By

Taylor Dibbert

Upon discovering I had been chosen as a short-term observer for Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election on August 17, it felt like Christmas had come early.

Dallas to Doha to Colombo. And then on to Jaffna for the election!

When I fly to Sri Lanka from the U.S., I usually feel somewhat slow for about a week or so, but that didn’t happen on this occasion. This time I have hardly ever felt tired; I’ve been too excited to be back, thrilled even.

pic: facebook.com/ElectionsSriLanka

Elections. Democracy. Choices. Politics. The food. Arrack. Sri Lanka. Seeing old friends and making new ones.

What’s not to like?

Continue reading ‘Experiencing Sri Lanka Again as Short Term Observer of 2015 Elections Made Me Feel Christmas had come Early.’ »

By

Sagarika Ghose

In times of terror attacks and stalled NSA-level talks, a mainstream Bollywood movie with the message of Indo-Pak peace and friendship has become a super hit. Jingoists on both sides of the LoC dominate the discourse but a rollicking picturesque caper that lurches from Himalayas to moonlit desert to Hindi heartland has boldly essayed a heart-tugging cross-border tale that mocks the industry of hatred and bureaucratic officialese that bedevil ties between South Asia’s main adversaries.

This is Bollywood as a subcontinental confidence building measure, Bollywood as ambassador of public diplomacy. Bajrangi Bhaijaan, made in times of the Gurdaspur and Udhampur attacks and high tension on the border, has demonstrated the power of civil societies. What’s important is not that Bajrangi Bhaijaan has been made, what’s noteworthy is how readily massive urban Indian audiences are thrilling to its message of friendship with Pakistan.

‘Everyone wants to show stories of hate, because hate sells, and love doesn’t’ – that isn’t the forlorn voice of a peacenik participant at a candle light vigil at Wagah but Nawazuddin Siddiqui playing the role of Pakistani journalist Chand Nawab in Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Desperately trying to hawk his scoop – of the proud Hindi belt Brahmin and Bajrangbali devotee, Pawan Kumar Chaturvedi (Salman Khan in a rather un-Salman like role), the archetypal simpleton with the heart of gold who makes it his life’s mission to help a little lost Pakistani girl find her parents – to uncaring news channels, Nawaz realises that the news cycle has very little space for an Indo-Pak feel good story.

Continue reading ‘The Movie “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” Fosters Better Understanding Between India and Pakistan than Official Level Talks’ »

by N. Ram

The Sri Lankan political situation has taken an interesting turn with the fairly narrow victory of the United National Party in the general election, its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe being sworn in as Prime Minister for the fourth time, and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two main parties, the UNP and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, paving the way for a ‘unity’ or national government. A day after he assumed office, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe spoke to The Hindu in the Prime Minister’s office at Temple Trees on a wide range of issues, including the project of working out a new Constitution for Sri Lanka, finding an enduring political solution to the Tamil question, and livelihood, development, and human rights issues.

Excerpts from the interview

Prime Minister, you announced a very ambitious task: working out a new Constitution for Sri Lanka. The last Constitution of course was in 1978 – you also were part of that process – and before that in 1972. There is a lot of experience going into this. But will this not take a long time?

Well, the SLFP [Sri Lanka Freedom Party] thinks it will take one year and we [the United National Party] think it should take six months. The main issue will be the new system of elections. We are all agreed that it should be a mixed proportional system. But we still haven’t agreed on the break-up between the constituencies and those who come on the general list. There is also the issue of the presidency, with the citizens’ group wanting the executive presidency to be abolished completely while the SLFP is opposed to it. So we said we would have to review the whole thing and then see how we strengthen Parliament. The more we strengthen Parliament… the executive presidency will be whittled away. But we also have to look at the Provincial Councils and how we make them really work. There is a general feeling that it is a white elephant but we have to make them work. Those are the main issues we will have to go into.

So you are confident it can be done within this time-frame?

I think the areas are narrow. If we want to, we can do it. If we get over the issue of electoral representation, then I think we can put the other things into place.

Continue reading ‘“Let’s Work it out Within the 13th Amendment and Maximise by Building on it”- Prime Minister Wickremesinghe Tells N. Ram of “The Hindu”.’ »

Ten works by English crime novelist Agatha Christie, including five full-length plays and five one-act dramas, have been unearthed by a British theatre producer.

Julius Green, a Christie expert who has produced more than 250 plays and musicals, found five full-length plays and five one-act dramas written by the creator of the fictional Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, while scouring the archives containing her papers.

Some are previously unknown and the others are long forgotten. The material lay in several archives, including those of Christie’s family and her theatrical producers, to which Mr. Green was given unprecedented access.

Continue reading ‘Five Full Length Plays and Five One Act Dramas Written by Agatha Christie Discovered in Archives Containing Authors Papers’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

Our choices for elected representatives are always a matter of curiosity. What qualities and credentials are we looking in them? A safe guess would be that we didn’t want them to be murderers, fraudsters and crooks. But, take a look at some of those people who polled the most number of preferential votes in certain districts, you will find that logic does not count anymore.

A Chief Minister who is being investigated by the CID and Financial Crime Investigation Division topped the UPFA preferential votes from the Gampaha District.

A former MP who is implicated in a murder came first in the Ratnapura District. Another, rabble rousing Mr Wimal Weerawansa, who is also being questioned by the FCID polled whopping 313,000 votes from the Colombo District.

Continue reading ‘While Many Decent Candidates Lost in Polls Some Murderers,Fraudsters and Crooks Have Got Elected’ »

By P K Balachandran

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R.Sampanthan has described the Maithripala Sirisena government’s decision to return 1055 acres of land to the Tamil farmers of Sampur in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, as a “very big achievement” of the struggle to get back lands seized during the war.

On Saturday, President Sirisena and former President Chandrika Kumaratunga ceremonially handed over land deeds to 25 of the 1272 families displaced from Sampur in 2006, at the start of Eelam War IV.

“The refugees’ ten year struggle would not have borne fruit if the result of the January 8 Presidential election and the August 17 parliamentary elections were different,” commented Kumarasamy Nakesvaran, President of the Sampur Displaced Persons’ Welfare Association.

Continue reading ‘Return of Sampur Lands to the People is a very big Achievement says TNA Leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Discussions are on at two different levels to decide on Cabinet portfolios as well as posts of deputy ministers in the UNP-led ruling coalition in the next parliament.

Political sources said that at one level the UNP leadership had been having talks with its partners, namely Sri Lanka Muslims Congress (SLMC), All Ceylon Makkal Congress (ACMC) United Good Governance National Front (formerly the JHU), National Union of Congress (NUW) and the rebel SLFP group accommodated on UNP lists at the Aug. 17 parliamentary polls.

Sources said that the UNP and the SLFP had been engaged in separate talks to pave the way for the latter to accept ministerial portfolios.

A top UNP delegation led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe met President Maithripala Sirisena at his Paget Toad residence on Friday night in this regard.

Although President Maithripala Sirisena was in Trincomalee over the weekend, he had kept track of developments, sources said.

Continue reading ‘UNP Engaged in Talks with SLFP at One Level and with UNFGG Constituents at Another Level to Decide on Ministry Posts’ »

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena has been asked to seek a second term to fulfill the expectations of the people.

The people of Kinniya made this request when President Sirisena visited the Eastern Province town and met with the local population on Saturday, the President’s Media Division said.

Informing the President that the development expected by them had not yet been received to their areas, the people apprised the President of the problems faced by them. These included the issues on agriculture, lands, health and education.

Continue reading ‘People Request President Sirisena to seek a Second Term of Office says President’s Media Division.’ »

By

Rasika Jayakody

If there was any politician who foresaw the results of the Parliamentary election on Monday, he was none other than President Maithripala Sirisena.

Within hours of polling closure at 4 pm on August 17, President Sirisena, in his capacity as the SLFP Chairman, acted swiftly to remove 13 members from the Central Committee, the apex decision making body of the party, with immediate effect. He knew the party might have to enter into a reform-phase soon after the election and he needed to consolidate his power in the party before any such process.
Before the Parliamentary election, the balance of power within the SLFP’s decision-making bodies were very much in favour of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as most of the members who served in such committees were appointed by him.

President Sirisena was aware of the fact that he needed to make his own appointments before embarking on post-election internal reforms. As he made the move after the polling was closed, the mini-purge of pro-Rajapaksa elements in the Central Committee did not make any impact on the final outcome of the election.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Sends Shock Waves Down the Spines of Rank and File by his Mini-Purge of Pro-Mahinda Elements in SLFP’ »

By Anthony David and Damith Wickremasekara

Supporters of ex-president may form new alliance with other parties, but President warns of tough action against defectors; party leaders meet today to decide on fate of alliance

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party faces an inevitable split, with a section set to support former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and sit as an opposition group in Parliament while the United People’s Freedom Alliance will take a decision today whether the alliance should continue or function as a separate group, the Sunday Times learns.

Continue reading ‘UPFA and SLFP Heading for Inevitable Splits as Power Struggle Breaks out Between Mahinda and Maithripala Factions’ »

A nation watched Friday as the victor and the vanquished at Monday’s parliamentary elections pledged to form a National Government just after a historic ceremony, televised live, where Ranil Wickremesinghe took his oaths as the 21st Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.

President Sirisena is due to swear in on Tuesday a Cabinet of Ministers representing the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Both the sides are engaged in talks on how the ministerial team which will be large in view of a National Government can be resolved.

Their only option, it has transpired, is to first swear in 30 ministers as permitted in the Constitution. An increase from that number would have to be made only after Parliament approval.

According to the 19th Amendment “…where the recognized political party or the independent group which obtains the highest number of seats in Parliament forms a National Government, the number of Ministers who are not Cabinet of Ministers and the number of Deputy Ministers shall be determined by Parliament.”

Continue reading ‘New Govt Likely to have 51 Ministers and 40 Deputy-ministers with 33 Ministers and 22 Deputy Ministers for UNFGG ; SLFP will get 18 min and 18 Dep- Min posts’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“There is no such thing as charismatic power…only charismatic situations”– Daniel Levi.

‘Let’s Arise with Mahinda’ was the theme of the well-organised and well-funded comeback campaign of the Rajapaksa raj.

The truth turned out to be polar opposite. On August 18th, the UPFA collapsed into a crushing defeat with Mahinda, again.

Not only did Mr. Rajapaksa fail to add a single new vote to the UPFA’s January 8th tally; he also failed to retain 19% of the votes he got at the presidential election.

Under Rajapaksa aegis the UPFA’s electoral base eroded by a massive 1.1 million votes, in just seven months, one week and two days.

At the presidential election of January 8th the UPFA got 5.8 million votes. At the August 17th parliamentary election, the UPFA could score only 4.7 million votes.

At the presidential election, the UPFA obtained 47.58% of the national vote; at the parliamentary election its national average went down to 42.38%. That’s a rate of decrease as high as 10.9% in just seven months,

Continue reading ‘UPFA Vote Tally Drops from 5. 8 Million in January to 4.7 in August as “Divide,Terrify and win”Strategy of Rajapaksas fails Drastically.’ »

By

C.A.Chandraprema

Sri Lankan political history can be described in terms of cycles. The first parliamentary election of 1947 saw the beginning of a cycle dominated by the UNP which ended in 1956. The domination of the SLFP which began in 1956 ended in 1965. The UNP had a short run from 1965 to 1970 and in 1970 the SLFP came in for a short run and lost again to the UNP in 1977. This was followed by a long period of UNP domination until 1994.

From there onwards we had a long period dominated by the SLFP until 2015 with a 30 month UNP blip between 2001 and 2004. Whether the change that began in January this year will become a period of UNP domination will depend on how skillfully the UNP handles things from now on. While how the UNP will fare is yet to be seen, one thing that is certain is that the SLFP is in a state of serious decline and it will be an uphill struggle for that party to recover even after the Maithripala Sirisena presidency ends.

In the run-up to the election there was visible turbulence in the SLFP/UPFA which obviously had a devastating impact on their electoral prospects. The president’s address to the nation where he said that Mahinda Rajapaksa will be defeated, the open letter that he sent to Mahinda Rajapaksa a few days before the election saying that even if the UPFA won, he would not be made prime minister and the drastic step of sacking the general secretaries of the SLFP and the UPFA on the eve of the election all dampened the spirit of the pro-Mahinda voters and resulted in a reduction of votes that the party got.

Continue reading ‘4.7 Million SLFP/UPFA Voters Seem to have Acted in Unison to Eliminate Virtually All who were Perceived as Sirisena Loyalists.’ »

By Namini Wijedasa

An unprecedented number of defeated electoral candidates, predominantly from the Maithripala Sirisena-led United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), have leapfrogged into Parliament through the National List. Out of 12 UPFA National List MPs, seven had failed to garner sufficient support at the August 17 general election to enter Parliament.

They were edged out by candidates from the same alliance that had polled more votes, but they will now gain a place in the Assembly via a mechanism that many feel was intended for a different purpose—even if the Constitution does not expressly say so.

