Govt. challenges Janaka to reveal his stand on the war

Reiterating President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s pledge to defeat the LTTE militarily, the government yesterday challenged retired Major General Janaka Perera, the UNP’s Chief Ministerial candidate for the North Central Province to reveal his stand on the ongoing war against terrorism.

SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena and SLFP Treasurer Dallas Alahapperuma said the retired Army Chief of Staff and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe were sharply divided over the security strategy.

Agriculture Development Minister Sirisena said the UNP leader had repeatedly said the war against the LTTE couldn’t be won. "We’ll prove him wrong," he said, assuring the government’s commitment to a negotiated settlement to the conflict. But he ruled out the possibility of a fresh round of talks which would be advantageous to the LTTE.

Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene dismissed assertion that New Delhi had demanded an immediate halt to the ongoing offensive. The recent visit by a high level Indian delegation which comprised Foreign and Defence secretaries and the National Security Advisor was depicted as an Indian demand to call off the military action.

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http://www.island.lk/2008/07/09/news1.html

UNP, JVP in dire straits - Minister Sirisena

When considering the prevailing political atmosphere of the country and the behaviour of the party members it is clear that UNP and the JVP are in a helpless stage, General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Minister Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday.

Addressing a UPFA news briefing held yesterday, Minister Sirisena said it was unfortunate that the present UNP leadership criticised the ongoing security operations to eradicate terrorism.

“While on foreign tours the Opposition Leader says that our Forces can never win the war or defeat the LTTE. Unlike the then great UNP leaders such as D.S. Senanayake and Dudley Senanayake the present UNP leadership is pessimistic and tarnishes the image of the country,” the Minister said.

More than 7,000 UNP and JVP party members have deserted their parties and taken the membership of United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) since they were fed up with their earlier parties.

There wasn’t any UNP Parliamentarian, head of the party or even a lawyer who participated on the occasion of submitting nomination lists but only the candidates. “It seemed clearly that even the party members are let down by the leadership and moreover it indicated that they would lose the election,” the Minister added.

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http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/07/09/pol01.asp

Chandrika and Ranil try to stop aid says President

In an obvious reference to former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and United National Party leader Ranil Wickramasinghe President Mahinda Rajapaksa said they are conspiring to stop foreign aid to Sri Lanka in a way injurious to the common masses of the country to spite him.

Addressing the 18th Annual Convention of the ruling Sri lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) President Mahinda Rajapaksa accused not only the United National Party leadership but some past leaders of his own party of conspiring to stop foreign aid to the country to spite him in an obvious reference to former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

He said certain leaders have tried to stop the GSP plus concessions granted by the European Union on purported charges of violation of human rights in the country by secretly conspiring against the people.

Before the President leveled these accusations Prof. G.L. Peiris, Minister of Export Development and International Trade has admitted that the government was in the know that former President Chandrika Kumaratunga has had talks with some European Union leaders.

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http://www.sinhalaya.com/news/english/wmview.php?ArtID=15052

Govt. denies offering Chief Minister post to Pillaiyan

The government yesterday denied claims that it had offered to appoint TMVP leader Pillaiyan as the Chief Minister of East.

General Secretary of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance,

Minister Susil Premajayantha said "We have not offered the Chief Minister-ship to anyone. We will take a decision on it only after the elections to the Eastern Provincial council are completed."

He said at an SLFP Central Committee meeting presided over by President Mahinda Rajapaksa a decision had been taken that all political parties in the Alliance Government would contest under the single banner of the UPFA and the betel symbol. "I have written to several parties, including the JVP and the SLMC inviting them to join us and to contest under one banner and senior Advisor to the President Basil Rajapaksa had discussed this with the SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem a few days ago.

All the party leaders in the alliance, the Mahajhana Eksath Peramuna, Communist Party, Lanka Sama Samaja Party, Mahajhana Pakshaya, Jathika Hela Urumaya, National Unity Alliance and the All Ceylon Muslim Congress,were expected to meet yesterday afternoon to decide on the number of slots for each constituent party.

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http://www.island.lk/2008/03/25/news1.html

Former President attends the SLFP central committee meeting

Sri Lanka's former President Chandrika Kumaratunga last night attended the Central Committee meeting of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party held at the Temple Trees. The meeting was chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The committee meeting which started around 7 pm went till around 9 pm, during which time the CC passed two proposals. Among them was the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.

