Month: November 2014

”SLFP is being dominated by Ethanol and Drug Mafia” Minister Janaka Bandara

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Video:Party we built is being dominated by ethanol-drug mafia – Janaka Bandara laments Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekone has broken down while making a speech at T.B. Tennekone Hall at Galewela today (30th) and after 5 minutes of silence has made a very emotional speech. He has said the SLFP was being dominated by ethanol and drug mafia. Speaking further Mr. Janaka Bandara Tennekone has said, “I’m a pure SLFP party man. I told the President regarding the resentment I received from certain quarters in the party. I told Namal at…

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Minister Navin resigns, joins opposition

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Minister of State Management Reforms Navin Dissanayake has sent his letter of resignation  from his Ministerial post, to President Mahinda Rajapaksa. In the letter, Dissanayake explains the reasons behind his resignation adding among them was that he was unable to carry out his responsibilities and meet the needs of the people in Nuwara Eliya District, who he represents. While also resigning from the Nuwara Eliya electorate coordinating council, Dissanayake says he hopes join hands with the forces mobilising to abolish the executive presidency. Extracts from his resignation letter: “I never got the…

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FILES? – SLMC and MR hold talks

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SLMC and MR hold crucial talks The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has had crucial talks with President Mahinda Rajapaksa as the party looks to decide who it will support at the Presidential elections next year. An SLMC delegation led by SLMC leader and Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem met the President and a government delegation which included Minister Basil Rajapaksa, and detailed to them the core issues faced by the Muslim community in Sri Lanka, an SLMC source said. The SLMC had also noted some concerns with regards to the Eastern Provincial…

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‘Muslims Have Already Decided On The Election’ : Azath Salley

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Former Deputy Mayor of Colombo and Muslim Tamil Unity Alliance leader Azath Salley has stated that the Muslim people have already decided which side to vote in the upcoming presidential election. Speaking to BBC during a visit to London, he has added that Bodu Bala Sena’s decision to support President Mahinda Rajapaksa has put not only the minorities but even the Buddhists in a difficulty to vote for the president. The government has a standard formula of four terms namely, ‘diaspora, NGO, external forces and contractors” but the people has…

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Maithri’s First Election Rally: “I Am Ready To Sacrifice My Life For The Country”

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 Addressing the first election rally in his run up to the presidency in Sri Lanka, common candidate of the opposition Maithripala Sirisena questioned as to what the government has done for the people of Sri Lanka, using its overwhelming majority in Parliament. He  also added that the Memorandum  of  Understanding that he  is to sign with the political parties of the opposition – including the United National Party – will be revealed tomorrow. While promising to increase the farmers’ pension and uplift the farming sector, the common candidate also pledged…

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JVP Stresses The Need Of Regime-Change

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JVP Stresses The Need Of Regime-Change Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna Propaganda Secretary Vijitha Herath said that the JVP could never be a hundred percent certain that Maithripala Sirisena will abolish executive presidency. Speaking at the “Satana” political talk show on Sirasa TV last night, he mentioned that promises of abolishing the executive presidency has been given before but not kept. There is always the risk of a repeat of that scenario once again, he added. Herath said that this is the reason for the JVP to formally keep out of endorsing…

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Supporting the War Crimes and Violations of Human Rights by Modi!

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Refugees free to remember dead RELATED NEWS Political parties in TN welcome release of 5 Indian fishermen BJP hits out at Vaiko for remarks against PM Nation is grateful to Rajapaksa, Modi for fishermen’s release: Heart-warming to hear that Sri Lanka released fishermen, says BJP Rajapaksa orders release of 78 Indian fishermen DMK chief M Karunanidhi today joined other political parties in Tamil Nadu in criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for wishing Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa a success during the upcoming elections in his country. “It has to be…

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Tamils lit lamps in their houses at 6.05 pm throughout the Northern Province.

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Events Held On LTTE ‘Heroes Week’ By  Camelia Nathaniel Events commemorating those killed during the war, both civilians and the LTTE, were held at the Jaffna University and also in London and Canada last week. Last year Tamil National Alliance Northern Provincial Council member M.K. Sivajilingham had a conflict with the police when he attempted to hold an event which the police felt glorifying the LTTE. Sivajilingham however said that this year he did not hold any commemorative events in the north. Some students of Jaffna University brazenly defied an…

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Despite evidence police neither see nor hear Govt. supporters’ evil

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20 School Children Tested HIV Positive By Indika Sri Aravinda As Sri Lanka joins the world to observe World AIDS Day tomorrow, statistics have revealed that several children have been tested positive for HIV in Sri Lanka. The National STD/AIDS Control Programme said that 20 children had been identified this year as being HIV positive. Director of the programme, Sisira Liyanage told The Sunday Leader that a survey had found that some school children had contracted HIV as a result of having unsafe sex. He said that other ways in which the deadly…

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Defence Ministry takes over Lanka Cement property in Jaffna

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Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry has acquired a 104-acre block of land and buildings owned by state-run Lanka Cement Plc at Kankesanthurai in the northern Jaffna peninsula, the company announced on Tuesday. In a statement to the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), Lanka Cement, which is a listed stock in the CSE, said it has requested compensation for the acquisition of the land and buildings. All staff, it said, would be retired under the state’s Voluntary Retirement Scheme. No reason was given for the acquisition. more

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Gold, gold, gold – suddenly Sri Lanka is filled with riches!