The United National Party (UNP) has granted one of its 13 National List slots to M.H.M. Navavi. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has taken in Sunil Handunetti as one of its two appointed MPs. Both were unsuccessful contestants at the election. The Illankai Tamil Arasi Kachchu (ITAK) is yet to fill its two slots.

Continue reading ‘Many Defeated Candidates Leapfrog into Parliament as MP’s Through National List Nominations’ »

A total of 556 female candidates from 21 political parties and independent groups contested the general elections but only 11 of them won seats. That is a drop of two female members from the previous 225-seat parliament that already under-represented the 52 per cent-strong female population.

These 11 women represent only 10 of the 22 electoral districts: Jaffna, Colombo, Moneragala, Gampaha, Galle, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Ampara, Anuradhapura and Matale. From the Jaffna district, former deputy minister of women’s affairs Vijayakala Maheswaran (United National Party – UNP) is the only woman elected to parliament, collecting 13,071 preferential votes.

Dr. Sudarshini Fernandopulle, widow of the late minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle from the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) taking 73,553 preferential votes in the Gampaha District.

Continue reading ‘Only 11 out of 556 Women Candidates Elected to Parliament Despite 52% of Population Being Female.’ »

Fifty vacancies have been created within the Provincial Councils (PC) when their members successfully contested the Parliamentary elections. Among the PC members who were elected to parliament at Monday’s general elections were three Chief Ministers from Uva, North-western and the Western Province.

Along with Uva Chief Minister Harin Fernando, UNP PC members Ravi Samaraweera, Vadiwel Suresh and Ananda Kumarasiri will also vacate their PC seats. Northern Provincial Council members Sitharthan Dharmalingam (TNA), Sivapragasam Sivamohan (TNA) and Ramanathan Angajan (SLFP) have also been elected to Parliament, creating three more vacancies.

Also elected to parliament are North-Western Province Chief Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara (UPFA) and the Council’s Opposition leader J.C. Alwathuwala (UNP), along with Sanath Nishantha Perera (UPFA) and four UNPers — Thushara Amarasekra, Sisira Kumara, Hector Appuhami, and Asoka Priyantha Perera.

Continue reading ‘Many Vacancies Arise as Over Fifty Provincial Councillors Including Three Chief Ministers Enter Parliament as MP’s.’ »

By Chrishanthi Christopher

Of those who contested the Parliamentary elections, over 40 lost their seats. While most of them were from the UPFA, there were others from the UNP, JVP and the ITAK. The Sunday Times spoke to some of the winners and losers who had been defeated despite years of experience as politicians.

Young UNP MP Mayantha Dissanayake from Kandy said the 2013 Provincial Council election had been a good experience for his campaign. He said it helped him to build up his vote base. Mr. Dissanayake said he went from house to house meeting people during the campaign. He also said the social media helped him to reach out to the people, gaining him around 30,000 friends on Facebook.

Furthermore, he had used the telephone to reach out to his electorate. JVP’s new face in Parliament, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa from Kalutara said he was simply lucky. “The UNP failed to field strong candidates to contest the Kalutara district, while the voters rejected the powerful UPFA politicians who were branded as corrupt. Hence, there were a large number of floating votes which worked in my favour.”

The fact that I am a doctor worked to my advantage,” he said.

Continue reading ‘Parliamentary Polls 2015:Victors Bask in New Found Glory as Vanquished Lick Their Wounds’ »

AT THE height of Sri Lanka’s parliamentary campaign, footage taken with a mobile phone went viral. It showed Mahinda Rajapaksa, an authoritarian former president running to become an MP, lunging at a member of the public, his fists clenched, before aides pulled him away. The short film suggested that Mr Rajapaksa already knew things were going badly for his group, the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

Sure enough, his hopes of forming a government and becoming prime minister were dashed in the election on August 17th. Admittedly, he won a place for himself in parliament. But his alliance got just 95 of the 225 seats in the legislature. It fell well short of the 144 he mustered in 2010, a year after he presided as president over a resounding military defeat of the Tamil Tiger rebels, ending the country’s long and bloody civil war.

It is Mr Rajapaksa’s second big setback. To everyone’s surprise in January he lost a snap presidential election to a former colleague, Maithripala Sirisena. Now Mr Rajapaksa and several former members of his regime face prosecution for alleged corruption related to his nine-year rule.

Continue reading ‘Mr.Rajapaksa and Several Former Members of his Regime Face Prosecution for Alleged Corruption -The Economist’ »

By

Malinda Seneviratne

Everyone knows the story of the Pied Piper. The one who came to the town of Hamlin, that is. He came to get rid of the rats and he did so by luring them out of every rathole in that unhappy town. They followed his tunes to a river and as he stepped onto a boat they went on to drown themselves. The villagers refused to pay him what was promised. He duly played his pipe again. This time it was the children that followed. They were never heard of again.

It’s an analogy that’s been used often. It is applicable to Sri Lanka’s current political moment too. Maithripala Sirisena contested the Presidential Election as the Reform Candidate. He would clean things up, we were told. He would reestablish law and order. He would amend the constitution to re-empower the citizen by way of scripting in transparency and accountability into process and institution. He would take steps to make representation more meaningful. He was given the power to do so and the arithmetic and political temper of the moment together made for a lot of optimism.

Continue reading ‘The Pied Piper of Hamlin and the Pied Piper of Polonnaruwa’ »

By P K Balachandran

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena is slowly but steadily gaining control over the opposition United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its main constituent, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) which, during and prior to the August 17 parliamentary elections were under the de facto control of former Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

pic: facebook.com/BBCSinhala

On Friday, the pro-Sirisena and pro-Rajapaksa factions in the UPFA agreed on a compromise list of people who should be nominated to the 12 “National List” parliamentary seats allotted to the party following the August 17 elections.

Among the nominees are those of the Sirisena faction who had failed to get elected to parliament.
Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Expands his Control Slowly over the UPFA and its Key Constituent SLFP’ »

By
Dharisha Bastians

Ranil Wickremesinghe, Leader of the United National Party (UNP) which bagged the most seats in Monday’s Parliamentary race,took oaths as the 23rd Prime Minister of Sri Lanka and head of its newly-elected Government yesterday.

pic: facebook.com/ranil.wickremesinghe.leader

In a simple ceremony held at the Presidential Secretariat, Wickremesinghe was sworn in before President Maithripala Sirisena at 10:20 a.m., officially kicking off a new cohabitation between the two old allies of the 2015 presidential election.

The pair will lead a national unity Government between their two parties, based on a pact signed soon after the Prime Minister was sworn in last morning.

Wickremesinghe led his party to victory in the 17 August election and secured a record-breaking 500,556 votes to enter Parliament, cementing his claim to the premiership.

The figure was the most number of preferential votes polled by a candidate in the history of Parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka.

Wickremesinghe becomes Sri Lanka’s prime minister for the fourth time in his political career with yesterday’s swearing in.
Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe becomes 23rd Prime Minister of Sri Lanka as UNP and SLFP Sign Historic MOU to Form National Unity Govt’ »

by

M.A. Sumanthiran

The Tamil National Alliance has achieved a resounding victory at the 2015 General Election, successfully overcoming the challenges and fierce opposition it faced.

For the second time this year, the Tamil People have shown a clear intention to strengthen the hand of the Tamil National Alliance. They have done so keeping intact the goal of their long term political struggle, and with hope that their lives will be restored.

pic: facebook.com/M.A.Sumanthiran

Our People’s clear recognition of the crucial nature of this election, and their overwhelming response in casting their vote and thus ensuring the victory of the Tamil National Alliance, once again reflects to the world the great political wisdom of the Tamil People. Let me take this opportunity to first humbly express my heartfelt thanks to all those who voted for us.
Continue reading ‘“This victory is a victory for soft power. This victory is a victory for our future.”’ »

The United National Party (UNP) said yesterday that it conducted itself in an exemplary manner when deciding on the final National List nominations.

UNP Working Committee Member, Media Director and Political Strategist – Krishantha Cooray

In a statement UNP General Secretary Kabir Hashim said the party stuck with the policy of not using the National List to give access to Parliament to candidates who lost in the General Election despite many pressures. On the contrary many other parties have done so following the often criticised means.

“UNP has lived up to the true spirit and promise of good governance,” Hashim added.

Continue reading ‘UNP Commends Working Committee Member Krishantha Cooray for “Sacrificing” Nomination as National List MP’ »

Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe has been sworn in as Sri Lanka’s Prime minister for the fourth time on Friday August 21st 2015. T Sixty –six year old Ranil as he is popularly known was born on March 24th 1949.

He has served as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka since 9 January 2015, as Leader of the United National Party since 1994 and as a Member of Parliament since 1977. He is also the leader of the United National Front for good governance(UNFGG)

Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe Sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka for the Fourth Time’ »

by Rex Clementine

As the curtain comes down on Kumar Sangakkara’s stunning cricket career, The Island posts to the star batsman some questions that have been never asked from him before. In this candid interview, Sangakkara reveals the tension during the Lahore terrorist attack three months before he became a father, his first double hundred on a greenish track in Pakistan, charities that he intends to run after retirement, the values he has learned from the game, his struggles against Zaheer Khan and lots more.

pic: facebook.com/Official.Kumar.Sangakkara

Here are the excerpts.

The Island: By your own admission, you were an average cricketer at school while your contemporaries like Thilan Samaraweera, Mahela Jayawardene and Aviskha Gunawardene were way ahead. How have you been able to finish with a Test average of 58?

Sangakkara: I think there’s a lot of things that go into it. When you look back upon the game of cricket and your own career, you always realise that these are not things that you do alone. There are so many other contributions that enrich your career along the way that you learn from, you build upon and that will help you with your game. In my case, I had so many people – friends, family, coaches, teammates, opposition players that really lifted my game when I played. All of these factors contribute. And when I look back upon my career, I feel extremely blessed and extremely lucky to have been playing this game for so long and to have played it in the best manner that I could. I think it is important to play it with a sense of wonderment, like childhood wonder, because if you don’t enjoy the game and you don’t thrive in an environment where you are supposed to have fun, and also compete and perform at the highest level, it’s hard to be successful. I have just been in an environment that continually pushed me to get better.

Continue reading ‘Kumar Sangakkara Talks Candidly About Many Things in Exhaustive Interview’ »

Dharisha Bastians

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) headed by President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday decided to back a national unity government that will cohabit with the UNFGG which emerged as the single largest party in Parliament in Monday’s election for at least two years.

SLFP General Secretary Duminda Dissanayake told reporters that the party’s Central Committee had granted President Sirisena full authority to form a national government under his leadership.

“The President emphasised that a national unity government was necessary at this juncture to overcome international and economic challenges facing the country,” Dissanayake told reporters outside the presidential residence following the meeting.

Asked which party would hold the premiership in the unity government, Dissanayake said traditionally the prime minister was appointed from the party that won the most number of seats in Parliament through an election.Dissanayake explained that President Sirisena had appointed a six-member committee headed by former President Chandrika Kumaratunga to draft a memorandum of understanding to be signed with the UNFGG.

The committee also comprises Nimal Siripala De Silva, Susil Premajayantha, Mahinda Samarasinghe, S.B. Dissanayake and Dr. Sarath Amunugama.

The SLFP Central Committee is reported to have been the scene of some heated arguments when elected MPs loyal to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected the idea of joining the UNP-led national government.

President Sirisena as chair of the SLFP convened a Central Committee meeting at his official residence, yesterday.

Continue reading ‘SLFP Led by President Sirisena to Join national Unity Govt with UNP but Mahinda Loyalists in UPFA to Oppose Move’ »

By

Chaminda Perera

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party is to sign an MoU with the United National Party for the formation of a national government for a period of at least two years with the objective of solving burning issues faced by the country.

The SLFP Central Committee which met under the patronage of President Maithripala Sirisena at the latter’s official residence yesterday, approved the formation of a national government with the United National Party led United National Front for Good Governance which bagged 106 seats at the 2015 parliamentary election.

According to UPFA Acting General Secretary Professor Viswa Warnapala, a six member committee was appointed to discuss the formation of a national government.

Continue reading ‘Chandrika Kumaratunga Attending SLFP Central Committee Meeting After Absence of 10 Years Greeted with Thunderous Applause.’ »

by Dasun Edirisinghe

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Central Committee yesterday unanimously decided to join a national government as neither the UNP nor UPFA had succeeded in securing a majority of seats in Parliament.

SLFP spokesman and former minister Dilan Perera told The Island that the party’s CC had met at President Maithripala Sirisena’s official residence and latter presided over the meeting.

He said that members of the SLFP CC agreed to form a national government led by President Maithripala Sirisena.

Continue reading ‘SLFP Central Committee Decides Unanimously to Join UNP led National Govt after Signing Memorandum of Understanding.’ »

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe will be sworn-in as Prime Minister before President Maithripala Sirisena for the fourth time, at a simple ceremony at the Presidential Secretariat today (Aug 21st)

Wickremesinghe was first appointed as the Prime Minister from 1993 – 1994 after the assassination of former President Ranasinghe Premadasa.

Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe to be Sworn in as Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister for the Fourth Time on Friday Aug 21st 2015’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

Premier designate Ranil Wickremesinghe issued a rallying call for political consensus and an end to the politics of division and partisanship, in his first address since winning Monday’s crucial Parliamentary poll.

With the stage set to resemble presidential addresses in the White House rose garden, Wickremesinghe addressed the media for the first time since his party claimed victory in the election on the lawn of his official residence Temple Trees.

pic: facebook.com/ranil.wickremesinghe.leader

His wife Maithree Wickremesinghe stood beside him during the address. He invited all parties in Parliament to help him to build a coalition and hailed the beginning of what he called a ‘new chapter in Sri Lankan politics’.

“I want everyone to come together now. Think of the country. Think of the people. We can achieve unity, progress in this development in this country even for two to three years,” he urged.

Continue reading ‘Ranil Issues Rallying Call from “Temple Trees” Lawn for a New era of Politics and Government in the Country’ »

By

T.Ramakrishnan

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) will support the United National Party (UNP), which has emerged as the single largest party in Monday’s Parliament election in Sri Lanka.

“In the process, we also expect resolution to the national question in a manner acceptable to all people,” TNA leader R. Sampanthan told The Hindu.

Continue reading ‘Tamil National Alliance will Support the United National Party Govt says Party Leader R.Sampanthan.’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said here on Wednesday, that his country will have good relations with India as part of the new chapter that is being opened with the victory of the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) in the August 17 parliamentary elections.

“A new chapter is being opened in Sri Lanka and good relations with India is part of it,” Wickremesinghe told newspersons after a meeting with his partymen at his office at Temple Trees.

The previous United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government led by Mahinda Rajapaksa had been wary of India and had lurched towards China causing worries in New Delhi. New Delhi sees Wickremesinghe as a friend because it was when he was Prime Minister in 2002-2004 that the Indian Oil Corporation entered Lanka as a major player.

It was also Wickremesinghe who had mooted the idea if a bridge across the Palk Strait which he named “Hanuman Bridge.”

Continue reading ‘Ranil says Good Relations with India will be part of new Chapter Being Opened in Sri Lanka’ »

By Dasun Edirisinghe

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday that he would continue in politics to honour the vote at Monday’s election.

He said that he would go to Parliament as a newly elected member on Sept. 01.

“I accept with humility the result of the just concluded parliamentary election. I thank the voters who reposed their confidence in our party despite the unprecedented obstacles that we had to face,” Rajapaksa said in a statement.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa States he will Continue to Engage in Politics and Function Within Parliament’ »

By

Disna Mudalige

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, yesterday invited all political parties representing Parliament to work hand in hand with the Government to arrive at a consensus on a national policy for Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister extended this open invitation, while making a special statement at Temple Trees premises. He said he would take oaths as the new Prime Minister of Sri Lanka. His wife Maithri Wickremesinghe also took part in the occasion.

“We are taking forward the good governance policy with the President. We contested this election to carry forward a consensus building exercise,” he said.

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Wickremesinghe Invites all Parties in Parliament to Work With Govt in Arriving at Consensus on National Policy’ »

By

Ahilan Kadirgamar

The parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka held risks of polarisation and the re-emergence of authoritarian politics. But the Lankan voters rejected divisive politics for the second time this year. The United National Party (UNP) will likely form the new government, while the moderating presence of President Maithripala Sirisena as leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the engagement of smaller parties like the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will help reinforce democracy.

Despite the significant change that followed his defeat in the January 2015 presidential elections, Mahinda Rajapaksa’s attempt to make a comeback through Parliament had created much confusion for the voting public. The Rajapaksa-led United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) regrouped its patronage networks and mobilised its business allies, marshalling a well-oiled campaign to bring back the former President. The communal campaign harped on the war victory, propagated hate, and instilled fears of the LTTE re-emerging with a UNP government.

In the North, the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) took up a more aggressive Tamil nationalist stand, attempting to make it to the Parliament by challenging the TNA, which dominates the Tamil constituency. Up country, the Ceylon Workers Congress continued its crass politics in coalition with the UPFA.

Continue reading ‘Separatist Agenda of Tamil National Peoples Front and Tamil Civil Society Forum Rejected by Tamil Voters’ »

By

Jayadeva Uyangoda

There are two significant political consequences following Sri Lanka’s parliamentary elections.

First, the majority of voters have given a verdict in favour of completing the partial political change that began with the presidential election of January 8 this year.

Secondly, and no less important, it has dashed the hopes of the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to return to power as Prime Minister.

Parliament was dissolved on June 27 under some peculiar circumstances, although it could continue till April 2016. President Maithripala Sirisena and the coalition that backed him had promised during the election campaign to call fresh parliamentary elections after 100 days of assuming office.

In any case, the new coalition was a minority government, with only about 65 members in the 225-member legislature. Regime stability required a parliamentary majority through fresh elections.

The final tally of seats obtained by the United National Party-led coalition, UNFGG (United National Front for Good Governance) does not however, constitute a majority — a minimum of 113 seats — in the new legislature.

Continue reading ‘Two Factors Seem to Have Contributed to Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Second Defeat in Seven Months’ »

By

Upul Joseph Fernando

When Maithri removed the UPFA and SLFP Secretaries last week, the Mahinda faction attacked Maithri stating that the latter’s decision to introduce new secretaries to act in those offices was taken before Court by a Tamil lawyer. Former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva disclosed the name of that lawyer and identified as a Tamil. The motive was to put the Tiger label on that lawyer and incite racism. The entire campaign of Mahinda was designed to promote the feeling that if Ranil won the polls the LTTE would revive.

Other than spreading the message that if Ranil won he would work closely with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to sell the country to the Tigers, nothing worthwhile was heard from Mahinda’s platform. Even during the last presidential election, Mahinda sang the same song.

Mahinda who made that claim put out an agreement prepared by his party stating that Maithri and Ranil had entered into an agreement with the TNA and made it public. However, the people rejected that exercise of Mahinda and defeated him.

The ‘Let’s rise with Mahinda’ team around him thought that Maithri won the poll with Tamil votes. Hence, they went round the country saying that Mahinda won the Sinhala Buddhist vote at the January polls. They said that when the North-East votes were separated, Mahinda led in the South predominantly Sinhala Buddhist areas.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan Voters Reject Racism by Defeating Mahinda – UPFA in South and Gajendrakumar-TNPF in North’ »

By

Rasika Jayakody

There was a time when the UNP, the grand old party in the country’s political sphere, doubted its ability to win national level elections. The UPFA, led by the Rajapaksa family, seemed almost invincible and was fully backed by the state apparatus when it came to elections. Elections were conducted on a staggered basis to allow the ruling party to exploit state power and resources without any restriction. At the same time, a sizable proportion of MPs, who were elected to Parliament on the UNP ticket, had aligned themselves with the ruling party, accepting ministerial portfolios and various other perks.

It was at this point that Harin Fernando, a young and dynamic Parliamentarian of the UNP, stepped out of Parliament to be the Chief Ministerial candidate of the UNP for the Uva Provincial Council election in September, last year. Everyone knew that Fernando was heading for a “losing battle” as his bête noire was Shashindra Rajapaksa, the sitting Chief Minister and nephew of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The 34 year old Parliamentarian sacrificed his seat in Parliament to strengthen the party’s campaign for the Uva provincial Council election.

Continue reading ‘Susil Premajayantha and Wishwa Warnapala will Submit Separate National List MP Nominees to Elections Commissioner’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando

UNP-led United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) secured ten out of 22 electoral districts, including Colombo to obtain the largest block of seats at the Aug. 17 parliamentary polls, though it couldn’t secure a simple majority in 225-member parliament.

The UNP won 106 seats, including 13 National List slots, UPFA 95 with 12 NL slots, ITAF 16 with 2 NL slots and the JVP six with two NL slots. The EPDP and the SLMC won one seat each and got no NL slots.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Promises SLFP Backing for a future UNP Government’ »

By Norman Palihawadana

Former President and Kurunegala District UPFA candidate at the last general election Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said if he had been able to find more time to campaign in the Kurunegala District the result would have been much different and UPFA would have polled more votes.

“I campaigned in Kurunegala only for two and a half days because I had to campaign throughout the country.

“However, I am happy that the UPFA came up on top in Kurunegala. I had to face numerous challenges from within my own party as well, but I am happy with the result.”

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Expresses his Gratitude to all those who Voted for the UPFA’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

Voters rejected former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s prime ministerial bid yesterday, routing his party in a tight electoral contest and issuing a fresh mandate to the coalition that defeated him in January to carry forward democratic reforms, reconciliation and anti-corruption efforts.

Monday’s Parliamentary contest crawled to a nail-biter of a finish yesterday, with both main parties neck-and-neck until the UNP pulled off wins in the large electoral districts of Gampaha, Colombo and Kandy to clinch the race and win the most number of seats in Sri Lanka’s new legislature.

The parliamentary race ended according to pre-election forecasts, with neither party winning an outright majority, but the UNP registering a slight edge over its rival UPFA. The UNP outpolled the UPFA, winning 11 out of 22 districts, with the TNA outpolling both parties in three districts of the North and East.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Unlikely to Bow out Gracefully from Politics Despite his Second Electoral Defeat.’ »

Prime Minister-elect Ranil Wickremesinghe hailed the people’s mandate to carry forward the 8 January revolution and issued a clarion call for unity in the country as he claimed victory for his party in Monday’s crucial parliamentary poll.

“The majority of the people of this country have approved the continuance of good governance and consensual politics endorsed by the people through the silent revolution of 8 January,” Wickremesinghe said in a special statement issued before final results were released yesterday.

Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe in Victory Statement Calls Upon the Nation to Create a New Country with Equal Opportunities for all.’ »

By

N Sathiya Moorthy

It’s not always that a trailing leader in South Asia or the rest of the Third World in general concedes an election even before even a fraction of the final results is known. Yet, Sri Lanka’s former president and present prime ministerial aspirant, Percy Mahinda Rajapaksa, has done so twice in eight months.

First, Rajapaksa conceded the presidential polls when only the results from the Tamil and Muslim areas, and early trends from the southern ‘Sinhala heartland’, were known in the early hours of January 9, only a day after polling.

On the morning of August 18, he was reported to have conceded the parliamentary polls, again after the early trends became known a day after the nation’s 65 per cent of the nation’s 15 million voters had cast their lot.

Yet, unlike in the presidential polls, the victory might not have been complete, at least as yet, for Rajapaksa’s electoral rivals. While one-time Rajapaksa aide and confidant, Maithripala Sirisena became president without any issues after defeating him, incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who again may not command an absolute majority in the 225-member parliament, would have to count on his ‘national government’ concept to carry the day and the nation with him, this time round.

That’s because the Rajapaksa camp is yet to concede the leadership of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the party-led United People’s Freedom Alliance to President Sirisena.

More than once during campaign time, Sirisena had publicly declared his unwillingness and/or unpreparedness to invite Rajapaksa to form a government even if their UPFA came out on the top, with or without an absolute majority.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Concedes Defeat in Election Battle but Will Continue War Against Sirisena- Wickremesinghe Govt’ »

(Text of Press Release Issued by the Canadian Tamil Congress on August 18, 2015)

The Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) congratulates Mr. R. Sampanthan and the Tamil National Alliance on their resounding election victory in the Northern and Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka. The Tamil people have given the TNA, and its leader Mr. R. Sampanthan, a strong mandate to negotiate a political solution.

The Tamil people have also sent a clear message to the new Sri Lankan government and to the international community that they are firmly behind the TNA and its leadership.

It is clear that the Tamil people are anxious to see a reasonable political solution to the long standing Tamil national question.

Continue reading ‘Canadian Tamil Congress Congratulates the Tamil National Alliance on its Resounding Election Victory’ »

By

Col R Hariharan

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s hopes of coming back to power as Sri Lanka’s prime minister crashed when the. United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which fielded him as a candidate, lost out narrowly to the United National Party (UNP)-led coalition in the parliamentary election held on August 17.

In the most peacefully conducted election in Sri Lanka in recent times where over 70 per cent of the people are said to have voted, the UPFA could win only eight of the 22 electoral districts as against its rival UNP’s victory in 11 districts. The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK)-led Tamil National Alliance (TNA) won in three predominantly Tamil districts of Jaffna, Vanni and Batticaloa South. It would support UNP-led government rather than that of UPFA.

In Sri Lanka’s electoral system, out of the 225 parliament members, 196 members are elected through proportional representation system from 22 electoral districts. Each party is allocated a number of seats from the quota assigned to the district in proportion to votes secured by the party. The balance of 29 seats known as national list are allotted to parties according to the country-wide proportional votes they obtain in the election.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Hopes of Becoming Prime Minister Crash as UPFA Loses Narrowly to the UNP’ »

The Tamil National Alliance(TNA) contesting under the house symbol of the Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi(ITAK) has registered a significant victory in the Jaffna electoral district at Sri Lanka’s 15th Parliamentary elections held on August 17th 2015.

The TNA polling 207,577 votes amounting to 69.12% of the votes cast has won five of the seven MP seats allocated to the Jaffna electoral district comprising the administrative districts of Jaffna and Kilinochchi.

