Political Interpretation Of PC Elections

By Shyamon Jayasinghe -September 30, 2013 |

Shyamon Jayasinghe

Election Results.’ Analysts’-if they can seriously be called so -argue from a particular vantage point of their personal bias.

Sri Lanka’s famed ‘political analyst,’ Dr Dayan Jayatilleka, has given the following  assessment:

“The biggest losers are the UNP and its leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe, as well as the JVP. In both cases, the issue is the leadership. Neither party has a personality as a national leader, who is capable of retaining, let alone attracting, votes.

The matter is more serious with the UNP because it is the main democratic alternative. The UNP used to be the largest single party in the country. Even when it lost power in 1994 after 17 years in power, and its candidate was the newly widowed Mrs Srima Dissanayake, who faced a formidable opponent in Mrs Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the UNP succeeded in scoring 43% of the voter base. Today, after 19 years of UPFA rule, the UNP can score only in the mid 20% range. What used to be the base vote of the UNP, namely 40%, is now the size of the gap between the UNP and the government!

There are around one and a half times as many ex-UNPers in the government as those remaining with the UNP in the opposition.

If the UNP were to face a Presidential Election with its present leadership, it will score even less than the 26% average it scored in the two provinces in this election.”

Dayan ends up proposing Karu and Sajith to replace RW.                Read More

Lack of representation at UNHRC, Ministry officials accompany MR

Monday, 30 September 2013

Senior members of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government are currently discussing the failure of the External Affairs Ministry to make proper representations at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva.

Government ministers say that Sri Lanka did not have a strong delegation at the UNHRC to counter the various allegations levelled against the country.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay also submitted an oral representation to the Council on Sri Lanka.
Interestingly, the entire External Affairs Ministry high command the Minister to the officials handling UN affairs was in New York last week with President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

As a result, no senior official had been assigned to Geneva where the UNHRC was in session.

According to senior Ministry officials, UN affairs in Geneva must be managed from New York and calling for strong representation at the New York mission.

They have said that New York is key to safeguarding Sri Lanka’s interests.

TNA’s clever move

Editorial-September 29, 2013

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has reportedly made another clever political move. It is said to have invited President Mahinda Rajapaksa to visit Jaffna to swear in Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran and other members of the newly elected Northern Provincial Council (NPC). It apparently wants to silence its critics by pledging its allegiance to the State through that symbolic gesture while indicating, at the same time, its desire to maintain its distance from Colombo, considered a metaphor for centralised power and unitary status.

The TNA has, in fact, made a virtue of necessity. It will be a comedown for Chief Minister Wigneswaran to be sworn in before Northern Governor Maj. Gen. (retd.) G. A. Chandrasiri the TNA has gone all out to get rid of. Hence its effort to bypass him! The President is expected to make known his response shortly. It will be interesting to see whether the President accepts the invitation and goes all the way to Jaffna to swear in the new Chief Minister and others on the TNA’s terms.

Politically speaking, if he does so, it will be just swings and roundabouts for him. Will he turn down the TNA’s invitation so that it will have to bite the bullet and have Wigneswaran sworn in before its bete noire, Governor Chandrasiri or will he invite the TNA councillors to Colombo to impress on them that he is the boss?

The TNA threw in its lot with former Army Commander Gen. (retd.) Sarath Fonseka when he ran for President. It went at full pelt in an abortive bid to enable him to defeat President Rajapaksa, a civilian. It was part of the Opposition coalition which argued that the US had elected Dwight D. Eisenhower, a five-star general turned politician, President and, therefore, Gen. Fonseka’s military background was no disqualification for him to lead the country. They also produced a list of several ex-service personnel serving as public officials at that time including Secretary of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, in support of their argument.

Had the TNA as well as its allies succeeded in their endeavour in 2010 and Gen. Fonseka won, its chief minister would have had to be sworn in before a former army chief turned President! How could it justify its campaign to remove the Northern  Governor on the grounds that he is a former Jaffna security forces commander?

The government has been equally hypocritical; its anti-SF campaign was premised on the much-publicised claim that ex-military personnel were not fit for political office, but it has no qualms about appointing them Governors!

Politicians and sportsmen

Transport Minister Kumara Welgama is reported to have lamented that defeated politicians never so much as look at winners after electoral contests unlike sportsmen who concede defeat graciously and shake hands with their competitors. Yes, if politicians come forward to contest elections to serve the public as they claim, there is no reason why they couldn’t respect popular verdicts and bow out.

