India Keen on Strengthening Bilateral Ties Through Post-War Rehabilitation
Posted: September 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment
After supporting the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa during the decisive conclusion of Sri Lanka’s war with the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), India has stepped up its efforts to forge stronger ties, not only with the government, but also with the Tamil community by investing in post-war reconstruction and rehabilitation in the war-affected north and east.
Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, also a former ambassador to Colombo, arrived at the Katunayake International Airport Monday on a visit that is expected to focus on assessing the ongoing development in the northern and eastern provinces since the war ended in May 2009. Read more
JVP Accuses Government of Offering Bribes for Supporting Constitutional Amendments
Posted: September 1, 2010 | Leave a Comment
The People’s Liberation Front (Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna - JVP) has accused the government of offering bribes to parliamentarians in return for supporting the proposed constitutional amendments.
“The government is now attempting to endorse these anti-democratic constitutional amendments, not by obtaining two-thirds majority of the people’s consent but by the two-thirds majority obtained by offering bribes,” said JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva. Read more
UNP: Opposition Parties Have a Reason for Uniting
Posted: August 31, 2010 | 2 Comments
The proposed constitutional amendments, which will likely be voted on in Parliament next week, are giving opposition parties reasons to come together for one cause.
“We are faced with an issue that gives us one of the best reasons to work together,” said Tissa Attanayake, the general secretary of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), at a press conference Tuesday. “Instead of abolishing the executive presidency, extending the number of terms in a way that the public never expected is reason enough for us to work together.” Read more
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Supports Removing 2-Term Restriction on Presidential Office
Posted: August 28, 2010 | 1 Comment
The leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and parliamentarian Rauff Hakeem announced Friday that his party has decided to support the proposal to lift the constitutional restriction that prevents a former president from running for a third term in office.
With this decision, the government has gained the support of eight more members of parliament for proposed constitutional amendments. Read more
Jayantha Dhanapala to Reconciliation Commission: Bad Governance Also Responsible for Sri Lankan Conflict
Posted: August 26, 2010 | Leave a Comment
The former under secretary-general for disarmament affairs Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala testified before the seventh sitting of the Lessons Learnt and the Reconciliation Commission on Wednesday.
Noting that he believes the commission has been appointed too late and has a narrow mandate, Dhanapala spoke of the need for good governance, better international relations and immediate constitutional reform. Read more
Tortured: Saudi Couple Punishes Sri Lankan Migrant Worker by Inserting Nails into the Body
Posted: August 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment
A 56-year-old Sri Lankan woman, who was working as a housemaid in Saudi Arabia, returned home on Saturday tortured with 23 iron nails inserted into her body. That was her punishment for not being able to complete her daily tasks.
“The man and the woman put nails into me,” L.P. Ariyawathi explained to reporters of Maharaja TV. “They tried to cut my mouth and slash my throat with a knife.” Read more
IMF: Sri Lanka’s Economy Will Show Strong Growth in 2010 but Changes are Needed
Posted: August 24, 2010 | Leave a Comment
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday said it expects Sri Lanka’s economy to show strong growth this year. A mission led by Brian Aitken has been in Colombo since Aug. 11 to hold discussions with stakeholders and conduct scheduled reviews.
“Overall economic conditions are improving as expected in the last visit, and the economy is likely to show strong growth this year,” the IMF said in a mission statement. “External balances are strong, remittance inflows continue at a high rate, tourism prospects continue to improve rapidly and gross reserves remain at comfortable levels.” Read more
Sri Lanka to Import More Oil from Iran and Saudi Arabia
Posted: August 23, 2010 | Leave a Comment
Sri Lanka will be importing crude oil from Iran and Saudi Arabia for the next year, according to a press release by the Government Information Department. The existing contract with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) will be extended to procure two million metric tons (MT) of crude oil from September of this year until August of next year on 120-days’ interest-free credit. Read more
Will Canada Arrest Suspected LTTE Leaders Aboard Human Smuggling Ship?
Posted: August 11, 2010 | Leave a CommentBy Ranjit J. Perera
Several members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) believed to be on board a ship of Sri Lankan asylum seekers could reach Canada as early as this week. While security officials say they are on the alert for the MV Sun Sea cargo ship, it is still unclear what action the Canadian government will take if LTTE members are found on the ship.
“The Americans will not intervene but the Canadians will identify LTTE members who are on board, and they will grant asylum to everyone else,” said Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore, in an exclusive interview with Sri Lanka News Network (SLNN) in Colombo. “Those LTTE members will be denied citizenship of Canada. And (the Canadian government) may also institute court proceedings where they will be deported at a later date.” Read more
Colombo Stock Exchange Named Best Broad Market Index of 2009
Posted: August 2, 2010 | Leave a Comment
The World Federation of Stock Exchanges (WFE) named Sri Lanka’s Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) the top performer among its 52 members in its 2009 annual report, released recently.
“It’s very significant because last year, the All Share Price Index (ASPI) of the Colombo Stock Exchange went up by 125 percent,” CSE’s business development manager Thushara Jayaratne told Sri Lanka News Network. “If you check all the media reports and if you take the WFE report, what they say is that we are the best performing market where they take the growth of the main index.” Read more