Continue reading ‘TNA With 69% Votes Wins Five of Seven Seats in Jaffna: EPDP – 1;UNP -1; TNPF Backed by Diaspora Tigers Routed’ »

President Maithripala Sirisena, in his capacity as the SLFP Chairman, has ordered the removal of 13 members from the party’s Central Committee, SLFP sources said.

The members who have been removed include Rathnasiri Wickramanayake, Susil Premajayantha, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, D. M Jayaratne, Janaka Bandara Tennekoon, Kamala Ranatunga, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Salinda Dissanayake and John Seneviratne, they further added.

The new members will be appointed to the Central Committee.

A senior party spokesman told the Daily News the President, as the party Chairman, is authorised to appoint 25 members to the party Central Committee.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Sacks 13 Mahinda Loyalists from SLFP Central Committee and Appoints new Members Including Chandrika Kumaratunga’ »

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa said on Tuesday he was unlikely to lead Sri Lanka’s next government as initial results from the general election gave a slight edge to the coalition government.

However, with only one of 22 districts having declared, the shape of the next parliament remains unclear and Rajapaksa’s comments to Reuters stopped short of an outright concession.

“I will support good policies and oppose bad things,” the two-term president, who crushed a 26-year Tamil insurgency in 2009, said by telephone from his southern home of Hambantota.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa who is Unlikely to Lead the next Govt says “I will Support Good Policies and Oppose Bad Things”.’ »

Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa has conceded defeat in parliamentary elections but said he would work as an opposition member of the legislature.

“My dream of becoming prime minister has faded away,” Rajapaksatold the Agence France-Presse news agency. “I am conceding. We have lost a good fight.”

Rajapaksa accepted that his United People’s Freedom Alliance had lost even before the elections chief could announce the final results.

“We have won eight districts and the UNP [ruling United National party] has 11 [out of a total of 22],” Rajapakse said. “This means we have lost. It was a difficult fight.”

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Concedes Defeat in Parliamentary Poll Saying his “Dream of Becoming Prime Minister has Faded Away”.’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

As the month-long campaign for the August 17 Sri Lankan parliamentary elections closed this weekend, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe warned of a constitutional logjam if Mahinda Rajapaksa becomes Prime Minister.

“No Prime Minister can take the country forward while being at loggerheads with the President,” Wickremesinghe said, alluding to the on-going public spat between his rival, former President Rajapaksa, and the incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena.

While Wickremesinghe has good relations with Sirisena, having fought the January 8 Presidential election as allies, Rajapaksa and Sirisena have been at daggers drawn since Sirisena quit his party to fight Rajapaksa as the Joint Opposition Candidate in the Presidential election.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka Cannot Move Forward if Mahinda Become Premier Under President Sirisena says Prime Minister Ranil’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

Sri Lankans voted in yesterday’s parliamentary election in relatively high numbers with several districts recording nearly a 70% turnout and the country anxiously awaits final results later today.

The Elections Department said the counting of postal votes had begun at 5:00 p.m. yesterday. The first postal voting results were to be released by 10.00 p.m. and the first results from yesterday’s vote were expected by 2.00 a.m. Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said that since the ballot papers were long, counting could take extra time.

Heavy rains in several parts of the island disrupted election activities in some areas, officials said.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is contesting as his de facto prime ministerial challenger, were the main protagonists of yesterday’s contest to win seats in the new Parliament and form a majority Government.

Both leaders cast their votes in their respective home districts.

Continue reading ‘Only 226 Violations Recorded by Elections Dept as Polls Conclude Peacefully with High Voter Turn out’ »

BY COLONEL R HARIHARAN

Forecasting elections is hazardous in Sri Lanka. And the general election held on Monday makes the job even more difficult. The three seasoned political stalwarts – former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, president Maithriala Sirisena his foe within the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and Ranil Wickremesinghe leading the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) – are jockeying for power.

Though poll forecasts had predicted Ranil’s coalition having an edge over Rajapaksa’s UPFA, at least twice in the past they were proved wrong. Rajapaksa won the presidential poll in 2009 and lost it in 2014, belying the predictions. The question of both the UPFA and UNFGG coalitions ending up without a majority in the 225-seat in the parliament looms large now. Much depends upon Rajapaksa regaining public credibility for his coalition to win.

A number of ifs and buts, however, make the post election environment hazy .

Continue reading ‘Three “If’s” and Four “Buts” make the Post – election Environment in Sri Lanka Hazy’ »

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

August 17th 2015 is upon us!

It’s the Day of decision for Sri Lanka as it faces yet another election to elect a new Parliament for the Country.

My thoughts and prayers with all Sri Lankans as they cast their votes in what is perhaps the most crucial, controversial and colourful parliamentary poll the Country has seen.

I took some time off from the hustle and bustle of daily life to ponder over this election.

We’ve had many flaws in conducting elections in the past. In a welcome departure the present one has demonstrated a minimum number of deficiencies so far. The poll certainly has flaws but not so many as in the past.

Despite these flaws Sri Lanka can be proud of keeping the light of democracy alive.

Today’s election too would not be perfect but this does not mean that it should be written off beforehand.

In spite of the imperfections and faults Sri Lanka must continue to keep up their democratic tradition alive and strive for greater perfection in the days to come.

For this as many voters as possible should exercise their franchise. They must vote early and go out to booths together in large numbers.

Continue reading ‘Three Poetical Gems to Ponder over on the Day of Decision for Sri Lanka’s Progressive Democracy’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

Sri Lankans will vote to elect legislators to sit in the country’s 15th Parliament today, in a poll that has become a rematch between former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the coalition that defeated him in the January presidential contest.

Over 15 million voters are registered to vote at 12,314 polling stations around the island in today’s Parliamentary election to choose the new 225-member Legislature.

The Elections Department began the distribution of ballot boxes to polling stations islandwide at 7 a.m. yesterday, and the task was completed by mid-afternoon, election officials said.

The department will deploy 125,000 officials for election duty today, with 70,000 officials ear-marked for vote-counting once polling concludes this evening.

Continue reading ‘Analysts Predict the UNP led UNFGG With 95 to 105 Seats will be Single Largest Coalition i new Parliament’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

1.Whither democracy in Sri Lanka?

The general elections on Monday will test that unique property of democracy once again. The conduct of the election itself, so far, is considered freer than in the past, as acknowledged by the election observers; the choice on Monday would be between whether Sri Lanka would consolidate on its democratic transition or would fall back to the not so democratic recent past.
In general, politicians of all parties pay lip service to democracy. However, the real difference lay in deeds, rather than in words, and the actual commitment to those professed values was always in short supply.

However, at no time in the recent past was that contrast between words and deeds so plain. It is as plain as the polarity between the 18A to the Constitution and the 19A; the former cemented the autocratic hold of an already powerful and increasingly authoritarian president, and the latter dismantled that authority, empowering the independent institutions and strengthening the rule of law.

Rather than a multitude of promises contained in election manifestoes, it is this tested commitment (or lack of it) that would have the most significant impact on the future of democracy in Sri Lanka. This election would reveal how far that commitment has been acknowledged by the Sri Lankan voters.

Continue reading ‘August 2015 Elections will Provide Answers to Five Fundamental Questions!’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

COLOMBO:

The future of Sri Lanka’s top most leaders — Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and incumbent President Maithripala Sirisena — will be on the line on Monday as 15 million Lankans elect a 225-member parliament.

If the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) wins, as predicted by most opinion polls, its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s political future is secure for the next five years. But if the UNFGG loses, powerful factions in his United National Party (UNP) will demand his scalp. Already 66, this is his last chance to bid for a top job.

Continue reading ‘Election day in Sri Lanka is D-day for Ranil Wickremesinghe, mahinda rajapaksa and Mathripala Sirisena also.’ »

By

Chanaka Bandarage

Politicians love megaprojects! They know it is not their money that they spend. In megaprojects, they often enrich themselves through massive commissions and other unethical ways. At the end of the megaproject, they revel in trying to obtain the credit for themselves, even if it was a failure.

Mattala Aiport

According to Professor Bent Flyvbjerg of University of Oxford, nine out of ten megaprojects in the world end up in failure. The biggest drawback in megaprojects is the cost overruns. In the US alone, about 65% of the megaprojects have failed (‘Infrastructure Intelligence’, September 2014). In Sri Lanka, the biggest drawbacks are the waste, mismanagement and massive corruption.

In Sri Lanka, we first experienced a megaproject in the then government’s accelerated Mahaveli program.
Continue reading ‘“Small is Beautiful”: Mega Projects is not the way; but, Small Business (Microcredit)’ »

By

Malinda Seneviratne

In December 1982 the workers of banana plantations in Columbia went on strike. They demanded written contracts, 8-hour working days, 6-day work weeks and the elimination of food coupons. It turned into the largest labor movement the country had witnessed until then.

An army regiment from Bogotá was dispatched, probably at the behest of the United Fruit Company. Machine guns were set up on rooftops. Access streets were closed. After a 5-minute warning they opened fire into a thick crowd made of workers, their wives and children who had gathered after Sunday Mass anticipating an address by the Governor. Hundreds were killed. Some estimate the number to be over 2000. What happened next is what is interesting. A survivor was said to have claimed it never happened. And doubt was raised whether or not the massacre ever took place.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez reenacts the Banana Massacre in ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’. Workers are killed in their hundreds but the final conclusion was ‘Nothing has happened in Macondo’.

Continue reading ‘Double Standards of So – called Civil Society Towards “Tyranny” of Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena’ »

By

C. A. Chandraprema

As the election campaign drew to a close last week, President Maithripala Sirisena threw all the trump cards he had on the table to head off what he seems to believe is a clear victory for MR. How desperate Sirisena thinks the situation is for him can be gauged from the incredible flip flops in his conduct within a brief 24 hour period.

On August 13, Sirisena wrote a letter to Mahinda Rajapaksa saying that if the UPFA wins, he would appoint one of seven party seniors as the prime minister and asked for MR’s cooperation to do so. Both Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Susil Premajayantha were among the seven seniors who were deemed suitable to become prime minister. Yet barely 24 hours later, the same Maithripala Sirisena removed both Yapa and Premajayantha from their positions and even suspended their party memberships!

What had happened between the 13th and 14th for such a radical change to have taken place?

The answer is nothing, except that Sirisena was thrashing about looking for a way out of the soup that he thinks he is in. The word ‘thinks’ is important because there is no foolproof way in Sri Lanka to predict the result of an election with any certainty. Sirisena may have thought that by suggesting the names of seven possible contenders for the position of PM, he would be able to create divisions among the leadership of the UPFA. But on the morning of the 14th, UPFA leaders gathered at Mahinda Rajapaksa’s residence in Mirihana and drafted a letter which was signed by six of the seven seniors who were suggested for the position of prime minister rejecting the offer of the prime minister and reiterating the fact that the whole nation wanted Mahinda Rajapaksa as the prime minister.

The sole exception was A.H.M.Fowzie who was also mentioned as one of the seven suited to be PM but he is not a serious contender for the post by any stretch of the imagination. So nothing really happened in the 24 hours between the 13th and the 14th to justify the sacking of Premajayantha and Yapa.

Even though opinion polls are known to be unreliable Sirisena was obviously placing much store by what the State Intelligence Service was feeding him. The rather extreme steps he took last week indicates that he believed that MR would score and outright victory which would prevent the UNP from forming a government even with the support of the TNA. The letter that he wrote last Thursday naming seven senior SLFP seniors who would be suitable for the position of prime minister in the event of a UPFA victory was nothing more than a reiteration of the old theme that he does not want to make MR the prime minister.

Continue reading ‘Maithripala Struggling Desperately to Prevent Victory of Mahinda Rajapaksa Engages in Incredible Series of “Flip Flops”.’ »

by

Rasika Jayakody

At the time when UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha and SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa exerted pressure on President Maithripala Sirisena to give nomination to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, many political observers raised questions as to why the President did not take measures to remove the two General Secretaries from their positions.

According to powers vested in him by the party constitution, President Sirisena, who is also the Chairman of the SLFP, was in a position to replace the two General Secretaries at his sole discretion. Even former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, a staunch supporter of Maithripala Sirisena during the Presidential election, was livid at the fact that the President resorted to a lenient approach towards the ‘dissidents’.

However, President Sirisena, who was at one point the longest serving General Secretary of the SLFP, had other plans. He let Rajapaksa contest the Parliamentary election on the UPFA ticket and announced that he would maintain a ‘neutral’ stance in the electoral political contest.

The UPFA seniors were allowed to appoint Rajapaksa as the head of the Elections Steering Committee of the coalition and that allowed some to even dub him as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the party. They made such remarks all the while knowing that President Sirisena was not inclined to appoint his predecessor, Mahinda Rajapaksa, as the Prime Minister of the new government, even if the UPFA secured a majority.