But, by no stretch of the imagination could anyone expect politicians to exude sportsmanship—fairness, respect for one’s opponent and graciousness in winning or losing—because politics, as Churchill has said, is an earnest business and not a game. It was Will Rogers, famous for his not-so-lambent wit, who once remarked that politics had become so expensive that it cost a lot of money even to be defeated.

When a greedy politician loses an election and his investment goes down the gurgler with his dream of recovering it with compound interest, as it were, being dashed, it is only natural that he becomes too resentful to be gracious in defeat. Bu

CJ-43 objects to Bribery Commission notice

MONDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER 2013

Former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranaike in a motion filed in the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court day objected to the notice served on her by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption stating it was erroneous.

Counsel Nalin Ladduwahetty PC appearing on behalf of Dr. Bandaranayake said the prosecution could not serve the notice on a suspect before serving him or her with charges.

He said as no charges signed by Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya was served on her she was not an accused or  named as an accused and as such notice could not be served on her.

Counsel said it was a mistake on the part of the prosecution to have failed to annex to the notice the copy or copies of the documents intended to be used by the prosecution in the trial.

He requested Court to direct the prosecution to provide copies of any reports or other documents, computers and computer data which the prosecution intends to use as evidence against his client.

The counsel said it was wrong to serve notice before reading out the charges and it was immature and had no force in law.

He said notice should have been served only after the charges were read out within a period of 45 days and thereafter the defence should raise any objections 15 days prior to the trial.

Senior State Counsel Dilan Ratnayake said the Bribery Commission would provide the copies of the documents to the defence and was prepared to read out the charges to rectify the mistake.

Counsel Ladduwahetty said this was not the usual practice in courts. He said the motion was filed by him to enlighten court on the mistake made by the prosecution. However if the prosecution was trying to rectify it by that manner what would the world think about this case. He said it was like punishing a suspect for highlighting a mistake.

Magistrate Pilapitiya fixed further inquiry for November 14 and asked the defence to file their objections if any on that date and the court would consider what other steps need to be taken. (T. Farook Thajudeen) (Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana)

No Mercy For Shanty Dwellers Challenging UDA From De Facto CJ

October 1, 2013 |

Making policy statements from the Bench in open court in support of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa led Urban Development Authority, Sri Lanka’s de facto Chief Justice yesterday said no one should obstruct ongoing development programmes in Colombo, and denounced shanties and low income neighbourhoods as breeding grounds for vice.

Pieris and Gotabaya

Chief Justice Mohan Pieris said it was the responsibility of all stakeholders is to extend their support for the Governments programme to create a better living standard for low income earners in the city of Colombo, state media broadcaster Rupavahini said yesterday.

Pieris made these comments in open court when a petition filed against UDA with regard to the removal of several shanties in the slave island area was taken up for hearing at Supreme Court yesterday, according to the Rupavahini report.

“State Counsel told court measures would be taken to provide new houses to families who were evacuated from the area,” the State broadcaster said.

It said that Mohan Pieris had praised the initiative and said that low income earners in the city of Colombo resort to various vices because they have no proper housing facilities. Illegal acts such as narcotic rackets are evident in this environment, he said. Pieris pointed out that such activities could be prevented by providing facilities to these people to lead a better lifestyle, Rupavahini said in its nightly news broadcast.

Pieris added that everyone should refrain from obstructing the relevant programme.

Mohan Pieris was formerly an advisor to the Ministry of Defence and also served on two Defence Ministry owned and operated companies, Lanka Logistics and Rakna Lanka. The Chief Justice who was appointed following the flawed impeachment of Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake is believed to have been the choice of the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Since assuming office in January Pieris has made several highly political and partisan statements from the bench in open court, making it plain that victims of state excesses with regard to land acquisition, eviction and even death in state custody would not be eligible for redress under Pieris’ reign.

New Education Policies And Proposals – A Review

By Sujata Gamage -October 1, 2013

Dr. Sujata Gamage

A document outlining New Education Policies and Proposals (NEPP) was presented recently to the speaker and the members of the parliament by the Ministry for Education. This document is a result of deliberations on a new education act that began with a public notice published in November 2007 by the Committee to Draft a New education Act seeking input, and culminated with a series of sittings by a Select Committee of Parliament held during 2012.

