It’s very unrealistic to think of a ceasefire at this stage -Basil

Q: Analysts see the May Eastern victory as a triumph of war strategy and political consolidation. Is there a danger of you and Gotabhaya exercising more power in this scenario?

First you need to see that the East was not a favourable province for the PA. The President lost the East badly at the Presidential election. We lost over 168,000 votes. In this campaign the UNP used three SLMC leaders and a prominent Sinhala politician to defeat the govt. Then the TNA made a public appeal for the people to vote against us; then the LTTE created tension to dissuade voters. Even the JVP contested separately. All we had was the faith that we had genuinely done work to develop the East. We had that confidence when we went before the people.

But on strengthening myself and Gotabhaya I need to deny that belief because I haven’t even gone to the East after the elections. I used to visit there at least once a week before but now the people have spoken and there is an elected people’s representative there who can handle the development; we don’t need to get involved there. My involvement in the East is less now. Even in the military side more and more power is coming to the Provincial Councils. The military presence is much less there. Those days the centre had more power because we worked through the governor, but now there are ministers and the CM so our involvement is negligible. Politically, we have power because our presence is strengthened after the elections in the East.

Q: Although you say your involvement is minimal, there must be much left undone in the East?

There is a lot to be done. We have resettled at least 90% of the displaced. Our target is to leave none unsettled by end December. On livelihoods too we are progressing with the help of donor agencies. The infrastructure development too is continuing according to plan. The East must be having the largest number of bridges in the entire country as planned. Water, fisheries harbour and roads will take priority. Even the World Bank has cited the East as a priority in the recently pledged funds. Reconstruction of the irrigation canals is also underway. The Trincomalee industrial estate is already underway.

Read more,
http://www.nationalsecurity.lk/fullnews.php?id=13259

Eastern Sri Lanka poll 'relatively violence-free'

The poll to elect a maiden provincial council in eastern Sri Lanka ended on a 'relatively violence-free note' with nearly 60 percent of about one million voters exercising their franchise, the election commission said Saturday.

'According to reports received at the close of the poll, the estimated voter turnout was approximately 65 percent, 55 percent and 60 percent in Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee respectively. Counting has commenced for postal votes,' the election department said.

An assistant commissioner of the election department at Rajagriya in Colombo told IANS Saturday evening that though there were reports of poll-related violence in all three districts in the eastern province, 'they were not serious in nature'.

'There were no immediate reports of 'serious poll-related violence' that could affect the overall outcome of the poll. We, however, have to wait for the zonal reports, which would be out only after the ballot boxes are opened for counting,' he said on condition of anonymity.

'Overall, I would say, the poll is relatively violence free,' he said, adding that the final result for the council would not be released if there was any re-polling due to malpractices.

However, the opposition parties such as the United National Party (UNP), the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) have charged that the poll was largely marred by violence, including rigging, impersonation, assault and intimidation instigated by pro-government mobs.

Read more,
http://www.indiaenews.com/srilanka/20080510/117229.htm

Muslims' future secure only with Govt tie - up - Hisbullah Calls Hakeem a traitor

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) stalwart M.L.M. Hisbullah said yesterday that it was only by joining hands with the Government that the Muslims of the East could aspire to have a Chief Minister from the Muslim community.

Addressing the media, Hisbullah said a gathering of Muslim politicians, Ulamas (religious leaders), scholars and other eminent persons from the Muslim community had decided to contest the forthcoming Eastern Provincial Council election jointly with the UPFA to elect a Muslim Chief Minister for the Eastern Province, under the Betel Leaf symbol.

He said had SLMC leader A. H. M. Ashraff been alive, he would have considered the present leader Rauf Hakeem a traitor.

"The SLMC was formed by Ashraff to represent Muslims in Parliament. He (Ashraff) had a desire to see the appointment of a Muslim Chief Minister and this could be secured only from the Eastern Province," Hisbullah said. However, he said Hakeem had become a traitor of the Muslims.

Read more,
http://www.dailynews.lk/2008/04/03/pol01.asp

UNP, SLMC in tie-up for provincial polls

The opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) have entered into a formal electoral pact to contest the election to the Eastern Provincial Council (PC) scheduled for May.

A senior UNP leader told The Hindu that the alliance was formalised at a meeting here on Tuesday evening. “It has been decided that candidates of both the parties would contest on the UNP election symbol, elephant. Talks would continue on seat sharing and details could be expected to be finalised in the next few days,” the leader said.

April 3 is the last date for filing nominations. The Tamil Makkal Vidutai Pulikal, a rebel LTTE faction, has entered into a pact with the ruling United People’s Freedom Party (UPFA) of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Hours after the SLMC-UNP tie-up was formalised, senior SLMC leader M.L.A.M. Hisbullah joined the UPFA.

Read more,
http://www.hindu.com/2008/04/03/stories/2008040356231500.htm

Sri Lanka Muslim lawmakers resign to contest provincial poll

Three members of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), a minority Sri Lankan political party, have resigned their parliamentary seats to contest the forthcoming provincial council poll in the eastern province.