President Maithripala Sirisena silently observed all such dynamics. He never interfered with the election campaign of the party and gave full authority to the Elections Steering Committee of the UPFA. He only made a brief appearance at a rally organized by UPFA Anuradhapura District candidate Duminda Dissanayake, a strong supporter of President Maithripala Sirisena over the past nine months. Even at Duminda Dissnayake’s meeting, the President only appeared on stage and greeted the crowd, without making any public speech expressing his support to the UPFA Anuradhapura District candidate.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Launches Political “Blitzkreig” to Purge SLFP of Pro – Mahinda Rajapaksa Elements’ »

by Tisaranee Gunasekara

“….a life of trust, not a reality composed of nothing but endless trauma.”

Avraham Burg (The Holocaust Is Over; We Must Rise From Its Ashes)

Statistics and politics tally. The confluence indicates that the UNP is likely to emerge the single largest party on August 18.

Under certain favourable conditions, the UNP might even be able to win an outright majority.

The UNP winning big (with or without a clear majority) will save Sri Lanka from being plunged into a politico-constitutional cold-war, post-election. There is no doubt that Ranil Wickremesinghe and not Mahinda Rajapaksa is President Maithripala Sirisena’s preferred prime minister. Understandably; the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe combo worked in the past, and can work in the future.

Though no politician or party should be trusted implicitly, a UNP victory is the better outcome for democracy, rule of law, accountability and reconciliation, in the current context.

Continue reading ‘A UNP Victory is the Better Outcome for Democracy,Rule of Law, Accountability and Reconciliation in the Current Context’ »

When a messenger from the Presidential Secretariat arrived at former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s temporary residence in Mirihana on Thursday morning, he was away. So the messenger left a letter he brought with a staffer at Rajapaksa’s residence.

Rajapaksa was in Kurunegala, from which district he is contesting for tomorrow’s parliamentary elections. When he learnt that a letter from President Maithripala Sirisena had come, he asked that it be opened and faxed to Basil Rajkapaksa. He was expected to read the contents and brief the former President on the telephone.

As that was happening, the news went viral. The five-page letter written by Sirisena as President of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), only hours earlier, had been leaked by someone to the social media. In the letter, Sirisena said, “In the event the UPFA is able to secure 113 seats……it is not you (Rajapaksa) who should be named as Prime Minister but some other senior leader in the party…” He was cautious enough not to say Rajapaksa will not be sworn in and seemed to express what appeared clearly is an opinion or wish. He is conscious of the Constitutional provisions and his duties as a President.

Sirisena added, “In the event the UPFA is not able to reach the 113 mark, but comes close to it, I could intervene as the Executive President to obtain the remaining seats for the Government.” That remark seemed significant. Such seats, it is obvious, would have to be sought from those in opposition parties who may secure a less number of seats. They could mean even the UNP too. Of course, all that depends on the outcome of the elections tomorrow.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Moves Swiftly and Deftly to Cripple Mahinda Rajapaksa Politically’ »

By Nirmala Kannangara

Despite being brutally assassinated in broad daylight six years and eight months ago, investigations into the gruesome murder of the founding Editor of The Sunday Leader newspaper Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge is yet to make headway.

Wickrematunge was brutally stabbed at Attidiya, by a killer squad of eight riding in four motor cycles, whilst on his way to work on that fateful day of January 8, 2009. One of the pledges the then opposition gave on election platforms in the run up to the January 8th Presidential Election was to launch fresh investigations into Wickrematunge’s murder soon after they form a government. However it is understood that the authorities concerned has not yet decided to initiate the investigation process due to unknown reasons.

Year 2009 started off with horrifying beginnings with oppression of the media allegedly by the State reaching its climax. On Tuesday January 6, 2009 the first oppression began with an arson attack on MTV/MBC network in Depanama, Pannipitiya and all hell broke loose two days later with the brutal slaying of the founding editor of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge on that fateful Thursday, January 8.
Unfortunately, the wave of attacks on journalists did not stop with Wickrematunge’s killing.

Continue reading ‘Fresh Investigation with new CID Team Still not Underway into Murder of “Sunday Leader”Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge’ »

by

Dushy Ranetunge in Havelock Town

When all hope seemed lost, with boats full of despair leaving for Australia, the arrival of Sirisena has been a breath of fresh air. When we arrived in Sri Lanka last month from London, we sensed a difference in the population. They seemed more relaxed. It was that unmistakable aura of a population enjoying a newfound freedom and being at ease with itself. It was well deserved after that marathon long haul journey in that bouncy “white van”. It feels like spring, after a harsh winter of discontent.

In London, we had visited a Tamil political event organised by Rajasingham Jayadevan, a veteran British Tamil political activist. Even at this event we sensed for the first time in many years, of Tamil citizens feeling relaxed, enjoying new hope and new freedom. They were happy with Sirisena and were embracing his generosity with goodwill.

The Presidents’ visit to Jaffna, after that unfortunate incident with a young girl, further enhanced this perception, with humanity and generosity. These little gestures go a long way in healing deep wounds.

Continue reading ‘When all Hope Seemed Lost the arrival of Sirisena has Brought a Breath of Fresh Air to Sri Lanka’ »

By

Don Manu

Why were UPFA’s Dilan and Gamman hell bent on keeping evidence buried?

Why on earth was UPFA’s national list candidate Dilan Perera so incensed over the body of 28 year old former Thomian ruggerite Wasim Thajudeen being exhumed by the police on a court order to help them to investigate further and determine whether his tragic death was an accident as it was made out to be or whether it was murder in the first degree as it had been long suspected for the last three years?
What in heaven’s name moved him to take up arms against the Government and, short of issuing a fatwa, inveigh against them purportedly on behalf of not only the Muslims but also on behalf of the victim’s family for desecrating the grave of a Muslim?

At a news conference held last Saturday at the SLFP headquarters he declared, “This is being done against the wishes of the family members. They are crying and imploring the government not to do this. They say it is against their religion. They say that it is an act of ‘haram’. They say, ‘Don’t exhume the body, we have no suspicions.’

Continue reading ‘Why are the UPFA’s Dilan Perera and Gammanpila Trying Prevent Probe into Wasim Thajudeens Murder?’ »

Dharisha Bastians

President Maithripala Sirisena moved hard and fast yesterday to wrest control of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United Peoples’ Freedom Party Alliance (UPFA) that he leads, 48 hours ahead of crucial elections, by unceremoniously sacking both party secretaries and appointing his loyalists to the posts.

Both SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and UPFA General Secretary Susil Premajayantha had their membership in the SLFP suspended with immediate effect, with President Sirisena informing the Elections Commissioner in writing that the two men no longer acted legitimately for the two parties.

Duminda Dissanayake was appointed SLFP General Secretary while Wishwa Warnapala was appointed acting UPFA General Secretary, President Sirisena informed the Commissioner of Elections Mahinda Deshapriya, the parties concerned and his party’s administration in writing yesterday.

The calculated move was reinforced by a court order issued by Colombo District Judge Harsha Sethunga who banned the ousted General Secretaries from interfering with the duties of the new appointees and fixed the case for 28 August, more than 10 days after the parliamentary election. Dissanayake and Warnapala went to court to seek the injunction.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Sacks Susil Premajayantha and Priyadarshana Yapa as UPFA and SLFP Secretaries Replacing them with Wishwa Warnapala and Duminda Dissanayake’ »

On the Spot Report by Dharisha Bastians

In Murungasyaya, a few villages away from Beliatta, the seat of Rajapaksa power, the king coconut seller scrunches up her face and furrows her eyebrows. Sharmali Subashini is trying to recall which party had been able to muster the bigger crowd at back-to-back rallies in Weeraketiya this week.

Finally she decides it’s too difficult. “Mr. Sajith Premadasa had a huge crowd at his rally two days ago. But then yesterday, the sandhanaya rally was also very big. Janadhipathithuma came for that meeting so people came from everywhere to see him,” she explains.

Janadhipathithuma is not President Maithripala Sirisena of course. In regions that have favoured the UPFA in dozens of recent elections and especially in Mahinda Rajapaksa’s home base of Hambantota, there is still only one Janadhipathithuma. Rajapaksa had been president for so long, and stamped his presence so thoroughly around this remote southern district, there isn’t much room for anyone else.

But there is a difference this time, Subashini admits.

“I’ve never seen the UNP activists work so hard. It’s like they were sleeping all this time or scared to come out during elections. Suddenly they are everywhere – I think that’s why both parties have support in this election. This time it’s a real fight,” she explains, casually splitting king coconuts with a huge mallet so that her customers can dig into the soft flesh inside the nut after consuming the water.

The remote village deep inside the rural district is split down the middle, the woman says, with UNP Deputy Leader and Hambantota District candidate Sajith Premadasa also popular in the region.

Continue reading ‘Foundations of Rajapaksa Kingdom Shaking in Hambantota District’ »

Kamanthi Wickramasinghe

While the investigations were going on, several social media sites related the story in numerous possible ways. A name that has come up with the incident is of Yasara Abeynayake.

In her comments to the “Daily Mirror”, Yasara said, “I never knew Mr. Thajudeen nor have I ever even spoken to him. These rumours started back in 2012 by a website named ‘Lanka Leaks’ and it has spread like fire ever since then. I don’t know why they attach me to this story but they unfortunately picked me and spread it far enough for people to believe their false story.

When asked whether the diplomatic position she was awarded to serve in Australia had any link with the incident she said Mr. Thajudeen passed away in 2012 and I got my posting in mid-2014 so my posting had nothing to do with the incident. Also this incident had nothing to do with my break-up with Yoshitha Rajapakse as I never knew Wasim.

Continue reading ‘Gamini Fonseka’s Granddaughter Yasara Abeynayake says she did not know Wasim Thajudeen and had Never Spoken to him’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

President Maithripala Sirisena has struck a second, more devastating blow to his predecessor’s prime ministerial hopes 48 hours before campaigning ends for Monday’s Parliamentary poll, in a fiery missive denouncing Mahinda Rajapaksa for his power-hunger and inclination to play communal politics.

The ‘Dear John’ type epistle flays his party’s Kurunegala District Candidate and former President Rajapaksa for his many sins, and accuses him of being a ‘prisoner’ of smaller constituent parties within the UPFA, effectively destroying the SLFP.

“You must take the responsibility for making the glorious SLFP, a party with a 64-year history, hostage to the petty agendas of small parties and groups,” President Sirisena charged in his five-page letter.

The letter made it clear to the former President that under no post-election scenario could he hope to be appointed Prime Minister, even if the UPFA wins an outright majority.

“I believe that if the UPFA obtains the 113 required to form a Government, the premiership will go to a SLFP senior leader. If the UPFA comes close to 113 and needs more seats to form a Government, as Executive President, I can intervene to secure that majority. Even in that scenario, it is not you who should be prime minister, but another senior party leader,”

Continue reading ‘President Maithripala Politically Clobbers Ex-President Mahinda with a Powerful Five Page Letter.’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday declared that a victory for UNP-led United National Front (UNF) at the August 17 parliamentary polls would help consolidate the gains made at what he called the January 08 revolution which ended the Rajapaksa administration.

The UNP leader reiterated his commitment to the continuation of the post-presidential polls arrangement with President Maithripala Sirisena. The PM is in the fray in Colombo.

Claiming that the electorate didn’t want former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s return to Parliament, the PM said that his partners were committed to transforming the country within five years.

Continue reading ‘Country Heading for a National Govt Under Maithripala and Ranil Does not Want Mahinda to Return to Parliament’ »

The President categorically stated that his choice was not Mahinda Rajapaksa. President Sirisena said that he believed that the next Prime Minister should be a senior member of the SLFP who has not received such an opportunity in the past to hold that office, if the UPFA secures the majority in Parliament at the election.

President Sirisena asked his predecessor Rajapaksa to extend his cooperation and blessings to appoint the next Prime Minister from among Nimal Siripala de Silva, John Seneviratne, Chamal Rajapaksa, Athauda Seneviratne, A.H.M. Fowzie, Susil Premajayantha and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa in the name of the party and the people of the country, in the event of the UPFA securing a majority. He said he can intervene in the formation of the government in the event of the UPFA obtaining a little under 113 seats.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Writes Strong Letter to Mahinda Rajapaksa Seeking his Cooperation to Appoint Senior SLFP’er as Prime Minister if UPFA got 113 seats’ »

By

Radhika Coomaraswamy

(Text of Keynote Address “THE ART OF NUANCE:LAKSHMAN KADIRGAMAR THE STATESMAN” delivered at BCIS in a ceremony to commemorate the tenth death anniversary of Lakshman Kadirgamar PC. MP on August 12th 2015)

Every generation has its ideal man or woman, the icon who defines the values and aspirations of that generation. Lakshman Kadirgamar was born into an elite Colombo Tamil family in 1932. For members of that elite, in the era before international schools, going to Royal College, St. Thomas’ College or Trinity was absolutely essential. Being first in class was another important attribute. A University education in England was absolutely necessary and being a coloursman in sports was a must. The chosen vocation of such an individual would have been the professions or public service- not for them the world of business which many of them scorned in the era before globalization.

