Dr. Mervin Silva against the whole UNP bunch ???

UNP General Secretary Thissa Aththanayaka said to Lanka-e-News that all the efforts of the government to destruct the rally jointly organized by the UNP and the SLFP People's Wing would be duly faced and the demonstration and the rally in the theme of the 'Country Devastated; Come Forward!' would be held successfully.

Mr. Aththanayaka said that the publicity banners and the hoardings exhibited in the Colombo city and outskirts were removed in the Urban Development Authority lorries. Posters were removed by Police officials and the duty of the Police had become removing posters now.

He said that Police assaulted the UNP supporters who were sticking publicity posters at Rathmalana, Kollupitiya and other places and in some cases their clothes were also removed by force.

UNP General Secretary said that he had informed the situation to the DIG Colombo region Mr. Ilanganthilaka and he had told that security arrangements would be made to hold the demonstration and the rally without any hindrance.

Mr. Aththanayaka said that the IGP Victor Perera promised to provide security and unhindered access to the participants to reach Colombo at the discussion held with himself, Joseph Michale Perera, John Amarathunga and Ravi karunanayaka. However, the number of checkpoints in the Colombo entry roads had been increased today.

He said that all attempts to connect the IGP to enquire about the situation failed and sometimes he might have avoided answering.

While the UNP and the SLFP-People's Wing have made arrangements to draw around 500,000 people to Colombo for the massive demonstration and the rally held tomorrow, the government has also organized picketing in Colombo and outstations.

The Colombo protest organized by Kelaniya SLFP organizer and Minister of Labor 'Dr.' Mervin Silva will be held at the Lipton Circle in close proximity to the venue of the UNP rally, Hyde Park.

Who gave such powers to Jeyaraj to talk in public like this ?!?!?!

The Treasurer of the newly appointed SLFP committee Mr. Jeyaraj Fernandopulle is going beyond his limits. The Minister yesterday, pooh-poohed the statement of Sripathi Suriyaarachchi accusing the President of purchasing the White House mansion of Baththaramulla for Rs. 260 million with the money allocated for the Presidential expenses. According to Mr. Fernandopulle, the President or the Rajapakse Company has not bought the said mansion.

He said that Sripathi Suriyaarachchci has bankrupted to the level of making such allegations to cover up the CID investigation over his purchase of a house in England.

The Minister expressed these views at a press conference held in Narahenpita information Department today (25).

Mr. Fernandopulle further said that he learnt that the said house had been rented to a Maldivian national named Mohammed for a monthly rental of Rs. 225,000. He had enquired about it from the owner of the ASP Group of Companies, Mr. A.S.P. Liyanage. The house belongs to his wife W.R.G.S. Liyanage. Mr. Fernandopulle said that he could not understand the motive behind such false allegations.

Fake allegations were made against the President that he cheated money from the Helping Hambanthota account before the Presidential, gave money to the LTTE and purchased a property belonged to the Australian High Commission, said the Minister. He said that the White House statement was a lie targeting to sling mud to the image of the President. Recalling that Sripathi Suriyaarachchi said that he would prove the charge if the President would resign from the post, Mr. Fernandopulle said that the President who came to power with five million people�s votes would not resign and at least would not respond to a charge made by an unimportant person.

Mentioning about Lanka-e-News that published this news, the Minister said that he said in an earlier occasion that criminal defamation laws should be brought to act against this kind of journalists who create false stories He said that the handful of this sort of journalists were the people who opposed such laws.

The journalists protested the Minister for accusing the media without answering Sripathi Suriyaarachchi's statement and asked what the government would expect from enacting criminal

Sea Tiger leader Susai in critical condition; Son and the guard dead

LTTE has suffered a major loss during their battle against the proud Sri Lanka Navy recently. Sea Tiger leader Susai's son and the bodyguard were killed in an explosion in Mullaithivu and Susai himself was critically injured, sources from Vanni said.

When enquired about the report from Rasaiyah Ilanthiriyan, he denied commenting as the incident was non-military. However, he said that it was an unfortunate mishap.

Susai was busy on 18th due to a naval exercise of the LTTE and his son and the bodyguard were killed in an explosion that took place in another boat that was close to the Sea Tiger leader's boat, Vanni sources said. Susai was admitted to the Kilinochchi Ponnambalam hospital and reportedly, he was in a critical condition.
The killed child was identified by others as Sankar, Susai's 5 years old son.

Vanni sources said that a conflict followed a warm verbal exchange between two groups of cadres each one in support of Prabhakaran and Susai respectively amidst the naval exercise.

When 'LeN' asked from Ilanthiriyan why the LTTE did not admit the defeat of Thoppigala, he replied that LTTE was not defeated in east and the Army was pushed into the jungle instead.

Ilanthiriyan said that the LTTE had camps in Tricomalee, Ampara and Batticaloa with their commanders and the time would decide whether the LTTE was defeated or not.

Rajapakse Company buy Baththaramulla White House mansion for Rs. 260 million?

While misleading the Sri Lankan people with a message of Thoppigala victory, the Rajapaksha brothers are still filling up their pockets for the sake of their future generations. The Chief Co-coordinator of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party People�s Wing Sripathi Suriyaarachchi asks how the Rajapakse Brothers Company purchased the Baththaramulla White House for Rs. 260 million after the Presidential, if his statement that he had money neither to give to the Tigers nor to spend for the election is true. The said mansion earlier belonged to the owners of A.S.P. property trading company.

Mr. Suriyaarachchi posed this question to to the President during the UNP and SLFP-PW joint press briefing held today at the official residence of the opposition leader.

He said that there could be a shortage of money because Basil Rajapakse gave a bag filled with Rs. 200 million that was allocated to spend for the Presidential to the LTTE. Mr. Suriyaarachchi said that LTTE was given money first in dollars and then in rupees and he had the numbers of the notes given. He said that they will be produced before the public soon and he could prove these allegations if the President resigns from the post.

Mr. Suriyaarachchi challenged the President to say 'no' to the charge he made that the President gave millions of rupees to a company belonged to the wife of Emil Kanthan via a cabinet paper signed by him, during the battle for Mavilaru was in full throttle.