by G. H. Peiris

According to a report published in the 10 June 2015 issue of The Island, the Hon. C. V. Wigneswaran, Chief Minister (CM) of the Northern Province, has asserted that the presence of Sri Lanka’s Army in Jaffna (peninsula) has contributed to a rapid spread of narcotics in the area, and that narcotics was never a problem during the war when the LTTE was around.

The Chairman of the ‘National Dangerous Drugs Control Board’, Dr. Chamara Samarasinghe, has effectively refuted the CM’s accusation, adding the caveat that in the turbulent conditions that prevailed in the North it was not possible to monitor drug addiction in that part of the country throughout the Eelam War.

There is, indeed, no doubt that narcotics was never a problem in the north under the Tiger hegemony to those who were at the vanguard of the secessionist campaign and even to its beneficiaries in mainstream politics. That heroin might have been a serious health hazard even during the early stages of the war, however, is suggested by the fact that a team of doctors serving in Jaffna (Subramaniam, Arasaratnam, Somasundaram & Mahesparam, 1989) found it significant enough as a subject of clinical research.

The present article is intended to indicate to the honourable CM and others of similar persuasion that the entire Eelam campaign was intimately linked to trade in narcotics, and to prevent The Island readership from being misled by the CM’s claims.

There is, in fact, grounds to speculate that the Tiger high command might have employed drug addiction as a modality for recruiting and training its elite ‘Black Tigers’ to condition them for their suicide missions; and even more importantly, that the increased penetration into Sri Lanka’s territorial waters by ‘fishing fleet’ from Tamil Nadu witnessed in the recent years could well be the main reason for increased drug addiction in Jaffna, if there is such a trend.

Continue reading ‘Global Narcotics Trade and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’ »

By

Bandula Jayasekara

Once upon a time, I worked down Vauxhall Lane in Colombo 2. Travelling from Ratmalana, I used to get down at Galle Face Court and walk to my office. There was a reason for it; to have breakfast at Elephant House’s Fountain Cafe, followed by a fresh glass of milk.

I would then make a second trip there around midday to have lunch. Going to Fountain Café was a part of my daily routine. Owned by Elephant House, the food served at this bustling café was fresh and the best in town. I enjoyed every meal I had there. Not only was the food of best quality, the staff was well mannered and attentive to customer needs. They knew and understood their customers. Fountain Café was a place where people met. Families enjoyed a meal while young couples whispered over food.

Fountain Café was famous for short eats – rolls, cutlets and patties – and of course their sauce, which was something else. No sauce today can match it. The Elephant House hot dog served with that sauce was much sought after and a favourite of many. Their rice and curry was also very reasonable.

Continue reading ‘Fond Memories of the “old” Fountain Cafe Owned by Elephant House’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

A strange revelation was made this week, after President Maithripala Sirisena appointed four new Deputy Ministers in his continued efforts to consolidate power within the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

SLFP MPs Sanath Jayasuriya, Thilanga Sumathipala, Wijaya Dahanayake and Eric Weerawardana were sworn in as Deputy Ministers by President Sirisena last Wednesday, two days ahead of a massive rally in Matara calling for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s return as Prime Minister.

The new additions raise the SLFP tally of portfolio holders in the Sirisena Administration to 36, against the UNP’s 35. Nine other Ministers and Deputy Ministers hail from other political parties in the ‘rainbow’ coalition that ushered President Sirisena to power in January. President Sirisena, who expressly pledged to limit his Cabinet to 25 members in his election manifesto, now presides over a whopping 80 Cabinet Ministers, State Ministers and Deputy Ministers, batting not too far below the average of his predecessor.

In a topsy-turvy political twist, it now transpires that the President has drawn his biggest ministerial cadre from the party which strove hardest to defeat him in the January election. Put another away, the party leading the Opposition in Parliament now commands the most number of ministerial portfolios in the ruling Government.

In the past week, the SLFP has managed to assume a majority in the Sirisena administration and set the legislative agenda on electoral reform. The President’s proposal for the 20th Amendment to the Constitution which replaces the current electoral system based on district Proportional Representation (PR) with a purported hybrid between First-Past-the-Post and PR systems, recommends the increase of Parliamentarians to 237, after the SLFP insisted on more MPs to be elected on the First-Past-the-Post system.

Despite UNP misgivings and opposition, and crying foul by minor parties, including the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, it is this version of the draft amendment that was gazetted yesterday by the Government Printer. The SLFP-led UPFA has the numbers in Parliament to pass this amendment independent of UNP or minor party support.

Continue reading ‘Constitutionally Nothing Prevents President Sirisena From Ditching UNP and Forming SLFP Govt to govern till April 2016’ »

Rasika Jayakody

President Maithripala Sirisena is resting on the crest of a volcano nearly two months after the end of his 100 day programme.

The main stakeholder of his ruling coalition, the United National Party, has exerted pressure on the President to dissolve Parliament immediately to seek a fresh mandate for a government. The UNP is likely to write a letter to the President requesting him to make a quick decision in this regard.

The letter comes as a result of the UNP’s Working Committee meeting where the WC members unanimously agreed to go for an immediate dissolution, without waiting for the passage of 20th Amendment in the present Parliament.

The other stakeholders of the government, including the SLFP group supporting President Maithripala Sirisena and the Jathika Hela Uurumaya, are pushing for the postponement of Parliament’s dissolution.

The main justification behind their demand is the 20th Amendment to the constitution, which is yet to be gazetted. They stress that the 20th Amendment should be passed in the present Parliament in which the UNP does not wield a majority.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena “Rests” on top of Political Volcano Threatening to Erupt’ »

By

Chaminda Perera

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) appointed a committee yesterday to promote “cooperation” between President Maithripala Sirisena and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The committee, appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena, is comprised of John Seneviratna, Dilan Perera, T. B. Ekanayake, Kumara Welgama, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Susil Premajayantha. The committee will primarily do a coordinating job between President Sirisena and former President Rajapaksa, highly placed party sources told the Daily News yesterday.

The SLFP also decided to put in place an action plan to promote closer cooperation between the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the incumbent President.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Appoints SLFP Committee to Promote “Cooperation”Between Himself and Ex- President Mahinda Rajapaksa’ »

By Rohana R. Wasala

The overwhelming success of the Matara rally has demonstrated beyond any doubt that the pro-Mahinda forces have decisively turned the tide against the status quo. It is not against the presidency of Mr Maithripala Sirisena. He is secure as president for the next five years, but at present he has to work with a group of allies who are at cross purposes with each other – the more powerful (by default) among them being his competitors rather than collaborators in the so-called yahapalanaya project, propped up by a few stragglers from the SLFP that he is supposed to be leading.

This situation will continue until after the conclusion of the general election that is due. The election will give the people of Sri Lanka the chance to make their independent choice between the UNP and the SLFP. The smaller parties will be in a position to tip the scales in favour of one or the other in case there is no clear winner.

Though the Rajapaksa government put an end to terrorism and initiated normalization through evenly distributed development with appreciable success, it failed to deflect or neutralize (mostly false) allegations of corruption, nepotism, and cronyism, abuse of power, etc sufficiently convincingly. Some shortcomings emanated from the personality of Mr Rajapaksa himself.

Continue reading ‘Reconciliation Between Maithripala and Mahinda is Essential and Inevitable’ »

By

Ajith Siriwardana and Indika Sri Aravinda

Western Provincial Councillor Hirunika Premachandra said yesterday that if President Maithripala Sirisena had taken disciplinary action against those who had participated in the Nugegoda Rally which was held to promote former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Prime Ministerial candidature, similar rallies would not have been held elsewhere later.

Ms. Premachandra said at a news conference in Battaramulla that senior politicians in the party were setting a bad example to junior politicians like her by promoting someone who had been defeated at an election and was attempting to conspire against the one who had won the election. She said that it should be stopped.

She said if Mahinda Rajapaksa actually loved the party, he would not go to temples and hold meetings with politicians of other political parties but would instead join the party as a patron and advise the juniors to rectify their errors.

Continue reading ‘If President took Disciplinary Action Against MP’s Attending then, all Pro-Mahinda Rallies will stop-Hirunika Premachandra’ »

By

Upul Joseph Fernando

After Maithripala Sirisena won the presidential election, he made his first visit to India to meet Indian Premier Narendra Modi. At that meet, Maithri appealed to Modi to assist him to recover monies stolen by certain Sri Lankan politicians of the previous administration hidden in other countries. He also asked Modi to help set up a financial intelligence unit in Sri Lanka.

He told Modi that he had information that such stolen funds had been deposited in St. Martin’s Island, Hong Kong and Seychelles. He also informed Modi that investments had been done in Dubai, Uganda and Kenya with stolen funds from Sri Lanka. In addition, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera visited United States and appealed to Washington to help detect stolen funds deposited overseas by top figures in the Rajapaksa Government.

When US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Colombo recently, he agreed to train officers in the Sri Lankan Intelligence Unit to detect such stolen funds deposited overseas. That followed an expert team of officials on the subject visiting Sri Lanka a few weeks later. Mangala told the media that billions of rupees belonging to Mahinda Rajapaksa were deposited in overseas banks. Mahinda refuted that claim and even threatened to sue Mangala.

Last week former President Chandrika Kumaratunga visited Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake’s ministry and said the Rajapaksa Government had obtained a commission of Rs 15 billion from the Chinese Government to set up the Norochcholai Power Plant. Similarly, when Maithri assumed office as President, he halted the Chinese funded Colombo Port City Project stating that massive financial corruption was seen in that deal. It could be that America and India are assisting Sri Lanka to set up a financial intelligence unit to trace commissions made from Chinese deals.

Continue reading ‘Why US is Helping Maithri-Ranil Govt to Trace Hoarded “Black Money”Given by China to Rajapaksas.’ »

By Tisaranee Gunasekara

“If we can’t think for ourselves, if we’re unwilling to question authority, then we are just putty in the hands of those in power” – Carl Sagan (The Demon – Haunted World)

In 2011, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a verbal directive banning its employees from using the phrases ‘climate change’ and ‘global warming’i. The State’s new Governor Rick Scott was then a Tea Party darling; denying anthropogenic climate change was a key axiom of their common political creed. Governor Scott obviously did not want one of his own departments to speak about the connection between Florida’s climatic woes and environmental degradation. The bizarre order may have helped Scott politically and electorally but it has not saved Florida voters from being battered by killer storms and rising sea levels and may doom Miami to eventual inundationii.

In 2011, five-year-old Lama Ghamdi died, after being admitted to a Saudi hospital with a broken back, a crushed skull, severe burns and multiple rapesiii. Her father Fayhan al Ghamdi, a popular preacher who often warned about the dangers of immoral behaviour on Saudi television, was arrested and confessed to subjecting his little daughter to multiple rapes because he doubted her virginityiv.

According to Aziza al Yousef, computer science lecturer at King Saud University, “there is no specific law that bans child abuse or protects children from child abuse”v; and men convicted of murder generally get a light sentence if the victims are their own wives or children. So Al Ghamdi did not suffer the same fate as our own Rizana Nafik, beheaded in 2013 in this medieval paradise, after being convicted of murder via a highly-questionable judicial process (incidentally the Lankan Government refused to pay the lawyers who lodged the appeal against the death sentence). He was sentenced to eight years (two years less than recent sentences given to a rights activist and a blogger). Subsequent reports indicate that he was released in 2013vi.

When ignorance, religious superstition and power (political/societal/familial) intertwine, basic common sense, basic compassion and basic decency are banished and outlawed. It is a condition we in Sri Lanka too are afflicted with.

Continue reading ‘Superstition Played a Naked Role in Sri Lanka Under Rajapaksa Rule’ »

By

Michael Roberts

The retirement of Jayawardene and Dilshan from Test cricket and the impending departure of Sangakkara render the future of Sri Lanka’s cricket team as worrying as intriguing.

In chatting with Michael de Zoysa in Colombo early in June we touched on future possibilities and just yesterday a long Skype-chat with Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo was extremely enlightening. His prospective Eleven for the Pakistan series worked within the limits of the XV chosen for the series by the SLC Selection Committee.

However, I intervene first with my choice of XI, guided in part by Fernando — but adding my own twist.

The twist arises from the fact that the match is being played at Galle. This background links up with my reasoning that bowlers win matches and that one must enter a match with one’s three or four best bowlers. With Eranga out of contention because of injury and Lakmal in question and without match practice, I hold that our best three bowlers for the sort of conditions that are likely to prevail at Galle are Rangana Herath followed by Dilruwan Perera and Tharinda Kaushal at level pegging.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lanka’s Test Team – My Potential List for the Cricket Match in Galle’ »

By

Edward Gunawardena

Chief Minister Wigneswaran hell bent on getting rid of the Armed Services from the North has arrived at the perverted conclusion that the post-war deployment of the military in the North has contributed to the rapid spread of narcotics. He has further stated that narcotics had never been a problem during the war when the LTTE was around.

