Time up for government....

A group of JVP MPs said to a team of UNP parliamentarians at the house that government should be defeated now despite the number of seats the JVP could win in a future election would be less than current number.

The JVP expressed these ideas when several UNP MPs talked about the current political situation and the government agenda with JVP MPs individually.

The JVP MPs said that the cadres were reprimanding the leadership at the countrywide meetings, for defending the government. They further said that the cadres urged the JVP to withdraw the support given to the government and although the number of seats the JVP could win in a future election would be less, the JVP could go to villages and work again if so.

UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella said at a press briefing today (05) that UNP MPs had individual talks with JVP MPs this morning in the parliament.

The JVP and the UNP were to defeat the government of the Central Provincial Council yesterday at the voting on the proposal to protest the government for the escalation of cost of living. Eventually, the government MPs also voted for the proposal and passed it unanimously.

Explosives found from Dehiwala & Wellawatta coastal railways

Dehiwala Police today recovered four craters containing seven kilos of C-4 explosives from a place in Fraser Avenue close to the railway line.

A vigilant civilian has seen these boxes and informed the Police. When the Police called the Bomb Squad and searched, 12 boxes that contained 500 grams each of C-4 explosives and 2 more boxes of the kind were recovered, said the Media Center for national Security.

Lee Kwan Yew speaks after a long time...

The mistakes of Sri Lanka and other newly independent 'failed states' made Singapore go in a different direction, its founding prime minister told the International Herald Tribune (IHT) in an interview.

Lee Kwan Yew, now minister mentor, said when Singapore broke off from the Malayan Federation it had a hostile neighbour and population made of Chinese, Malays and immigrants from the Indian subcontinent."The basis of a nation just was not there.

But the advantage we had was that we became independent late," Lee recalled in a wide ranging interview with the IHT published last week." In 1965, we had 20 years of examples of failed states. So, we knew what to avoid - racial conflict, linguistic strife, religious conflict. We saw Ceylon."

"Thereafter, we knew that if we embarked on any of these romantic ideas, to revive a mythical past of greatness and culture, we'd be damned."

Lee was prime minister from 1959 to 1990 when he stepped down.

Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain in 1948.Lee said the team that ran Singapore made a deliberate decision to use English as a working language and not focus on Chinese. At the time Singapore had Chinese, Malay and India schools in separate language mediums.

The British has also set up English schools to produce clerks, storekeepers and teachers. "Had we chosen Chinese, which was our majority language, we would have perished, economically and politically," Lee told the IHT.

"Riots - we've seen Sri Lanka, when they switched from English to Sinhalese and disenfranchised the Tamils and so strife ever after.

"We chose - we didn't say it was our national language - we said it was our working language, that everybody learns English whatever language medium school you go to. Which means nobody needs interpretation to read English."

The country's foreign and defence policy was shaped on the realization that it could perhaps only hold out for two weeks against a foreign invasion.

While Sri Lanka is still grappling with issues such as exchange rates, inflation and fuel subsidies, and political ideology Singapore is thinking far ahead, even to issues such as the effect of global warning on a low elevation island nation.

Earlier this month a retired Thai diplomat, Sompong Sucharitkul, said Singapore opposed the entry of Sri Lanka to Asean when it was founded in 1967 because the country was viewed as unstable. In 1967 Sri Lanka was ruled by Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake in a shaky coalition with the Federal Party. His attempts to solve the ethnic question failed when proposals to devolve power was withdrawn amidst opposition.

Sompong said a discussion was held on August 06 and two ministers from Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) were in an adjacent room.

"I remember one was an economics minister. He waited there anxiously for a signal to join the discussion; but it never came," Sompong told Thailand's The Nation newspaper

(From Daily Mirror)

Aston Martin DB9. So far, We have only seen in in Need for Speed Computer game . Here's a lifetime opportunity

The talk of the town in the political circles now is the purchase of a Rs. 42 million 'Aston Martin DB9' car by the son of a government bigwig.

