Day: 19 August 2015

Stop branding people as ‘plantation Tamils’

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BY Mirudhula Thambiah Popular civic rights activist in the plantations, Odaiyan Arumugam said the new government that comes into power should mainly ensure that plantation Tamils are not just people living in the country but identified as citizens of Sri Lanka of Indian origins. “If we brand them as plantation Tamils, they will be identified as inferior or only confined to plantation. Giving them equal status with other communities could be a positive step as they have so many years of political development,” he said. Excerpts of an interview: ?.…

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Rajapaksa’s Loss Spells Victory For Democracy

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By R Hariharan – Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s hopes of coming back to power as Sri Lanka’s prime minister crashed when the. United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), which fielded him as a candidate, lost out narrowly to the United National Party (UNP)-led coalition in the parliamentary election held on August 17. In the most peacefully conducted election in Sri Lanka in recent times where over 70 per cent of the people are said to have voted, the UPFA could win only eight of the 22 electoral districts as against its…

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Ranil reigns, Mahinda mauled!

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Ranil to be sworn in as PM as UNF wins  Sirisena loyalists tipped to defect and join National Government  Mahinda magic fails; says “My dream of becoming prime minister has faded away” Analysts predict Rajapaksa will not bow out; MR-MS power struggle to continue  JVP disappoints; party strongmen ousted in poll  JVP anti Rajapaksa campaign may have had role in ex-Prez’s poor showing: observers  TNA makes major gains, wins 16 seats  By Dharisha Bastians  Voters rejected former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s prime ministerial bid yesterday, routing his party in a tight electoral contest and issuing a…

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TNA welcomes new Govt

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TNA welcomes new Govt By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said that, based on their Election Manifestos, the party would be addressing the Tamil people’s immediate needs and implement them … without any delay as soon as the new Parliament is formed. The TNA, which swept the entire North and the East in the parliamentary election held on 17 August, said that they would also welcome the new Maithri-Ranil Government to continue to protect and nurture the people’s mandate that was bestowed upon them in the 8 January…

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20 Big losers at General election

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S.B.Dissanayake (UPFA-Mahanuwara), Mahinda Samarasinghe (UPFA-Kalutara), Vijith Vijithamuni Soysa (UPFA-Moneragala), Shantha Bandara (UPFA-Kurunegala), Nirupama Rajapaksa (UPFA-Hambantota), Sunil Handunetti (JVP-Matara), R. Yogarajan (UNP-Nuwara Eliya), Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera (UPFA-Digamadulla). Jagath Pushpakumara (UPFA-Moneragala), Piyasena Gamage (UPFA-Galle), Milroy Fernando (UPFA-Puttalam), Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena (UPFA-Matara), V.K. Indika (UPFA-Kurunegala), Nandimitra Ekanayake(UPFA-Matale), Rohana Dissanayake (UPFA-Matale), Uditha Lukubandara (UPFA-Badulla), P. Dayaratne (UPFA- Ampara) Lakshman Seneviratne (UPFA-Badulla) Tissa Karaliyadde (UPFA-Anuradhapura). Suresh Premachandran (TNA – Jaffna)

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Ranil’s UNP govt. with President’s backing!

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by Shamindra Ferdinando UNP-led United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) secured ten out of 22 electoral districts, including Colombo to obtain the largest block of seats at the Aug. 17 parliamentary polls, though it couldn’t secure a simple majority in 225-member parliament. The UNP won 106 seats, including 13 National List slots, UPFA 95 with 12 NL slots, ITAF 16 with 2 NL slots and the JVP six with two NL slots. The EPDP and the SLMC won one seat each and got no NL slots. Authoritative political sources…

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US hails commitment shown by Lankan voters

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The United States said it commends the Sri Lankan people and Government for the election, which demonstrated their enduring commitment to democracy and the rule of law. US State Department spokesman John Kirby said the United States applauds the Sri Lankan elections commissioner, Sri Lankan civil society, and the candidates themselves for holding free and fair elections that were widely hailed as among the most peaceful in Sri Lanka’s history. He said the United States looks forward to working with President Maithripala Sirisena, the prime minister, and the new government. (Colombo Gazette)…

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