The party has a strong base in Eastern Sri Lanka where a sizable population of Muslims live.

SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem, general secretary Hasen Ali and Basheer Segu Dawood will contest the eastern districts of Trincomalee, Amparai and Batticaloa, a senior SLMC official said.

The SLMC has struck a deal with the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to form an alliance to contest all three districts in the poll scheduled for May 10.

The UNP and SLMC have agreed to contest the elections together on the UNP ticket.

Read more,
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=2053919366

Sri Lanka has no plan to put off election in Eastern province

The Sri Lankan government on Monday denied a claim by the main minority Muslim party leader of a government plan to postpone the May 10 election for the Eastern Province.

"There is absolutely no plan to postpone the election," Keheliya Rambukwella, the government's defense spokesman and the Minister of Foreign Employment told reporters.

Rauff Hakeem, the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC)had accused the government of contemplating postponement of the poll claiming security issue as an excuse if the situation became unfavorable to it.

Rambukwella stressed that the government was determined to give the eastern people the political freedom of appointing their own leaders after its success of liberating the east from the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

read more,
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/31/content_7893152.htm

UNP Decide to contest for Eastern PC Polls

Sri Lanka's Main opposition United National Party (UNP) has decided to contest the Eastern Provincial Council Election to be held on May 10.

Working Committee of the party unanimously approved the party’s decision today. They also appointed a nomination board to coordinate the Eastern Provincial Council Election.

Ranil Wickranasinghe, the leader will discus with Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and other parties, General Secretory, Tissa Atthanayaka said.

Party has also decided to urge government and election commissioner to disarm armed groups before nominating, Atthanayaka said to media.

UNP did not contested for Batticaloa mini Election.

Extracted from,
http://news.nidahasa.com/news.php?go=fullnews&newsid=515

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.

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

Government wins Budget 2008 by majority of 47

The budget vote which generated much tension finally turned out to be an anti-climax with the Government securing a comfortable majority of 47.

The voting commenced today around 5.00p.m by name for and against the budget. There were 114 votes for the Budget and 67 against it. The JVP abstained from voting.

The UNP (Democratic Group), Jathika Hela Urumaya, Upcountry People's Front, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna and the Ceylon Workers' Congress voted for the budget while the UNP (Ranil Group), Tamil National Alliance and the Western Province People's Front voted against it.

Earlier in the day, veteran politician Anura Bandaranaike crossed over to the opposition benches.

Subsequent to the vote, Minister D.M. Jayaratne said that the Government will defeat terrorism and develop the country:

"Today we have emerged victorious on the 2008 budget and we will not hesitate to defeat terrorism and to carry forward our development programme," Mr.Jayarathne told www.news.lk.

Although SLMC’s Rauff Hakeem stirred up controversy with his crossover on Wednesday, with the UNP claiming that others in the Government will break ranks at today's vote, the Government mustered a comfortable 114 votes, sufficient to secure a majority even if the JVP had voted against the budget.

Wijedasa Rajapaksa, who crossed over to the opposition but abstained from voting at the second reading, opted to do the same today as well.

Wimal Weerawansa, Propaganda Secretary of the JVP, addressing parliament said that his party was not ready to be anyone's catspaw and makes decisions in the best interest of the country and the people.

Meanwhile Chief Government Whip, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle told www.news.lk that it was the LTTE and no one else that was behind moves to defeat the budget. "It was obviously an attempt to reverse the victories achieved by the security forces in the Eastern Province,

Extracted from,
http://news.lk/index.php?option=com

Muslim congress is now with the opposition

Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Rauf Hakeem and another three SLMC MPs resigned from their ministerial portfolios and crossed over to the opposition benches in parliament today.

The three MPs were Hassan Ali, Bazeer Segudawood and Faizer Cassim. Meanwhile, the government says it still has the support of a majority of SLMC MPs.

Ten members of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress were elected to parliament at the last general elections held on April 2004, and of them only four MPs remained with the SLMC and those four MPs including its leader Rauff Hakeem crossed over to opposition today.

Read more,
http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/8693

Sri Lankan Muslim party under pressure on budget vote

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), an ally in the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse, has come under pressure from its membership not to support the government in the key vote to take place December 14, party officials said Sunday.

“A majority of our executive committee members feel that we should abstain from voting,” said a party official who wanted to remain unnamed.
He said the grassroot members, particularly from the troubled eastern province, thought that the Rajapakse government had failed to address the security issues of the Muslims and their land ownership in the east.

“A decision was taken at the executive committee meeting held Saturday night to leave it to the party leader Rauff Hakeem, the high command, to take a final decision on the matter,” he added.
Hakeem, who is the posts and telecommunications minister in the government, and his five other legislators voted in favour of the government Nov 19 on the second reading of the government’s 2008 budget.

Read more,
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=