United National Party Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa denied reports that his ‘Sasunata Aruna’ programme was planned to cripple the party’s ‘Grama Charika’ programme and said Sasunata Aruna was launched long before the Grama Charika was planned.

“Politicians who are unable to mobilize their resources to help the temples are criticizing me out of jealousy,” he said.

Mr. Premadasa said he succeeded as a politician because he was able to deliver the goods even while being in the opposition.(Read More)

There hasn’t been much talk of devolution or the variety of devolution that some prefer, i.e. the 13th Amendment, for some time. It had to be Dayan Jayatlleka who would break the silence, given his fixations with that ridiculous, illegal and stuffed-down-the-throat piece of legislation courtesy a life-long love-affair with the worst elements of Indian hegemony (see his ‘Power sharing underThirteenth Amendment better than Federalism or Zero Devolution’ in ‘transcurrents’).

The argument was couched in the kind of sycophancy many have come to expect from Dayan, i.e. abject salutation of the powers that be, pandering to boss or would-be boss by articulating uncritical and utterly servile niceties and batting on their behalf against all perceived enemies. (Read More)

Former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka had told UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who visited him at Welikada Prison yesterday that he was not even given a cup of tea in his prison cell.

He had also informed UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya and General Secretary Tissa Attanyake, who visited him yesterday, that no one had volunteered to provide him a cup of tea and no measures had been taken to keep the mosquitoes out of his room.

Mr. Wickremesinghe told journalists that the facilities provided to the former army commander had been reduced for some unknown reason. He said Mr. Fonseka should enjoy the same privileges as other political prisoners of the past. “Additional facilities were provided to other political prisoners and the same should be provided to Mr. Fonseka,” he said.(Read More)

Democratic Peoples Front (DPF) yesterday accused the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) of trying to destroy the small parties by covertly working together to pass the proposed local government electoral reforms Bill.

“The SLFP and UNP want to be the exclusive representatives of the people of the country. Join us or be destroyed, is their message to smaller parties. This is similar to the sole representative policy of the LTTE,” DPF leader Mano Ganesan said at the 8th annual sessions of the Independent National Front (INF) in Colombo.

He said the concerns on minority representation was one of the core issues debated at electoral reforms discussions under the chairmanship of Minister Dinesh Gunawardene though the proposed Bill goes against the national consensus reached.

“It is nothing but a death trap to minor and minority parties. Democracy should pave way for new ideas and new opportunities,” Mr. Ganesan added.(Read More)

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) yesterday urged the government to think of consumers when deciding on the requests made by the milk powder and gas companies when revising prices.

UNP spokesman and Galle District parliamentarian Gayantha Karunatilleke told a news conference that government was expected to the decide on the revision of gas prices today based on a request made by the companies. Mr. Karunatilleke was referring to the statement made by a minister that the government had a duty to safeguard gas companies as well.(Read More)

The main opposition UNP yesterday alleged that the government was planning to slash funds allocated for welfare activities in the coming budget.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and General Secretary Tissa Attanayake made these observations at the launch of its campaign Grama Charika in Horana yesterday.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said that rice prices would be increased in the budget, but said this would be done in a way where the farmers would not be benefited.

Referring to the UNP he said it is not sufficient for the party members to go to villages alone but they make it a point to visit the households as well. Mr. Wickremesinghe recalled that visiting house holds was a practice introduced by late President J. R. Jayewardene during his tenure as the leader of the UNP in the 1970s. He said late Mr. Jayewardene did not give nominations to those who failed to visit households.(Read More)

* You canno’t elimnate people for criticising wrong government policies
* Economy doing reasonably well but questions of sustainability etc remainby Zacki Jabbar

He told The Island that it was appalling to see professionals behave like common criminals and call for the elimination of those who exercised their democratic right to freedom of speech.

UNP MP Sajith Premadssa said that he had contributed towards the resettlement and reconstruction in the north by initiating a project in conjunction with an international NGO to construct permanent houses for 250 families in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, despite his being in the opposition.Mr. Premadasa who is also the chairman of the Janasuwaya Development Foundation said so when he met Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao in New Delhi when he went there to participate at a seminar on Sri Lanka-India political dialogue, initiated by the Asian Institute of Transport Development. The institute has a consultative status with the United Nations.

Ms. Rao and Mr. Premadasa had a brief discussion on political developments in both Sri Lanka and India and they stressed the need for closer economic, political and security co-operation between the two countries. (Read More)