‘THE SUSTAINABLE CITY OF COLOMBO’

A Vision, a Mission and a Promise!

COLOMBO IS SRI LANKA’S TRULY GLOBAL CITY WITH AMAZING POSSIBILITIES!
Leaving aside the whole country, Colombo should have made headway towards
achieving global recognition as an evolving economy by now. UNP has controlled the
CMC since 1947! With nature’s gift of our strategic position in the Indian Ocean and
progressing technology at our fingertips, have the present and future challenges for our
beloved country been understood? What happened to the chosen ones to make Sri
Lanka a developed nation and knights in rusty armour who pledged to deliver? What
happened to the promised Good Governance?

 Have any innovative changes been made to meet the 21st Century as done after
the war ended?
 Has our true potential even been realized considering we are sold to foreign
powers for 200 years when Governance is only for 6 years?
 Are businesses thriving as it did before?
 Are we to continue to be stagnant in this rapid global transformation?
 Shouldn’t we have unity in diversity and be rid of Machiavellian dictatorial
authority before we lose the nation?
 Isn’t it TIME FOR A REAL CHANGE with those who have a VISION for Colombo
and Sri Lanka as previously or be a tottering country being misled and
achieving nothing?

The vision of revolutionizing the Colombo economy was only achieved after 30 years of
vicious and brutal war. Sri Lanka developed rapidly. Colombo was urbanized to have
friendly public oriented services, efficient garbage disposal, well carpeted, clean
roads, drains, waterways, pavements, parks and restoration of old buildings to its
present grandeur, creating employment resulting in a better economy. This added
exceptional value to properties in all areas in and around Colombo.

‘The Fastest Growing City in Asia’ was an accolade we proud Sri Lankans earned for
the City of Colombo. Do you want to have value addition to your property again?
Then vote for real CHANGE!

More was planned to achieve direct foreign investment to make Colombo an exemplary
Commercial Hub…the Monorail, Rajagiriya Fly-over (which is unsuccessful due to being
shortened by nearly 1km from the original plan), highways, other fly-overs, extended
railways and waterway ferry transport systems. The list goes on. Priority for attracting
foreign direct investment is infrastructure. This gigantic vision was abruptly stalled due
to the political change in January, 2015.

We pledge to build an internationally recognized Sustainable City of Colombo, for its

5.5 million people, with a unique identity based on our own strengths. We will ensure
every cent of taxes collected will be wisely spent with much required transparency
through technology.

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It is my privilege to be your nominee from Cinnamon Gardens for the SRI LANKA
PODUJANA PERAMUNA. Educated in Colombo and holding qualifications in Business
and Management from Australia, I belong to a post-independence lineage of politicians,
having high national respect and known for their integrity.

Dr. Colvin R. de Silva, my uncle, (Mother’s brother) has always been my inspiration
for honest and meaningful dialogue. On the Paternal side, my grandfather was the first
entrepreneur during the British rule to venture into international trading as Sherman
de Silva & Company. I will continue my strong convictions and resolve to stand against
the doomed characteristics of present politics by walking proudly in the path of Good
Governance, protecting my lineage and standing.

Having grown up in Cinnamon Gardens I proceeded overseas for a part of my adult life.
My work-experience in Sri Lanka, London, Europe, Africa and Australia was for
representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, the UN and other foreign Companies. Born
into entrepreneurship, I got into several businesses on returning to Sri Lanka at the age
of 29. Marketing Consultancy, Advertising and Desk-Top Publishing was one of them. I
held office as the Vice President of the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies (4
A’s), the most powerful professional organization for Advertising and Marketing
Consultants at the time. Presently, I am in inherited business ventures.

I have been serving and continue to serve the less fortunate in many ways. Some of my
personally funded philanthropic projects have been the gift of power to light
several homes living in darkness, mobility to the differently abled (wheel-chairs,
limbs), empowerment of women through donations to elevate the lives of the
wider community in ways too numerous to mention.

Much has been done through the Leukaemia Foundation of Sri Lanka, a charity close
to my heart, founded by me to assist cancer patients. Having lost my son at the age
of 27 to this daunting disease and seeing the suffering of those who had no capacity to
treat their children affected with cancer whilst my son had five-star medical treatment
in Australia, made my heart bleed.