Wigneswaran has made this statement without any conclusive proof. He has not cared to discuss the possibility of the existence of such a problem with the Chairman of the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board (NDDCB) who knows best. The latter has categorically stated that Narcotics is not a problem in the North and that the government has not been able to carry out a proper survey in the North for obvious reasons until last year.

Continue reading ‘Chief Minister Wigneswaran is Working in a Crafty and Diabolical Manner to Please the LTTE Dregs and Diaspora.’ »

By Ranga Jayasuriya

In a mature democracy, a government (Or for that matter, a Prime Minister) cannot and should not be impeached simply because the Opposition can do so or garner enough votes to do so.
The elected representatives of the people are expected to act with responsibility and restraint; that is more so, when a new government, even a minority one, has its legitimacy underwritten by 6.2 million voters in a recent election.

The composition of the incumbent Parliament, which is dominated by the old-guard, does not erode the legitimacy of the new Government, which has a more recent mandate given to the President.

The president appointed the new government as part of an election promise, in order to usher in a series of democratic reforms, he pledged in his election manifesto. When the Opposition, or the regressive elements within it, obstruct this process of democratic reforms by exploiting constitutional loopholes, or as in our case, resorting to the distorted composition in the current Parliament, they are, in fact, trying to pull off a constitutional coup.

The composition of the current Parliament is a distorted reflection of the original mandate of people in the 2010 general elections and was achieved by the ex-president, who facilitated crossovers from other political parties in return for pecuniary benefits extended to the MPs.
There again, what we are experiencing is the residual effects of shoddy political practices of the former regime.

To witness the disturbing repercussions of such insidious manoeuvrings, we do not need to look further than our neighbour, the Maldives, which sometime back underwent a constitutional coup hatched by the Old-Guard and now has its former president in jail and democracy rolled back.

That is exactly what the Rajapaksa cronies in the Opposition are trying to achieve. But, their chances of success could well be limited.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa is Trying to Make us Believe that only his Autocratic ways can Bring Political Stability’ »

By

Don Manu

If you need to get a pretty good idea of how donkeys behave in the wild breathing freedom’s intoxicating air, look no further than to the unbridled antics of a privileged few who make regular visits to Delft Island, where, deaf and blind to the pressing needs of those whose interests they claim to represent, they selfishly indulge in asinine romps that cause near irreparable damage to the fragile ecosystem and threaten the well being of its inhabitants.

It is patently clear that the Rajapaksa rebels, enjoying the freedom of the wild ass without fearing the lash of the party whip, have now come to dominate the largest opposition group in Parliament — the SLFP; and President Sirisena’s tenuous hold on the party as its president has not been able to stem the rising tide. They have been lured, one by one, into serving the insidious aims of this odious Rajapaksa Caucus and today they have it in their power to topple the UNP-led Maithripala government.

It is not because they love Sirisena less, but because they owe their allegiance to Rajapaksa more. The powers, the privileges, the perks they lavishly enjoyed at public expense under that corruption-tainted regime and the newfangled fantasy of reliving those halcyon days with all sins swept under the carpet still serve to prop hope and act as an umbilical cord which is hard to sever. Even as Mahinda Rajapaksa repeatedly emphasises to television cameras in political clichés made on temple ground after attending Bodhi poojas that the ‘Rajapaksa are not rogues’, the men and women who slaved as ministers and MPs during his long double innings in office, perhaps wish to demonstrate they are not ingrates.

Last Friday the SLFP and its UPFA bedfellows handed over to the Secretary General of Parliament a motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe expressing that they have no confidence in his abilities to discharge the duties of his office. It is allegedly signed by 112 of its parliamentary members. If it is taken up and successfully passed, it will result in the immediate dissolution of the entire Maithripala Cabinet and Ranil Wickremesinghe’s brief five-month tenure as the nation’s prime minister for the third time will come to a premature end.

Continue reading ‘The Seven Deadly Political “Sins” Allegedly Committed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

By Lasanda Kurukulasuriya

Nobody can be blamed for being confused about what’s going on in government these days. The debate has mostly revolved around two issues – the 20th amendment for electoral reform, and the dissolution of parliament. All political factions would seem to be in support of the 20th amendment, going by the statements made. Similarly, all political factions (including Dinesh Gunewardena’s pro-Mahinda group) say they are ready for the dissolution of parliament and, by implication, ready to face elections – going by the statements made. Yet neither of these two projects seems to be progressing with any great speed..

Much instability has arisen from the peculiar circumstance of a minority government trying to push through various reforms in a legislature dominated by the Opposition. And that Opposition seems to be discovering, with every passing day, that it has more leverage than it initially thought, owing to its overwhelming superiority in numbers.

Continue reading ‘Transparency on trial: Was Udayanga Weeratunga story ‘sexed up?’’ »

By

C. A. Chandraprema

The crowd at the pro-Mahinda rally held in Matara last Friday was even larger than the crowd in Nugegoda. The number of parliamentarians on the stage was variously mentioned as 76, 77 and 78. As far as the pro-Mahinda camp is concerned, there is nothing more to be said, no more points to be made.

Matara has six UPFA parliamentarians and of them, Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene, Hemal Gunasekera, Sanath Jayasuriya and Vijaya Dahanayaka hold portfolios in the government and did not attend the meeting. Indeed the last two were given portfolios days before this rally, with a view to bolstering support for Sirisena. There were only two parliamentarians from Matara on the stage – Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene and Chandrasiri Gajadeera. Dullas Alahapperuma who played a major role in organising the meeting is a national list MP.

Despite four UPFA parliamentarians in the district keeping away, the rally was a phenomenal success. In the opinion of this writer no other political party can organise a meeting like that in Matara – certainly not the Sirisena faction of the SLFP, and the UNP is not strong in the Matara district to begin with. What should worry the government even more than the crowd or the number of parliamentarians on the stage is the fact that this was not just a pro-Mahinda crowd, it was an opposition crowd.

Mahinda Rajapaksa himself turned up to take a peek at the meeting from the rampart of the Matara Fort. The crowd went wild on seeing him. But he left after a few seconds. It was clear that this was an unscheduled appearance. If he was going to make an appearance and it was advertised beforehand, the crowd turning up would have been even bigger. What should worry the government is the fact that after Mahinda came and went, the meeting continued as if nothing had happened. Nobody left the meeting because MR left.

Nobody in the crowd asked “How come Mahinda came and left so soon?” “How come he did not make a speech?” Nobody was upset by the fact that their hero had come and gone without getting on to the stage. The crowd remained just as it was, and Udaya Gammanpila soon resumed his speech which was disrupted by MR’s appearance.

What that shows is that while the outward form of this movement is that of a personality cult, it is in reality an opposition movement which is barreling forward on a momentum of its own quite regardless of MR’s physical presence or absence. Signs of the personality cult of course, were everywhere. About 300 meters away from the meeting, near the Matara Bodhi was a large cut out of Mahinda resting on the pavement.

Continue reading ‘District by District Analysis of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Political Strength in the Forthcoming Parliament Elections’ »

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

A five-fold increase in the consumption of alcoholic beverages in 2013, in the Jaffna Peninsula, underscores the higher level of alcoholism gripping the North.

According to informed sources there has possibly been a two to three-fold increase in alcoholism according to estimates at the beginning of this year alone.

R. Jeyasegaran, President of the Jaffna Chamber of Commerce, said alcohol consumption was rapidly increasing after the war ended in 2009 and cautioned the public to be careful about this trend.

According to the Excise Department, beer consumption scaled 4,056,999.25 litres in 2013 compared to 762,610 litres in 2009.

Continue reading ‘Jaffna Turning into Liquor Paradise:Rapid Rise in Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, arguably the previous regime’s most powerful man, may be under fire from a plethora of investigations into procurements and dealings during his tenure as chief accounting officer for the Ministry of Defence. But nearly six months after his brother’s stunning election defeat rendered him jobless and without immunity, some of the bravado appears to be returning. The former President’s favourite younger brother is stepping out of the shadows again, as the former ruling family’s political machinery kicks back into gear for another crucial election battle.

Colombo’s ranking by the MasterCard Global Destinations Index 2015 as the world’s fastest growing city for tourism led to a series of postings on the ex-official’s official Facebook page. “Over the next few weeks, I look forward to sharing some thoughts on this site about the urban development work carried out by the previous Government between the end of the conflict and January 2015,” the former Defence Secretary said in his Facebook posting.

A few days ago, looking casual in a t-shirt at his Nugegoda residence, with a large portrait of President Rajapaksa and a bronze sculpture of Avalokatheshwara at his side, Gotabaya Rajapaksa spoke to a private television station that was highlighting the achievement. During the interview, he warned against squandering the development successes in Colombo by the failure to maintain his parks, jogging tracks and shopping precincts that best serve the capital’s upper middle classes.

The Rajapaksa brothers, who held Sri Lanka in authoritarian thrall for nine long years, fancy themselves great statesmen. Gotabaya Rajapaksa speaks with rehearsed eloquence about the defeat of terrorism and his efforts to transform Colombo into a modern and liveable city. The reality is much darker. Like all Rajapaksa regime ‘good works’, the development of the capital, under the former Defence Secretary’s watchful eye, had an ugly underbelly.

Continue reading ‘Continuous Delay in Dissolving Parliament Gives Rajapaksa Camp a “Winning”Advantage’ »

By

Upul Joseph Fernando

The diplomatic circles in Colombo were buzzing last week as to why the United Nations Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon, suddenly telephoned President Maithripala Sirisena.

Though Ban Ki-moon had reportedly praised Maithri’s Government over the phone, the UN Chief’s main idea has been to confirm whether an election would be held before the UNHRC sessions in September. It was reported in the media that Maithri had told the UN Chief that he would attend the next UNHRC sessions with the representatives of a new government. That indicated that Maithri and Ban Ki-moon had discussed the issue of a general election.

Earlier, United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, during his visit to Colombo stressed the need to hold a general election before the next UNHRC sessions. Prior to his departure Kerry making an indirect reference to a possible general election recalled the Colombo promise in the following manner:

“We simply offer our support to help you in any way that we can on this effort of capacity building and the challenge of restoring the tradition that you have always had with respect to the fullness of your democracy. We want to help support you in the upcoming electoral processes. Timely elections will be yet another sign of the government following through on its commitments.”

Continue reading ‘Why did UN Secy-Gen Ban Ki-moon “Suddenly” Telephone Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena?’ »

By

Bandula Jayasekara

Everyone likes the wind. Everyone, at some point, likes the winds of change, something new and different in any arena. A breath of fresh air! That is exactly what the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sri Lanka has done with the appointment of a new and a competent Spokesperson, Mahishini Colonne and the weekly press briefings held every Wednesday.

pic via: twitter.com/MFASriLanka

She is also the first female Spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry, that, too, without holding the position of Director General of Public Communications at the Ministry. It is a real change and a first.

This is something new to Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Though many countries including our neighbour India has similar type of press briefings, Sri Lanka has taken a long time to adopt that practice. Having once served as the Director General Public Communications /Spokesman at the Foreign Ministry, Presidential Spokesman and the Spokesman for International Federation of Red Cross based in New Delhi, I found Mahishini to be excellent and a breath of fresh air.

Continue reading ‘Maheshini Colonne: Sri Lanka’s First Female Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Brings Breath of Fresh Air’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

Now, that the UNP is in the government, it is easy to forget the existential problems the Green Party had barely few months ago.

During those not so distant days, the UNP made headlines not for Opposition political activism, but for an inner-party power struggle. Ranil Wickremesinghe faced with a leadership challenge, clung miserably to the leadership.

The main opposition party had been relegated to political irrelevance by the Rajapaksa juggernaut. And if Mahinda Rajapaksa won the January 8 presidential election, that would have meant the last nail on Wickremesinghe’s party leadership.

Mr Wickremesinghe’s overbearing sense of entitlement to the UNP leadership was, of course, a problem.

However, equally disturbing was that there had been no desirable alternative, perhaps sans Karu Jayasuriya, who challenged and lost in a leadership vote. The other contender Sajith Premadasa was more or less a Rajapaksa impresario.

Sri Lanka already had enough of one Rajapaksa and whether we need another at the helm of the main Opposition is a moot point. And Premadasa relied too much on cheap populism, and his support emanated chiefly from the most politically regressive category of the UNP’s traditional vote base: the green blooded rural and urban poor, whose allegiance to the party is no different from that of medieval serfs to the feudal knight.

Continue reading ‘Ranil and the UNP Must Help Maithripala and the SLFP Overcome Mahinda and his UPFA Cronies’ »

Bringing an end to an impasse, the cabinet of ministers, during a special session held last night, approved Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal for the election of legislators under the 20th Amendment to the Constitution.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe proposed that the 20th Amendment to the Constitution introduce provisions for 125 members of a 225-member legislature to be elected through the First-Past-the-Post (FPP) or majoritarian system, with 75 members elected based on proportional representation (PR).

Premier Wickremesinghe proposed that 25 MPs enter Parliament through the national list.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ajith P. Perera said Cabinet had approved the Prime Minister’s recommendations during last night’s special session.