The NEPP document would not have seen the light of day if not for the efforts by a group of volunteers who worked with Dr. Dr. G.B. Gunawardena, the Chairman of the Committee to Draft a New Act, to complete the document. The Gunawardena committee ran out of money midway and the work of the committee ground to a halt.  Volunteers led by Upali Chandrasiri, a civil society activist, worked day and night with Dr. Gunawardena, even spending money out of pocket, to complete the document.

The first and last comprehensive piece of legislation on education in Sri Lanka was enacted as far back as 1939. Since then several acts were passed for specific purposes such the take-over of schools (1960 and 61), Public Examinations (1968), Pirivena Education (1979), National Institute of Education (1981), Colleges of Education (1986), National Education Commission (1991) and School Development Boards (1993). To date, the education system has essentially been governed by these Acts and a system of circulars. It is opportune that the government has taken the initiative to update provisions of those acts and consolidate miscellaneous circulars.

Read More

The Al Jazeera interview with Mahinda Rajapaksa: Calling the bluff

by Groundviews

• - on 09/29/2013 

For starters, our President is clearly grossly uninformed or deliberately seeks to misinform. Take for example his assertion, around 8:50 into the interview, that European Union election monitors said the recently held Provincial Council elections in the North were free and fair. However, as far back as July this year, the EU categorically said they would not be sending any election monitors to Sri Lanka. In fact, as the Sunday Times first reported and subsequently re-affirmed, Sri Lanka’s Elections Commissioner himself had taken the position “not to entertain monitors from countries that had voted against Sri Lanka at the March UN Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva”.

The Al Jazeera Interview With Mahinda Rajapaksa Calling the Bluff by nelvely

SL military sends back officials inspecting illegal encroachment of pasturelands

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 September 2013, 23:29 GMT]
A team of civil officials and affected Tamil farmers, who went to witness illegal encroachment of pasturelands were blocked and sent back by the occupying Sri Lankan military in Koara’laip-pattu South and Ma’nmunai West divisions last week, news reports in Batticaloa said. The SL police was accompanying the visiting officials when the team was blocked by the SL military. 

On 23 September, a meeting was organized following complaints of systematic harassment by occupying SL military and its paramilitary known as ‘Home Guards’ seizing the pasturelands of Tamil farmers. 

The affected Tamil farmers met the SL Government Agent of Batticaloa District, Eastern Provincial Council members, divisional secretaries, SL police and military officials and explained how their pasturlands were being occupied. The arliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) from Batticaloa were present at the meeting which was held at the Koara’laip-pattu South Divisional Secretariat. 

A decision was made at the meeting to send a team of civil officials with police protection to inspect the occupation of the lands. 

However, on 25 September, the Sri Lankan soldiers at Periya Maathavan blocked the officials who were visiting the area for inspection. 

The Sri Lankan military has been occupying a number of pasturelands in five DS divisions, Poaratheevup-pattu, Paddip-pazhai, Vavu’na-theevu, Ea’raavoor-pattu and Koa’ralaip-pattu South. 

30,000 acres of lands had been allocated as pasture lands for the benefit of 250,000 livestock in Batticaloa district. In practice, the Tamil farmers were using 50,000 for several years. But, in recent years, the Sri Lankan government has restricted the area to 30,00 acres. In addition to this official ‘reduction’, the SL military has seized several acres of the lands within the allocated 30,000 acres, distributing these lands to the families of Sinhala ‘home guards’.

Sinhala Nation & Tamil Nation

by Gajalakshmi Paramasivam 

( September 30, 2013, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) Last night at the Sri Lanka Reconciliation Forum here in Sydney we had a robust discussion on Sinhala Nation, Tamil Nation and Sri Lankan Nation.

This morning I read the Sri Lanka Guardian article ‘Are The Tamils And The Sinhalese, Same Or Different?’ by Dr. Laksiri Fernando – who was also part of last night’s discussion group. I understand that Dr. Laksiri Fernando’s article is in response to Professor Hoole’s response to Dr. Laksiri Fernando’s article “Some Ethnic Differences Observed by Robert Knox”

Sinhala Nation & Tamil Nation by nelvely

TNA wants President in Jaffna for CM oaths

By Chris Kamalendran-Sunday, September 29, 2013

Rajapaksa invited for swearing-in of NP ministers to avoid Governor

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) which swept the Northern Provincial Council polls last week has held out an olive branch to President Mahinda Rajapaksa by inviting him to Jaffna to swear in Chief Minister designate C.V. Wigneswaran and other councillors.