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Gold locked away in safes and almirahs in Sri Lanka is estimated at Rs. 5 trillion, Central Bank (CB) Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal said this week. At the same time (on Wednesday), Army Commander Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake told reporters that gold seized from the LTTE during the 2009 operations would be returned to 1,900 owners by the President at a ceremony on December 4. Following the announcement, an opposition parliament asked, “If this gold was available for the past five years why wasn’t it released earlier”? At a symposium…

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‘BEST BLACK FRIDAY OFFER IN SRI LANKA’ – Rs 450 million per Govt MP and Opposition MPs who cross over

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Rs 450 million per Govt MP and Opposition MPs who cross over The Sri Lanka Government is to allocate funding for over 150 special development projects using the carry forward allocations of the earlier 2014 budget, top government sources said. High level government authorities have issued a directive to immediately allocate Rs.450 million per head as development funds to selected parliamentarians. The sources, who declined to be named, said that the allocation (Rs. 450 million each) would also apply to MPs who cross over to government ranks. While this emergency…

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Lords To Debate Lanka Again

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By Easwaran Rutnam The House of Lords is to have a short debate on Sri Lanka next month, the second such debate to take place within a span of one month. The main focus of the debate scheduled for December 11 will be on bilateral trade between the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka. Last week the British House of Lords discussed Sri Lanka, including the lifting of EU sanctions on the LTTE and the Presidential elections. In response to a question, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, a cabinet spokesman at the House of…

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CBK hopes to attract at least 24 others to supporting Sirisena’s candidacy.

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Game Of Politics Plays On! The lack of support for Sirisena has puzzled observers who are beginning to believe that CBK has engaged in a super-league game of brinkmanship and that by propelling Sirisena forward she hopes to attract at least 24 others to her fold Up until passing the Budget, there were palpitations at Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) upper balcony. This was caused not so much by any uncertainty from the bulk of the SLFP parliamentary group but more in anticipation of who would ‘do the dirty’ and…

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We Have Yet Not Decided -TNA

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Will Discuss On A Third Candidate – Udaya Gammanpila The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has decided to submit three proposals to the common opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena.  The JHU proposals are to abolish the dictatorial powers of the President, establish independent commissions to guarantee good governance and amend the election system to be answerable to people. Speaking to The Sunday Leader the JHU MP Udaya Gamanpila said that they have exhausted all avenues of discussion with the government. However, he said that they had not held any discussions with any other party prior…

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“limit” former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s role in the presidential campaign

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Maithripala’s campaign hits ‘CBK snag’ The ‘common opposition’ has been compelled to “limit” former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s role in the presidential campaign of Maithripala Sirisena due to pressure from the Jathika Hela Urumaya, The Nation learns. The JHU, which has expected to play an active role in Sirisena’s campaign, has indicated – through various channels – to the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe that Kumaratunga’s role in the presidential campaign should be reduced, at least in open forums…………………  read all – See more at: http://www.nation.lk/edition/latest-top-stories/item/35786-maithripala%E2%80%99s-campaign-hits-%E2%80%98cbk-snag%E2%80%99.html#sthash.oB6c6kte.dpuf Flagrant violation of polls laws,…

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Maithripala Sirisena would obtain 59% of the vote compared to just 41% for Mahinda.

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Ravaya lead rubbished ‘We stand by our story’ — Ravaya  Election Predictions Despite the State Intelligence Service (SIS) stating that it would sue the Ravaya newspaper for publishing a ‘false’ and defamatory article, the newspaper emphasized that it stood by its story.  News Editor of Ravaya, Lasantha Ruhunage, told The Nation yesterday (November 29) that the paper stood by its story and had no intention of apologizing. “As for legal action (by SIS), we’ll have to wait and see what happens,” he said. Ravaya’s lead story last week claimed that…

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Catholic Bishops were promised by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa BUT He like his brother has gone back on his promise!

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Catholic Bishops were promised by Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa last month that he would take all such posters down. He has, however, gone back on his promise,” Earlier, this week, the Catholic Church issued a statement requesting the authorities to remove all political posters and cutouts with the Pope’s image. The Church also urged political parties to refrain from using the Pope’s visit for the political campaign ahead of the presidential election. “We feel our request is quite enough. If the people involved have any ethics and morals they will…

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700,000 strong vote base in the North. Will that be the deciding factor at the January polls is a pertinent question?

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Confusion confounded in country’s ‘colour’ politics However, India seems to be closely monitoring the development in Sri Lanka with a Presidential Poll in January. Colombo views the Maithripala defection to challenge Rajapaksa as an international conspiracy backed by the West. Government Ministers repeatedly level that accusation against Western greats, Britain and the United States of America. The two big nations are yet to respond to that charge. Meanwhile, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which represents the majority Tamil vote in the North and a considerable segment in the East appears…

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I’m the ONLY one who can abolish the Executive Presidency, but will NOT do it as I promised!

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President Mahinda Rajapaksa today said ONLY he could abolish the Executive Presidency because his government already possessed the two-thirds majority in Parliament. “If the only reason to campaign against me is the abolishment of the executive presidency, what they should know is that I’m the ONLY one who can do that, (and will not do it although I have promised to do so)” he said. He expressed these views today while addressing a ceremony held at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre to offer the credentials assigning sacred lands for Buddhist Monks…

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