Continue reading ‘Cabinet Approves Prime Minister Wickremesinghe’s Proposals for Elections Reform Through 20th Constitutional Amendment’ »

The Supreme Court yesterday said that former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa could be arrested if there were allegations except the ones included in the Fundamental Rights petition filed by him. The Supreme Court further said other than those respondents mentioned in the petition viz IGP, Director CID and Director FCID, other officials could arrest him.

The above statements were made by Justice Eva Wanasundara and Justice Sarath de Abrew with a view to clarify the interim order issued earlier preventing the arrest of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Thus, other than the allegations mentioned in the petition, namely, the Avant Garde floating armoury, providing aero planes to Mihin Lanka, transaction of shares of Lanka Hospitals and purchasing MIG aircraft. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa could be taken into custody for investigations into other allegations.

The Supreme Court further stated that the Interim Order given by the Court did not apply to other investigations which are due to be carried out against Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

The petition submitted by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was due to be taken on October 6. But in view of the motion submitted to courts by the Attorney General, the Supreme Courts called this petition on Monday June 8.

Continue reading ‘Ex-Def Secy Gotabhaya Rajapaksa can be Arrested for Offences Except Those Included in FR Petition Interim Order’ »

(Following are excerpts from reports in Colombo newspapers about questions raised by Dinesh Gunawardene MP in Parliament on the appointment of Singapore national Arjuna Mahendran as Central bank Governor and the strong reply in the House by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on June 3rd 2015)

Statement and Questions Raised by Mr. Dinesh Gunawardene M.P. in Parliament on June 3rd 2015-

“ It is a matter of great regret that no effective action has been taken, either by the Government or by this House, for more than three months, to deal with the consequences of one of the most colossal frauds perpetrated on the people and the economy of our country.

Quite apart from the conduct of the Governor of the Central Bank and those going to incredible lengths to cover up this fraud, grave doubts have now arisen with regard to the legality of the appointment of Arjun Mahendran and his capability to lawfully perform the functions of the office of Governor.

The Governor of the Central Bank is, by law, entrusted with powers and responsibilities which have a vital bearing on the sound performance of the economy of Sri Lanka. He is also the ex officio Chairman of the Monetary Board. His functions include deciding and changing the par value of the LKR, determining monetary policy, taking action to preserve monetary stability, ensuring international stability of the LKR and determine the rates at which foreign exchange is bought and sold by the Central Bank.

Continue reading ‘Responding to Dinesh Gunawardene MP in Parliament Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Valiantly Defends Central bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran.’ »

(The Sri Lanka Freedom Party Media Unit has released a booklet under the heading”Megenath Sithanna:Pakshaya Rekaganna” meaning”Think about this and protect the party”.It was reportedly written by cabinet minister S.B.Dissanayake and published by Thilanga Sumathipala M.P. The following is a summary of the booklet translated into English and published in “The Island”newspaper.)

The pamphlet starts off by comparing the election campaigns of Mahinda and Maithripala and asserting that in comparison to the former, the latter had no campaign going; yet contrary to all expectations, MS won.

Despite all the efforts of those who supported Mahinda, Maithripala prevailed. After the defeat, the party wanted Mahinda to be the opposition leader and a national list MP was even persuaded to resign and MR also agreed to sit in parliament and be the opposition leader. But the next day he backed out saying that his family was dead against it. After that the SLFP central committee met and removed MS, Rajitha, MKDS and Duminda from the party. By that time MS had become president and he could not be punished or lawfully removed from the party. Yet MS was sacked from the party and MR was confirmed in the position of Chairman. In terms of the constitution of the SLFP, a member of the party who becomes president automatically becomes president and his predecessor automatically becomes a patron of the party. Then our MPs began to join the newly elected president in groups. In order to prevent a split in the party, a meeting was arranged between MR and MS.

At this discussion, MR agreed to hand over the party to MS and the latter was even given the go ahead to appoint his own officials. The SLFP CC was convened and the sacked members reinstated and MS formally made the chairman. MS promised the CC that he will do his utmost to bring the SLFP back to power and stated that he loves the party. MS did not make major changes in the party. Those appointed by MR to the CC, the executive committee and the All Island Working Committee were not removed and he did not exercise his power to appoint 23 members of the CC and 25 and 50 members respectively, to the other two bodies.

Continue reading ‘“Megenath Sithanna: Pakshaya Rekaganna” (Think About this and Protect the party)-English Summary of Booklet Issued by the SLFP Media Unit’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

What serves the long term peace and security in Sri Lanka: high-handed national security state of the former regime or more nuanced judicial approach of its successor?

The contrast of these two approaches was in display last two weeks after the tragic rape and murder of an 18-year-old student in the Punguduthivu island, Jaffna. Protestors enraged by the perceived delay in producing suspects before the court, hurled stones at the court house. 130 protestors were arrested and later remanded. Under the previous regime, those would be rioters would not dare take to the streets. And if they ever did, ‘justice’ could more likely have been meted out by white vans.

The fundamental difference between the incumbent administration and its predecessor in the north is at least partial restoration of the rule of law in the region.

Then President Maithripala Sirisena made an unannounced visit to the peninsula and met the parents of the victim. After a day of protests, Jaffna town returned to normalcy. And that normality was achieved not by the use of brute force.

Continue reading ‘Gotabaya Rajapaksa Built a National Security State that Turned Jaffna into an Unhappy Place of Simmering Discontent’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

A Special Presidential Commission investigating major cases of corruption is gearing for public hearing at a special court established at the BMICH this month.

A spokesperson for the Commission yesterday told The Island that public hearing would get underway in about three weeks. “We are mandated to summon anyone, even a former President,” the official said.

Responding to a query, the official said that a special police team headed by an ASP had been tasked to investigate about 50 cases out of about 600 petitions received by the commission. Acknowledging the contribution made by the investigation team, the official said that the commission was seeking additional personnel with required experience to undertake investigations.

The likely dissolution of Parliament within the next few weeks wouldn’t affect the commission, the official said, adding that it was in the process of finalising work meant to commence public hearing. ‘We are working overtime to meet the deadline. Of course, the commission suffered an initial setback due to some of those who had been appointed to the commission quitting it at the outset of the inquiries.”

Continue reading ‘Special Presidential Commission Comprising 4 High Court Judges to Probe Corruption Under Rajapaksa Regime to Hold Public Hearings at BMICH..’ »

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday alleged that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as Highways Minister had obtained a Rs. 55 billion loan from the National Savings Bank to construct 28 public roads in 2014.

“But the report handed over to me informing the details of the road construction work says that Rs. 28 billion had been spent on other work within the Highways Ministry,” he said.

“The former President was both the Finance Minister and Highways Minister. He should inform as to what happened to the Rs. 28 billion taken to construct the said roads. Why did he waste that amount of money, he should reply. When he replies, I am ready to respond to him,” the Prime Minister said.

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Ranil Charges Ex-President Mahinda of “Pilfering” 28 Billion Rupees as Finance and Highways Minister’ »

by Rasika Jayakody

Breaking his silence over the controversial Treasury bond issue, Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran claimed he was not involved in the decision-making process with regard to the Bond issuance.
In an interview with the Sunday Observer, Arjuna Mahendran said, he was willing to cooperate with any investigation to ascertain the truth and to clear his name.

Following are excerpts from the interview

Q: Your role in the Central Bank’s Treasury bond issue on February 27 has come under serious criticism from various quarters. This is the first time you are making a public statement on this matter. What was your involvement?

Continue reading ‘“I don’t know why I should resign when I have done nothing wrong”.-Central bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran’ »

by Rasika Jayakody

When President Maithripala Sirisena held a special discussion with party leaders of the UPFA following the weekly Cabinet meeting last week, it was quite clear to everyone that he was hell-bent on shooting down the General Election ‘hopes’ of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

“There is no one who knows more about Mahinda Rajapaksa than I do. There is no way we can work together. My political journey is not with him. So, don’t talk about his candidature,” President Sirisena told the party leaders of the UPFA at the meeting.

This remark came when they argued that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa should be the Prime Ministerial candidate of the UPFA coalition at the forthcoming Parliamentary election.

Some party leaders stated that the UPFA should join the electoral fray with the sole intention of defeating the UNP which was instrumental in making Maithripala Sirisena, the present leader of the UPFA, the President of the country.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Tells UPFA Leaders That he Cannot Work Together With Mahinda Rajapaksa’ »

By K. Ratnayake

Amid a deepening political and social crisis, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has repeatedly postponed the calling of a general election. As part of his “100-day” program, announced during the campaign for the January 8 presidential election, Sirisena promised to dissolve parliament on April 23 and hold a parliamentary election.

Last week, at a meeting with media executives and owners, Sirisena declared that he expected to install the next government by September, but refused to say when he intended to end the parliamentary session and set the date for a poll.

Sirisena, who was health minister under former President Mahinda Rajapakse, defeated Rajapakse in the January 8 poll, with the support of the pro-US United National Party (UNP) and several other parties.

Behind his election was a regime-change operation instigated by the Obama administration, which wanted to scuttle Rajapakse’s relations with Beijing as part of its aggressive “pivot to Asia” to confront China.

Continue reading ‘Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena Keeps Postponing Parliamentary Elections’ »

By

Lucien Rajakarunanayake

My good friend Vasudeva Nanayakkara has been unapologetic about his use of a “P” word in the recent heated argument with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, in Parliament.

Vasudeva seems to be still reeling with anger, with whatever happened about his Point of Order issue with the Prime Minister. In any event he is not one who needs to be taught the meaning of words in the Sinhala language. He is a fluent orator in Sinhala, a good writer in the language, and very knowledgeable about proper use of the language; which has nothing to do with his having been the Minister of National Languages.

What surprises me is that it required Bandula Gunewardena, former Minister of Education and a tuition master with vast experience in the generation of wealth through tuition, to teach this country, and especially the Sinhala speaking people that the “P” word uttered and angrily repeated by Vasudeva is not an expletive, but part of good and wholly acceptable language.

Yes, it is in the Sinhala dictionary. Let’s refer to it as the p*ka word – usually an expletive for the penis. As Gunewardena has correctly explained, it means a fruit, a mature fruit. Very simply said “P*ka is also “pala”. What Gunewardena has shown with his explanation is that the Speaker was ignorant of this aspect of “p*ka” use when he cautioned Vasu that there were schoolchildren in the galleries of Parliament.

Continue reading ‘Usage of the “P*ka” Word in Parliament and the Vasudeva Nanayakkara -Bandula Gunewardena ” Partnership”.’ »

The 68th Cannes Film Festival ended on Sunday May 24th with Jacques Audiard’s Sri Lankan refugee drama “Dheepan” taking the festival’s coveted top honor, the Palme d’Or.

The film relating the story of three Sri Lankan Refugees surviving as refugees in France has a former LTTE child soldier Anthonythasan Jesuthasan starring in the lead role.Jesuthasan writing under the nm de plume Shoba Sakthi is a well -known writer in Tamil. He lives in Paris.

French director Jacques Audiard (C) poses on stage with French actress and member of the Feature Film jury Sophie Marceau (L), Sri Lankan actress Kalieaswari Srinivasan (2ndL) and Sri Lankan actor Jesuthasan Antonythasan after being awarded with the Palme d’Or from his film “Dheepan” during the closing ceremony of the 68th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southeastern France, on May 24, 2015. AFP PHOTO / ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT-via:facebook.com/pages/Festival-de-Cannes-Page-Officielle/197710070249937

The win for “Dheepan” comes at a time when Europe is particularly attuned to the experience of immigrants, following the recent deaths of hundreds crossing the Mediterranean, seeking Italian shores. Jury members, though, said “Dheepan” was chosen for its overall strength as a film, rather than any topicality.

“We all thought it was a very beautiful movie,” said Ethan Coen, calling the decision “swift.” ”Everyone had some high level of excitement and enthusiasm for it.”
Continue reading ‘“Dheepan” Film Telling Tale of Three Tamil Refugees in France Starring Ex- Tiger cum Writer Shoba Sakthi Wins the Top Film Award Palme d’or at Cannes Film Festival’ »

By Nisthar Cassim

President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday the country would have a new Government by September,suggesting that the Parliament would soon be dissolved, paving the way for a general election.

Speaking to media owners and editors at a breakfast forum at President’s House, Sirisena said that the responsibility of approving electoral reforms via the 20th Amendment rested with MPs and a final decision would be made whether to hold elections in the old systemor the new.

However, the President assured that the Constitutional Council, a key move arising out of the recently-passed 19th Amendment, would be constituted before the dissolution of Parliament.

The Constitutional Council (CC) will appoint several independent commissions aimed at improving democracy, good governance and rule of law. He said the term and the composition of CC would not change following the election of a new Parliament.

In what his second meeting with media owners and editors since assuming office, the President said that he had delivered on key pledges made during his election campaign. Sirisena pointed to the passing of 19th Amendment, which reduced some of the excessive powers previously enjoyed by the post of president, and making him as well as finances of Presidential Secretariat accountable to Parliament.

