India-Pakistan friction threatens South Asia trade at SAARC summit
. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the opening session of 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Kathmandu November 26, 2014. 

 Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif receives a guard of honour upon his arrival to take part in the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Kathmandu November 25, More...

BY GOPAL SHARMA AND FRANK JACK DANIEL-KATHMANDU Wed Nov 26, 2014 

(Reuters) - Hostilities between rivals India and Pakistan on Wednesday threatened to scupper efforts by South Asian leaders to boost trade among almost a quarter of the world's people, throwing into doubt any prospect of a regional customs union.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars, and just last month exchanges of fire across the border in disputed Kashmir killed 20 people. The bickering spilled into a two-day regional summit in Kathmandu, and their leaders refused to meet.

Indian and Nepali officials said Pakistan declined to sign three multilateral pacts with the eight members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

The agreements aim to boost road trade and electricity sharing, including across Pakistan's heavily militarized border with India.

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, India's foreign ministry spokesman said one country had cited incomplete "internal processes" for not signing the pacts, but stopped short of naming it.

Pakistani officials did not respond to telephone calls seeking comment.

Such a refusal threatens efforts by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make South Asia a viable economic counterweight to China and limit Beijing's role in the region.

Regional integration would happen "through SAARC or outside it," Modi warned the summit, if the grouping failed to agree on the pacts.

Nepal's former foreign secretary, Madhu Raman Acharya, echoed the sentiment, urging the grouping to step up "sub-regional cooperation".

Almost all the leaders at the summit expressed dismay at Sabre's sparse achievements since it was founded 29 years ago aiming to become a European-style union.

Despite a free trade pact since 2006, trade among South Asian nations makes up five percent of their total trade. They share few transport and power links.

China, free of the baggage that makes much of the region wary of India, has built ports and sold weapons across South Asia, where its new Asian Investment Infrastructure Bank has attracted interest, including from India.Through Pakistan, China suggested it play a larger role in the regional grouping, but India rebuffed the proposal.

Modi held two-way talks with every leader except Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, since neither was ready to make the first move to defuse tension between the nuclear-armed states.

Modi relaxed visa rules, spotlighted new energy ties with Bangladesh and Nepal and promised to cut India's trade surplus with neighbours, but said progress in ties was too slow.

"Is it because we are stuck behind the walls of our differences and hesitant to move out of the shadows of the past?" Modi asked.

(Additional reporting by Gopal Sharma in Kathmandu, Rupam Jain Nair in New Delhi, Michael Martina in Beijing and Katharine Houreld in Islamabad; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Clarence Fernandez)

Ten Amazing Health Benefits of Limes

Ten Amazing Health Benefits of Limes

by Kerry Tombs-Harling - Nov 2, 2013

Limes are deliciously sour fruits that are vital to many Indian recipes, and they can also add a refreshing and zesty edge to a glass of water. More importantly, however, eating limes can impact on your physical health in some substantial and fascinating ways. Read on to learn all about ten ways in which incorporating more limes into your diet could help to improve and extend your life.

1) They have antibiotic properties:

During a cholera epidemic in West Africa, it was observed that drinking lime juice seems to afford some protection against infection from cholera bacteria. A variety of studies on this topic have now been conducted, and these support the claim that lime juice can influence whether someone will contract cholera. The current hypothesis is that this protection against certain bacterial infections comes from the flavonol glycosides in limes.

2) They are good for cardiovascular health:

Firstly, limes contain potassium, and food that is high in potassium can help to keep your blood pressure within healthy limits (thereby protecting your heart). In addition, limes are a very rich source of vitamin C, and vitamin C helps to combat dangerous free radicals that promote excessive buildup of cholesterol inside the blood vessels. As a result, limes are a wonderful addition to your diet if you want to reduce your likelihood of suffering from a stroke or heart disease, and some heart disease patients have found that vitamin C is also capable of slowing the progression of their disease.

3) They can help you lose weight:

A single lime contains a mere twenty calories, and contains zero grams of fat. This means that if you enjoy the taste of limes, they are the perfect thing to eat as a snack (or as part of a snack) when you are trying to lose weight. Further, if you are trying to avoid drinking high calorie and sugary sodas, flavoring a glass of still or sparkling water with lime juice will help to satisfy your urge for a strong, refreshing flavor in a healthier way.

