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
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Time was when almost the whole world seemed to be pointing accusing fingers at Sri Lanka for the manner in which it was dealing with the issue of its Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The fact that nearly 300,000 Sri Lankan citizens in the IDP Relief Centres were those who had fled into the arms of the Security Forces from the ruthless terror of the LTTE holding them as human shields for months did not matter to the accusers. What was important was the ‘humanitarian catastrophe’ always waiting to happen in the North of Sri Lanka. Full Story
Seeking to give a fillip to bilateral military ties, army chief General VK Singh is set to undertake a five-day visit to Sri Lanka from Sunday to discuss defence cooperation.
During his visit, Singh is scheduled to meet defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, his Sri Lankan counterpart Jagath Jayasuriya and other senior defence officials. Full Story
President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that Christianity has made a major contribution to education, and spiritual and moral enhancement of Sri Lankan society during the last 500 years, when the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments in the Vatican His Eminence Antonio Cardinal Canizares called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees, Thursday.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa conveyed his gratitude to the Vatican for the support extended and understanding expressed during the difficult times faced by Sri Lanka in the recent past. “I had the fortune of meeting His Holiness the Pope twice and I wish to do so at the next available opportunity once again,” said President Rajapaksa and expressed hope that His Holiness would be able to visit Sri Lanka. Full Story
Sri Lanka’s Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe has said that the main opposition United National Party (UNP) will cooperate with all stakeholders in the efforts to find a political solution to the Tamils issue, the Indian media reported.
“We are for a solution. We will cooperate with the TNA (Tamil National Alliance), the (Sri Lankan) government and the Indian government,” the Indian daily The Hindu quoting Wickremasinghe said. Full Story
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