Continue reading ‘New Parliament Would be Elected by September 2015 States President Maithripala Sirisena’ »

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa yesterday turned down the Opposition’s request to pass no-confidence motions against Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran and Bribery Commission Director General Dilrukshi Wickremasinghe.

In his verdict, the Speaker recommended presenting issues against Mahendran and Wickremasinghe to an existing parliamentary select committee or special select committee prior to a debate.

“An existing committee should conduct the initial investigation and the findings, along with the recommendations, should be debated in Parliament. Otherwise the allegations against the Central Bank Governor should be submitted to the COPE, allowing its Chairman to appoint a suitable committee to conduct an investigation. The findings of this committee should be reported to the Parliament within two weeks,” the Speaker said.

Continue reading ‘Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa Refuses Opposition Request for No Confidence Motions Against Arjuna Mahendran and Dilrukshi Wickremasinghe’ »

By Ashwin Hemmathagama

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremsinghe yesterday stated that the interim order prohibiting arrest of former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was a matter that “requires an interpretation from the Supreme Court,” having had issued “two different judgements on similar matters” recently.

Responding to questions from Leader of the Opposition Nimal Siripala de Silva raised in the Parliament on Tuesday Wickremasinghe said: “On that day the Chief Justice has given the judges the option to judge the particular matter if they like.

There is no issue with two judges passing a judgement as per Article 126 of the Constitution. But the issue here is that relevant parties were not informed before passing the judgement.”

“But under Article 132 (2) it is mandatory to have three judges. So, for the first time a legal issue has surfaced, which requires an interpretation under Article 125,” he added.

Continue reading ‘“Supreme Court Gave Two Different Judgements on Similiar Matters in the Cases of Gota and Tiran” – Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

By

Rasika Jayakody

Differences of opinion between the two warring groups within the UPFA have widened to an extent that a patch-up cannot be expected in the foreseeable future.

As exclusively revealed in this column last week, the group supporting former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has now made up its mind to contest the forthcoming Parliamentary election as a new political front. They will form a new political coalition and its main component will be break-away MPs of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the UPFA.

The primary intention of their campaign will be to make Mahinda Rajapaksa the supreme leader of the country, once again. Rajapaksa supporters have now crossed the Rubicon and it is naïve to believe that they will return before the next Parliamentary election.

Breaking away from a mainstream political party is no easy task, especially for a person who was at the helm of its organizational hierarchy. When one defects from a mainstream political party, one has to expose himself to a totally different experience. One has to think anew and plan anew, breaking away from the comfort zones of his past.

The nearest example in this regard is the Democratic United National Front formed by Lalith Athulathmudali and Gamini Dissanayake after they broke ranks with the Premadasa administration. They masterminded the failed impeachment motion against the then President and were subsequently thrown out of the government. They too had no option but to form a new political front to challenge the presidency of Ranasinghe Premadasa who was known as a leader with “dictatorial tendencies.”

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena is an Astute Politician whose Greatest Strength is the “Unpredictability”in his Character’ »

by

Upul Joseph Fernando

It was the Judiciary which gave strength to Chandrika to end Ranil Wickremesinghe’s Government in 2004. When the 18(a) Constitutional Amendment which barred Chandrika from dissolving Parliament after one year went before the Supreme Court, the then Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva and the bench halted it stating that a referendum was needed in addition to the two thirds majority in Parliament for that purpose.

As a result, Ranil’s Government fell. Thereafter, the Judiciary gave several verdicts that went against Ranil’s Government. In the end when Chandrika took over three ministries of Ranil’s Government, the Supreme Court gave the ruling in favour of Chandrika. Since Sarath N. Silva was appointed as the Chief Justice by Chandrika and he was giving verdicts in favour of Chandrika, civic organizations and the Free Media Movement which claimed that Silva had charges against him pressurized the UNP to introduce an impeachment on Silva.

Continue reading ‘People Gave Mandate to Maithri to Trap Rogues but Judges Appointed by Mahinda are Preventing that With Ruling on Gota FR Petition.’ »

By Jayashika Padmasiri

The Aluth Parapura organisation yesterday held a vigil to commemorate ‘Brotherhood Day,’ emphasising that war only had an ending and not a victory. At the vigil, they invited people to sing the Sri Lankan National Anthem either in Sinhala or in Tamil.

This unique vigil was held yesterday at the Viharamahadevi Park, with civil society, university lecturers and artistes gathering to commemorate brotherhood on the sixth anniversary of the war victory.

The vigil was held with the purpose of promoting the idea that the end of war should not be considered a ‘victory’ but as a day to commemorate brotherhood.

Continue reading ‘“Aluth Parapura” Organization Commemorates May 19th as “Brotherhood Day” Instead of “War Victory Day” with Singing of National Anthem in Sinhala and Tamil’ »

by Bandula Jayasekara

“As I stood there and thought of this book, I knew that most of its contents would be slammed by all those who want to keep separatism alive in Sri Lanka. But, what else ought foreign reporters do, other than travel in this new country with an open mind, a willingness to listen and tell the story?” (page 101)

I would like to begin my article on Padma’s book by quoting what she had to say because it sums up everything and why every Sri Lankan and every non Sri Lankan should read it. I wouldn’t like to call this a review of Padma’s book but, free flow of my thoughts of a book written by a journalist who empathise with Sri Lanka. SRI LANKA- THE NEW COUNTRY – By Padma Rao Sunderji touched my heart.

If any political animals out there think this is a book written after the recent elections they are mistaken. Padma writes about the new Sri Lanka she sees after the defeat of terrorism in Sri Lanka and on how the people here are enjoying the fruits of peace thanks to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and security forces.

Padma Rao Sunderji is a journalist who always speaks from the heart. Having known her for years I can say it without any hesitation. For whatever reason, I always considered Padma as one of us because of her empathy, understanding and her love for Sri Lanka unlike the many parachuting journalists we have seen before. I know that Padma knows Sri Lanka much more than even some Sri Lankans. The only journalist who understand Sri Lanka more than my Padma is my friend P. K. Balachandran, Bureau Chief of the New Indian Express, who has served in Sri Lanka for 18 years so far.

Padma’s love and understanding of Sri Lanka begins from her childhood thanks to her grandfather who worked in Paranthan in the late 1950’s. Her journey to Paranthan and the letter she received from her aunt Sumitra (Page 270) would take anyone down memory lane. Be it hers or ours. No wonder Padma describes Sri Lankans as the most wonderful people in South Asia.

Continue reading ‘Padma Rao Sunderji’s “Sri Lanka; The New Country” is a Book Written with Great Understanding of the Island and Its People’ »

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday declared that the government would never allow terrorism to threaten the country again under any circumstances. Addressing the nation from Matara at the 6th anniversary of the defeat of the LTTE, President Maithripala Sirisena said: “We will strengthen the process of development and reconciliation and have the foremost trust and respect in the security sector led by the tri-forces. With regard to national security, we must clearly state that we will take every step to strengthen the armed services and to create a suitable environment for the services by providing ample physical and human resources for their needs.”

Full text of the President’s speech:

Today we celebrate one of the most historical and significant days of the recent past. Today is the anniversary of the day in which we ended the most ruthless and barbaric terrorism that lasted 30 years, brought peace to the nation, protected the territorial integrity and sovereignty, and our national heritage.

We all have bitter experience of the barbaric nature of the LTTE war. The human qualities were subdued, barbarism raised its head and the truth was suppressed. Peace was destroyed and the bloodshed cost us thousands of lives.

There will never be anything humane in a war. In this situation, our valiant forces, the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Civil Defence Force sacrificed their lives and fought this war bravely in defence of the Motherland.

The war that commenced in the 1980s became the worst catastrophe of our nation for three long decades. All developmental activities were at a standstill. People lost their hopes. All of them, however, committed themselves together with the members of the security forces to fight this war until victory, with much sacrifice. All of them who made such sacrifices receive the respect and honour of the nation. This honour should go to all the members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Civil Defence Forces and all leaders of the State since 1980s who gave leadership with commitment to bring this conflict to an end. The great national service rendered by the forces cannot be valued in money. Hence, all the members of the forces receive the honour of the Government of Sri Lanka and all the citizens of the country today.

Continue reading ‘Full Text of President Maithripala Sirisena’s Address to the Nation at Matara on the 6th Anniversary of the Defeat of the LTTE.’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

The new government has renamed the Victory Day as the Remembrance Day, and the main national event will be held tomorrow (19) in Matara to commemorate those who died in multiple insurrections in the country. Victory Day celebrations held under the previous regime, rather than bringing the nation together, polarized it further. That was one example as to how the previous regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa squandered the chances for reconciliation.

That failure stemmed from the ex-president’s manoeuvring to use the military triumph to cultivate a personality cult as the reincarnated Dutugemunu. His personal mission for glory hamstrung the national mission for reconciliation. In the process, a hard -fought military victory against one of the most egregious terrorist groups in the world faced the risk of being discredited.

The problem is not that Sri Lanka defeated the LTTE. Also, though there are concerns of military abuses, how the military fought the war is not the main contentious issue. The real problem was how the political leadership handled the war and conducted themselves after the military victory.

This line of argument perhaps could go against the conventional narrative, since Mr. Rajapaksa during his presidency succeeded in indoctrinating a large swathe of public that he provided the political leadership for the military victory. Yes, he did, but only in part.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa Became “King”Within our Shores but Outside he was more or Less a “Pariah”.’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Strongly denying accusations regarding the death of 40,000 Tamil civilians during the final phase of the offensive on the Vanni east front (January-May 2009), Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka on Sunday (May 17) said that the army had to pay a very heavy price for not having the liberty to use heavy weapons against the LTTE.

War winning Army Commander, the then Lt. Gen. Fonseka emphasised that the army had no option but to refrain from maximizing the use of powerful weapons at its disposal for about four and half months because of the civilian factor.

Field Marshal Fonseka was responding to Shan Wijetunga on a live Rupavahini interview to coincide with Sri Lanka’s sixth anniversary celebrations to mark restoration of peace and stability.

Continue reading ‘Field Marshall Sarath Fonseka Denies Accusations that 40,000 Tamil Civilians were Killed in the Final Phase of War in the Wanni.’ »

by Dasun Edirisinghe

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday accused the government of undermining peace and stability achieved in May six years back. It would be a mistake on its part to adopt polices at the expense of national security, the former President said.

Rajapaksa said that he was ready to face any situation, even face death, but the government should not engage in activities that would be inimical to national security.

Former President Rajapaksa was addressing the Victory Day Celebration organised by a group of artistes in the Viharamaha Devi open air theatre with the participation of UPFA MPs, members of ranaviru families and disabled soldiers.

“The government can accuse me, jail me or kill me, but we will not allow to reverse the victory achieved by the three forces, police and the civil defence force,” Rajapaksa said, adding that the victory won six years ago wasn’t only for Sinhalese but to all citizens of the country.

Continue reading ‘“The Govt can Accuse me,Jail me or Kill me” Thunders Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Victory day Commemoration.’ »

By Chitra Weerarathne

Petitioner Tiran Alles yesterday filed a fundamental rights violation application against the IGP N. K. Illangakoon, Director Special Investigations Unit Mevan Silva and a few others, alleging an imminent illegal arrest.

It said the petitioner was a victim of political vendetta by Minister Champika Ranawaka.

The actions of the police betrayed that they were acting at the behest of the minister.

The respondents were out to stifle the political activities of the petitioner and the newspaper managed by him from publishing articles critical of the government and of Ranawaka.

Continue reading ‘Tiran Alles M.P. Files Fundamental Rights Violation Petition in Courts to Restrain Police from arresting him at Behest of cabinet Minister Champika Ranawaka.’ »

BY DR. DAYAN JAYATILLEKA

It’s out in the open now, the discrepancy in the views of the President and the Prime Minister about the timing of the elections. The Prime Minister hopes for July, while the President’s circle prefers September. I suspect it may be about astrology, but in Sri Lankan politics, the broad timing of the decision is not astrological –not even President Rajapaksa’s decision to go for an election two years ahead of schedule—but the fine tuning is.

In other words, unlike in personal matters where the soothsayers’ word is law, Sri Lankan politicians make a political decision about the rough timing of the election on political grounds and from within your collective political unit (party, faction, family etc.) but your astrologer then homes in on the most appropriate date and time within the time frame they have indicated.

The Presidential faction seems to prefer elections later rather than sooner for at least three reasons. The stated reason is the completion of the reform agenda, i.e. the 20th amendment and the Right to Information Bill. The real reason is what they call the clean-up campaign, i.e. the prosecution of Rajapaksa loyalists and the consequent weakening of the Rajapaksa faction within the SLFP or provoking the latter’s exit from the SLFP.