4) They are capable of preventing and slowing certain forms of cancer:

Limes contain compounds called limonins, which are anti-carcinogens stay in the body for over a day (which is uncommonly long compared to the duration that most anti-carcinogens persist in the body). Several studies on limonins have revealed that they can aid the human body in battling breast, lung, mouth, and rectal cancers. In addition, there is something called kaempferol in limes, and scientists have discovered that it is capable of minimizing the uncontrolled cell division that is characteristic of cancer. It is particularly strongly linked to reductions in the growth of breast cancers.

5) They can help people with indigestion and other gastric complaints:

Lime juice has the property of being very similar to the natural digestive enzymes in your body, and this means that consuming limes or drinking lime juice help your body to digest food more easily. Part of this involves relieving uncomfortable gas pains and abdominal bloating, as well as suppressing acid reflux.

6) They may help to protect you against arthritis:

Since limes contain so much vitamin C and vitamin C can help to protect the body against the damage of free radicals, limes can also help to reduce your inflammation levels. This is because free radicals are not only possible carcinogens but also capable of promoting painful, excessive inflammation. As a result, limes are a good addition your diet if you happen to suffer from arthritis or any other inflammatory disease (such as ulcerative colitis). There is also some evidence in favor of the idea that a high vitamin C intake will reduce your likelihood of ever developing any kind of arthritis, so it is worth eating plenty of limes even if you do not currently have an inflammatory disorder.

7) They can boost your immune system:

There is a link between high vitamin C consumption and a strong immune system, so if you consume a lot of limes then you may be less likely to catch irritating infections such as the cold or the flu.

8) They can sooth the pain of aching and tired feet:

If you bathe your feet in warm water that is infused with lime juice, you can find some relief from the soreness and swelling that is caused by standing or walking for long periods of the day. This can be extremely useful if you have a job that requires you to constantly be on your feet.

 9) They may be able to boost your respiratory health:

It has been claimed that limes are capable of helping to reduce asthma symptoms, but this is still a contentious claim that is not yet adequately supported by research. However, current studies do support the claim that limes can help your respiratory health by reducing the frequency and intensity of the coughs and sore throats that usually accompany cold or flu infections.

10) They can protect you against macular degeneration:

Macular degeneration is one of the main causes of sight loss in older people, but ingesting plenty of vitamin C greatly reduces your risk of developing this problem. As a result, limes are a perfect snack if you want to eat something that will help to preserve your sight.

As is obvious from the above health benefits, limes are an excellent choice if you want to increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables. When picking limes for purchase, make sure to select ones that are bright green, look glossy, and are coated in a smooth skin.

Related Posts

Death threat against Jaffna University 

teacher, students ‘for reviving LTTE’

November 24, 2014 

Suspected Sri Lankan military intelligence operatives on Monday have threatened to kill the Jaffna University Teachers’ Association President and four students, accusing them of “reviving the Tamil Tiger rebels”.

According to university sources, several hand-written posters in Tamil slang were found pasted in and around the university area. “Will kill Nivas, Thamilselvan, Aynkaran and Britto and Rasakumar” one poster read, while the other said “These people are reviving the LTTE”, “We will kill them” and “We will not allow Heroes’ Week commemorations”.

Commenting on the latest threats against the university community, a Jaffna University lecturer said such threats “should be considered very seriously because they have come few days before the LTTE’s Heroes’ Day commemoration”.

“The army and its intelligence operatives have already increased their presence in the  vicinity of the university and they are visibly behaving in a threatening manner. These warning cannot be taken lightly. We have been denied the even the basic rights to mourn and commemorate hundreds of thousands of our people killed in the war,” he told Colombo Mirror via phone on condition of anonymity.

Other sources in Jaffna said that the military intelligence unit has opened two “surveillance centres” at Nachchimar kovilady and Kaladdy junctions last week to closely monitor the movements of the University staff and students. These two surveillance centres have been set up at civilian houses, located within 500 meters away from the university.

The LTTE Heroes’ week is annually commemorated on November 27. The Sri Lankan Security Forces in the past threatened, attacked and arrested several students activists for commemorating the LTTE’s Heroes’ Day.

Meanwhile, the police and the military spokesmen in Colombo have said Security Forces in the North and East “would not allow events glorifying the LTTE in the name Heroes Week”.

“The LTTE is a terrorist organisation proscribed in Sri Lanka. In the name of heroes or otherwise we will not allow anyone to glorify terrorism, we will prevent it,” Military spokesman Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya has said.