Lakshman Kadirgamar

While all his brothers went to Royal, Lakshman Kadirgamar went to Trinity because of the war and he was very proud of his old school. There he captained the cricket team and played rugby, a common face during the Bradby shield encounter with Royal. He won the prestigious Ryde Gold Medal at Trinity for being the best all round student and he was also a senior prefect. He then went onto Law School and Law College being placed first in the advocates’ final examination. Thereafter he went to Balliol College at Oxford, where he was the second Sri Lankan after Lalith Athulathmudali to be the President of the Oxford Union. He also played cricket for Balliol. My father would have looked at his CV and said “what a perfect life”. – Except of course for the fact that he did not go to Royal.

1956 brought a sea change in the political aspirations of this country and challenged the trajectory of the lives of elite Colombo Tamils. Placing an emphasis on Sinhala only, the rural schoolteacher, the public servant, the national entrepreneur and the Ayurveda doctor became the role models.

Dr.Radhika Coomaraswamy delivering Prestigious Grotius lecture, April 9. 2014

Overnight this Tamil elite became reviled as one of the great conspirators against the aspirations of the rural Sinhalese. The 56 movement had its positive points in that it gave voice to the vast majority of Sri Lankan but its exclusivist tendencies reached its pinnacle under the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapakse, where no minority felt that they belonged to this island.

Continue reading ‘Lakshman Kadirgamar the Statesman and the Art of Nuance’ »

UNP National List nominee Krishantha Cooray yesterday said that a victory for the UNP would pave the way for a stable government in Sri Lanka.

Cooray issued the following statement:

“Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans scored an important victory on January 8th. That revolution saved the country from the Rajapaksas’ corrupt and lawless regime. Jungle law was replaced by the rule of law, the media was freed and the abuse of power brought to an end.

This election itself is an example of that change: it is the first truly free, fair and lawful election in many years if not decades.

Continue reading ‘“The plan is ready. The path is clear. It’s the green light for Sri Lanka.” – UNP National List Nominee Krishantha Prasad Cooray’ »

By

Col R Hariharan

[This is an extract of a brief interview with an Indian TV news channel today on China and Sri Lanka general elections being held on August 17, 20015.]

Q: China is looking at the entry of Rajapaksa in the (election) race with a lot of interest. Since January when Sirisena took over, despite polite noises, China has lost out its position of strength (gained) under Rajapaksa. So do you think China would definitely root for Rajapaksa as PM?

A: Generally, China does not interfere in internal affairs in other countries. That would apply to Sri Lanka elections also. But it has a huge financial and strategic stakes in Sri Lanka. So definitely China would be happy to see Rajapaksa back in power as PM because it has an excellent personal equation with him. Apart from this, China’s major projects in Sri Lanka, in which it has invested over $ 4.6 billion, have been stalled after the new government came to power. Though some of the projects are now being resumed, there had been no progress in some others like the Colombo Port reclamation project costing $ 1.4 billion. This project has strategic relevance for China as it would help China gain total control of over 300 acres of reclaimed land close to the mouth of the Colombo harbour. China would definitely like these projects completed without any further delay.

Continue reading ‘China,India and Mahinda Rajapaksa’s bid to return to power in Sri Lanka’ »

By Dharisha Bastians in Minuwangoda and Divulapitiya

The lottery seller Sunil Shantha, travels by bicycle every day to remote villages in Divulapitiya, an electorate which has polled Blue for the better part of 21 years.

Shantha, in his mid-sixties, remembers when UNP representatives like Ariyaratne Jayatillake were unshakable forces of power in Divulapitiya. But the UNP’s long winter in Opposition turned the Gampaha District electorate into a sure win for SLFP-led coalitions over the past two decades. But Shantha, who bicycles out with his ‘sweep tickets’ to the villages of Maradagahamula, Kalapitimulla, Kehelella, Momaluwa and Thammitha each morning, says he feels something changing on the ground.

“There is a definite tilt towards the UNP in this election,” Shantha says, at his lottery ticket stand in the middle of Divulapitiya town, manned by his wife each evening. “There are families who have voted for generations with the SLFP. I’m not saying there are major shifts here,” says the chatty resident, “but a lot of the younger people even in these families are looking for change.”

Residents claim the return of one of Gampaha’s sons to lead the UNP campaign in the Divulapitiya electorate has led to the party’s resurgence in the region. Ranjan ‘One Shot’ Ramanayake, with his movie star appeal and straight-talk credentials is attracting large crowds around the district. But if he manages to flip Divulapitiya or narrow the gap between the UPFA and the UNP significantly, Ramanayake could decide the fate of his party’s fortunes in the Gampaha District.

Continue reading ‘Hectic Political Battle on Between UNFGG and UNPFA Heavyweights in Gampaha District’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

COLOMBO: Northern Province Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran’s statement on Wednesday telling Sri Lankan Tamils who they should vote for in the August 17 parliamentary elections, seems to be an endorsement of the radical Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF) rather than his own party, the moderate Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

Justifying his “neutrality” in the elections, Wigneswaran said that politicians who had got elected earlier had flouted their promises in regard to the Tamils’ rights such as the right to self-determination. They had done precious little to set right the wrongs done to the Tamils during and after Eelam War IV.

The elected leaders had been stressing the need to “get along” with the leaders of South Sri Lanka, thereby “selling out” to the latter. If they had any intention to make such compromises, they should have said so in their manifestoes, Wigneswaran argued!

Continue reading ‘Northern Chief Minister Wigneswaran “Betrays” Moderate TNA by Indirectly Supporting Extremist TNPF’ »

By Ajith Alahakoon

The Additional Colombo Magistrate yesterday issued notice on Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and his son-in-law Arjun Aloysious in respect of the alleged bond scam to appear in court on August 30.

The order was issued consequent to a case filed by Western Provincial Council member Renuka Dushyantha Perera.

Perera alleged that the CB Governor had manipulated the issue of Treasury bonds for the benefit of Arjun Aloysious. The court was told that the issue was a 30-year bond auction for Rs.1 billion on Feb. 27. The CB received 36 offers amounting to Rs. 20 billion. This enabled the Central Bank to accept Rs. 10 billion.

Continue reading ‘Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and his son in law Arjun Aloysius Noticed to Appear in Court on August 30’ »

By

Upul Joseph Fernando

The story of the man who clung onto Mahinda’s finger at Akuressa ended up like the episode of the Samurdhi officer who was tied to a tree by Mervyn Silva in Kelaniya. The man who held onto Mahinda’s finger at Akuressa and got assaulted claimed he did it for the love he had for Mahinda. The Samurdhi officer who was tied by Mervyn to a tree claimed he did it on his own for joy.

There is a signal and a message from Mahinda from the Akuressa man’s incident. That is, if Mahinda wins and Maithri does not offer him the post of Prime Minister he would show the same physical strength he showed to the Akuressa man. When the Akuressa man held onto Mahinda’s finger, Mahinda reacted in a manner that it displayed his impatience. So if Mahinda does not get the Premier post, he may repeat such action on Maithri. If Mahinda is made the Prime Minister, he would not stay calm like D.M. Jayaratne or Ratnasiri Wickremanayake. He would eye on the Presidency and the SLFP Leadership. Also, he may try to create problems within the government by trying to oust Maithri from the SLFP Leadership.

Maithri unfolded an exciting story to UNPFA leaders before he offered nominations to Mahinda. He said if Mahinda becomes Prime Minister, the Presidency would stand at a bullet’s distance. What he indirectly meant was that Mahinda may even assassinate him to become the President. That indicates that if Mahinda wins he would destabilize the country and push it into utter confusion even if he is deprived of the Premiership. What is now evident from the Akuressa incident and other issues that followed like jeering SLFP seniors at Mahinda’s meetings is that Mahinda would make the Parliament a mockery if he wins. Those who know history are aware how Adolf Hitler played hell inside the German Parliament demanding the post of Chancellor. Finally, the German President who played for time was forced to offer the Chancellor post to Hitler as Hitler drove the country into confusion. Will Mahinda repeat a Hitler if he wins?

Continue reading ‘Will a Mahinda Rajapaksa Victory Give Life to the Country or Make Sri Lanka Perish?’ »

By

C. A. Chandraprema

If anybody can be described as the ‘face’ of this parliamentary election, it is former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. Not only is his likeness displayed on the posters pamphlets and other election material of the candidates of the UPFA, the UNP and the JVP also direct all their attacks at him. Thus, Mahinda Rajapaksa is the pivot around which this election revolves. In this exclusive interview with The Island staffer C. A. Chandraprema former president Rajapaksa deals with several issues that have taken centre stage as the election campaign enters its final phase.

Q. We are now just days away from the parliamentary election. I could not help but notice that in any interaction you have with the media, the questions that you are asked centre around allegations made against you, your family and members of your government. You seem to be always defending yourself, replying to allegations. Do you feel like you are under siege?

A. That is unavoidable to some extent because we have been in power and it is those who are in power that have to answer for doing or not doing something. For many years, the Opposition has been doing nothing but hurling allegations at us so the media needs to get those allegations cleared.

One of the big mistakes that we made as a ruling party is not replying to these allegations at that time. We did not take them seriously and we left them unanswered. This is why we have had to deal with these issues at this stage. I am in a way happy that the media questions us on these matters, because that gives us an opportunity to explain matters to the people. The internet and social media like Facebook were used extensively to spread these fabricated stories. But, I think people are wiser now.

Continue reading ‘“They are Trying to say we are Murderers by Exhuming Bodies During Elections” – Mahinda Rajapaksa Speaks out in an Interview’ »

Former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar’s 10th death anniversary will be commemorated today (12) at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies in Colombo. He was assassinated by an LTTE sniper in August 2005. The highlight of the event will be the launch of a book on Lakshman Kadirgamar titled The cake that was baked at home authored by Lakshman’s daughter Ajita and published by Vijitha Yapa. The keynote address at the commemoration will be delivered by former UN Undersecretary-General Radhika Coomaraswamy on the theme, The Art of Nuance – Lakshman Kadirgamar, a Sri Lankan Statesman.

By

N Sathiya Moorthy

Independent of who wins the 17 August parliamentary polls in Sri Lanka, the nation would be coming under immediate international pressure on the war-time ‘accountability issues’ at UNHRC. It could be more – or, less – dependent on what the UNHRC probe report, held back by six months after the presidential polls, will have to say, and who is elected to power in Sri Lanka, and how the post-poll government wants to look at things.

Unless the UNHRC Council were to vote against the tabling of the report in the September session – which seems remote — for all practical purposes, the process could not be postponed indefinitely. Such a course could hit at the bottom of the very process. The ‘international community’ would also come under increasing pressure from domestic HR groups in individual nations and also the vociferous Sri Lankan Tamil Diaspora, comprising a noticeable section in the domestic electoral constituencies. It’s anybody’s guess what the ‘official’ line – or, the line of the officialdom – in Sri Lanka would be, in preparation to the UNHRC session, and what the political touch would be, post-poll. Without reference to the post-poll government, Sri Lanka cannot be seen as letting down either the nation’s armed forces – either as individuals or at higher command levels – or the political and administrative leaderships of the times.

Continue reading ‘What Can India do about the War Time Accountability Report on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC in Geneva?’ »

By P.K.Balachandran

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan parliamentary elections slated for August 17 will go down in history as one of the most unusual.

President Maithripala Sirisena is featured in the posters and ads of the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG), the ruling party, as well as the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the opposition party. Both the UNFGG and UPFA are claiming Sirisena because as Executive President for the next five years, he could play a critical role.

Sirisena is the chairman of the UPFA, and yet, he declared in a televised address that the UPFA will not win, and even if it wins, he will not make his rival, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Prime Minister.

Sirisena has put his loyalists in the UPFA list to deny victory to the Rajapaksa faction thus adversely affecting the UPFA’s overall chances.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Game Plan is to Become Prime Minister and make President Sirisena’s Life as Hard as Possible.’ »

Col R Hariharan

With a week to go before Sri Lanka people elect a new parliament, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa predicted the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which had fielded him, to win “up to” 117 seats. However, a pre-election survey showed only 27.5 percent voters preferred him over his bête noir and prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the rival United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG), who led the survey with a hefty near 40 percent preference.

The secret of Rajapaksa’s confidence may not be solely due to the good luck charm – an elephant hair bracelet – he is seen wearing these days. Nor it can be astrological prediction that let him down badly in the presidential poll.

The survey conducted by the Centre for Policy Analysis end July showed Tamil and Muslim minority voters who handed him a defeat in the presidential election continue to be firm supporters of Wickremesinghe. However, it must be consoling for the former president to know that he remained the favourite of Sinhala voters with 36 percent support, while Wickremesinghe trailed him with 31.9 percent support.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka elections: tumbling skeletons and bumbling politicians’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

Forensic teams exhumed the body of Wasim Thajudeen at the Dehiwala Muslim burial grounds on orders by a Colombo Court yesterday, as the Criminal Investigation Department continues to dig deeper into the alleged murder-cover up.

The exhumation was supervised by the Colombo Chief Judicial Medical Officer, Dr. Ajith Tennakoon, after Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris issued an exhumation order when the CID told Court they suspected foul play in Thajudeen’s death in 2012.

