Day: 11 December 2014

“About three years ago, at a private meeting at the Central Bank Maithreepala Sirisena was the first person to say that there are questions about the way the roads are being built. He said there was a lot of waste going on. I think that was very brave of him.” University don turned parliamentarian Rajiva Wijesinghe was in the news recently for having crossed over from the government to the opposition and for having appeared on Al Jazeera with the head of the Global Tamil Forum Suren Surenthiran where he…

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The opposition has taken control of the Nuwara Eliya Pradeshiya Sabha. The change of power occurred after Palani Digambaram and P Radhakrishnan, two former Deputy Ministers from Nuwara Eliya District, joined the opposition yesterday. Digambaram was from National Workers’ Union while Radhakrishnan was from Up-country People’s Front. Along with them 4 Provincial Council Members and 34 members of local government bodies joined the opposition. With this change, the power in the 23 member Nuwara Eliya Pradeshiya Sabha transferred to the opposition. In the local elections held on March 17, 2011,…

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State sponsored goons had been unleashed on him and his that his life was at risk, Prasanna Solangarachchi, who teamed up with common opposition candidate Maitripala Sirisena, said at a hurriedly arranged media briefing today. Prasanna Solangarachchi is the Chairman of the Kotikawatte-Mulleriyawa Pradeshiya Sabha. Addressing a press conference hurriedly summoned by the United National Party (UNP), he said persons, appeared to be from the Special Task Force, were following him in Defender vehicles after he left the government and decided to support Mr. Sirisena. He said even the cut-outs…

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Multiple sources of the government and the opposition  confirmed that Western Provincial Councilor Hirunika Premachandra’s move to cross over to the common opposition ‘quickened’ Udaya Gammanpila decision to break ranks with the JHU. While it is widely believed that a businessman-Parliamentarian who is officially representing the opposition acted as the “broker” of the crossover, Hirunika Premeachandra’s presence in the common opposition has also been a major reason for Gammanpila’s exit. “It was widely rumoured among political sources that the Hirunika was promised the Chief Ministerial post of the Western Provincial Council.…

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SLMC still on the fence – By Cassendra Doole SLMC was still considering which candidate to support at the forthcoming Presidential Election. “Various opinions were discussed”at a meeting held at Dharussalam, SLMC Headquarters, on Tuesday, with no conclusive decision taken, SLMC sources told Ceylon Today. SLMC General Secretary, Hassan Ali said, a decision will only be taken in a few days after another meeting. He however, denied that any discussions were held with the joint Opposition. SLMC sources said, a large number of members took part in the meeting and some…

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The campaign under the main theme “Prepare and line up for Democracy in Sri Lanka” started from Colombo Fort Railway Station with distributing leaflets to public. The party will continue the campaign countrywide.   “Current president Mahinda Rajapaksa is violating Sri Lankan Constitution and breaking all the traditional political practice of call at this election. And it is illegal, and we make all our effect to defeat him,” the leader of the JVP Anura Kumara Dissanayake said. “Same time we are [JVP] inviting all the Sri Lankans to join us to…

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If presidency not abolished in his lifetime Vasu to Commit suicide By Kavindya Thomas Minister of National Languages and Social Integration, Vasudeva Nanayakkara stated he will take his own life, if the executive presidential system was not abolished during his lifetime.The statement was made at a media briefing held in Colombo yesterday (10). During the briefing, he said the abolishment of the executive presidential system was essential and the executive powers should be bestowed upon the Parliament as a whole, since that was where the democratically elected representatives were in…

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Turning Temple Trees into a ‘goldmine’ a political gimmick M.S. Fernando’s Tamil song, Thanga Kodi Sarippannuven, resonates Jaffna people’s fondness for investing in gold By Manekshaw Temple Trees turned into a ‘goldmine’ recently when President Mahinda Rajapaksa handed over the gold jewellery recovered from the possession of the LTTE to the rightful owners. In the late 80s, the LTTE started its campaign to collect one gold sovereign from each family in the Northern Province, to enhance its monetary strength. One of the bigwigs of the LTTE’s political wing, Yogaratnam Yogi,…

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By Jehan Perera The political campaign for the presidential elections will begin in earnest after nominations are handed over on December 8. Not all issues will be canvassed during the campaign as some of them will felt to be too politically controversial. There is however two issues in particular that need some agreement within the contesting political groupings, at least at the level of principle, prior to the establishment of a new government. After the election there are bound to be a host of new and unexpected issues that will emerge…

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Three Provincial councillors and 14 Pradeshiya Sabha members of Digambaram’s National Workers Union (NWU) pledged their support to common opposition candidate while one Provincial councillor of the Upcountry People’s Front also declared his support By Shamindra Ferdinando Having pledged to back Opposition presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena at the January 8, 2015 poll, National Workers’ Union (NWU) leader and National Languages and Social Integration Deputy Minister Palani Digambaram quit the SLFP-led coalition yesterday. The move was made amidst frantic efforts by the SLFP leadership to convince the young politician to remain…

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