UNP parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella said at a press briefing that the tax-free value of this brand is Rs. 21 million. The high-speed car cannot be driven on Sri Lankan roads and it is reportedly driven on Galle Face Drive with back up vehicles around 2 AM.

Mr. Kiriella urged the investigative media to reveal who the owner of this car.

James Bond used an 'Aston Martin DB9' in Casino Royal movie. The super son of the bigwig also drives a car of that brand now in late nights. The Sri Lanka agent of the vehicle is Auto Lanka.

This car has been imported to Sri Lanka under the name of Dilshan Fernando, the son of the owner of Christy Lanka Garments.

The photo depicts the Rs. 42 million Aston Martin DB9 parked in the Colombo harbor.

The Presiden'ts Political Clown speaks once more...

Chief Government Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle who's also named a "Political Clown"by president Mahinda Rajapaksha, says that the former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kukmarathunga's discussions with Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe while bearing the office of party adviser is a problem to the party and cannot agree to it.

The Chief Government Whip addressing the press briefing held in the Information Department today to clarify the current political situation, enquired why no one else were participated in these talks and why the details of the dialogue were not divulged to media.

Mr. Fernandopulle revealed that the Opposition Leader took a friend�s mobile phone instead of his own phone when he went for the discussions and burnt the SIM card of the phone immediately after the talks.

He said that all media personnel were removed from the venue before the discussions between the former President and the Opposition Leader commenced. Mr. Fernandopulle further said that Ranil Wickramasinghe who did not allow Chandrika's son to be admitted to Royal College and talked in the parliament to abolish the civic rights of Sirima Bandaranaike had no right to meet the former President.

Dilan's service no more needed to President...

President Mahinda Rajapakse has told Minister of Justice Dilan Perera that he would not object if he needed to leave the government.

The President made this statement at the government parliamentary group meeting in response to a declaration made by Minister Dilan that he would appear for the findings of the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) and for the Chairman of the COPE.

Minister Rajitha Senarathna criticized the two COPE reports and the Chairman Wijedasa Rajapakse at the parliamentary group meeting and said that the Chairman is working according to another one's agenda. He brought the statements given by the COPE Chairman to parliamentary group's attention.

Minister Mano Wijerathna also supported Minister Senarathna�s argument.

In response to a question posed by 'LeN', Minister Dilan Perera said that he appeared for the reports and for the Chairman of the COPE since he is a member of the COPE. He denied commenting further stating that he was not a reporter of the parliamentary group.

The Government Chief Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle said to 'LeN' that Minister Dilan defended the COPE report and its Chairman. However, as a person who was next to the president at the meeting he said that the President did not tell him to go if necessary.

It is reported that a number of Ministers and MPs of the government congratulated Minister Dilan after the parliamentary group meeting for having courage to make such statement in presence of the President.

The President has told the parliamentary group that the matters pertaining to COPE reports could be discussed when COPE Chairman Wijedasa Rajapakse was present. He was absent on that day.

Minister Dilan Perera was a close associate of the former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga and he is famous as the only person in the government that criticizes JVP's activities.

We will vote against the bills that put burden on people, says JVP Anura Kumara

People's Liberation Front (JVP) stated they would vote against the four bills that would be tabled in the parliament on Thursday pertaining to impose new taxes on vehicles, mobile phones and few other commodities.

The JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayaka made this announcement addressing a press conference held in the parliamentary complex today.

The JVP said that it would oppose these four bills since the colossal cabinet and their families are also run on the tax money levied from the public.

The MP urged the government not to put more burdens on public prior to the budget and said that the JVP would work to defeat them if moved. The JVP politburo is to discuss the matter further this evening.

MP Anura Kumara pointed out that this decision would not have connection to the pattern of voting in the budget and it would be decided according to then context.

Chandrika speaks against the way Mahinda became the chairman of SLFP...

The 56th anniversary conference of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) held at the BMICH today was an open depiction of party splits since the reproachful speeches delivered by the speakers.

A former General Secretary of SLFP J.R.P. Suriyapperuma who had earned the wrath of Bandaranaikes, delivered the keynote address.