“Three specialists will conduct forensic investigations into the body,” Dr. Tennakoon told reporters outside the cemetery, but he refused to say how long the inquiries could take.

Continue reading ‘Wasim Thajudeen’s Body Exhumed by Forensic Teams Supervised by Colombo Chief Judicial Medical Officer.’ »

By Madura Ranwala

Criminal Investigations Department has confirmed that one of the underworld gang leaders known as ‘Army Samapth’ and his associate called ‘Sanka’ had been among the UNP election campaigners on July 31 when the daring gun attack took place, according to statements given by some of the UNP supporters who were there at the time, Police spokesman told to the media yesterday in Colombo.

ASP Ruwan Gunasekera said that CID had been able to take into custody two cars and five suspects in connection with the attack.

Asked whether the car found on the day of the shooting which killed two UNP supporters and injured 11 others had been used by the gunmen, the ASP said that it was believed to be the vehicle used by Army Samapath and Sanka and the person, who rented out the vehicle to them had fled the area.

Continue reading ‘Gangster “Army Sampath” and his sidekick “Sanka” were Among the People Canvassing for UNP when the Shooting at Bloemendhal Took Place Confirms CID’ »

By

Gomin Dayasri

One has to lose – the other has to win; to say the obvious. Who’s going to be the fallen guy – Ranil or Mahinda – in electing the Lord of the Throne for the Negatives? Picking the loser is a less onerous task than the winner. Two defeated old codgers closing on seventy need a wake-up call, being out of touch with reality.

A match is on…crowds are bussed…. song and dance… applause is orchestrated; we go through the stupid motions that are no longer exciting except for the performers on the stage. Geek is the term, young generation refer to such silly festivity. It enthuses the party workers, if at all, and sourpuss for others.

New names, new face evinces an interest. Scroll down the candidates’ lists…. uninspiring names where posters feature photos of a youthful past and the image of a sordid present. Deception begins from the poster onwards. Serves us right for living amongst muck.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda and Ranil are two Defeated old Codgers Needing a wake Up Call’ »

By

Prasad Gunewardene

Dilan or Harin?

They are; National List prospect Dilan Perera (UPFA) and Harin Fernando (UNP) who is also the incumbent Chief Minister in the Uva Province. It was Dilan who started the ball rolling bringing bottles of poison to a news conference. Like a Dispenser, he said; this bottle is for Ranil Wickremesinghe, this bottle is for Ravi Karunanayake, this bottle is for Mangala Samaraweera and this bottle is for the Central Bank Governor. Udaya Gammanpila, Dulles Alahapperuma and Dilan held the bottles in hand posing for a photograph to the media. This exhibition of poison bottles received wide coverage in the print and electronic media.

The next day UNP candidate and Uva Chief Minister Harin Fernando brought two large plastic cans of Glyphosate (a banned chemical) to a media conference. Displaying the two cans, Harin said that Dilan would have to consume that poison when the UPFA is defeated at the 17 August general election. So, the electoral battle has now turned into a ‘Poison Battle’. However, we would not lose either of them as none of them took the challenge in open to take poison once defeated on 17 August. If they are keen to accept the challenge, nature has given them seven days more as the poll is scheduled on 17 August.

Continue reading ‘Who Would Consume Poison on August 18th? Dilan Perera of UPFA or Harin Fernando of the UNP?’ »

By

Azhar Razak

The provision of wi-fi internet services through Google’s Project Loon is not going to be afforded to consumers ‘free of charge’ once the project is in full flow post-March 2016, the Managing Director of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Muhunthan Canagey told The Nation Gain in a recent interview. Canagey’s comments came in the wake of a misinformation campaign doing the rounds especially by a section of government representatives that Sri Lanka will benefit from ‘free’ wi-fi services as a result of the Project Loon.

“The agreement is not for testing but for live commercial deployment. Once Google is done with the successful rolling out of the 13 balloons expected to be complete by March 2016, Google will engage in discussions with local mobile telecom operators and discuss the revenue-sharing agreements for the provision of the wi-fi services,” Canagey said.

He explained that telecom operators who were at present not providing internet services to the most-remotest areas in the country due to commercial non-feasibility (high investment costs involved in laying out the infrastructure but comparatively low demand) are expected to take advantage of the Google’s balloons and expand coverage.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s Google Wi-Fi WONT be Free of Charge to Consumers says MD of ICTA Muhunthan Canagey’ »

By

M.A. Sumanthiran

The press has recently reported that the Bar Standards Board has initiated a formal investigation into the professional conduct of Sir Desmond de Silva QC with respect to his role in Sri Lanka.

I raised the question of Sir Desmond’s professional conduct in Parliament on 17 March 2015 and urged the government itself to forward a complaint to the Bar Standards Board. Though the government failed to take any action in this regard, a complaint was forwarded by a non-governmental organization.

Continue reading ‘Continued Retention of Sir Desmond de Silva by this Govt deals a Devastating blow to Good Governance and Rule of Law”’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

The former Defence Secretary and the former president’s brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa is touted for giving leadership to defeat the Tamil Tigers.

After the then government jailed and stripped military honours of former army chief Sarath Fonseka, Gotabaya and his elder sibling, ex-president Mahinda claimed for the exclusive rights of the military victory. Gotabaya, indeed, played a major role in the military success; more than anything, he, somehow, managed to formulate a unified military strategy involving three forces; no mean feat when his commanders of the army and navy did not see eye to eye.

He also defended senior military officials who were unduly victimised, thereby serving as a bulwark against personalised witch-hunts that occurred time and again in the military establishment. That helped the security forces retain experienced senior officers, some of whom later served as division commanders during the final phase of the war.

That, however, is only one side of the story. Prageeth Ekneligoda and those young men who were last seen in underground prison cells in the Trincomalee Navy camp would have told the other side of the story, if they had a chance to live.

Gotabaya’s tenure as the Secretary of Defence was marred by grotesque human rights abuses; abductions and enforced disappearances became a state policy; newspapers and television stations were attacked; political dissidents and ordinary Tamils were killed and abducted; parents of missing youth were terrorised.

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa Must Explain the Grotesque Human Rights Abuses During his Tenure as Defence Secretary’ »

By

Rasika Jayakody

The modern view of criminal justice, broadly, is that public concern with morality or expediency decrees expiation for the violation of a norm; this concern finds expression in the infliction of punishment on the evil doer by agents of the state, the evil doer, however, enjoying the protection of a regular procedure – Max Weber

Nearly three years after his death, the curious case of former Sri Lankan rugby player Wasim Thajudeen has now returned, making headlines in the media on a daily basis and sending ripples across the country’s political fold.

Thajudeen’s death – which was brushed under the carpet by Sri Lanka’s law enforcement authorities three years ago – has now become a matter of contention. The Criminal Investigations Department, which conducted investigations into the death over a period of five months, have already informed the court that it was a murder and the Rugby player was brutally tortured before his death!

Initially, the Police said Thajudeen’s death was caused by an accident that took place while he was driving to the airport. They said Thajudeen had lost control of his car and crashed into the wall of Shalika Grounds on Park Road, Narahenpita, and that his car had exploded within seconds of the crash.

Thajudeen’s body was charred when it was recovered and there was a piece of metal in his knee area as a result of a surgery he underwent, some time back.

Interestingly, Thajudeen’s wallet was later recovered 1.5 km away from the place where the alleged ‘accident’ took place. The Police did not pay any attention to this vital piece of evidence and quickly concluded that it was an accident, without a comprehensive investigation.

Thajudeen’s case was buried in the Dehiwala cemetery in spite of the mysteries surrounding the death.
Many thought that was the end of it and the ‘truth’ would never be uncovered. But, the atmosphere changed after a new government came to power in January, this year and political pressure, which stifled investigations for nearly two and a half years, subsided.

In February, the Police Media Spokesman announced that the CID would launch fresh investigations into Thajudeen’s death to unravel the mystery.

Continue reading ‘Sons of Mahinda Rajapaksa Linked to Wasim Thajudeen Murder Alleges JVP Leader Anura Dissanayake’ »

By Dharisha Bastians

UPFA Kurunegala District candidate and ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday pledged to investigate the alleged murder of popular rugby player Wasim Thajudeen, whose body will be exhumed for further forensic inquiry by a panel of judicial medical officers today.

“This should be properly investigated independently without politicising the issue and the truth must be revealed to the people,” Rajapaksa told a packed news conference at the Hilton Colombo Residence ballroom last morning.

The former President, who is locked in a fierce battle to reclaim power and assume the premiership, denied his son’s involvement the controversial death of the rugby player amid speculation that a love triangle involving his second-born had led to the sportsman’s death.

“I welcome an independent probe, it will help us to clear our name,” Rajapaksa said.

Continue reading ‘Wasim Thajudeen Murder Case is Being Taken up to Implicate him Alleges Ex- President Mahinda Rajapaksa’ »

By

Malinda Seneviratne

The move to privatize water didn’t begin yesterday. The first noises were made around 25 years ago, when the International Irrigation Management Institute (IIMI) set up its headquarters in Pelawatte, Colombo. Back then too the talk was about the efficient use of water and it was a design that was promoted by those who wanted to see rice being replaced by so-called ‘High Value Crops’. It was an attempted strike not only on rice but on a nation’s cultural preferences. At the time an attendant argument was ‘Sri Lanka’s food security lies in the wheat fields of North America’. It was about enforced dependency.

It was of course couched in the language of democracy: ‘user control’! That’s the tried and tested method of securing control of resources: get the commons into the market and let the market forces sort things out. In the end the wealthy get it all. With respect to irrigation management what was commonly held and later acquired by the state in an absolute perversion done in the name of ‘socialism’ , was sought to be ‘handed back to users’. The collective ways by this time had been subverted. Societies weren’t flat. There were and are big users and small. There was and is a political economy of agriculture.

IMMI morphed quickly into International Water Resource Management. That’s when that institute began investigating the possibility of controlling ground water resources. Through markets of course.

Continue reading ‘Public Must be Vigilant About Fresh Moves to Privatise Water Under the Guise of Reforms.’ »

by Dasun Edirisinghe

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday addressed newspaper editors and other media personnel at the Hilton Residencies. He was flanked by the high command of the UPFA – General Secretary Susil Premajayantha, SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, MEP leader Dinesh Gunawardena, NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya leader Udaya Gammanpila, Liberal Party leader Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha, former UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, UPFA National List nominee Tiran Alles, former Foreign Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris and Nawa Sinhala Urumaya Leader Sarath Manamendra.

The former president said that according to recent surveys, the UPFA would easily secure more than 113 seats in Parliament at the forthcoming general election and the number would even go beyond 117.

Rajapaksa said that he would not form a national government as he was confident of a clear majority and the UNP’s offer to do so betrayed the government’s lack of confidence.

Continue reading ‘Ex- President Mahinda Rajapaksa Confident of UPFA Getting Clear Majority in Elections with Seat Tally Going Beyond 117.’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

COLOMBO: There appears to be an attempt by some political parties to whip up an India-sentiment among the Tamils of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province in the run up to the August 17 parliamentary elections with the aim of ending the dominance of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which is perceived to be pro-India.

Authoritative sources told Express that this is being done by two pro-Tamil Tiger parties, the Tamil National Peoples’ Front (TNPF) led by Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, and the Crusaders For Democracy (CFD) led by Nadesapillai Vithyatharan.

The sources pointed out that these two parties had launched their election manifestos not only to enunciate their political plans but to revive memories of the “anti-Tamil” actions of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) when it was deployed in the Northern and Eastern Provinces from 1987 to 1990.

Continue reading ‘Anti – Indian Sentiments Whipped up in Jaffna by Gejendrakumar Ponnambalam led TNPF and Nadesapillai Vithyatharan led CFD’ »

By

Prasad Gunawardene

The fact that throughout the whole world women know less about politics than men is true when we evaluate the statements, comments and performances of some of our women candidates in the current contest for next Monday’s general elections. Irrespective of gender equality, women are less likely to know about current affairs than men. Many say the reason for lack of knowledge in politics among women is the higher level of risk aversion and they are afraid of being proved wrong.

Having seen many women candidates on television during TV talks they always opt to say ‘don’t know’ as the response. Very few women take to politics in their early twenties while others enter the scene much later in their lives. In contrast men enter the political scene at an early age and steadily acquire political knowledge as they grow older. These facts are not meant to undermine women in politics in our country as it’s a common phenomenon seen around the world among women in politics.

International surveys and studies have revealed that age is also a factor in women’s interest in political affairs. Those studies have found that women acquire political knowledge much later in their lives than men, regardless of a country’s gender equality status. It is also revealed that politics had been recognized and identified as a man’s world thus, disconnecting the dominance of women in politics.

Continue reading ‘Disappointing Performance of Some Popularly Elected Women in Sri Lankan Politics’ »

By

Rasika Jayakody

Wasim Thajudeen, a prominent rugby player, who is believed to have been assassinated, has begun to haunt former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election campaign. Although Rajapaksa or his family members have not been mentioned as suspects in the case so far, fingers have already been directed at the previous regime over the murder of the rugby player. It is crystal clear that the Police, which was an emasculated body under Rajapaksa’s watch, painted a wrong picture at the time of Thajudeen’s death three years ago.

