North PC Minister snubs lion flag

December 9, 2013

Northern Provincial Council Minister P. Ingaranesan has decided to snub the National flag saying it does not represent the Tamil people in Sri Lanka.

At a function held over the weekend the Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Water Supply, who was the chief guest, refused to raise the National flag.

Ingaranesan was invited by the organisers of the event at a school in Mannar to raise the lion flag before the rest of the events continued.

However, according to the Jaffna media, the Provincial Minister refused to do so and also objected to the failure by the organisers to have the Provincial flag.

Speaking at the event later Ingaranesan said that there must be a separate post for the Provincial flag at all events.

He also said that as long as the lion with a sword in its hand remains on the National flag it will not be accepted by the Tamils. (Colombo Gazette)

President to meet Kenyan leader

December 8, 2013

President Mahinda Rajapaksa will head to Kenya for talks, at a time the Kenyan leadership is facing a trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

President’s spokesman Mohan Samaranayake said that President Rajapaksa will first travel to South Africa to pay his respects to the late South African President Nelson Mandela.

From there he is scheduled to head to Kenya and is likely to meet Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta who has been charged by the ICC of orchestrating deadly violence in Kenya in 2007.

President Kenyatta did not attend the Commonwealth summit in Sri-Lanka last month, becoming the first Kenyan President not to attend the event since Kenyan independence.

Kenya was represented by the country’s Foreign Minister and President Rajapaksa’s visit to Kenya, not just as the President of Sri Lanka but also as the Commonwealth chair in office, comes amidst reports Kenya was not happy with the Commonwealth Secretariat over its failure to back Kenya against the ICC trial.

The trial against the Kenyan President before the ICC will begin next February. (Colombo Gazette)