Day: 19 July 2015

Gypsies Sunil Fears Mahinda Will Kill Him If Elected

Karu

Sunil Perera the famous musician and leader of the band Gypsies said that he fears for his life if the Mahinda Rajapaksa led UPFA party wins the upcoming General Elections and comes back into power. The ‘bring back Mahinda movement” has only one objective ‘Paliganeema’ or ‘revenge’ said musician Sunil Perera in an interview with Swarnavahini, a local television station. The famous musician fearlessly went on a tirade against the former President Rajapaksa’s party members, even calling them thieves and murderers who are protected by a man who is greedy…

Read More

TNA to push for permanent political solution

Karu

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) says it will continue to push for a permanent political solution for the Tamils. TNA member Suresh Premachandran said that the TNA will be seeking support for two main issues during its election campaign. He said that a resolution for the Tamil issue is what the Tamils have been calling for, over a long period of time and that will be one of the key issues raised at the polls campaign. Resettling the war displaced, releasing Tamil political prisoners and providing answers over the hundreds…

Read More

169 million missing Treasury allocations for tsunami reconstruction in LTTE controlled areas in 2006

Karu

The case filed in the Supreme Court by the police Special Investigations Unit (SIU) against former parliamentarian and RADA Chairman Tiran Alles and others will be taken up on July 22. In this case, the SIU sleuths are investigating the Rs. 169 million missing Treasury allocations for tsunami reconstruction in LTTE controlled areas in 2006. The SIU sleuths said the funds may have ended up in LTTE coffers with the connivance of a middleman. Four suspects including the then Finance and Administration Director of RADA Jayantha Dias Samarasinghe are still…

Read More

If’s and But’s of ”Back to Mahinda Family”

Karu

Will former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ambitious comeback bid succeed? He has not waited long after he lost the presidential elections in January 2015 and he is contesting from Kurunagala parliamentary seat for the August 17 Parliamentary elections as a candidate of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the coalition that he headed when he was president from 2005 to 2015. The current president Maithripala Sirisena had no choice but to allow his predecessor’s nomination because the majority of the party demanded it. Although he is not contesting as…

Read More

The Man Who’s Disrupting Politics As Usual in Sri Lanka Read more: The Man Who’s Disrupting Politics As Usual in Sri Lanka | Provocateurs | OZY

Karu

For much of the past decade, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was more or less a family business — one that happened to be run on an island just 22 miles off the coast of the second-largest country in the world and astride a key shipping lane to the largest. By one estimate, former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his two high-ranking brothers controlled up to 70 percent of the nation’s budget, while 29 members of their extended family held senior positions in the government, civil service…

Read More

Britain amongst top ten investors in Sri Lanka – High Commissioner

Karu

By Steve A. Morrell The promotion of trade between and the UK is on a firm footing, British High Commissioner in Colombo, James Dauris, said last week. Addressing the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Council for Business with Britain (CBB), convened at the British High Commission, he said that at present 150 British companies are operative in Sri Lanka. The quantum of trade, in financial terms, was at 850 million Pounds Sterling, and at that level trade relations between both countries were good. Britain is among the top 10…

Read More

TNA confident of winning 20 seats – General election 2015

Karu

TNA confident of winning 20 seats – General election 2015 By Ananth Palakidnar Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Leader and Trincomalee District chief candidate R. Sampanthan says the TNA would be able to settle all political and humanitarian issues by 2016 if the Tamils in North and East ensure a massive victory for the TNA in the coming general election. Sampanthan’s assurance came in an address to party members and supporters at an event in Trincomalee last Thursday on the imminent parliamentary election. Sampanthan said: “The Tamil National Alliance is willing to…

Read More

MAHINDA and his clan of ROGUES will be rejected

Karu

One of the main architects of the ‘January 8 silent revolution,’ the outspoken Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne is noted for his advocacy on democratic rights and plural politics. He asserts that his interest always lies in the country and not the party which comes second to him. The former President may be somebody in the UPFA but not in the SLFP, which is headed by President Maithripala Sirisena. Nobody can take action within the party without consulting him. In an interview with the Sunday Observer, the Minister said President…

Read More

Secret pacts won’t solve Tamil problems – Douglas

Karu

by Ranil Wijayapala The problems of the Tamils cannot be solved through secret pacts signed with other political parties like the TNA had done and the attempts to address the Tamil issues should always be open to the Sinhala community in the South if such attempts are to be successful, EPDP leader and former Minister Douglas Devananda said. He said that none of the attempts to solve the ethnic problem through secret pacts and deals by political parties had ever been successful as they had no people’s backing. The EPDP…

