The phrase ‘computer jilmaart’ is not my original phrase. It was first stated by Mahinda Rajapaksa himself after the 2004 General Elections, says Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna leader Somawansa Amarasinghe during the Adaderana 360 discussion a short while ago.

When Adaderana talk show 360 host Dilka Samanmalee asked Mr. Amarasinghe about the phrase, he said that it was a phrase that Mahinda Rajapaksa said after several JVP members topped the preference vote list at the 2004 General Elections.

Adding further the JVP leader said that somewhere in 2006, when they were discussing the results of the 2004 polls results over a meal and when they pointed out the achievements of JVP members coming first in several districts, Mahinda Rajapaksa had said that even in the Hambantota district Nihal Galappaththi had topped the list. “So I did a small ‘computer jilmaart’ and I came on top of the list.”

Asked whether he takes the responsibility for the comment, Mr. Amarasinghe replied in the affirmative. He added that that after the Presidential Election he repeated the phrase initially uttered by President Rajapaksa in 2006. “It is not my statement. It is in fact Mahinda’s. I just repeated that if he was capable of doing such a ‘computer jilmaart’ to top the district preference votes, he may have done something similar to that ‘computer jilmaart’ to become the top in the country as well,” Mr. Amarasinghe said.

Somawansa Amarasinghe also said that he had made this statement about the ‘computer jilmaart’ at a rally in Anuradhapura and nobody, not even President Mahinda Rajapaksa had denied or challenged it.