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If former CMC member Azath Salley dies, the responsibility will fall directly on the Rajapaksa government, UNP MP and General Secretary Tissa Attanayake stated while adding that whatever comments that Salley had made against the state should be revealed at once. He said that it has been rumoured that a injunction order will be given in order to prevent the media from reporting on Salley’s issue while he raised a question as to how Salley was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act if he is accused of financial fraud. Speaking at a press conference held today (May 7) in Colombo, Attanayake said that the arrest of Salley was condemned by the Asian Human Rights Commission and was clearly an act of political revenge. He also questioned the government on protecting known terrorists such as Kumaran Pathmanathan alias KP who was involved in the assassination of Rajeev Gandhi.

A group of UNP representatives led by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe has held special discussions with National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Minister Wimal Weerawansa on the 13th Amendment, sources said.   During the discussions held at the Parliament Complex today, Weerawansa’s group stood firm on the need to abolish the 13th Amendment. The UNP representatives led by Wickramasinghe while not opposing the repeal of the amendment were of the opinion that a different solution was required.   However, the UNP leader had pointed out that a final decision regarding the matter is expected to be reached at the party’s next General Assembly.  

Fresh from a decisive re-election win, President Barack Obama returns from the campaign trail on Wednesday with little time to savor victory, facing urgent economic and fiscal challenges and a still-divided Congress capable of blocking his every move. Obama defeated Republican challenger Mitt Romney on Tuesday night after a grueling presidential race and used his acceptance speech in front of a huge cheering crowd in Chicago to strike a conciliatory note toward his political opponents. But in the cold light of the election's morning-after, it was clear that even though voters have given their stamp of approval for a second Obama term, he could have a hard time translating that into a mandate to push forward with his agenda. Americans chose to stick with a divided government in Washington by leaving the U.S. Congress as it has been since the midterm elections of 2010. Obama's fellow Democrats retain control of the Senate and Republicans keep the majority in the House...

Syria's conflict spilled further into Lebanon on Saturday when mortar fire from government forces crashed into villages in the north, killing two women and a man after rebels crossed the border for refuge, residents said. In contrast with Turkey, which openly harbors rebels fighting to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Lebanon was not expected to respond militarily and has played down the effect of regular clashes along the frontier. But rebels have used north Lebanon as a base and Assad's forces have at times bombed villages and even crossed the border in pursuit of militants, threatening to inflame tensions in Lebanon given a long history of Syrian domination there. Residents of Lebanon's Wadi Khaled region said several mortar bombs hit farm buildings five to 20 km (3 to 12 miles) from the border at around 2 a.m. At midday villagers reported more explosions and said they heard gunfire close to the border. In the village of al-Mahatta, a house was destr...

President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives resigned on Tuesday after weeks of protests erupted into a police mutiny, leaving the man widely credited with bringing democracy to the paradise islands accused of being as dictatorial as his predecessor. Nasheed handed power over the Indian Ocean archipelago to Vice-President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik, saying continuing in power would result in his having to use force against his people. "I resign because I am not a person who wishes to rule with the use of power," he said in a televised address. "I believe that if the government were to remain in power it would require the use of force which would harm many citizens." In the morning, soldiers fired tear gas at police and demonstrators who besieged the Maldives National Defence Force headquarters in Republic Square. Later in the day, scores of demonstrators stood outside the nearby president's office chanting "Gayoom! Gayoom!," refering to his ...

Sarath Fonseka was found guilty by a divided decision in the case regarding the ‘White Flag’ statement and sentenced to 3 years in prison by the Colombo High Court today (November 18). The verdict divided 2:1 was given by the High Court bench, headed by Judge Deepali Wijesundara and comprising Judges DMPD Waraweva and Zulfiqar Razin. Justice Waraweva giving his judgment deliberated that Fonseka was not guilty on all three charges while Justice Wijesundara and Rashim found Fonseka guilty of the first charge, of inciting violence through his statement, and found him not guilty on the second and third charges. Sarath Fonseka, who is currently serving a 30-month jail term imposed by a court martial, was sentenced to three years in prison and fined Rs.5,000. The former Army Commander was accused of inciting violence by, in an interview given to the Sunday Leader, alleging that Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa gave an illegal order not to accommodate any LTTE cadres attempting to...

UNP Mayoral Candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council, A.J.M. Muzammil received the highest number of preferential votes with 55,448 votes ahead of UPFA candidate Milinda Moragoda who received 32,103. UNP candidate Sri Ram received 9966 preference votes while while UPFA candidate Azadh Sally received 10,350.

A Matale Municipal Council candidate for the UNP was assaulted along with one of her supporters by an unidentified group while she was attending to campaign promotions in Matale. Both victims were taken to the Matale District Hospital while a complaint was made to the Matale Police headquarters, the leader of the UNP candidate group, D. Aluvihare stated.

No cutbacks have been made on food for the Security Forces, Chief Government Whip, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena stated in parliament today (September 8). He said this in reply to a question put forward by UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera who claimed that rumours had been circulating that there had been cutbacks on the meals given to the armed forces who would receive five meals inclusive of meat and four inclusive of fish each week. Minister Gunawardena stated that all the personnel in the armed forces were receiving their meals as usual and that not cutbacks would be made.