“We are now waiting for the President’s return from the United States,” TNA leader Rajavarothayam Sampathan told the Sunday Times. He said the TNA wanted the President to swear in those elected — but in Jaffna. In terms of the Provincial Councils law, the Chief Minister of a province could take oaths before the President or the Governor of the respective province. However the law permits the board of provincial ministers to take their oaths before the Chief Minister.

One of the issues for the TNA during its polls campaign was a call to replace the present Northern Province Governor, G.A. Chandrasiri, a retired Major General. They want the appointment of a civilian. The TNA is yet to finalise its board of ministers in keeping with the Provincial Council law which permits five ministers. It has already decided that one of them should be the Chief Minister designate Wigneswaran.

The TNA wants to assign five councillors to each of its ministers to assist in their work. A TNA source said, “This is to ensure they keep track of development programmes and ensure they are kept to a schedule.”

The TNA wants to ensure representation from the Northern Pronvince’s five districts — Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Vavuniya — in the board of ministers.

After Polls Battle: TNA Chief Minister Elect Wigneswaran Meets Northern Governor

October 1, 2013 

Following a bitterly contested election in which the TNA made the removal of the military Governor of the North a major battle cry, Northern Chief Minister designate Justice C.V. Wigneswaran met with Governor Maj. Gen. (Rtd) G.A. Chandrasiri in Jaffna.

G.A. Chandrasiri

The TNA delegation discussed the appointment of the Chief Minister elect by the Governor and a venue for the recently elected council to meet.

TNA sources said an assembly hall in Kaittady was being prepared for the Northern Provincial Council to meet.

The Northern Governor is likely to issue the letter appointing Justice Wigneswaran as Chief Minister tomorrow, the sources said.

The TNA has repeatedly called for the replacement of the military governor Chandrasiri with a civilian. During the electoral contest, the TNA also accused the Governor of openly backing the ruling UPFA.

But the meeting in Jaffna between the TNA and the Governor had been civil, the sources said.

An Exaggerated Appearance Of Ethnic Polarisation

By Dr Jehan Perera- Monday, September 30, 2013

The results of the three provincial council elections held last week show a sharp contrast between the choices of the voters in the Northern Province and those in the Central and Northwestern provinces.

An Exaggerated Appearance of Ethnic Polarisation by nelvely

EPDP WANTS OPPOSITION LEADER POSITION OF SRI LANKA'S NORTHERN PROVINCIAL COUNCIL

2013-09-30

Sri Lanka government coalition partner, Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) has asked for the opposition leader position of the Northern Provincial Council, government sources said.

 

EPDP Leader, Minister of Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development Douglas Devananda has asked the government to appoint a EPDP candidate as the opposition leader of the Council.

 

Sources further say that the Minister has made this request in writing to the President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

 

Kandasami Kamalendran of the EPDP contesting under the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) gained the highest number of preferential votes among the UPFA candidates at the Northern Provincial Council election. He received 13,632 preferential votes.

 

The ruling party UPFA gained 7 seats in the 38-member Council while the major Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) gained 30 seats with the two bonus seats. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress received one seat.

 

http://www.colombopage.com/archive_13B/Sep29_1380470460CH.php

TGTE London ‘Genocide’ Conference Wants Diaspora To Perform Peaceful Resistance Against Sri Lanka In The Spirit Of Gandhi

September 30, 2013 

The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE) organised a two day International Conference aimed at ensuring accountability for those responsible for the “genocide” of Tamils in “Tamil Eelam” and an effective deterrence be provided for such genocide not only in Sri Lanka but for the rest of the world.

Visuvanathan Rudrakumaran - Prime Minister TGTE

Geoffrey Robertson QC

Lawyer David Matas from Canada for Tamil Genocide on 27th September 2013

 Read More

TNA to take up fishermen issue with Central Govt.

By Chrishanthi Christopher-Monday, 30 Sep 2013

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said today that it will take up the issue of the Tamil Nadu fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan territorial waters, with the central government as soon as it takes oaths next week.

TNA, spokesman, Suresh Premachandran told Ceylon Today that the problem of poaching in the northern territorial waters is going on for a long time and that soon a solution will be found to the problem  plaguing the northern fishermen .  

He said that the TNA is getting complaints from fishermen operating in the Mullaitivu and Point Pedro waters daily, complaining of Indian fisherman fishing in Sri Lankan waters.  “We hope to take the issue with the Ministry of Fisheries and the Tamil Nadu government, as soon as we take our oaths,” he said.