Read More

Presidential Commission to expose mega frauds

Karu

by Dhaneshi Yatawara Government funds may have been used to organize a public rally in support of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidential bid in December last year, according to evidence now being led at the hearings of the Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Large Scale Corruption and Fraud, which began hearings in Colombo, last Thursday morning. No proper procedure seems to have been followed in these dealings, according to testimony. With over 600 complaints received of massive fraud, the Special Presidential Commission probe is expected to expose a number…

Read More

Spent Rs 13.2 M on MR’s presidential campaign? Gunaratne to be grillled for fraud

Karu

By Niranjala Ariyawansha The special presidential commission investigating large scale fraud and corruption has summoned former Deputy Minister of Fisheries Sarath Kumara Gunaratne to question him about spending a sum of Rs 13.2 million belonging to the Fisheries Corporation on the presidential election campaign of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Gunaratne is the Chief Organizer of the United People’s Freedom Alliance for Negombo. Secretary of the Commission, Lascille de Silva told Ceylon Today that Gunaratne was summoned to the Commission on a complaint that the former Deputy Minister of Fisheries had…

Read More

Rajapaksa’s sky jack of Sri Lankan flights : Rs 785M for three years

Karu

By Namini Wijedasa The Sunday Times obtains documents showing expenses of the former President Former President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, spent more than Rs. 785 million within three years to charter SriLankan Airlines aircraft for his visits abroad, documents obtained by the Sunday Times show. The airbuses would often remain idle in various airports until Mr Rajapaksa finished his tours. SriLankan has billed his office a total of Rs 785,079,185 for 90 aircraft movements in 2012, 2013 and 2014. This figure does not reflect other multiple costs such as crew accommodation. These…

Read More

President battles with his own party amid suspense and turmoil

Karu

Ecstasy and agony over Sirisena’s mes sage to the nation: UNP overjoyed, SLFP and UPFA furious For the first time party leader gets enjoining order to prevent special meeting of his party;rumours of plans to expel him Heated arguments over nominations and national list: UPFA list was handed over minutes before deadline It was an epochal, rare and historic moment in Sri Lanka’s three decade old executive presidency.A President heaped both agony and ecstasy to his fellow countrymen on the eve of a parliamentary election. Just one sentence in a…

Read More

Cannabis in CM’s police vehicle Mahipala Herath claims the jeep was stolen

Karu

A surprise Excise raid on an official vehicle of Sabaragamuwa Chief Minister Mahipala Herath at Polgahawela yesterday revealed that it was transporting cannabis or Kerala Ganja. But the Chief Minister told the Kegalle Police three hours later that the jeep was stolen, Police and Excise officials said. The vehicle belonging to the inner security detail of the Chief Minister was carrying two kilograms of imported cannabis (ganja). The vehicle was a police jeep with a siren. The vehicle was taken into custody by the Excise Department’s Special Crime Branch sleuths…

Read More

Sirisena Checkmates MR, Supports Good Governance

Karu

Inaugural UPFA rally held without its leader’s photograph  Pro-Good Governance forces vow to defeat Rajapaksa elements President Maithripala Sirisena, last week, broke the deafening sound of silence he maintained for several weeks by re-aligning himself with the mandate and forces that voted him to office at the January 8th Presidential polls in hope of a positive change in the country. Last week, it seemed like Sirisena had managed to checkmate Mahinda Rajapaksa. This column, last week, stated that Sirisena is scheduled to make a statement after the conclusion of nominations…

Read More

UPFA nominations drama at Keppetipola Mawatha

Karu

The United People’s Freedom Alliance, with the launch of its election campaign, had a tumultuous week with the party leader, President Maithripala Sirisena, making a fiery statement over the party’s nomination. Apart from the President’s statement, the party had to deal with a myriad of issues with regard to nominations for the Parliamentary election. The party was divided into various factions internally and every group tried to increase its ‘quota’ in every district. While loyalists of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga wanted to ensure nominations for their members in several districts, the…

Read More

Basil and Susil removed my name – Karuna

Karu

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan A close confidant of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former National List MP and Vice President of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan aka Karuna Amman says the UPFA cheated him, the man who helped immensely to win the war. “If not for me, the people in the South would not be able to walk about freely, as I was the one who contributed mostly to win the war,” former LTTE militant told Ceylon Today. Following are excerpts: ?What are you doing these days? A: Nothing. ?You recently…

Read More

EPDP: The counterpoint to TNA- Douglas

Karu

by Ranil Wijayapala Leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), former Minister Douglas Devananda says that his party has decided to go solo at the forthcoming general election, without contesting the election under UPFA as done earlier. Douglas Devananda (The Hindu) Claiming that there are a number of outstanding issues affecting the people in the North and East, Devananda said that the party would remain committed to working for the people’s welfare. The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) is a North-based political party with strong leanings towards India. Founded…

Read More