Day: 21 July 2015

Former Minister of State for Fisheries, Dilip Wedaarachchi, says that it is not surprising that Mahinda Rajapaksa decided to flee from Hambantota because he failed to provide the much needed water supply scheme, a programme to develop agriculture and improve the livestock industry in his hometown district. Former President Rajapaksa had stated at a meeting held in Mawathagama recently that he decided to contest Parliamentary elections from Kurunegala District because the most number of his trusted temples, loyal soldiers and affectionate Members of Parliament are in Kurunegala District. “This is…

The Government says there is no proof to back claims that China is supporting the election campaign of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, responding to a question posed by theColombo Gazette on a live chat over the Facebook page of the BBC Sinhala service, said that he was aware of unconfirmed reports that the Chinese government is funding Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election campaign. “None of these allegations have been substantiated. And I don’t believe that the Chinese government will stoop to those levels,” the Foreign Minister said. Rajapaksa is…

The Government says investigations into allegations of corruption and fraud by the former Government are continuing. State Minister of Power and Energy Palitha Range Bandara said that the allegations into some members of the former regime are being closely looked into. He said that more and more information has been unearthed with regards to the alleged large scale fraud committed by the former Government. However Range Bandara said that the law will be strictly followed and the current Government will not take arbitrary decisions like the former Government did when it acted…

MR misleads people by telling lies BY SHAAHIDAH RIZA Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who nurtured the LTTE in the latter stages of the war, has the audacity to accuse the UNP Government of doing the same, said the deputy leader of the UNP, and Minister of Housing and Samurdhi Sajith Premadasa. Addressing a crowd at Agunukolapelessa, Hambantota at a campaign meeting, he also said all the subsequent governments since the inception of the LTTE terrorism have done their utmost to contain their brutal activities. “The former President accused the UNP…

Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka on Sunday said that those who had left the former government to usher in good governance had proved that they were not power hungry. “It was for the sake of democracy we gave up our ministerial positions when we left the Rajapaksa regime to support the campaign of Presidential candidate Maithripala Sirisena. We knew that the leaders who were in the pockets of drug dealers were not capable of ensuring a bright future for our children,” the minister said, addressing an election rally…

Liberal Party breaks silence; no MoU with UPFA Wants Rajiva to resign from UPFA National List Liberal Party Secretary General Kamal Nissanka issuing a press release states that the party has not signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA). He further states that though the party supported the Common Candidate at the last Presidential Election, with a resurgence of forces representing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa entering politics through the UPFA, the party was divided in its opinion and was in a dilemma as to…

By Jehan Perera Shortly after his unforeseen defeat at the presidential elections of January 2015 by an alliance of opposition parties, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa began to campaign for a comeback that was backed by more and more members of the UPFA. Although President Maitripala Sirisena made clear his unhappiness, and initially resisted the comeback bid, he finally yielded on the grounds that it was the only way to prevent the division of the former ruling party. President Sirisena’s decision to go along with the former president’s nomination to the…