THE INDEPENDENT: An audience with the Sri Lankan general whose appetite for power is undimmed
Posted: January 30, 2010 | Leave a CommentIt was clear that the former army chief had been expecting a very different outcome. On the dining table at his home in a leafy Colombo neighbourhood was a victory cake baked in the shape of his “Swan” symbol. The artfully created cake, topped with white icing, was untouched.
Sarath Fonseka may have been defeated in Sri Lanka’s presidential contest, but he has vowed to stand in forthcoming parliamentary polls to continue to act as a “huge deterrent” to the re-elected Mahinda Rajapaksa. Full Story
XINHUANET: Sri Lanka’s wildlife sanctuary sites reopened for tourism
Posted: January 30, 2010 | Leave a CommentTwo of Sri Lanka’s renowned wildlife sanctuary sites were reopened on Saturday after years of closure because of the conflict between the government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels, a government official said.
Ananda Wijesuriya, director of the Wildlife Conservation Department said the two sites were opened to the public on Saturday were located at southeastern and eastern parts of the island.
Kumana, a bird sanctuary and a main eco-tourism attraction, is 312 km southeast of the Colombo while Lahugala, a wildlife park/ sanctuary reserve, is 318 km east of the capital. Full Story
THE ISLAND: Monk’s killer a soldier
Posted: January 30, 2010 | Leave a CommentThe prime suspect in the killing of a Buddhist monk and another person at the Thambiligala Temple in Gampola in the early hours on Wednesday was a soldier, the police said.
Four special police teams have been deployed to arrest the suspect on the instructions of SSP Gampola, Roshan Fernando. Investigations have revealed that the suspect lobbed hand grenades. Full Story
XINHUANET: Sri Lanka opposition appoints panel to probe election result
Posted: January 30, 2010 | Leave a CommentA senior member from Sri Lanka’s opposition alliance said here Saturday that a panel has been appointed to review the outcome of Tuesday’s presidential election,
“We have appointed a committee to look into the allegation of wrongdoing in the announcement of the result,” Mano Ganesan of the Democratic People’s Front, a member party of the opposition coalition said. Full Story
THE ISLAND: Election Secretariat rules out computer fraud at Jan. 26 polls
Posted: January 30, 2010 | Leave a CommentThe Election Secretariat yesterday dismissed Opposition allegations that the government and the election staff had manipulated the results of Tuesday’s presidential polls to help incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa secure a second term with a thumping majority of 1.8 million votes.
Retired top civil servant Bandula Kulatunga, now consultant to the Elections Secretariat, told The Island that counting of ballot papers was done manually though computers, too, were used in the process. According to him, the use of computers is in addition to manual counting. Full Story
THE HINDU: Rajapaksa seeks Supreme Court view on second term
Posted: January 30, 2010 | Leave a CommentElected for a second term with a huge majority, Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa has sought the opinion of the island nation’s Supreme Court on when to commence his term in office.
The question has arisen since Mr. Rajapaksa chose to advance the presidential election two years ahead of his first term as per the third amendment to the Constitution mooted by the then President J.R. Jayawardene and the 2005 Supreme Court’s interpretation of Article 31(3A) (d) (i) of the Constitution while disposing off a case on the date of commencement of office of the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga during her second stint. Full Story
DAILY NEWS: Opportunity to make Sri Lanka-EU relations more stable
Posted: January 30, 2010 | Leave a CommentSri Lankan Ambassador to the EU Ravinatha Aryasinha has said the conclusion of the Presidential Election and the re-election of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, enables the EU to re-calibrate its strategy, and find the best way possible to get together and work with Sri Lanka over the coming years, in making Sri Lanka - EU relations more stable.
He said it has a real opportunity to do so, through the manner in which it chooses to handle the GSP+ issue. Full Story
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Sri Lanka Police Arrest Staff of Election’s Loser
Posted: January 30, 2010 | Leave a CommentThe police raided the office of Sri Lanka’s defeated presidential candidate on Friday and arrested 15 of his staff members, after officials accused him of plotting to overthrow the government and assassinate his victorious rival.
The candidate, Sarath Fonseka, a general who carried out the successful military operation against the Tamil Tiger insurgency last year, called the allegations fabricated and vowed to challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s party in coming parliamentary elections. Full Story
THE ISLAND: Govt realises India’s importance - Foreign Secretary
Posted: January 30, 2010 | Leave a CommentA senior diplomat says the government recognises the importance of latching on to India’s economic growth. This is despite the fact that President Mahinda Rajapaksa failed to sign a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with the sub continent in 2008 caving in to pressure from domestic businessmen and professionals who feared Indian goods and services would flood the market. Full Story
THE NATIONAL: Sri Lanka’s calmer shore
Posted: January 30, 2010 | Leave a CommentDriving north from Colombo the forest soon takes over. Glossy, colour-saturated plants press up against pretty clay-tiled bungalows and century-old yellow flame trees form a canopy over the main road. There is hardly any traffic heading for the north-east coast even though it is eight months since Sri Lankan government forces wiped out the leaders of the Tamil Tigers after 25 years of a civil war that claimed 100,000 lives. Full Story