Police spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana has said that the police personnel in the North were kept on alert to deal with any situation that may arise because of the Heroes’ Day commemorations.

“We will not allow any commemoration of terrorism openly and allow these extremist elements to spread ethnic hatred,” he told reporters in Colombo.

Investing in Sri Lanka: why human rights matters

25/11/2014

“This week is the 30th anniversary of the start of the Sri Lankan civil war, and is also the week that Cordiant, the world's biggest fund manager specialising in private loans to emerging markets, has signed its first loan from CELF IV, its new emerging markets private loan fund. The loan is to LOMC, Sri Lanka's leading micro-credit group, which is using microleasing and small loans as a way to rebuild Sri Lanka's economy."

Investing in Sri Lanka Why Human Rights Matters by Thavam

 MEDIA RELEASE-GOOD GOVERNANCE

Created on 25 November 2014

GOVERNANCE CONCERNS OF ETHNIC MINORITIES MUST ALSO BE PART OF ELECTION CAMPAIGN

One of the major campaign themes at the forthcoming Presidential election is the issue of good governance, specifically the abolishing of the Executive Presidency and de-politicising of institutions of state. There has been a continuous erosion of the independence of the main institutions of governance over the past four decades that began with the First Republican Constitution of 1972. In recent years there has been an even greater centralization of power in the hands of the Presidency which has been justified by national security considerations. 

The National Peace Council welcomes the declarations by the opposition political parties that they will institute reforms with regard to good governance if they obtain victory at the forthcoming presidential elections. However, good governance needs to also take into account the existence of an ethnic conflict in the country. It was the long unresolved ethnic conflict that first emerged during the British colonial period that finally led to three decades of civil war. Finding a solution to the ethnic conflict needs to be given priority. It is also important to address the concerns of the ethnic minorities in order to make them full participants in the electoral process.

The National Peace Council believes that the concept of good governance needs to be widened so that it embraces the concerns of the ethnic and religious minorities. The discussion on issues of power sharing and devolution of power need need to be made a part of the discourse on good governance. Greater devolution means not only good governance, but also greater and wider democracy. It also means reduction of centralisation of power while addressing the long festering ethnic conflict by ensuring power sharing between the ethnic communities and outlawing ethnic-based discrimination. Whoever wins the election will need to deal with these issues of good governance also.

Governing Council
The National Peace Council is an independent and non partisan organization that works towards a negotiated political solution to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. It has a vision of a peaceful and prosperous Sri Lanka in which the freedom, human rights and democratic rights of all the communities are respected. The policy of the National Peace Council is determined by its Governing Council of 20 members who are drawn from diverse walks of life and belong to all the main ethnic and religious communities in the country.

SL military raped conscripted Tamil women after Rajapaksa meeting

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 November 2014, 09:07 GMT]
47 Eezham Tamil women from Mullaiththeevu, recently conscripted to the occupying SL military and put under the Civil Security Department (CSD), were taken to Mihintale on 22 Saturday when SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa was on a trip to the ‘sacred city’. After the president of genocidal Sri Lanka requested the Tamil women to engage in campaign supporting him, the SL soldiers were having a party. Some of the 47 Tamil women were raped by the Sinhala soldiers and the others were subjected to sexual harassment, one of the victims told TamilNet on Monday. The women were also sexually harassed in the bus on their way back to Mullaiththeevu. 

When the affected women went to complain to the SL military at the CSD office in Vanni with their husbands, they were told not to protest such ‘routine practices’. The SL police has also declined to register their complaints on sexual harassment, a victim told TamilNet.

Most of the recent ‘recruits’ to the SL military in Vanni are from poverty-stricken families. Some of them have been forced to join the occupying military as their husbands or brothers were in danger because of their former association with the LTTE.

More than 10,000 Tamil men and women, most of them associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are exploited by the occupying SL military at the agricultural farms in Vanni.

The CSD personnel were deployed for pro-UPFA election propaganda during the NPC and civic elections in the recent past.

At Vaddak-kachchi in Ki'linochchi division, Tamil women were being badly treated by the SL military. There have been reports of Tamil women committing suicide in the farms. A section of them have also been transformed into sexual workers by the occupying SL military.

The 47-member group and their families are at shock following the episode at Mihintale.

