain matters, which included the security of the %resident and myself(

>es, the Attorney @eneral was called to +emple +rees, #ut that was to discuss maintenance of law and

order, such as whether or not a curfew should #e imposed since the 0pposition at the time had madepu#lic claims of surrounding the +emple +rees( So that was a situation that needed to #e addressed( +o

that end, the I@% and the ser$ice commanders were present at +emple +rees at that 'uncture( +he A@ is

entitled to ad$ise the go$ernment, and if there was an attempt to stage a coup, do you think the A@

would ha$e #een consulted?

As for the claims #eing made concerning the use of ex1ser$icemen, they were in$ol$ed in a purely

political campaign, and as citi2ens of this country, they ha$e e$ery right to do so(

So these claims might #e solely for political purposes( It must #e stressed that the deployment of

military was not carried out under my instructions( +hose were military matters and I am sure theymust ha$e #een issued orders for that( +hose are usual standing operational procedures( ( (

Its very clear that no such thing took place* even before all the results were announced

the President and all his staff left Temple Trees.

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election night coup what really happend

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