The real problem is not whether the intra-SLFP battle is going quite the way that the president’s loyalists and ex-Presidential patron thinks. The real problem is that an unelected UNP Government is either embarking upon or taking the rap for a risky roll up of political opponents in what looks a pre-emptive electoral strike, just as it is displaying testy political behavior (e.g. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe during 19A and on the Supreme Court ruling on GR). It is conducting itself in a highly polarizing manner and is doing so without a legitimate mandate to govern.

In short it is pushing its luck. If things go on as they are doing, without a general election, and especially (but not only) if compounded by an economic crunch, something will surely pop, and it won’t be pretty.

Continue reading ‘PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION: WHAT SHOULD PRESIDENT SIRISENA DO?’ »

Moves are on to indict former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in courts over alleged “offences” committed while discharging duties in his capacity as the chief accounting officer of the Defence Ministry notwithstanding the fact that he has obtained a stay order from the Supreme Court Preventing his imminent arrest till the fundamental rights petition filed by him is heard.

Criminal charges are to be filed against former Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, for flouting government tender procedure and for the purchase of four MiG 27 Flogger D fighter-bomber aircraft in 2006 at a staggering US$ 14,676,000, for failure of duty and causing loss to the State, in his capacity as the Chief Accounting Officer of the Ministry of Defence.

The agreement was entered into, without a performance bond and the vital End User Certificate are the main charges, after a Technical Evaluation Committee ruled against the purchase in 2000.

Top sources said, the former Defence Secretary was questioned on the rationale behind the purchase, overturning a previous decision in a manner detrimental to Sri Lanka, the buyer.

Continue reading ‘Ex- Def Secy Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to be Indicted on Criminal Charges Despite the Supreme Court Order Preventing Imminent Arrest Until his FR Petition is Heard’ »

The Supreme Court yesterday (May 15th) suspended the gazette notification issued by the President releasing state land to the people in Sampoor.

Through a gazette notification, the President released the land held by the Board of Investment (BOI) leased to Sri Lanka Gateway Industries (SLGI).

The Supreme Court granted interim relief to petitioner SLGI suspending the President’s gazette notification revoking the state grant made to the BOI which was in turn leased to SLGI in Sampoor, Trincomalee for a US$ 4 billion project.

The Bench comprised Justices Rohini Marasinghe, Buwaneka Aluwihare and Upali Abeyratne.

Continue reading ‘Supreme Court Blocks Return of Lands to People of Sampoor by Suspending President Sirisena’s Gazette Notification to that Effect’ »

BY
DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA

“…he also underestimated badly the Rajapakse regime as well as the armed forces. Prabhakaran did not expect the armed forces to keep on progressing relentlessly as they did. But despite heavy losses the military juggernaut kept on rolling forward. More importantly he expected President Mahinda Rajapakse would cave into international pressure and call it quits. Then again Rajapakse too did not succumb and went ahead with the military campaign.”

–DBS Jeyaraj (‘Defeat of LTTE’, Daily Mirror, May 9, 2015)

****************

The debate over Victory Day versus Remembrance Day is surreal. Certainly there should be a day of remembrance for all those who died in the war. The problem arises when it is confused with Victory Day and worse still the latter is renamed as Remembrance Day. Poppy Day is Remembrance Day, a day of commemoration of all those who served in the UK armed forces and died. (We Sri Lankans could have a more inclusive day of Remembrance.)

Poppy Day is never confused with or substitutes for V-E Day or V-J Day, the days on which World War II ended with the defeat of the Axis powers by the Allies. Even the Normandy landing is commemorated each year. In recent weeks we saw two massive occasions of celebratory commemoration: the 40th anniversary of the victorious reunification of Vietnam (April 30) and the 70th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Fascism. Both events were widely and elaborately celebrated precisely as Victory day(s).

Why should anyone’s feelings be hurt by the celebration of May 19th as Victory day? It is the day on which the killing stopped, after 30 years. It is the day that peace dawned with the termination of the three decades war and the death of the man who commenced it–South Asia’s equivalent of Hitler. It is the day that peace prevailed over war and life triumphed over death.

It is the day that the legitimate armed forces of a legitimate democratic state won a war against a powerful terrorist, suicide-bombing militia which had assassinated more democratic political personalities than had any other terrorist movement anywhere on earth.

Is that not a victory worth celebrating by any universal human standards?

Continue reading ‘VICTORY DAY, REMEMBRANCE DAY & POST WAR POLITICAL RECONCILIATION’ »

By
Ligaya Mishan | pix by: Ben Russell

A devil’s face with goggle eyes and swollen tongue stares from the window of Kottu House. It’s only a vinyl decal, meant to evoke the wooden masks — often flanked by cobras, peacocks or flames — that guard the entrances of Sinhalese homes in Sri Lanka, warding off evil.

Inside, the same face is projected above the bar in random glow-stick colors, to the low pulse of trance music.

Counterclockwise from top right: minchi sambol, a beautifully bright paste of fresh grated coconut and lime; pol sambol, a tumble of red onion and tomato; and racked by chile, the ruthless conflagration that is lunu sambol.

Apart from a Buddha statue in a corner, Kottu House doesn’t abide by the usual tropes of New York City’s Sri Lankan restaurants, many of which are clustered in Tompkinsville, on the northeastern shore of Staten Island. There, they cater primarily to the neighborhood’s population of some 5,000 Sri Lankans. Chelaka Gunamuni, who opened Kottu House in March on the Lower East Side, seeks a wider audience.
Continue reading the main story
Continue reading ‘Kottu House Brings Taste of Sri Lanka “Kottu” to Lower East side in Manhattan, NYC’ »

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said that he does not own the Marriot hotel and rejected all the allegations regarding an investment in the Steel Corporation and the Marriot hotel in Dubai.

He also accused FCID of functioning as an extension of the UNP.

Following is the statement issued:

Continue reading ‘Ex- President Mahinda Rajapaksa Denies Allegations of Investing US $190 Million in Dubai Hotel in his “Front Man” Nandana Lokuvithana’s Name’ »

By Jayashika Padmasiri

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, reacting to the news that former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa obtained an interim order from the Supreme Court yesterday, said that he could not comment on the case until October and the only thing left to do was seek the advice of the Commonwealth.

Wickremesinghe made these remarks at the National Summit on Media Reforms held in Colombo yesterday. He also explained that he was made a respondent in Rajapaksa’s case, which will only be taken up in October.

“Since President Sirisena is the Commonwealth Chairman now, the only solution left is to seek the advice of the Commonwealth Judges’ Union, lawyers and other relevant people of the Commonwealth regarding this situation.

By no means am I questioning Gotabaya’s right to file a Fundamental Rights case, but I’m only questioning the fact that neither I nor the Cabinet can answer regarding this situation until October,” Wickremesinghe pointed out.

Continue reading ‘Commonwealth Advice will be sought Over Interim Order Obtained by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa says Ranil Wickremesinghe’ »

By

Rasika Somarathna

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday expressed serious concerns about not getting an early opportunity to reply to allegations leveled against him in the FR petition filed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa before the Supreme Court.

Commenting on the Supreme Court’s decision to fix October 6 as the next hearing date of the FR petition filed by the former Defence Secretary, the Prime Minister said the President could seek opinion from the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association and other legal divisions in this regard.

“President Maithripala Sirisena is not only the President of Sri Lanka, but also the current chair of the Commonwealth,” Prime Minister Wickremesinghe said speaking at the National Consultative Summit on Media reforms at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute yesterday.

Continue reading ‘Ranil Concerned that he is Unable to Reply Immediately to Allegations Against him in Gotabhaya’s FR Petition due to Court Order’ »

By

Dharisha Bastians

Mahinda Rajapaksa, defeated in an unprecedented third bid for the presidency on 8 January this year, is living in a bubble – again.

This bubble is a skillful construct of his most faithful acolytes. It is inflated by weeping masses at his door, fawning supporters dogging his every move and large, raucous crowds at rallies begging for his return to power.

Acrimony between incumbent presidents and their predecessors has become something of a tradition in Sri Lankan political life. Thus, like Chandrika Kumaratunga before him, Mahinda Rajapaksa is also trailed by TV cameras and journalists, waiting for the controversial sound bite against the incumbent Government that he inevitably provides at every opportunity.

Five months after he lost power at the presidential elections in January, President Rajapaksa is still making it to the front page of every newspaper on a daily basis.

The bubble is reinforced by the hype. The former President is surrounded again by advisors whose only desire is to keep him basking in the glow of his imminent return. His most ardent political support has emerged from politicians who are the biggest noisemakers in the current Parliament, even if the noise levels may not directly correspond to their electoral prowess.

Unsurprisingly this political coterie comprises UPFA Parliamentarians whose electoral fortunes appear bleakest within the former ruling alliance, if Mahinda Rajapaksa is wiped out of the picture in the short term.

A deep sense of déjà vu accompanies the developing story that is the ‘Bring Mahinda Back’ campaign. The same propagandists, political ‘strategists’ and unwise counsel had convinced the former President of his electoral invincibility in January, almost right up to polling day.

Continue reading ‘Indecent Hurry in Which Mahinda Rajapaksa is Trying to Engineer his Political Comeback’ »

In a major development, the Supreme Court yesterday dismissed the Fundamental Rights application against the much-publicised 30-year Treasury Bond issue of 26 February seeking an independent inquiry into the Central Bank Treasury Bond issue and the Bank’s Governor Arjuna Mahendran.

The move has effectively cleared both Governor Arjuna Mahendran and primary dealer Perpetual Treasuries and others sighted as respondents.

In dismissing the FR application filed by good governance activists Dr. G. Usvattearachchi, Dr. A.C. Visvalingam and Chandra Jayaratne, the Supreme Court said there was no legal basis to issue notice.

Originally the petitioners in their application expressed the belief that the Rs. 1 billion 30-year Treasury Bond issue contained serious irregularities, lacked transparency and did not adhere to the accepted best practices of good governance and was possibly tainted by conflicts of interests and related party transactions.

The petition named eight respondents including Governor Arjuna Mahendran, his son-in-law Arjuna Aloysius, Deputy Governor P. Samarasiri and Secretary of the Finance Ministry.

Continue reading ‘Supreme Court Effectively Clears Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran By Dismissing FR Petition Filed by Good Governance Activists’ »

By Chitra Weerarathne

The Supreme Court yesterday granted interim relief to former Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, by restraining the respondent authorities from arresting him until the final determination of the fundamental rights violation petition filed by the former frontline combat officer.

The respondents cited in the rights violation petition are the Prime Minister, the entire Cabinet of Ministers, the IGP, the Director CID, the Financial Crimes Investigations Division, and the Attorney General. By this order the FCID, the IGP and the CID, are restrained from arresting the petitioner.

Leave to proceed with the petition was granted.

The respondents were given time to file objections.

The petition will be argued on October 6, 2015.

The petitioner has complained of an imminent illegal arrest by the FCID on the order of the National Executive Committee.

Continue reading ‘Supreme Court Restrains Authorities from Arresting Ex Def Secy Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Until Final Determination of his FR Petition’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Northern Province Governor H.M.G.S. Palihakkara has told Jaffna Divisional Secretariat that required state assistance should be provided to all those who had returned to the Jaffna peninsula seeking resettlement regardless of their ethnicity.

One-time foreign secretary, Palihakkara has emphasized that those wanting to re-build their lives shouldn’t be deprived of the support; they were entitled to it in accordance with instructions issued by the government.

The Northern Governor has intervened subsequent to a group of Sinhala families living in state land situated close to Navatkuli railway station making representations recently.

Continue reading ‘Northern Governor Palihakkara Ensures Jaffna Divisional Secretariat Provides State Assistance to Displaced Sinhalese Returning to North.’ »

By

Patrick Martin

The 10,000-word essay by Seymour Hersh on the US killing of Osama bin Laden, published Sunday by the London Review of Books, is a devastating blow to the entire narrative of the US “war on terror,” as it has been elaborated by both the Bush and Obama administrations.

The central thrust of Hersh’s exposure—that the Obama administration systematically lied about the raid by US Navy Seals that killed bin Laden on May 1, 2011—has been rapidly confirmed by other media outlets, including several that are hostile to Hersh and supportive of the White House.

NBC News reported, citing three unnamed sources, two of them in US intelligence, that a “walk in” from Pakistani intelligence told the CIA where Osama bin Laden was hiding a year before the US raid, and that the Pakistani government knew that bin Laden was hiding in Abbottabad, a headquarters town for the Pakistani military.

Several Pakistani news outlets reported the name of the former intelligence official who tipped off the CIA about bin Laden, identifying him as former brigadier Usman Khalid of the Inter-Services Intelligence agency, the Pakistani military intelligence service, who has been moved to the United States and is working with the CIA.

They also confirmed that Pakistani officials at the highest level were aware of bin Laden’s presence and identified one intelligence official, Ijaz Shah, as the man who arranged to house bin Laden in Abbottabad, at the direction of then-president Pervez Musharraf.

Continue reading ‘The bin Laden assassination and the lies of the “ US war on terror” by the Bush and Obama Administrations’ »

By Niles Williamson

Nearly four years since the US Special Forces raid that resulted in the murder of Osama bin Laden, an extraordinary political exposure by Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh published Sunday in the London Review of Books has torn the mask off the official narrative by the US government.