How Valuable A Free Press Is: US Embassy Removes Sison’s Residence Gathering Video

November 25, 2014

SThe US Embassy Colombo, an outspoken critic of Sri Lankan government’s media suppression and advocate of freedom of expression and right to information issues in Sri Lanka has yesterday removed a video from You Tube after Colombo Telegraph published a story based on the video.

Michele J. Sison – US Ambassador

The US propaganda video entitled “Daniel Pearl World Music Days” was uploaded to You Tube and the US Embassy Facebook has been widely circulated over social media.

In the video, a freedom of expression activist and a politbureau member of the NSSP, Dharmasiri Lankapeli, who was also outspoken critic of American imperialism and neoliberalism was seen dancing at the US ambassador Michele J. Sison‘s residence.

Lankapeli, is one of the three key signatories of the recently formed Action Committee for Media Freedom. Two days ago the ACMF issued a statement condemning theSirasa Satana censorship imposed by the government through privately owned cable TV networks.

Uploading the video to the US Embassy Facebook page the embassy said; “U.S. Ambassador Michele J. Sison recently hosted the popular Sri Lankan band Marians at her residence to commemorate Daniel Pearl Music Days 2014. Civil society activists and journalists were among many who attended the event that is observed each year in the month of October. Since 2002 there have been over 11,000 performances in 129 countries to celebrate the theme of ‘Harmony for Humanity’ and pay tribute to the late Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl. As U.S. President Barack Obama has said, ‘The loss of Daniel Pearl was one of those moments that captured the world’s imagination because it reminded us how valuable a free press is.’

Monument for Tamil war dead to be erected in Germany

25 November 2014

The Tamil monument during construction (Photo: Knut Vahlensieck, Der Westen) A sculpture to commemorate Tamil war deaths will be erected in the German town of Essen later this week, reported the German paper Der Westen. German sculptor Georg Schaab created the12-ton granite monument at the request of German Tamils, who funded it using donations from the community. “Many Tamils were driven away from Sri Lanka since the civil war in the 1980s and live in exile across the world,” Schaab said. The monument is supposed to give Tamils a place to remember their war dead, particularly those who fought in the war, as Tamil cemeteries have been destroyed by the Sri Lankan state since the end of the armed conflict, the paper said. A large flame lily, the national flower of Tamil Eelam, will be placed on top of a plinth, which has the names of 27 Thuyilam Ilam (Tamil war cemeteries) and their locations in Tamil Eelam engraved in them. The front of the plinth has the words “Damit wir nie es vergessen” (Lest we forget) engraved, both in German and in Tamil. Small pieces of gravestones, collected at the ruins of the original war cemeteries and smuggled out of Sri Lanka by Tamils, have been attached next to each of the names, Schaab further said. The monument will serve as memorial site for Tamils across Germany, if not Europe, he predicted, adding that he had to cross several bureaucratic hurdles during the process, including contact from the federal government. “Initially a map of the Tamil region, the non-existent state of Tamil Eelam was included in the design for the plinth, however that was not allowed (by the state),” Schaab explained. The monument will be erected this Saturday in a cemetery in the Essen suburb of Fulerum, two days after Maaveerar Naal will be commemorated by German Tamils a few miles away in Dortmund on the 27th of November.

Sri Lanka Catholics, monitor condemn use of pope's image on election posters

An presidential election campaign poster in the Kochchikade area of Colombo features Pope Francis and President Mahinda Rajapaksa (Photo by ucanews.com)

• November 25, 2014

An election monitoring body and Catholic leaders in Sri Lanka have condemned the use of Pope Francis’ image on campaign posters featuring President Mahinda Rajapaksa and called for their removal from public spaces.

“The president has already used the Pope’s image for his election campaign and there are posters in public places in Colombo,” said Rohana Hettiarachchi, executive director of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL).

The posters, which feature the pope and Rajapaksa, have been placed in multiple locations around Colombo since last week, though it is not known who is responsible for distributing them.

“As an election monitoring body, we urge the respective authorities to remove immediately these illegal posters and cut-outs,” said Hettiarachchi.

Last month, the government announced it would hold a snap presidential election in January — almost two years ahead of schedule — with Rajapaksa seeking a third term. The pope is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka from January 13-15 of next year, just five days after the election, which is slated to take place on January 8.

Catholic leaders in Sri Lanka also urged candidates to refrain from using posters and cut-outs of Pope Francis during their campaigns.