The next Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) report would be presented to Parliament before the budget 2012, COPE Chairman and Senior Minister D.E.W. Gunasekara told Parliament today (September 6). 227 institutions need be subject to probe pertaining to the report, he said adding of that 185 institutions have been probed already.

Minister Champika Ranawaka is to take legal action seeking Rs.500 million in damages against Operations Committee member of CEB Joint Trade Union Alliance, Ranjan Jayalal for tarnishing his credibility and reputation and also media institutions for publishing false statements. Mr. Jayalal at a press conference on August 29 had claimed that a bed was purchased for Rs.80,000 and transported to Kataragama all the way from Colombo for Patali Champika Ranawaka. In a statement issued today (September 5) the Minister affirms that he, as Power and Energy Minister, has never taken official vehicles, official residences, security personnel or any other privileges belonging to the CEB.

The UNP have formulated a plan for the development of Colombo city while the government’s actions have caused great difficulty amongst the city’s residents, UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake stated. Developing the city is not merely breaking down walls and building roads he stated while adding that the government is already drawing up plans to remove the slum dwellers in Colombo from their homes.

The people of post-war Colombo, the capital of the ‘Miracle of Asia,’ are facing tremendous challenges. In what is actually a blatant land grab, deemed the beautification of our city, poor people are being evicted from their homes without compensation nor prior notice, says A.J.M. Muzammil. The United National Party (UNP) Mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council in a media release today (August 28) claims that economic development has taken on a whole new dimension with some of the most valuable properties in Colombo being transferred to foreign nationals – “more often than not, under the cover of darkness”. Colombo most certainly needs and deserves to be environmentally uplifted and beautified, but not at the expense of the poorest of the poor, he stressed. “A city lives and breathes because of its people; you cannot ruthlessly deprive them of their homes for the cause of beautification.” “We, in the UNP, cannot condone beautification at the cost of people’s misery. How ...

In a special statement made today (August 27) UNP Parliamentarian Mohan Lal Grero said he is prepared to make more sacrifices if UNP leadership fails to honor his request by Tuesday. “I am prepared to make more sacrifices if my request to keep the mayoral candidate open for Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council is not honored by the leadership by Tuesday” the educationist had said.

Even though the deterioration of the education sector, due to the government’s short-sighted and inefficient measures, is continuously pointed out the government has managed to mess up the scholarship and A/L examinations this year as well, UNP MP Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said. He stressed that information on corruption, malpractices and irregularities within the education sector have been exposed by media, however no actions have been taken in this regard and against those responsible for them. Even state owned newspapers had reported that investigations, on irregularities during the recent Grade 5 scholarship exam, had commenced and that those without applications were also provided the opportunity to sit for the examination, the Parliamentarian stated. How is it that those without applications were able to sit for the exam? How was a national level exam such as this held according to the liking of certain individuals at various times? Kariyawasam inquired during a me...

Stern action will be taken against anyone who takes the law into their own hands while Security Forces are not involved in the Grease Devil rumours, Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa stated.

Sri Lanka Cricket has accused a group of former national players of trying to undermine the second phase of the Sri Lanka vs Australia series. In an unprecedented special communiqué, the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) chairman Upali Dharmadasa said the group seems to be working on “hidden agendas”. “It is with agony that I state that a few individuals in Colombo think that they are indispensable,” the chairman was quoted in the communiqué. Mr Dharmadasa told BBC Sandeshaya that the refusal by the group to help organise the matches at R Premadasa stadium is completely different to help received from Kandy and Hambantota. The group has told the SLC at a meeting on Thursday that they would not be able to make themselves available as volunteers to help organise the matches to be played on Saturday and Monday. Pallekele and Hambantota The former national players, currently working as cricket coaches have argued that volunteering would undermine their status as former national players. “Even cri...

The JVP decided that its nomination list for the upcoming election for 23 local government bodies will be handed over on August 24 and 25, the party stated. The lead candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council has been named as former Provincial Council member Sunil Watagala, the JVP stated while the Nomination Board included Vijitha Herath, K.D. Lal Kantha, Former MPs Bimal Rathnayaka and Samantha Vidyaratna.

Mano Ganeshan-led Democratic People’s Front (DPF) has decided to contest for the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) in the forthcoming local government elections. Mano Ganeshan stated that he has been requested by heads of the party to contest as the mayoral candidate for the CMC. Sinour party members and leaders had come to an agreement on the matter at a meeting held yesterday (August 13), he said. Therefore the DPF is to contest the election under the “ladder” symbol while the final decision on that is to be announced on Tuesday. Mano Ganeshan further stated that the DPF has received the support of several other parties including the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). 

The first stock of 100,000 imported cement bags from Pakistan will reach Sri Lanka by Monday (August 8), Minister of Cooperatives and Internal Trade, Johnston Fernando stated. Each bag will weigh 50Kg while the Minister stated that steps are being taken to import more cement and other building materials in order to ensure that no shortage of cement occurs in the domestic market. He also demanded that all businessmen immediately release whatever stocks of cement they have hidden away into the market while promising the public that all measures have been taken to protect the consumers’ needs during the present current cement shortage.