Premachandra said that the problem could be sorted out at least half way if the government allows sea fishing in the deep sea with trawlers.  He said that for deep sea fishing, 100 to 200 fishing trawlers can be used  and the catch would last for over a week. “When the fishermen fish in shallow waters the Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen do not know the maritime boundary and cross each boarders” he said. “It is only 15 – 20 kilo meters distance between,” he said. 

Premachandra said that the fishermen in the north have the twin disadvantage of not having trawlers and the deep sea fishing experience that goes with. He said that the north does not have a single trawler or the right kind of training in fishing. “The government has to support them,” he said.

However, the Fisheries Department said today that it is ready to have talks with the Indian External Affairs Minister , Salman Khurshid who is due to be here next week.  Director General and Spokesman, Nimal Hettiarachchi told Ceylon Today that the two governments will sit and talk on the long drawn out issue.  “It is going to be a difficult issue,” he said.

Commenting on the fishing trawlers that are being confiscated he said that they are being retained according to a recent directive issued by the Attorney General (AG). It is learnt that presently there are over 150 Tamil Nadu fishermen languishing in the jails with around 40 trawlers seized. (Ceylon Today Online)

I Should Be Sri Lanka’s Leader Not Provincial Chief Minister: Sajith

September 30, 2013 

Former UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa has hit back against attempts to make him contest the forthcoming Southern Provincial Council elections as the Party’s Chief Ministerial candidate, charging that “political eunuchs” within the UNP were attempting to relegate him to a provincial role.

Sajith Premadasa

“UNPers want me to be leader of this country, not Chief Minister of the South,” a suddenly outspoken Premadasa said yesterday, condemning those he called political has-beens and “eunuchs” for attempting to thrust him into a provincial poll battle in the Rajapaksa heartland.

“These bankrupt politicians who are looking longingly to the day when they can join forces with Chandrika Kumaratunga and wrest control of the SLFP once again are attempting to get me to contest a provincial election,” Premadasa said at a meeting yesterday.

“I would like to tell these ‘Website politicians’ and conspirators to at least now stop sabotaging the UNP,” he charged.

In the same breath, Premadasa also refers to the ruling Rajapaksa regime as “Rajapaksa Mahatturu”, a remark that has angered several UNP members.

The UNP’s Matara Working Committee passed a resolution recently, calling on Premadasa to contest as the party’s Chief Ministerial Candidate in the south to up the ante against the ruling regime. Premadasa has come out strongly against the call he says is being spearheaded by former SLFP strongman and current UNP Communications Director and MP, Mangala Samaraweera.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake speaking at a news conference today said there was nothing wrong with contesting as a Chief ministerial candidate and recalled that President Chandrika Kumaratunga had also commenced her road to the presidency as Chief Minister of the Western Province.

“It is nothing to scoff at and a good launch pad for greater political office,” Attanayake said.

Since the UNP’s devastating defeat in the provincial elections held on 21 September Premadasa has openly demanded the party leadership. Premadasa’s sudden outbursts come as UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghehas been thrust into yet another leadership crisis and speculation abounds that he may even step down.

Several UNP members have criticised Premadasa’s demands to take over the party reins, saying he has never been a team player or shown himself willing to accept a challenge on behalf of the party. “This rejection of the Southern Chief Ministerial contest is quite similar,” one UNP member said on grounds of anonymity. “In this instance also Sajith is showing himself unwilling to step up to the challenge. He wants to be President but he is not sure of winning a Chief Ministerial contest, that is a fact,” the member said.

To listen Sajith Premada’s speech click here

UNP Junior MPs Lobby For Change, Major Reorganisation Imminent, Says Harsha

September 30, 2013 |

The main opposition United National Party that has suffered humiliating defeats at consecutive elections for over nine years with the exception of the 2011 Colombo Municipal Council election will soon see “major reorganisation” says its national list legislator Dr. Harsha De Silva.

Harsha

Posting an update on his Facebook account, De Silva said that the party’s more junior members of Parliament had presented its suggestions to Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on September 27.

“The discussion was brutally honest and to the point. Let me tell you that he was most sincere and open to the suggestions that included ones never made before,” De Silva said adding that the proposals submitted to the UNP Leader had followed several days and nights of “brainstorming”.

De Silva said he had every reason to believe that he will take our suggestions fully onboard when he finally decides on the best course of action for the United National Party.

“I hope the others; seniors and juniors alike would put their self interests behind and unite to ensure we move forward from that point on to reach the common objective of every member of our glorious party,” the UNP Parliamentarian said.