“We urge the government and all other political parties to refrain from using the Pope’s visit for their political campaigns,” said Bishop Raymond Wickramasinghe, chairman of National Commission for Social Communication.

Rev Fr Cyril Gamini Fernando, director of the National Catholic Center for Social Communications, issued a press statement on Sunday calling for the “respective authorities and persons to remove those political posters and cutouts immediately”.

Minister Susil Premajayantha, a member of the national election operation committee of the United People’s Freedom Alliance, said the ruling party had no part in the creation or distribution of the posters featuring the pope and Rajapaksa.

“The United People’s Freedom Alliance has never used any photograph or cut-outs of pope images for our election campaign and it is strictly prohibited in our propaganda,” the minister said.

'End election violence'

On Tuesday, Sri Lanka's elections chief and pro-democracy activists also urged police to stem campaign-related violence that has flared since the snap election was announced.

Commissioner of Elections Mahinda Deshapriya said he had asked police to bring to justice those responsible for two shooting incidents since Friday, involving government supporters and backers of the main opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena.

"I have asked police about these incidents, I have told them to take action against offenders," Deshapriya said. "I seek the cooperation of political parties to ensure a trouble-free election. It is also the responsibility of candidates to restraint their supporters."

Deshapriya said he was hoping to invite Commonwealth, European and Asian observers to monitor the election campaign.

The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE), which is a private pro-democracy pressure group, said it feared an escalation of violence in the run-up to the January 8 vote.

"There had been at least five major incidents involving the use of firearms and swords," CaFFE chief Keerthi Thennakoon told AFP.

"At least six people were injured and one of them is still in intensive care because he was shot in the head.”

Police confirmed there had been poll-related violence but said investigations were underway.

Files

| by Helasingha Bandara

( November 25, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The most famous files are X files and cold case files. Next will be MR files.

The ‘Files’ story has more significance than most people realise. It is a double edged sword. Mahinda Rajapaksha (MR) can use ‘Files’ story to intimidate the remaining Ministers, MPs and lesser politicians to think twice before crossing over and can use it to prevent the ones who have already crossed from revealing certain truths. On the other hand the opposition coalition can use the files story to topple MR if they use it wisely.
CARTOONS-LT

This writer predicted last week that Suren Surendiren’s unwise and out of place comment would be used by the regime to deceive the masses. By today every Minister, every MP and every lesser politician of the ruling coalition is talking about an international conspiracy of taking MR to The Hague and charge with crimes against humanity and war crimes, if he loses the election. What can you say other than “Olugedi walata henagahalada sihalunne (are the heads of the Singhalese thunder struck?)

Back to Files. MR said

“I have the files on the dissident politicians, but I won’t use them. I am not that kind of a man”

What kind of a man? A man who is bent on revenge obviously.

History tells us a different story. Contrary to what he has said MR is well known for his robust tendencies to wreak vengeance. Sarath Fonseka and Shirani Bandaranayake are the two most luminous examples. He did not say until what time he would not use them when he said he would not use the secret files. There is no time connotation in his comment. Beware! he will use the files if Maithree and the rest lose the election.

Let us look at it from another angle. This man has kept files on some of his loyal (until last week) colleagues. Is it not likely that he keeps files on the rest of his colleagues too? This is not different to JRJ keeping undated but signed resignation letters of the MPs of his government. Can we imagine how undignified those MPs could have been to write off their rights to an old wily fox for perks? Rajapaksha is doing it in stealth at least. Why he keeps those files? In Anura Kumara Dissanayaka’s words bambu gahandada? No, to use them when he chooses. So the claim that he won’t use them does not merit any credibility.

What is in those files? They must be full of evidence as to what crimes they have committed, what finances they have misappropriated, what powers they have abused, what state resources they have squandered, what undemocratic, unfair, unethical, dishonest etc. means they have used to win elections and to remain in power etc, certainly not how they have made love to their wives or how they sucked ice cream on hot days. It is apparent that those offenses have been committed with the full knowledge of the main man. Then,is he not complicit in those and therefore partly guilty? If the files contain such evidence, those files could have been handed over to the law enforcing authorities long time ago. But as long as the culprits remained loyal to MR and his family (means ready to lick their boots or ready to be subservient) the files remain under lock and key.

The opposition could now seek to learn the contents of those files. MR is in no position to reveal what the contents are. The moment he reveals anything to that effect the country will cry “what the hell were you doing all this time protecting those crooks? In other words Thamuse mechchara Kal polgewada?

