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| Sunday, 12 March 2006 |
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Politics |  |
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'Mayor's Shield' boxing bout in the UNP by Prasad Gunewardene The UNP contestants in the local polls fray, battle within their own ranks with the dream to become Mayors. Their concentration is centred on the Mayoralty rather than the contest before them. The first 'bout' was in the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) between Sirisena Cooray and Azath Sally. The developments were similar to the world heavy 'bout' between Joe Louis the "Brown Bomber" and the "loud mouth" German heavy weight defender, Maxshi Millian, fifty years ago. The 'Beat' of this bout, spread to Dehiwala-Mt.Lavinia in no time. Now Sunethra Ranasinghe, a former minister, unsuccessful at many parliamentary elections after 1989 has donned the gloves like "Laila Ali" (Daughter of former heavy weight great Muhammed Ali) to take on incumbent Mayor, Dhanasiri Amaratunga, known to be a 'gentleman boxer' like Henry Cooper of Britain. But he doesn't believe in giving a 'walk over'. In the CMC encounter, Cooray like Joe Louis threw a few light punches on Sally. But Sally's defence was strong. As Joe Louis did, Cooray finally lashed several punches below the chest before pounding Sally on forehead to fall on the canvass. Counting up to ten, "Referee" Ranil Wickremesinghe held that Cooray was the winner. A defeated Sally then proposed that in the event Cooray becomes Mayor, the party should rotate the Mayoralty every two years. But Cooray looks adamant not to make his office a carnival of "Musical chairs" as Sally dictates. If Cooray wins, he has time to prepare for the second encounter, party stalwarts said. With Sunethra in full 'boxing gear' like Laila Ali, having entered the fray at the eleventh hour at the expense of another, Dhanasiri Amaratunga has refused a 'bout' with a female opponent. Amaratunga thought it wise to inform the "Referee" Wickremesinghe of his decision. At the last parliamentary elections Sunethra, bitter critic of former UNP Mayor and Parliamentarian Srinath Kumarasinghe, once stormed a pocket meeting of the latter and warned, "Remember, though I am now a Ranasinghe, the blood that runs through my veins belong to the 'tough' Jayasinghe clan". Her father S. de S. Jayasinghe (Former minister) and her cousin, former UNP Mayor Susil Jayasinghe hailed from Kohuwala. Wickremesinghe who was informed that 'boxing' was going to be 'foul' in Dehiwala, summoned Sunethra to his office this week to warn her. She was told in no uncertain terms that a Mayoralty candidate was only chosen in Colombo and he would decide on other councils after the polls. He also reminded her that the party lost a promising supporter because of her inclusion at the eleventh hour. The young man ousted from the list joined the UPFA to extend his support for the 'Mahinda Chintanaya'. |
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