Without mentioning the name of late Premier S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, he said that the leader who took the plough to hand after D.S. Senanayaka is current President Mahinda Rajapakse. Although the General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena mentioned the name of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, he attached his name to Ranil Wickramasinghe and said that the Opposition Leader had happened to talk under Mr. Bandaranaikes portrait.

President Mahinda Rajapakse said that the SLFP was a party that identified the pulse of the people and no one could go against it. Stating that SLFP is a party that is not belonged to a handful, he said that anybody could go up in the party but in the right path. Alluding to the SLFP-People's Wing, the President stated that nobody broke away from the SLFP were successful.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike was invited to the conference but did not take part in it. Minister Anura Bandaranaike was also absent. Commenting to a private TV channel on her absence Mrs. Bandaranaike said that she was always a member of the SLFP and she did not take legal action against robbing her post of chairperson of the party since she loved the party. She said that she dropped the idea to attend the conference when she saw the name of the lone key orator.

Commenting on main speaker of the conference J.R.P. Suriyapperuma, she said that he was a person who earlier suggested to demolish the Bandaranaike memorial and to grow manioc there. She said he was a person sacked from the SLFP for insulting the former Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike and for betraying the party. The former President said that she could not attend a meeting addressed by a person like him who goes against the party policies due to his anti Tamil and anti Muslim extremism.

Challenging the conference held under the patronage of the President Mahinda Rajapakse, the former President said that the SLFP was on an anti-popular extremist path that is against the 55-year history of the party and she would attempt to correct it while being a member of the party.

A photo exhibition was held parallel to the conference and the official web site of the SLFP was also launched.

Gotabhays says something else... Rohitha says another thing...???

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama says that the government has no plan to commence a siege in the Northern Province.

The Minister expressed these views to Reuter whilst a tour in Malaysia.

The Foreign Minister said that the rumors on a planned operation to free the Northern Province were incorrect and the aim of the government was to attract the LTTE to the negotiation table to find a solution to the ethnic problem.

In contrast to Foreign Minister's statement, the Secretary of the Ministry of Defense Gotabhaya Rajapakse has told that the government will fulfill the responsibility of freeing Vanni area from the LTTE's hold and establish peace as it did in the Eastern Province. Mr. Rajapakse expressed these views presiding the passing out ceremony of a batch of civil defense personnel at Galkiriyagama Advanced Training Institute.
The latest tradition of the cabinet of Ministers of the Rajapakse government is one denying the other?s statement.

Similarly, while the Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickramanayaka officially pleaded apology for the evacuation of ethnic Tamils from Colombo lodges, the chief government whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle contrasting to the Premier's statement said that such apologizing was not necessary. Meanwhile, the cabinet spokesperson Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said that Fernandopulle's stance was not government position.

Again, Fernandopulle labeled the UN diplomat John Holmes a terrorist, while Foreign Minister Bogollagama stated that it was not government stance.

Now the Foreign Minister has denied the Defense Secretary's statement in diplomatic language.

Basil and Gotabhaya in India amidst Nedumaran's threats

A high level delegation of the government led by Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse and the Presidential Adviser Basil Rajapakse left for India India for an urgent tour. Presidential Secretary Lalith Weerathunga is also in the team.

Government sources said that the chief Indian Ministers and state officials would be clarified the security situation of the country.

Meanwhile, Tamilnadu politician Nedumaran has announced that he will arrive in Jaffna peninsula in boats on September 17 since the Indian government is doing nothing for the situation in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Political analysts predicted bad effects on the diplomatic ties between the two countries if this happened. Sources said that Nedumaran's scheduled journey had caused the urgent tour de India by the Rajapakse Brothers.

Ranil says, Ukraine Ambassador Udaya Weerathunga, a relative of Gotabhaya, involved in Mig deal...

Resembling to the time of King Vijayabahu in which King?s brothers extorted luxuries from public money, the Rajapakse Company led by President Percy Mahinda Rajapakse extort public money, one brother from land and sea, another from the treasury and the other from everything, says United National Party (UNP) and National Congress leader Ranil Wickramasinghe.