Sirisena Candidacy And The Political Coup

By S. I. Keethaponcalan -November 25, 2014

Dr S.I. Keethaponcalan

Sri Lanka’s opposition parties pulled off a political coup when the announcement was made to field Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena as the common candidate to face incumbent  President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the snap presidential election in January 2015. A dictionary defines a coup as a “brilliantly executed stratagem.” It was also a surprise.

First, to the surprise element. Ever since the idea of holding the forthcoming presidential election in 2015 was mooted, the opposition parties, desiring to form a common platform to face the formidable Mahinda Rajapaksa, were debating the idea of a common candidate. There was hardly any agreement and several well-known names were proposed, but Sirisena’s name was not one of them. Nobody expected him to come forward because he was the General Secretary of the president’s party, the SLFP, and hitherto, at least publicly, did not demonstrate any resentment against the government. He was seen as one of the close allies of the president and his policies and in fact he defended the government until very recently. Therefore, his candidacy indeed was a surprise even to some of the movers and shakers of Sri Lanka politics. It seemed the president himself, with all the intelligence resources around him, was shocked by this move. The president’s men were targeting Ranil Wickremesinghe and Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera. One newspaper aptly declared that “he (Sirisena) came out of the blue.” The surprise has the potential to jolt the overconfident campaign of the ruling party.

Read More

A Presidency Under Threat: Alienating The Catholics

By Rajiva Wijesinha -November 25, 2014

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

One of the reasons I still continued to have hopes about Mahinda Rajapaksa was that his instincts have always been sound. This was exemplified when I called him to complain about what the Bodhu Bala Sena had been up to inAluthgama. Instead of attempting to defend them, as I had feared, he promptly declared that they were involved in a conspiracy to bring his government into disrepute. He claimed that they were funded by the Americans and the Norwegians, and that they were determined to alienate him from the Muslims.

The story seemed to me implausible, even though I knew there was some basis for his allegations. What had been the precursor of the BBS had received funds from the Norwegians, and though I believe the Norwegian government as represented by its regular diplomats in Colombo acts in good faith, I have no similar confidence in Mr Solheim and his acolytes. One of them, who once boasted to me of his acquaintance with Mr Solheim, was Arne Fjiatoff, who had been the godfather of, if not the BBS, its principal lay spokesmanDilanthe Withanage. I have little doubt, given that he has also recently been fishing in troubled waters in Burma, that he had a shrewd inkling of what they were up to.Read More

Anura Yapa ‘s appointment not according to constitution : Elections commissioner rejects

(Lanka-e-News- 25.Nov.2014, 8.05AM) The SLFP general secretary Maithripala Sirisena who was appointed as the opposition common candidate , has still not quit the SLFP. On the very first day after becoming the common candidate , he revealed that he is still the SLFP gen. secretary.

At the SLFP headquarters , Darley road, and on the very following day at the Temple Trees , it was disclosed that Maithripala had been dismissed from the secretary post and in his place, Anura Priyadharshana Yapa has been appointed . This was announced by Yapa himself at a media conference convened by him. In addition, to add flavor to this announcement an assist. secretary was brought to that meeting.

When the letter of the new appointment was sent to the Elections commissioner , the latter has rejected and returned it , according to inside sources of the elections commissioner’s department.

Under the SLFP constitution , there are provisions to appoint an assist. Secretary if there is no secretary. Thereafter , summon the SLFP all island working committee and decide to appoint the assist. Secretary or any other to the secretary post. Subsequently that appointment must be ratified by the party convention within a year.

Unfortunately , it is the characteristic Rajapakse lawlessness that had taken over this situation here too.

The Rajapakse regime had got perturbed and puzzled when the elections commissioner had stated , such a secretary sought to be appointed from activities outside cannot be accepted. Based on sources from within , now measures are being taken to fetch the members of the All Island working committee who are spread across the country by helicopters to Temple Trees and get their signatures.

In any event , the group that accepts Maithripala Sirisena as general secretary still , has declared that they would go to court against the new appointment. No matter what, Anura Yapa took up duties yesterday(24) morning as the general secretary. Yet, even at noon , the SLFP administrative secretary Ari was seen going behind the members of the All Island SLFP working committee and trying to obtain their signatures, in Parliament .

---------------------------
by     (2014-11-25 02:58:23)