The wealth of details laid out in Hersh’s article calls attention to the reality that nothing that any government official says on the record can be taken as the truth, and that the mainstream media operates as an echo chamber for official lies. Hersh asserts that the accounts given by President Barack Obama and members of his administration “might have been written by Lewis Carroll,” author of Alice in Wonderland.

Among the claims exposed as fabrications are that the CIA torture program contributed to the discovery of bin Laden’s hideout; that the raid was carried out without the knowledge of the Pakistani government; that the Special Operations team intended to take bin Laden alive, and only killed him after he resisted; and that bin Laden was given an Islamic burial at sea from the carrier USS Carl Vinson.
Hersh writes that the 2011 operation to kill bin Laden was initiated in August 2010 after a former senior Pakistani intelligence officer walked into the US embassy in Islamabad. He offered to give the CIA bin Laden’s location in return for the $25 million bounty the US government had placed on the Al Qaeda leader’s head in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Continue reading ‘Pulitzer Prize Winning US Journalist Seymour Hersh Exposes Official Lies About Bin Laden killing’ »

By

S. Selvanayagam, Lakmal Sooriyagoda and Hafeel Farisz

The Supreme Court today issued an interim order staying the arrest of former defense secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and granted leave to proceed in the fundamental rights petition filed by him.

A two-judge bench comprising Justices Eva Wanasundera and Sarath De Abrew issued the interim order having heard submissions by counsel representing Mr. Rajapaksa and the Attorney General.

When the matter was taken up for inquiry at 10.45 a.m., Supreme Court Judge Buwaneka Aluwihare who was appointed to hear the case with the other two judges stepped down, citing personal reasons.

He said he was unable to hear the case, at which point Justice Eva Wanasundera sent the file to the Chief Justice for his direction.

Counsel Romesh De Silva PC said he would remain in courtroom 502 until CJ’s direction was received.

The direction was delivered within five minutes. He directed Justice Eva Wanasundera and Sarath De Abrew to hear the petition.

Continue reading ‘Supreme Court Issues Interim Order Staying the Anticipated Arrest of Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Grants Leave to Proceed in his Fundamental Rights Petition’ »

By

Malinda Seneviratne

There was a photo of former Secretary, Defence Ministry, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa with a caption that heavily borrows from the late Singaporean leader Lee Kwan Yew.

‘I have no regrets. I have spent my life, so much of it, building up the capital of this country. There’s nothing more that I need to do. At the end of the day, what have I got? A beautiful Colombo. A safe Sri Lanka. What have I given up? My life.’

The picture with the quote is reported to have gone viral over social media. Some who shared obviously adores the man, and some who did and did so with comment hates him. Both types of ‘sharers’ have reason to be embarrassed. Gotabhaya has said that it’s not his doing.

This is the issue with social media. You can morph, splice, photoshop, mis-quote, tag, put words in the mouths of those you adore and those you hate and do all kinds of things without any sense of responsibility. Gota’s denial takes the air out of the airbags but no doubt they will come back with something else soon. Gota, to his credit, has remained unfazed and even made a wry comment that in the very least shows that he has his wits about him even in these trying times of arrest-talk and preempt-arrest efforts. He said, ‘If people can quote Lord Buddha, why can’t people quote Lee Kwan Yew?’

Continue reading ‘“Horu,Horu,Horu Wage,Boru,Boru,Boru”(Like Thieves, Thieves, Thieves -Lies,Lies, Lies) Says Ex-Def Secy Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’ »

By

Rasika Jayakody

In the wee hours of April 3, 2004, Maithripala Sirisena, the then General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, received a telephone call from former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. A sleepless election night had come to an end and the results indicated the United People’s Freedom Alliance, of which the SLFP was the main stakeholder, was in a position to form a government. The former President, who was also the leader of the UPFA, sounded jubilant.

“Maithri, it is clear that the UPFA can form a government. We will secure a clear majority. I need to discuss some important matters about forming a new government. Can you meet me immediately?” the former President asked her General Secretary who was at his personal residence in Polonnaruwa.

“Madam, it will take at least four hours for me to come to Colombo,” the General Secretary replied. At that point, the former President immediately arranged a helicopter to facilitate transport for Sirisena.
When the SLFP General Secretary arrived at the President’s Office, two gentlemen were already having a serious discussion with the former President inside her office room. They were Kusumsiri Balapatandendi, former Secretary to the President and the late Lakshman Kadirgarmar, the dynamic and charismatic Foreign Minister of the CBK administration. As the former President saw Sirisena, she invited him to join the meeting.

“We have to form a new government tomorrow. The Prime Minister and the new Cabinet should take oaths,” Kumaratunga explained.

“Who should be the Prime Minister, Maithri?” the former President suddenly asked an unexpected question. All eyes in the meeting room were directed at the General Secretary of the party.

“Madam, it is you who should decide the Prime Minister,” Maithri replied politely, with a smile on his face, as he was totally unprepared for a question of that nature.

“Now the JVP has become very powerful within the UPFA. They have about 40 seats in the House. Tilvin Silva has already sent me a letter suggesting three names for the Prime Minister’s post,” CBK said while handing over the letter to the General Secretary.

The JVP had suggested three senior SLFP Parliamentarians as potential candidates for the post of Prime Minister. Their first choice was Lakshman Kadirgarmar, an Oxford educated lawer who was arguably the most successful Foreign Minister produced by the country. Their second choice was Anura Bandaranaike, the brother of President Kumaratunga, a former Speaker and a former Opposition Leader. As its last choice, the JVP had nominated Maithripala Sirisena, General Secretary of the SLFP who signed the UPFA agreement on behalf of the party.

However, Maithripala Sirisena’s response to the letter came as a shock to everyone.

“Madam, our voters expect Mahinda Rajapaksa to be the Prime Minister.”

Continue reading ‘Mahinda and Gotabhaya to Lead Two Different Alliances at Parliamentary Polls and Unite After Results’ »

By

Upul Joseph Fernando

Former Minister Bandula Gunawardena last week stated he would go to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva to complain that the Maithri-Ranil Government was arresting and questioning pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa activists.

Bandula is a close associate of Mahinda. Therefore, Bandula may be proceeding to Geneva on Mahinda’s instructions. In the past, Mahinda and his ministers including Bandula called the UNHRC Geneva a traitor of Sri Lanka and labelled it as an LTTE office.

It is opportune to recall that in 2012 when the UNHRC brought a resolution against Mahinda’s Government for alleged human rights violations, civic leaders: Sunila Abeysekere, Nimalka Fernando and Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu went to Geneva to lodge complaints. What did Mahinda’s closest associate Mervyn Silva say about those civic leaders? He threatened to break their legs when they returned to the country.

The State media went to town against Sunila, Nimalka and Pakiasothy and called them Tigers (LTTE) and made announcements that were likely to incite the public against them. Following such threats, the trio issued following statement to the media;

Continue reading ‘Will Complaining About Maithri-Ranil Govt to UN in Geneva make Mahinda Rajapaksa a Traitor and a Tiger?’ »

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Eastern Province Governor Austin Fernando yesterday said that the on-going resettlement programme wouldn’t affect the proposed Sampur coal-fired power project.

Fernando insisted that the government would ensure the project would go ahead as planned.

The coal power plant is a joint venture between the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd. (NTPC) of India.

Asked whether the resettlement project would undermine existing arrangements meant to ensure security of the strategic Trincomalee harbour, the one-time Defence Secretary Fernando alleged that various interested parties were propagating lies.

Continue reading ‘Eastern Governor Austin Fernando says Return of Lands and Re-settlement in Sampur Will not Affect Power Plant or Trinco Harbour Security.’ »

By Kushan Subasinghe

English and Tamil translations of the draft Bill of the 19th Amendment passed in Parliament last month and forwarded to the Department of the Legal Draftsman for finalising had not yet been returned, Parliament sources said yesterday.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa was to sign the Bill into law yesterday.

Continue reading ‘19th Amendment not yet law as Legal Draftsman Dept Delays sending Bill for Signing Assent by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa.’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, in a brief note, addressed to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Jagath Jayasuriya emphasized the importance of some issues raised by US Secretary of State, John Kerry, during his two-day visit to Colombo.

The note to Gen. Jayasuriya, copied to Army Commander Lt. Gen. Crishanthe De Silva, Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Jayantha Perera, and Airforce Commander, Air Marshal Kolitha Gunatilleke, Premier Wickremesinghe highlighted some points, discussed by Kerry, in a public lecture delivered at the Taj Samudra.

Premier Wickremesinghe quoted US Secretary of State Kerry as having said: “None of us wants to live in a country where the military is stopping its own citizens at checkpoints. And Sri Lanka’s military has so much more to contribute, in defending this country, protecting vital sea lanes and taking part in UN peace keeping missions all over the world. And, as your armed forces make that transition, we are going to be very eager to work with you and to work with them and to tender help.”

In a sense, the missive, dated May, 7 is unprecedented, as no previous Premier had resorted to such a strategy.

Continue reading ‘Premier Ranil Indicates After John Kerry Visit that Sri Lanka and US agree on the Post -War Role of Armed Forces’ »

Former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) application challenging the legality of the establishment of a Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID).

Through this application, Rajapaksa has also sought the intervention of the Supreme Court to prevent his imminent arrest and the conclusion of the several purported investigations by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Commission to Investigate Bribery and Corruptions and the Frauds and Corruption Investigations Division (FCID).

The respondents in the petition include the Cabinet of Ministers, Secretary to the President, Inspector General of Police, Deputy Inspect General of Police (Frauds and Corruption Investigative Division), Director of the CID and the Attorney General.

Continue reading ‘Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Seeks Supreme Court Intervention to Prevent his Imminent Arrest and On Going Investigations into Corruption Charges’ »

By Prof Jayadeva Uyangoda

Three events dominated Sri Lanka’s most recent political developments and debates. The May Day mob attack on Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri and Dr. Kumudu Kusum Kumara is the first. The intensification of the campaign to bring former President Mahinda Rajapakse back is the second. The meeting between the present and former presidents is the third.

These three events encapsulate and signify some key dimensions of the dynamics of Sri Lanka’s current political turmoil. This essay seeks to comment on some of them.
Continue reading ‘Politics of Modesty by President Sirisena and Abrasive Politics of “Bring Mahinda Back” Campaign’ »

By Norman Palihawadane and Anura Balasuriya

UPFA Galle District Parliamentarian Sajin de Vass Gunawardena was arrested by the police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) yesterday over allegations of misusing vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secretariat.

MP Gunawardena was later produced before Colombo Fort Magistrate and ordered to be remanded till May 20.

The CID summoned Gunawardena to record a statement yesterday morning and he was questioned for nearly three hours prior to being taken into custody.

He had been questioned in connection with the misuse of 20 state vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secretariat, police said.

Continue reading ‘Sajin de Vass Gunawardena Arrested Over Allegations of Misusing Presidential Secretariat Vehicles and Remanded till May 20th’ »

by Zacki Jabbar

Industry and Commerce Minister and Wanni District MP Rishad Bathiudeen said yesterday that extremist groups hell bent on creating communal conflicts were continuing their mudslinging campaign against him even though he had helped a large number of war displaced Sinhalese and Tamils return to their original lands in Mannar.

The Minister emphasised that members of all communities including over a 100,000 Muslims who had fled their homes in the North in the face of LTTE threats had a right to return to their ancestral lands.

“I was on the LTTE hit list for helping a large number of internally displaced Tamils resettle in Mannar. Similarly, I have also assisted Sinhala refugee families. Being a war displaced person myself, I could understand their suffering,” the minister said adding that those who were making false allegations that he had helped Muslims returning to their lands in Musali, encroach into the Wilpattu National Park had obviously not bothered to check the facts.

Continue reading ‘“Extremists Slinging Mud Against me for Trying to Re-settle Displaced Muslims of Musali Division”-Rishad Bathiudeen.’ »

(Text of a Press Release Issued by the Media Division of the Prime Ministers Office on May 11th 2015 Headlined “Financial Crimes Investigation Division and the Anti-Corruption Committee”)

Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) is only a functional division of the Police Department, which was established in response to the emerging trend of serious financial frauds.

This division was established in terms of the provisions of the section 55 of the Police Ordinance, with the approval of the Cabinet of Ministers and it operates under the exclusive supervision and direction of the Inspector General of Police.

Continue reading ‘How and Why the Financial Crime Investigation Divison and Anti-Corruption Committee Secretariat were Established’ »

BY DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA

Don’t you just hate it when people who should know better make huge mistakes which have been made before with disastrous consequences for all concerned– in other words, huge avoidable mistakes?

Take this Government for instance. It has crossed a line which far stronger and more legitimate i.e. popularly elected, predecessors did not. Its predecessors did a few things of the same sort with disastrous consequences, but this government is venturing far beyond.