It does not require Einstein’s wisdom to understand that such distortions by the Police do not happen without political interference. The death was brushed under the carpet by merely calling it an ‘accident’. Although Thajudeen’s wallet was found nearly 1.5 km away from the place where he was found dead, Police turned a blind eye to that vital piece of evidence. After that, the incident was reduced to mere subject of gossip in Colombo’s dinner circuit.

In a startling turn of events, Thajudeen’s death re-surfaced when the Criminal Investigations Department decided to launch a fresh investigation into the case in February, this year, after the new government’s ascension to power. The investigations were carried out by the Criminal Investigations Department without any political pressure and after a few months, the teams handling the investigation concluded that it was a murder and that the rugby player had been brutally tortured prior to his tragic death.

Continue reading ‘Alleged Murder of Wasim Thajudeen Impacts Adversely on Family of Mahinda Rajapaksa.’ »

By Shihara Maduwage

The Prime Minister of the country and leader of the United National Party (UNP) – the main party of the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) – Ranil Wickremesinghe is one of the forerunners at the upcoming General Elections. In an interview with the “Daily Mirror” he discussed a wide range of issues, including the Central Bank bond controversy, the plan to revive the economy and battle against corruption, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s comeback into politics and the possibility of creating a new Constitution.

Excerpts :

Q : Why did you decide not to go for elections soon after the Presidential Election?

We decided to kick off and complete the 100-Day-Programme. People had suffered a lot and there was no freedom in the country. Corruption was rampant in the country. Therefore, we decided to implement the 100-Day Programme and then go for an election to ask people for their mandate. We did not want to make empty promises.

Q : You have a five-fold plan in your manifesto. How practical is that plan? Or will they be empty promises as we have seen in the past?

This is a plan done by many parties. It is not merely a set of promises. I have always delivered the goods. I turned the economy around before and I will do that again. The media cannot tell the people what to do.

Continue reading ‘Ranil Wickremesinghe Promises to Revive Economy and Change Political Culture in Five Years’ »

by

C.A.Chandraprema

As the parliamentary election campaign enters its last week realisation appears to have dawned on the UNP that every vote cast for the JVP is a yahapalana vote lost to them. Last Thursday, the pro-UNP website Lanka e News carried an article with the title “Vote for the JVP and ensure Rajapaksa’s victory!” The article carried three telling bullet point highlights which went as follows – The JVP formed an alliance with the chauvinists (Meaning Rajapaksa) once how can we say that they will not do so again? When a new constitution is drafted, the JVP may raise the cry “The country is being divided!” and make common cause with Mahinda. A vote cast for the JVP is a case of ensuring the victory of Rajapaksa! The article goes on to say that there is a conspiracy to divide the anti-Rajapaksa vote so that it benefits both Mahinda Rajapaksa and the JVP.

The Lanka e News article goes on to state that in the 1980s the JVP opposed even the minimal solution that was given to the Tamil people through the provincial councils system and that even though JVP representatives now sit on the PCs, it is still not possible to get a statement from them to the effect that they accept the provincial councils system. So how is anybody going to persuade them to agree to anything more than the PCs, the article queries. They also point out that in 1971 and 1987-89, the JVP murdered their political opponents with a brutality that paralleled that of the ISIS terrorists in the Middle East and that killing the parents in front of their children was nothing much for the JVP. Quite apart from suppressing the media the JVP was willing to kill even those who sold newspapers. They also accuse the JVP of being anti-Tamil and supporting the war effort.

Continue reading ‘Every Vote the JVP gets will help Mahinda Rajapaksa Increase his Majority over the UNP in Districts he lost in Jan 8 2015’ »

By Chris Kamalendran

The Presidential Security Division (PSD) has been disbanded after its involvement in criminal activities, Public Order Minister John Amaratunga disclosed yesterday. He said the Special Task Force (STF), the commando arm of the Police, would now be responsible for the security of President Maithripala Sirisena. The first assignment was providing close protection at a Kandy event which Mr. Sirisena attended yesterday.

The role of the 5,000-strong PSD became the subject of a string of investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The first was after an Army commando entered a venue in Angunukolapelassa with a loaded pistol. If it slipped the attention of PSD personnel, Police personnel on duty outside became suspicious and made the detection. President Sirisena addressed this meeting.

Two weeks later, a second security lapse occurred at Pepiliyana near Nugegoda. President Sirisena who declared open a Vesak pandal had got into the official vehicle of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe instead of his own. PSD personnel at the scene, it came to light, did not guide him to his own official vehicle.

Continue reading ‘Special Task Force Takes Over Security of President Sirisena as Presidential Security Division gets Disbanded for Criminal Activity.’ »

Candidates for the August 17 parliamentary elections in the Jaffna District are still vying with each other to please voters who have hardline political pursuits. The United National Front’s 26 page manifesto – The Five Point Plan for a new country in 60 months” – notwithstanding, its candidate Vijayakala Maheswaran has added one more pledge.

In a leaflet distributed in Jaffna this week, Ms. Maheswaran has declared she would, if elected, ensure that the visit of Mahatma Gandhi to Jaffna on November 26 and 27, 1927, would be commemorated every year. A good thought indeed to remember a great Indian leader who won the hearts of people the world over.

Continue reading ‘UNP ‘s Vijayakala Maheswaran Links LTTE Chief Prabhakarans Birthday and Great Heroes Day with Jaffna Visit of Mahatma Gandhi on Nov 26 and 27 in 1927’ »

Army Commander Crishanthe de Silva yesterday banned army personnel from getting involved in any form of election campaigning. The directive applies to all ranks including those in the volunteer force while those violating it would face disciplinary action, Military Spokesman Jayanath Jayaweera told the Sunday Times.

The directive came following instructions from the Defence Ministry after reports that army personnel were involved in campaigns of certain candidates with some of them working in political offices.

The ban also prevents the use of internet or social media to influence the voters for or against any political party or candidate.

Under the directive, army personnel cannot take part in any meetings, rallies, campaigns or discussions held by a political party or for political purposes.

Continue reading ‘Army Commander Debars all Military Personnel from Getting Involved in any Form of Election Campaigning.’ »

by

C. A. Chandraprema

Certain matters do not get the attention they deserve because everybody is so focused on the election. Last week, a group of 38 NGO activists sent off a petition to President Maithripala Sirisena demanding that Sir Desmond de Silva QC, be removed from the panel of international lawyers advising the government of Sri Lanka on the Geneva issue. What they did was to get one NGO to lodge a complaint against Sir Desmond with the British Bar Standards Board and then send a petition to the president demanding his removal on the grounds that he is being investigated by the British Bar Standards Board! These are the same NGOs that presided over the removal of former Chief Justice Mohan Peiris through a combination of mob action and yahapalana executive fiat. They are now trying the same tactics to get Desmond de Silva removed.

The reason why de Silva has earned the ire of these NGOs is because of the legal opinions that he provided to the Sri Lankan government on the law of armed conflict in relation to the accusations that had been made against the Sri Lankan government. These opinions were secret documents until The Island serialized them some months ago. The opinions that Sir Desmond and all the other international lawyers gave were in fact the only opinions they could give in terms of the existing international law of armed conflict. If readers look into the archives of The Sunday Island, they will see that this columnist too has said much the same things about the international law of armed conflict long before this panel of lawyers came on the scene. You don’t have to be a lawyer to read and understand what has been laid down clearly in black and white.

Continue reading ‘NGO Activists in Sri Lanka Launch Foolish Campaign Against Sir Desmond de Silva Q. C. Resident in UK’ »

By

Kumar Rupasinghe

The inauguration of Maithripala Sirisena as the President of Sri Lanka, promising a 100-day program to abolish the Executive Presidential system, and promulgate a Freedom of Information Act among other things, gave rise to expectations that all this will pave the way for a more transparent society where citizens will be protected by the law. Would it be wrong to say that Sri Lanka experienced its mini Arab Spring a few months ago?

Large numbers of people rallied, held demonstrations and agitated to overthrow President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who had assumed the status of the uncrowned King of Sri Lanka. Our Arab Spring was successful and the people overthrew the King through the ballot!

However, it is important that we learn the lessons from the experiences of the Arab Spring in the Middle East, where over a short period of time despotic regimes have again gained control of most states. The lesson to be learnt from the failure of the Arab Spring is that the people relaxed, stopped the demonstrations and went home. But, the counter revolution took place which restored the Mafiosi in many countries.

The lesson that follows from this experience is that the revolution which was inaugurated through the ballot has to be continued, and the politically conscious people of this country should be ever vigilant!

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Must Dismantle the Mafia State in Sri Lanka’ »

by Mahendran Thiruvarangan

The election campaign of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF: Gajen Ponnambalam’s new outfit) in the North-East has re-animated the discussions on the political solution to the national question. While the major political parties in the South have rejected federalism, the federal solutions presented by these two fronts include the recognition of the Tamils as a nation or a nationality, their right to self-determination and the merged north-east of Sri Lanka as their homelands.

Framing self-determination in a national collective sense indeed generates an oppositional consciousness among oppressed communities living under majoritarian, nationalistic states and strengthens their pursuit of emancipation. But ethnic self-determination alone would not lead to harmonious ethnic coexistence in multi-ethnic territories. This is why we need to discuss the inadequacies of the nationalist constructions of identity and territory in Sri Lanka.

Calling attention to the exclusivist predilections of Tamil nationalist politics, however, does not imply that all is well with the manner in which Sinhala-based political parties and social movements approach the national question. The JVP’s outright rejection of federalism, for instance, deserves as much criticism as the narrow articulations of national self-determination by the TNA and the TNPF.

The political identity of the collective Tamil self that calls for its liberation is a product of the prolonged discrimination that the Sri Lankan State has directed at a section of its polity. This point is lost on Tamil nationalists when they frame Tamil as a pre-political identity with origins in the pre-colonial era. State re-formation is a process and each phase of this process involves addressing the consequences of the current state.

But Tamil nationalism attempts to re-form the State on a clean slate by re-framing an identity that has arisen as a consequence of the existing state as pre-political. When nationalism combines territories with identities in a one-to-one manner without attending to the competing claims over land, the project of self-determination, which arose organically in response to hegemony, loses its radical edge.

Continue reading ‘Ethnic Self-determination alone wont lead to Harmonious Ethnic Co-existence in Multi-ethnic Territories.’ »

(Text of a Press Statement Issued by the Canadian Tamil Congress on August 7th 2015)

The Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) strongly urges Tamils and all citizens of Sri Lanka to exercise their right to vote at the upcoming Parliamentary elections.

The presidential election of January 8th, 2015 was a turning point in the recent political history of Sri Lanka. Voters turned up in large numbers and voted for change and a new beginning.

While Canada and other members of the international community acknowledged and welcomed these changes it is the duty of all responsible Sri Lankan citizens to ensure that these tenuous beginnings are consolidated without giving any chance for their reversal.

Continue reading ‘Canadian Tamil Congress Urges Tamils of North and East Sri Lanka to Give a Strong Mandate to the Tamil National Alliance at Elections.’ »

By Dharman Wickremaratne

The UNP promises to build a new country in 60 months while the UPFA guarantees a better future and new life. Since Democratic Party Leader Sarath Fonseka is suffering from a throat problem a recording is played at his party meetings. The DP has still not circulated a manifesto.

The JVP manifesto ‘Voice of Conscience’ seeks to find solutions to the problems Sri Lanka is facing. It asks for a ‘remote control’ by which the party can control capitalist parties.

Rohana Wijeweera gave birth to the JVP by making sacrifices. Today, the JVP doesn’t need to make such sacrifices. Marxism is standing on its head.

Continue reading ‘JVP’s So-called “Voice of Conscience” Will be Drowned out by the Mahinda Movement’ »

By S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole

Sections of the Tamil Diaspora are on a virulent campaign against the TNA. Most Tamils abroad are not engaged in politics, because it is dirty and dangerous. Slanderous stories are put out against those not in agreement. Fear of being labelled, leaves the field open to virulent sections of the Diaspora to speak on behalf of all others.

In the US this mantle of Tamil leadership has defaulted to Tamils for Obama. As fair-weather friends, they were Tamils for Clinton when Hilary Clinton seemed likely to win the Democratic Party nomination in 2008 and then, when Obama did, they re-Christened themselves as Tamils for Obama. Now, in 2015, as Obama’s term is ending and Hilary seems likely to be the Democratic Party nominee and ultimately president in Jan. 2017, they wrote shamelessly to her on 10 May 2015 signalling their willingness to turn-coat again: “We are Tamils for Obama. We would like to remind you that before the nomination was settled in 2008, we were Tamils for Clinton. We are still here and eager to offer our support again. We were among your supporters before, and we haven’t changed our minds.”

Anti-TNA, Pro-Violence Videos

Continue reading ‘Sections of the Tamil Diaspora are on a Virulent Campaign Against the Tamil National Alliance.’ »