I have served in Committees at the highest level in several other professional and social
clusters and continue to be involved in large charity efforts with them. My drive comes
from being accessible to the community, especially for women, as a woman, a mother, a
daughter a sister and friend.

If elected to the CMC, the role will not be taken on with the intention of power but with
vigor, and from my heart, devoid of multi-party politics. I intend to apply my
qualifications and vast international experience, standing strongly for the following:

a) A multi-ethnic platform - though we are diverse in faith we should never be

divided in spirit.
b) Transparent, centralized delegation of tasks and expenditure devoid of divisional
decision making
c) Efficient collection of taxes from presently registered 33,083 Commercial
properties and more which should be registered.

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 d) Value addition for every Rupee from the present estimated revenue of Rs.15,800
million, to the approximately 5.5 million residents in Colombo
e) This amount can be doubled with efficacy in all areas including tax collection.
f) Competent Management of the 8,790 permanent employees of the CMC
g) Central Hot-line System for prompt action
h) Use available expertise within the CMC as far as possible
i) Committees consisting of residents businessmen, environmentalists,
professionals etc., to be the voice of each Ward
j) Housing for those with special needs
k) Efficient Health Division for regulating food outlets and health services
l) Planned, regular cleaning of environment, drainage and road repairs
m) Eradication of Dengue by efficient smoke treatment
n) Garbage to be a resource through alternatives e.g. composting, biogas.
o) Planned high-rise construction with proper sewage disposal and parking
p) Efficient transport system without wasting time on the road
q) A City with an uninterrupted renewable energy supply
r) Children’s early tri-lingual education with emphasis on responsible lifestyle for a
clean and eco-friendly environment
s) A Colombo free of drugs and open policy alcohol for sound socio-economics.

Currently there is no policy to stimulate the economy. A blind eye has been
turned to many by-products of the prevailing and ever increasing darker
economy in Cinnamon Gardens, full of negative forces, e.g. alcohol, drugs, sex,
pubs, night clubs, creating dysfunctional families. Income from this cannot be
quantified or taxed.

Please join me to fight, rise against and control these insidious forces to save your
children and grandchildren. I need your support, awareness and active
participation to scream ENOUGH! In this forward march we will be creating a
larger young smart phone generation who will be parents of the next generation. I
fought for my son’s life alone but it was not in my control. I cannot fight this
menace alone….but this menace and danger together we can and must control.

We must work with members of all parties to initiate a progressive agenda for a
precisely defined strategic plan through changing technology. We must bring a fresh
political culture with accountability being integral. Let’s grow via consensus and form a
new Sri Lanka with endless opportunities for all. Dwelling in the past reaps no results.

This election is about a Municipal Member who will be available to YOU to gear
CINNAMON GARDENS and the CMC in the right direction…a Candidate of integrity,
capability, commitment and passion to DELIVER. This election gives YOU that valuable
opportunity to reject those who are even remotely tainted. Choose the correct
candidate. I have no Police history, nor will I buy votes. I wish to be chosen entirely on
merit.

I have been a supporter of the UNP all my voting life. However, it’s time we thought
of Mother Lanka. I have criticized all sides at home and socially. My decision to join this
party was to save this Paradise, in order that at least our grand-children will have a
UNITED SRI LANKA….not a country DIVIDED into several parts with a discordant

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nation. Please empower me and join me to bring back honour to politics by marking a
CROSS next to the FLOWER BUD SYMBOL, for SRI LANKA PODU JANA PERAMUNA.

I am available for a dialogue through my face-book page or mobile No. 0772 500 699 for
any queries and personal discussions. Constructive Criticism is the only way to a better
tomorrow.

Let 2018 awaken us to the fact that very soon we will lose this Resplendent Isle. None
are blind than those who are NOT willing to see this. Let’s make the crisis into an
opportunity before it’s too late. Yes, we have miles to go. Yes, we CAN STILL MAKE IT
HAPPEN. It can only happen with THE SRI LANKA PODU JANA PERAMUNA!

Sincerely
Roshnie de Saram