Take the “legal fascism”, or less dramatically, the “lawfare” (to borrow Emeritus Professor Richard Falk’s phrase) involved in locking up an unprecedented number of Opposition parliamentarians, interrogating high officials etc. A precursor of this conduct was the behavior of Felix Dias Bandaranaike in the 1970-1977 administration, so well brought to the screen in Gamini Fonseka’s “Sagarayak Meda”. The Felixian model of detentions at Paget Road, the Bribery Commissioner’s raids, the dissolution of Municipal authorities and the appointment of Special Commissioners, is sought to be emulated by the Yahapalana regime, though the place of detention is far rougher this time around.

That mode of conduct against one’s rivals within the (democratic) System caused considerable polarization in the sociopolitical atmosphere, culminated in the loss of Felix’s civic rights and led to the erection of a far more authoritarian successor regime. In a word: blowback.

Continue reading ‘Maithri-Ranil-Chandrika Troika Led Govt Commits “Legal Fascism”by Locking up and Interrogating Opposition Leaders and Officials’ »

By
Sruthisagar Yamunan & Krishnaprasad

In a major victory for AIADMK, a special bench of the Karnataka High Court on Monday set aside the trial court order convicting former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in the disproportionate assets case.

Ms. J. Jayalalithaa

Justice C.R Kumaraswamy, who read out the judgment at 11 a.m, said the appeals of all the four accused, including Ms. Jayalalithaa have been allowed and they were being acquitted of all charges.

Continue reading ‘Ex-Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Jayaram Acquitted by Karnataka High Court of all Charges in Corruption Case’ »

By Saman Indrajith

Three cabinet ministers, three state ministers and three deputy ministers are among the 88 members who have signed a no confidence motion against Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran.

They are Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena (Cabinet Minister of Parliamentary Affairs), Reginald Cooray (Cabinet Minister of Aviation Services), Piyasena Gamage (Cabinet Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training), Dilan Perera (State minister of Housing and Samurdhi), Jeevan Kumaratunga (State Minister of Labour), C.B.Ratnayake (State Minister of Public Administration and Democratic governance), Jagath Pushapakumara (Deputy Minister of Plantations), Lakshaman Seneviratne (Deputy Minister of Disaster Management) and Shantha Bandara (Deputy Minister of Mass Media).

The no confidence motion now included in the Parliamentary Order Book according to the Addendum to the Order Book No 14 released yesterday has seven charges against Governor Mahendran.

Continue reading ‘88 MP’s Including 3 Cabinet,3 State and 3 deputy Ministers Sign No Confidence Motion with 7 Charges Against Central Bank Governor Arjuna Mahendran.’ »

By Prof. Carlo Fonseka

In Nelson Mandela’s book Conversations with Myself, he says that the foundation of one’s spiritual life should be built on “honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, pure generosity, absence of vanity and readiness to serve others”. Odious and subjective though such comparisons are, humans necessarily make them in real life.

If I were asked to grade our presidents on the extent to which they exemplify the seven aforementioned attributes, I should be hard put to it to prevent President Maithripala Sirisena from coming out on top.

As to simplicity, humility and absence of vanity he is the super star among our presidents. I had the privilege of working under him when he was Minister of Health from 2010 until he defected from our group, the UPFA. I observed at first hand and greatly admired the sincerity with which he devoted himself to the cause of the health of the nation.

Continue reading ‘Maithripala Sirisena with “Simplicity,Humility and Absence of Vanity”is a Super Star Among Our Presidents’ »

Janaki Chandraratna

Congratulations are in order to Prof. G. L. Peiris and a few UPFA Parliamentarians for being diligent in ensuring that the Govt. followed the due process and was compliant with the Supreme Court determination in passing the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

Mr. Sirisena was voted in as the President as people needed to abolish or at a minimum curtail the excessive powers of the President. No one of right mind would have wanted the country to plunge into a dictatorship. People were not aware of the absolute powers of the President as the previous President on many instances kept to the parliamentary processes. The impeachment of the previous Chief Justice (CJ) and the appointment of the new CJ were done according to the parliamentary procedures.

Continue reading ‘Elements of Dictatorial Rule in the Current Presidential Regime of Maithripala Sirisena’ »

By

Ranga Jayasuriya

The acolytes of Mahinda Rajapaksa say the ex-President’s opponents are preventing him from running as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), because he can win.

Mr. Rajapaksa also repeated those claims at a meeting in Ratgama, saying that the two term limit of the Presidency had been restored by the 19th Amendment in order to deprive him from running for another term.

These claims are too simplistic. Of course, millions of people who voted out Mr. Rajapaksa do not want to see him back in the office (Or running for it). However, it is not because he will win, but because they fear what he would do after winning (if ever).

Rajapaksa has a proven penchant to abuse power that was vested with him. Like many dozens of his predecessors in Asia and Africa, Rajapaksa preached democracy till he get elected, only to suppress those very democratic rights and dismantle very democratic institutions.

There is no guarantee that he would be different, if he ever gets another opportunity. To usher his absolute rule, he would begin with dismantling the very institutions that were recently empowered by the 19th Amendment. Incipient independent institutions would not survive a yet another onslaught by the Rajapaksas.

Simply put, Rajapaksa is bad news for democracy in the country. His conduct during the second term is testimonial to that.

Continue reading ‘Return of Mahinda as Prime Minister is Bad News for Democracy,Sri Lanka and the SLFP’ »

By

Dr.Nimalka Fernando

No one trusts politicians in Sri Lanka anymore. In addition to a growing budget deficit there is also a growing ‘trust deficit’ between the “politician” and the “citizen” which extends and permeates into every level and relationship in society.

Victims of Human Rights violations consider politicians to be responsible for the violence and pain they have undergone and continue to experience daily.

Civil society in general considers politicians to be an unreliable corrupt bunch. More adjectives will be added by readers of this article by way of comments later.

The level of untrustworthiness that degenerated to a criminality was given a strong message by society as they voted on 8th January 2015. They gave a strong message to politicians during the Presidential Election.

From Basil to Johnny, today they are queueing up at the Financial Crimes Investigation Department giving us brief glimpses into the secret world of deals, bribes, cuts, commissions and recent history of governance in this country.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa can Be Prime Ministerial Candidate of Bodu Bala Sena Party and Fly Kites at Galle Face’ »

The Victory Day parade conducted by the previous Government to mark the military defeat of Tiger guerrillas will be held on a different note this time.

It is being designated as the “Armed Forces Day.”

Continue reading ‘“Victory Day”Of Rajapaksa Regime Changed to “Armed Forces Day” Remembering “all those who died during wars in Sri Lanka”.’ »

by Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu

The point about the Nineteenth Amendment is that, though most have not read the Amendment Bill that was finally passed by Parliament – and, in the case of the general public, not even seen it – those who support its basic trajectory and even those who are disappointed with it, nevertheless agree that it is a good thing, being integral to and important for the governance Sri Lankans voted for on January 8, 2015.

In this respect it has the status of motherhood and apple pie in the US. No one can possibly oppose it without being seen as seriously ideologically impaired or downright perverse. This accounts for the thumping two-thirds majority by which the amendment was passed in the end despite the political theatre and apparent suspense that preceded it.

In broad terms all are agreed it is for the good. What we now have is what we could have, given the political constraints of the day requiring compromise. The devil, though, is in the detail. President Maithripala Sirisena has made the point that the amendment does not go far enough and the Prime Minister has promised that a new constitution will be mooted in the next Parliament. So it is and should be under the circumstances.

Wherein lies the significance of the 19th Amendment?

Continue reading ‘19th Constitutional Amendment is to Sri Lanka What Mother’s Day and Apple Pie is to the USA’ »

By Udaya Gammanpila

I cannot recall the event or the year. It was a tele-award ceremony. A television journalist posed a question to senior artiste Tissa Abeysekera. The question was “What will be the future of Sinhala cinema and teledrama industry?” He looked around without answering the question. He dragged Jayantha Chandrasiri who was in the vicinity towards him and replied “This is the future of cinema in Sri Lanka.” By then Jayantha had produced two revolutionary teledramas, namely, Veda Hamine and Dandubasnamanaya.

In this backdrop, I was badly in need of watching his cinematic poem, Maharaja Gemunu. There is no doubt that it would be a challenging task. King Gemunu is the greatest hero in Sri Lankan history. According to some historians, Mahavamsa has allocated space for King Gemunu out of proportion. Venerable Mahanama, the author of Mahavamsa had a good reason to allocate more space for King Gemunu. He is the first king to unify Sri Lanka. Further, he established the doctrine which justifies fighting for self defence and thereby fighting for the protection of Buddhism.

Continue reading ‘“Maharaja Gemunu”By Jayantha Chandrasiri is a Cinematic Poem with Great Lessons for Contemporary Sri Lanka’ »

By

C.A.Chandraprema

Not since 1992/93 has this country been on a political roller coaster as it is today. We are experiencing game changing events virtually every week. The game changing event of the past week was the pro-Mahinda rally in Kurunegala last Friday. It was held soon after the breakdown in talks between the Sirisena and Rajapaksa factions of the SLFP. One of the main points discussed at this meeting was the prime ministerial candidacy of the UPFA. When the talks broke down, one would think that the Kurunegala rally held barely 48 hours later would be a flop with disappointed Mahinda loyalists abandoning him because president Sirisena had denied him the PM candidacy. Yet, the crowd in Kurunegala was even bigger than the crowd at the Nugegoda rally. As always the TV footage did not accurately portray the ground situation in Kurunegala. Even the drone footage has not captured the larger body of the crowd that was present.

Despite a party directive banning SLFP people’s representatives from attending this meeting, no less than 56 SLFP/UPFA parliamentarians were in attendance along with uncounted numbers of provincial councillors and local government representatives. (This is up from 26 parliamentarians at the Ratnapura meeting.) It was only a week earlier that this same group had held the second biggest May Day rally in Colombo. For them to be able to organise a large rally barely a week later clearly indicates a level of energy and motivation that no other political force in this country has at this moment. The UNP had a very successful May Day rally, but there was nothing before or since. In contrast to that, the Kurunegala rally was the fourth such rally that the pro-Mahinda faction has organised so far.

If the UNP had been able to put on shows of strength like the Nugegoda, Kandy and Ratnapura rallies of the Mahinda faction before the 19th Amendment was taken up for debate, they would have got what they wanted from the constitutional change instead of being browbeaten into compromising more and more until nothing was left of their original demands. What is most significant is that the Kurunegala rally was held in the midst of political repression unlike anything that this country has ever seen before.

Parliamentarian Johnston Fernando one of the most popular politicians in the Kurunegala district and key organiser of this event was put behind bars days before the meeting. About two dozen key attendees were hauled up before courts on the very day of the meeting and arrived for the rally only after obtaining bail. Johnston Fernando had sent a message to the meeting from remand prison and it was read out by his son amidst wild cheering.

Continue reading ‘Maithripala’s Life Should Revolve Around the UNP which Brought him to Power and not the SLFP or SLFP Dissidents’ »

The role of spokespeople is to set out the official line of the bodies they represent so people not only in Sri Lanka but also the world over get things right. More so, with those speaking for the Government, it becomes essential.

Former Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella often did not get things right. This is why he was lampooned so much by cartoonists and became the butt end of media criticism. Some of the remarks he then made were not even near the truth.

Rambukwella’s successor, Minister Rajitha Senaratne, has not only outdone his predecessor as official spokesperson. He has also added one more dubious achievement, creating an international furore of sorts. In the process, other lesser known secrets have also come out.

Continue reading ‘New Nigerian Govt Protests Strongly Over Rajitha Senaratne Saying Arms Sold by Gota’s Avant Garde to Nigeria had Reached Boko Haram Terrorists’ »

Significant enough, this week, President Sirisena was preoccupied not only with security issues, but more importantly for a meeting with his predecessor Mahinda Rajapaksa. Days ahead of the event, it had raised eyebrows in many quarters. Soon after assuming the presidency, Sirisena accepted the leadership of the SLFP from Rajapaksa. He later told party organisers at a meeting at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI) that he had been conferred the leadership and should therefore be allowed to run the party. He pledged that he would strengthen it. Why was he now turning to Mahinda Rajapaksa and his allies? Does he expect their support and cooperation to strengthen the SLFP?

The answers were not clear even to the United National Party (UNP). The Ven. Maduluwawe Sobhitha Thera, leader of the Movement for Social Justice and Equality, told our sister paper Adha that during the presidential poll, Rajapaksa and his allies had branded Sirisena as a front of the Tamil Diaspora. Now, Rajapaksa wanted to become the Prime Minister of that front.

A three-member delegation from the UNP met President Sirisena to raise issue. It comprised Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Higher Education Minister Kabir Hashim and party Chairman Malik Samarawickrema. Sirisena, who is struggling to retain full control of his party, explained the circumstances.

Continue reading ‘When Mahinda Said “Ehenam kathakarala vedak nehe (if so there is no point in talking),”Maithripala replied “Ehenam yanna” (if so leave then)’ »

By Zahrah Imtiaz

The Army Presidential Security Guard (PSG) Unit established under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was disbanded permanently effective 30 April.