Although all the members had agreed to pass the two proposals, former President has reportedly claimed that she was against the 13th amendment.

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UNP's fullest support for 13th Amendment

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday extended the UNP's fullest cooperation to implement the 13th Amendment to the Constitution which has been proposed by the APRC proposals. The Opposition Leader gave this assurance following an extensive discussion with President Mahinda Rajapaksa held at Temple Trees yesterday.

During the discussion, President Rajapaksa briefed the Opposition Leader on the implementation of the 13th Amendment proposed by the APRC proposals.

In addition, the discussions also centred on the 17th Amendment, a media release issued by the President's Media Unit said yesterday. The UNP's representation for the next rounds of the APRC discussions was also discussed.

The discussions were conducted in a very cordial manner. SLFP General Secretary Minister Maithripala Sirisena, Ministers Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Prof. Tissa Vitharana, Prof. Vishwa Warnapala represented the SLFP while the UNP Chairman MP Rukman Senanayake and MP K.N. Choksy represented the UNP, the release added.

Extracted from,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/02/27/pol01.asp

Mervyn De Silva to quit parliament

Labour Minister Mervyn De Silva speaking to www.news.lk today confirmed reports that he would resign his parliamentary seat shortly. The Mnister represents the United People's Freedom Alliance.

He was first elected to Parliament in 1994 from Hambantota on the UNP ticket and crossed over to the People's Alliance in 1999. He is currently the SLFP Organizer for the Kelaniya electorate.

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http://www.news.lk/index.php?

Instead of punishing Mervyn, SLRC workers being harassed - JVP

Though SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena and other senior Ministers promised to take disciplinary action against Minister Mervyn Silva, who along with some thugs entered the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and assaulted the News Director, so far nothing positive has happened. Instead, investigations were being made to victimise the workers of the Rupavahini Corporation, JVP trade union leader, Parliamentarian K. D. Lalkantha told The Island yesterday (31).

The entire country knew what had happened at the SLRC but now there were investigations taking place against the employees who are being questioned as to who authorised the use of cameras, air time and so forth, he said.

"This procedure is totally wrong. People who entered the SLRC with goons were not punished, but the workers have been threatened, stabbed and intimidated during the last few days. All trade unions of the SLRC, irrespective of their party allegiance, gathered recently to discuss the situation," he said.

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http://www.island.lk/2008/02/01/news3.html

JVP rejects solution based on Indian model

The JVP yesterday rejected APRC (All Party Representative Committee) call for a series of measures to achieve maximum and effective devolution of powers to the provinces in the short term.

JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe said that Minister Tissa Vitarana’s so called APRC was no APRC at all. How could they categorise it as an all party committee when the JVP and the UNP weren’t represented. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which recognised the LTTE as the sole representatives of the Tamil speaking people, too, boycotted the committee.

Addressing the press at Savsiripaya auditorium, Amarasinghe asserted that except the SLFP, other parties which endorsed the proposals were in fact no political parties. They were ‘three wheeler’ parties and their endorsement wouldn’t mean a thing, he said.


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http://www.island.lk/2008/01/28/news1.html

Rajapaksa agrees to make 'province' unit of devolution in Sri Lanka

In a significant move that could help bridge the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka and lead to a lasting political settlement of the Tamil question, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has agreed to make the 'province' the unit of devolution instead of the 'district', as proposed by his own Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) earlier.

'The President has agreed to make the province the unit of devolution,' moderate Tamil leader and government minister K.N.Douglas Devananda told foreign correspondents in an interaction here Thursday night.

The ruling SLFP's proposal to make the 'district' the unit of devolution instead of the 'province' had dismayed the Tamils, including the most moderate, because the community had been struggling for the past 60 years for a federal constitution in which a Tamil speaking northeastern province would enjoy a reasonable degree of autonomy.

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http://www.indiaenews.com/srilanka/20071221/87390.htm

Sri Lanka major opposition national organizer to join the ruling party

Speculations are spreading in media circles that the United National Party (UNP) National Organizer S.B. Dissanayake would join the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) soon.

Sources say that discussions are underway to redress the UNP leader’s civil and political rights under a special pardon by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

S.B. Dissanayake was a former right hand of the ex-President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. He later defected, joined the UNP and held a senior portfolio under Ranil Wickremasinghe’s premiership.

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http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/November640300SL.html