21st January 2016

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Members of Parliament and TNA Provincial Council members held a key meeting today. TNA Provincial Council members from the North and East attended the meeting headed by TNA leader R. Sampanthan. Issues related to the TNA, the policy of the party and a political solution were among the matters discussed at the meeting held in Kilinochchi. The proposed new Constitution was also discussed at the day long meeting. (Colombo Gazette)

Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa says is prepared to enter politics if the public want him to. He is counting on sinhala racist votes as he is accused of being part of killing of more than 40,000 Tamil Civilians and organisor of the White Van run under President Mahinda which killed Journalists, Human Rights activists anyone who opposes Mahinda’s rule. Speaking to reporters outside the Presidential Commission on large scale fraud today, Rajapaksa said that the country needs a strong opposition. He said that Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan cannot be accepted as the opposition leader. Most of the Rajapaksha  family members and their associates are accused of large scale frauds and killings and are investigated. It is understood that Rajapaksha family can only coverup the […]

COLOMBO: Northern Province Chief Minister C.V.Wigneswaran on Wednesday strongly denied that the Tamil Makkal Peravai (TMP), which he heads, is a political organization in competition with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). But at the same time he pointed out that the TNA has reneged on its commitment to securing for the minority Tamils the right to self-determination. Speaking at a meeting of members of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) belonging to the TNA in Jaffna, Wigneswaran said that there was a marked  difference between the TNA’s manifesto for the NPC elections in October 2013 and its manifesto for the August 2015 Lankan parliamentary elections. While in the 2013 manifesto, the TNA had pledged to fight for the Tamils’ right to self determination, in the 2015 […]

An intimidating slogan ‘Sinha le,’ literally lion’s blood in Sinhala, the language of the majority of Sri Lankans, has triggered fear among the island’s Muslims. The slogan was first seen spray-painted on the gates of Muslim homes in Nugegoda, a suburb of the capital, Colombo. Since then it has appeared as wall graffiti in other parts of the city as well as on stickers and posters on private and public vehicles. The ‘Sinha le’ campaign is gathering momentum in social media too. The identity of those behind the ‘Sinha le’ campaign is yet to be established. Some believe that parliamentarian Udaya Gammanpila and the Sinhale National Movement are behind the hate campaign. Gammanpila, a former member of the ultra-nationalist Jathika Hela Urumaya, switched parties to support former President […]

We have read a plethora of reports appearing in the media on the shape and scope of the proposed new Constitution. The views expressed on the substance of the draft constitution by sections of the public, including the outlandish statement by a group of Buddhist organizations represent their personal or collective opinion or proposals. Aside, we may ignore the racist ranting by certain groups of freaks such as BBS and ESMP. However, when the government’s ministers and its accredited appointees who are involved in the process comment on substantive provisions of the proposed constitution, they represent the authentic, official version. Sadly, some of them have betrayed their innate prejudices and have freaked out. Their flippant attitude and outrageous statements effectively foreclose any hope that the […]

The move to introduce a new Constitution was an attempt to divert the people’s attention away so the Government could establish a special war crime court as proposed by the UNHRC to probe alleged war crime charges and to ‘hunt down’ armed forces personnels and politicians involved in killing of more than 40,000 of Tamil civilians in May 2009 said the former puppet and minister of Mahinda government. Addressing a news conference held at the Dr. N.M. Perera Centre in Borella, Peiris said the government had been given an ultimatum to execute UNHRC proposals and therefore, it would establish the war crimes court and introduce retrospective laws to take action on military personnels and political leaders involved in killing Tamil civilians. “The government is planning […]

Tamils surprised by Ranil’s speech Some international media reported that, President’s visit to Jaffna, during Thai Pongal festivals, was cancelled due to the pressure of radical Tamils. ‘Amid widespread protests by Tamils, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena cancelled his scheduled visit to Tamil areas to celebrate the annual Hindu festival of Thai Pongal on 15 January. Elaborate arrangements were made to organize this festival, but at the last minute the Sri Lankan President cancelled his visit and instead sent his Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, for the event. Visiting British State Minister for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hugo Swire and several diplomats also joined this festival.’ DR.Vickramabahu Karunaratne Whatever the reality relating to this event is, there is a campaign to depict that the democratic revolution, […]

BY Ruwan Laknath Jayakody The Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reform has mooted a by-election in any electorate in which the sitting Member of Parliament crosses over to another political party, abandoning the Party through which he was elected to Parliament. Lal Wijenayake, Chairman of the Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reform says the issue of electoral reforms and the question of crossovers would be addressed in the new Constitution, especially in the case of the country going in for a mixed first-past-the-post and proportional representation system. Electoral reform proposals can be obtained from the people as to whether they want the proportional representation system, the first-past-the-post system or a mixed system. He said this would settle matters because there was controversy and different schools of […]