Day: 14 November 2014

The Fateful Triangle – India, Sri Lanka And MOSSAD

Karu

You can’t defend yourself when you’re militarily occupying someone else’s land. By Mohammed Jehan Khan – The recent siege of Israel on Gaza citizens has made Israel a reinvigorated hero among two Islamophobes in the South Asian region, the ruling BJPs of India and Sri Lankan hardliners and their Facebook warriors. These two forces in the region promote and venerate Israel among the general public. These two supporters of Israel decry its excesses. They wring their hands over the tragic necessity of air-strikes on Gaza. The agony is that those…

Read More

LSSP Affiliated TUs Defy Party Stance To Support MR At Upcoming Polls

Karu

Two trade unions affiliated to the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) – Ceylon Federation of Labour (CFL) and the Government Workers’ Trade Union Federation (GWTUF) have disassociated themselves with the decision taken by the party few weeks ago to support President Rajapaksa in his candidature for a third term at the upcoming presidential elections, pointing out they are not ready to support an individual who is interested in continuing the Executive Presidency. CFL Chairman Percy Wickramasekara and GWTUF Chairman DMD Abeyrathne issuing a joint statement to express their stance on…

Read More

Why is NPC not allowed to exercise Powers ?

Karu

The President says he allowed elections to the Northern Provincial Council. But what he has given with the right hand he has withdrawn with the left hand. The NPC is hamstrung because the power is exercised by the Governor. Provision was made legally for it by the Provincial Councils Act of 1987 which undid the devolution to the PC under the 13th Amendment. We have had a highly centralized State during the colonial period, as well as after Independence. But after 1956 we adopted something peculiar to Sri Lanka. Our…

Read More

NPC collects info. on lands

Karu

By Mirudhula Thambiah The Northern Provincial Council has initiated a survey to collect information on the ownership of land in the Northern Province, whereby the ‘illegal acquisition of land’ could be evaluated. The NPC had also directed other local councils to collect information on private lands, government lands and public buildings, under the control of the security forces. Accordingly the NPC has forwarded letters to the heads of municipal councils, urban councils and pradeshiya sabha’s to submit information to the council. Information relating to State lands, private properties and the…

Read More

Conversations with Sarath N Silva

Karu

Sarath N Silva MEANWHILE IN A PARALLEL UNIVERSE These are moving-around days.  There’s talk of people crossing party lines.  There are people plotting regime-change.  There are people getting ready to counter such moves.  People are talking to people.  We have the Constitution Abolishers.  We have the Constitution Amenders.  Then there are people trying to cobble together parties and other political groups as well as prominent personalities in a grand coalition that would support a ‘Common Candidate from the Opposition’.  These same people are also busy trying to find a ‘Common…

Read More

Rajapaksas screaming about Tigers and Jihadists, traitors and conspirators

Karu

Another Term Of This Madness?  By Tisaranee Gunasekara – “Negligent, ambitious, and perverse Princes are the real causes of public misfortunes.” – D’Holbach (Good Sense Without God) This month, a female university-entrant fell off a seven-foot wall and suffered spinal injuries[i], while participating in the Leadership Training Programme in an army camp. The military spokesman says the wall was just six feet high. Let’s believe him. What sort of ‘leadership training’ entails jumping from a six-foot wall? Armed robbery? Kidnapping? Movie stunts? Mahinda HitlerWhat is the logic of herding students…

Read More

A ‘cartel’ has hijacked the State

Karu

Former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations and present Chairperson, Intergovernmental Working Group on the Rights to Development, Human Rights Council, Geneva, Tamara Kunanayakam, says the government and the Ministry of External Affairs has no direction or clear orientation to follow and she was pushed to step down due to a ‘deliberate’ action played on her by the foreign office. “I got caught in the middle of a power play run by a ‘cartel,’ she told Ceylon Today. Following are excerpts: Q: You were an outstanding diplomat…

Read More

An appeal to India’s conscience

Karu

The call for justice for his people by the Tamil head of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province is quite significant. But is there political space in Sri Lanka that New Delhi can manoeuvre? The appeal made in Chennai this week by the Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran, for Indian help to procure justice for Tamils in his country is perhaps the most impassioned, well-articulated and timely call by any leader of the community from Indian soil since the days of Tamil United Liberation Front leader A. Amirthalingam.…

Read More

PSC the time buying game of the President since June 2013 given six more months

Karu

The  Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), appointed to find solutions to the national problem, was extended by another six months, through a motion moved in Parliament last morning, by Chief Governmen  Whip, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, on behalf of the Leader of the House. Accordingly, it will continue to sit to recommend and report on political and constitutional measures to address the country’s national problem, till 12 May 2015, as the work could not be completed. The committee was appointed in June 2013. The PSC, headed by Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva,…

Read More

Table copy of SC opinion on third term in House – UNP

Karu

Speaker promises to inquire into Opp demand November 13, 2014, 9:52 pm by Saman Indrajith Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga yesterday requested the government to table a copy of the Supreme Court decision that enabled President Mahinda Rajapaksa to seek re-election for a third time, in Parliament. Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa assured the UNP that he would look into Amaratunga’s request and make his position known. Raising a point of order at the commencement of public business in Parliament, MP Amaratunga said that would help MPs know the basis on which…

Read More

How democratic and civil was parliamentary rule ?

Karu

By Kusal Perera – Commenting on the Opposition slogan of “Abolishing the Executive Presidency”, Communist Party boss DEW Gunasekera had said, this is only to muster co-operation amongst them against President Rajapaksa. Yes it is. What’s wrong in choosing a demand or a slogan that most could agree ? The fact that DEW cannot subscribe to it as he chose to support President Rajapaksa for the third time, does not invalidate the opposition efforts in forming a broad alliance. What my ignorance cannot comprehend is, not why the opposition cannot…

Read More