Military spokesperson, Brigadier Jayanath Jayaweera told Ceylon Today that this particular security unit was totally disbanded because of administrative imperatives.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Permanently Disbands the Army Presidential Security Guard Unit Established by Mahinda to Provide Security for his Family’ »

by

Malinda Seneviratne

Sometime late last year Maithripala Sirisena effectively left the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). As predicted, he was installed as the leader of the party he ‘left’ the moment he was elected President. He became the leader of a party whose entire membership almost campaigned against him. It certainly didn’t make for ideal leader-follower relations.

The confusion was exacerbated by the fact that not only did he appoint the leader of a party with a (relatively) paltry parliamentary presence as Prime Minister but a cabinet dominated by that party, the United National Party (UNP). Worse, he has since played a patently second-fiddle role to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in affairs of the state.

This naturally made for a jittery minority Government notwithstanding its much celebrated ‘national’ status with the induction of some SLFPers into the cabinet. It also created an ineffective Opposition Leader. Nimal Siripala Silva’s party leader is (still, even after the 19th Amendment) the most powerful citizen of the country and yet, it’s ‘the other guys’ who call the shots; this even though the Opposition Leader has greater sway in Parliament.

Continue reading ‘Maithripala Sirisena Must Reveal Whether he is with the SLFP or the UNP or Neutral or Whether he is Quitting Politics?’ »

By

Lucien Rajakarunanayake

So soon after the successful adoption of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution last week, which was a major political victory for President Maithripala Sirisena, despite many Opposition efforts to derail the process; it was interesting to see the SLFP leadership hold the cards at this week’s meeting between President Sirisena and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The big media and PR push by the pro-Mahinda Rajapaksa group within the SLFP to show this as a major confrontation between the two rival factions within the SLFP, with emphasis on what is sought to be shown as the continuing popularity of the defeated president, clearly did not work out in favour of the Rajapaksa line in current politics at this meeting.

The major issue at the talks, which was of the SLFP’s prime ministerial candidate at the forthcoming general election, certainly did not go the way of the Hambantota strategists. Their aim was to have the endorsement of Mahinda Rajapaksa as the SLFP’s next prime ministerial candidate. President Sirisena was very clear in stating that the SLFP would not announce a prime ministerial candidate before the polls.

Continue reading ‘President Maithripala Sirisena Demonstrates that “he is the boss now”at meeting with Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa.’ »

By Dasun Edirisinghe reporting from Kurunegala

Fifty five parliamentarians participated in the ‘Bring Back Mahinda’ rally at the Welagedara stadium in Kurunegala yesterday.

It was the fourth rally organised by the Mahajana Eksath Peramuna, National Freedom Front, Democratic Left Front and Pivithuru Hela Urumaya demanding former President Mahinda Rajapaksa be named as the UPFA’s Prime Ministerial candidate at the next general election.

Police had to close the Kurunegala – Dambulla road at the beginning of the rally due to the massive crowd.

Continue reading ‘55 UPFA Parliamentarians Attend Mammoth “Bring Back Mahinda” Rally at Welagedara Stadioum in Kurunegala.’ »

By

Rasika Jayakody

Those who make history have a place in it by right.

Many dubbed the 19th Amendment as a historic step in the process of democratization and ensuring good government. When the country’s legislature passed the constitutional amendment with an overwhelming majority of 2012 votes, the media said, “Parliament created history.”

One might say that the ‘history’ would pay tribute to every Member of Parliament who voted in favour of the Amendment and became ‘stakeholders’ of this exercise. But, there were some people who played ‘behind-the-scene’ roles without exposing themselves to the public spotlight or media fanfare.

Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne was one of them.

Wickramaratne was the “craftsman” of the much talked about 19th Amendment to the constitution as he, along with two other prominent lawyers, worked laboriously to draft the constitutional amendment before its passage in Parliament. Extensive discussions were taking place between the government and the opposition before the vote on the 19th Amendment and Wickramaratne too had to sit with them to share his knowledge and opinion. After a tough and exhausting battle, the amendment was passed in Parliament with some last minute changes.

Continue reading ‘Does the 19th Constitutional Amendment Meaningfully Benefit the People?’ »

Denying accusations that he had stashed away funds amounting to USD 18 billion, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said that legal advice would be sought as regards the defamatory statement attributed to Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera.

Minister Samaraweera on Thursday claimed that the new government had been working closely with four countries to trace funds stashed overseas. The minister declined to name the countries or foreign agencies involved in the operation.

The following is the full text of the statement titled ‘USD 18 billion belonging to the Rajapaksa family’ issued by the former President:

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa to Seek Legal Advice Regarding Allegedly Slanderous Statements made by Mangala Samaraweera Against Rajapaksa Family.’ »

By Dasun Edirisinghe reporting from Kurunegala

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said, in a statement, that he would be back on the SLFP led UPFA stage soon and the date would be decided by the people.

In his message read out at a mammoth rally at the Welagedara grounds, Kurunegala Rajapaksa apologised to the people there for not attending the rally in the Kurunegala District in which he got 555,086 votes at the January’s presidential election.

The former President’s message was read by former Minister and SLFP Vice President Dullas Alahapperuma at the rally organised jointly by the Mahajana Eksath the National Freedom Front, the Democratic Left Front and the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya demanding the naming of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the UPFA’s prime ministerial candidate for the next general election.

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa in message to Rally Says Support of the People for him is as Solid as the Elephant Rock in Kurunegala.’ »

Ranil Jayawardena(29)of Sri Lanka Origin was elected to UK Parliament from the North East Hampshire Constituency at the 2015 UK Elections.

Ranil Jayawardena

Jayawardena polled nearly two thirds of the valid votes in the constituency. He received 35,573 votes, which is 65.9 percent of the total valid votes.

His closest rival, Graham Cockarill of the Liberal Democratic Party received only 5657 votes.

North East Hampshire is considered an ultra-safe conservative seat.

Continue reading ‘Ranil Jayawardena of Sri Lanka Origin Elected to UK Parliament from North East Hampshire Constituency with 35,573 Votes’ »

By

P.K.Balachandran

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who met here on Wednesday to iron out differences between them, are unlikely to meet again because the differences are too wide to be bridged, an informed source in the Sirisena camp told Express.

“At one point, when Rajapaksa threatened to walk out of the talks, Sirisena said he could walk out if he wanted to”, the source said.

“Sirisena’s going for the talks has created a very bad impression about him.Further talks will not take place,” the source said.

Continue reading ‘“When Mahinda Threatened to Walk out During Talks with Maithripala, the President told the Ex-President to do so if he Wanted’ »

By

Dr. Kalana Senaratne

As the 100-day programme was coming to an end, President Maithripala Sirisena confronted a significant challenge. It was about showing the people that he still was the executive president. A significant part of this challenge was about getting his pet project, the proposed 19th Amendment which sought to reduce his powers, passed in Parliament. In short, President Sirisena had to appear to be in control of affairs. For a change.

In control

It was going to be a daunting task. President Sirisena was giving the impression that he was weak, unsuited for the job, unable to control his own, vagrant party (SLFP). Neither the ‘national government’, nor the ‘yahapaalanaya’ slogan/rhetoric – idealistic and immensely problematic – helped him. The seeming leadership vacuum that arose was rekindling the nostalgia for the defeated leader, Mahinda Rajapaksa. After all, the Rajapaksa-brand of authoritarianism, President Sirisena was forgetting, wasn’t just an imposition but also a mode of governance desired by a certain segment of the population.

Apart from some suave political maneuvering, President Sirisena was now left with one option; that of addressing the people. For the more he spoke – especially about his desire to renounce power – the more convincingly he was able to expose the uncouth and regressive character of his disgruntled opponents.

This, which he finally did, helped him partially to neutralize the threat posed by the Mahinda-group of the UPFA of a possible sabotage of the 19th Amendment. Back-door negotiations, significant concessions/compromises and most probably the cunning capitulation of the Mahinda-group, finally assured the adoption of the 19th Amendment with an overwhelming, even unexpected, majority.

Finally, President Sirisena took control of the situation and his party. That need for a decisive and strong leadership was momentarily fulfilled, now through the image of a leader willing to sacrifice power.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena May Pay a Heavy Price if he Makes Mahinda Rajapaksa his Prime Ministerial Candidate.’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera told the media yesterday at Sirikotha that the governmnet had been working closely with four foreign governments to trace ill-gotten funds amounting USD 18 billion stashed away overseas by the Rajapaksas.

Responding to a query, the Foreign Minister said funds amounting to USD 2 billion allegedly stashed away in Dubai had been found and the investigations were continuing.

The government has claimed that the US, India, the World Bank, the UN etc. are helping it track ill-gotten wealth stashed away by the members of the previous regime.

Asked whether he could name the countries involved in the operation, Minister Samaraweera said that investigations were continuing and they could not be named.

Continue reading ‘Four Countries to help Trace 18 Billion Dollars of “Black Money” Allegedly Stashed Overseas by Rajapaksa Family’ »

by Zacki Jabbar

Amidst accusations that the Rajapaksas when in power had siphoned off over USD 18 billion in state funds, President Maithripala Sirisena has informed Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa that corruption investigations launched by the Financial Crimes Investigation Divison (FCID) would continue.

Cabinet Spokesman and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne told a news conference in Colombo that Rajapaksa during his meeting with Srisena on Wednesday, had raised concerns about the manner in which the FCID was functioning.

While welcoming suggestions to improve the working of the FCID, the President emphasized that its establishment was an election pledge and the body would not be dissolved, Senaratne revealed.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Tells Ex-President Rajapaksa that Financial Crimes Investigation Division Probing Corruption will not be Dissolved’ »

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera yesterday blamed the previous government for not having a credible investigative mechanism to disprove unsubstantiated allegation that 40,000 civilian had been killed during the last phase of offensive action on the Vanni east front.

Minister Samaraweera was responding to a query by The Island whether the new government would make an effort to establish the truth in the wake of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe strongly disputing much touted figure of 40,000 civilian deaths.

Prime Minister Wickremesinghe recently told H.A. Hariharan of Tamil Nadu’s famous Thanthi TV that accusations had to be verified because of discrepancy in estimates made by various parties. The Foreign Minister endorsed the Prime Minister’s stand.

Continue reading ‘Mangala Samaraweera Promises to set up Credible Domestic Investigative Mechanism before September Sessions of UNHRC’ »

by

Bandula Gunawardena M.P.

The Opposition is giving the highest priority to dealing with several aspects of what is undoubtedly the most colossal fraud and cover-up ever perpetrated on our people. We consider it our public duty to take every possible measure to mitigate the continuing and increasing loss to the nation.

To recall the history of this matter, several Cabinet Ministers, according to their public statements, expressed strong opposition to the proposal by the Prime Minister for the appointment of Mr. Arujuna Mahendran, to the post of Governor of the Central Bank. Despite these objections, the Prime Minister insisted on the appointment for which he took personal responsibility. When the scandal broke out into the public domain within the first 50 days of the new administration, the Prime Minister appointed a three member panel of lawyers to investigate the matter. This had the effect of pre-empting a thorough, competent and impartial investigation which His Excellency the President had proposed. We are now told that the Prime Minister’s panel concluded that Mr. Mahendran is not “directly” responsible for the loss. On the basis of this purported finding, Mr. Mahendran is now back at work after temporary absence of leave.

Just as disturbing as the extent of the fraud, and its ramifications, is the sophisticated cover-up that was attempted. The evidence available indicates dishonesty of unimaginable proportions extending beyond the Central Bank to other public institutions, and warranting rapid and effective intervention by Parliament in the public interest.

Continue reading ‘Governor Arjuna Mahendran Set the Stage For Central Bank Bond Scam and Engaged in Cover up of Fraud’ »

by

Rasika Jayakody

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday told former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in no uncertain terms that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) would not nominate a Prime Ministerial candidate before the next Parliamentary election.

At the discussion held between the two warring factions within the SLFP, President Sirisena explained the “disadvantages” of naming a Prime Ministerial candidate before the election.

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Tells Mahinda Rajapaksa that he will not be Nominated as Prime Ministerial Candidate of the SLFP Before Next Elections.’ »

by Dasun Edirisinghe

A crucial discussion between former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and incumbent Mathripala Sirisena yesterday on five issues including fielding former as the SLFP Prime Ministerial candidate at the forthcoming general election ended with both sides agreeing to refer them to the SLFP Central Committee for approval.

The discussion held at the President’s office in the Parliamentary Complex with the participation of several SLFP MPs assisting both parties had taken up the issue of dissolving local government bodies prior to the general election, contesting the next general election under the UPFA banner, nomination of candidates at the general election and putting an immediate end to political interference with investigations conducted by the police Financial Crimes Investigation Division, SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said.

Former President’s team has requested the President not to dissolve local government bodies.

Continue reading ‘Five Issues Discussed Without any Decisions at First Round of Talks Between President Maithripala Sirisena and Ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa’ »