Addressing the Janarala rally in Rathnapura yesterday, Mr. Wickramasinghe said that Secretary of Defense Gotabhaya Rajapakse is answerable for the Mig-27 deal according to the tender procedure of the country. He further said that Gotabhaya and his close relative Udaya Weerathunga conducted the deal.

Commenting on the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the Opposition Leader said that the Buddhism should be saved from this Devadaththa Sabha. He said that the JHU is currently acting the role of Sanman Salambaya, who worked to destroy Buddhism in King Vijayanahu's time. Instead of building the Dharma Rajya they pledged to formulate, the JHU is selling vehicle, radio and TV station incenses and trying to stop Pirith chanting.

In response to a statement made by JVP's Vimal Weerawansa that SLFP (M) is the 'Magngnan' (lunatic) faction, Sri Lanka Freedom Party - People's Wing Convener and National Congress Vice Chairman Mangala Samaraweera said that the lunatics are the ones who were jacking up the collapsing corrupt regime.

He thanked the government for cleaning up the UNP by taking in likes of G.L. Pieris who betrayed the country, most corrupted Milinda Moragoda and Hemakumara Nanayakkara who said in each stage that Mahinda Rajapakse stole tsunami funds.

Stating that the JVP has no right to defend this government, Mr. Samaraweera said that the government could be sent home within 24 hours if the JVP supports it.

UNP General Secretary Thissa Aththanayaka, Rathnapura district MPs Mahinda Rathnathilaka and Thalatha Athukorala also addressed the rally.

Tens of thousands of people participated in the rally that was held after a three-hour long demonstration that paraded the roads amidst heavy rains.

Wimal Weerawansa's flaps cut down by the JVP

JVP sources say that Vimal Weerawansa has been stripped off all his responsibilities as the party Propaganda Secretary sparing only the outfit of the post.

Now defunct 'Lanka' newspaper which was under Vimal Weerawansa's responsibilities will be re commenced under Anura Kumara Disanayaka and Weerawansa confidents, Editior-in-Chief Thissa Nihal Wickramasinghe and News Editor Dharma Sri Kariyawasam have been removed from the posts.

Amidst the power struggle between the pro-government group of the JVP led by Somawansa Amarasinghe and Vimal Weerawansa and the hardliner's group led by Tilvin Silva, Anura Kumara Disanayaka and underground leader Kumar Mahaththaya, the hardliners have established power in the party, sources said. According to the sources, Somawansa and Weerawansa are stripped off all the responsibilities.

However, both groups are in same stand of military solution to the ethnic problem.
Meanwhile, Anura Kumara Disanayaka recently met the UNP leader Ranil Wickramasinghe at the parliamentary complex and held talks for around half an hour.

We're really sorry that Mr. Weerawansha was such close to remove the plug from the world bank, when he was being dismissed by his authorities...

SLFP should be strengthened to stop corruption, suppression and anti people activities, says Chandrika

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumarathunga says that the SLFP needs honest and intelligent leaders to guide it in the right path alienating it from the current wrong doings.

She made this observation at a discussion with the SLFP - People's Wing representatives led by Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Suriyaarachchi. The dialogue was held at the former President's official residence this morning (31).

SLFP internal democracy, popular economic policies of the party and the people's freedom were among the themes of the talks, said a communiqu頩ssued by the former President?s office.

It further says that the discussions were aimed at the demolition of many SLFP fundamentals including good governance, alleviating corruption, foreign policy and the solutions proposed for the ethnic problem in 1958 and after 1993.

The SLFP-PW representatives acknowledged the former President that the present government had not set forth any alternative proposal to solve the ethnic problem.

Former president Kumarathunga recalled that the SLFP still is a prominent political institute that acted mostly to protect the democracy and human rights in the past.

Mrs. Kumarathunga emphasized in the discussion that the corruption, suppression and anti people policies should be avoided after regrouping and strengthening the party membership.

The communiqu頦urther stated that the former President pointed out the need of joining hands with the other democratic political parties while reconvening and strengthening all the groups that broke away from the SLFP since 1993.