The government, by claiming that the human rights violation petition on behalf of Retired General Sarath Fonseka MP, had been rejected by the Inter Parliamentarian Union’s Committee on Human Rights, had lied to the public, the UNP said yesterday.

"It was shocking to hear Mr. Samarasinghe, who is a former Chairman of IPUCH telling such lies, when he is fully aware of the manner in which the organisation functions," Dr. Jayawardena said. (Read More)

Opposition United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday the UNP could survive without the media as it had done in the past, because the suppression of journalists had resulted in the media being reluctant to give space and air time to opposition political parties.

“The media are not reporting the real situation. What they report is quite different,” he said addressing the Grama Charika programme at Sirikotha.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said the UNP managed to form a government in 1977 without much media support. “At that time we were not allowed to use loud speakers at our rallies but yet we managed to win the 1977 general election,” he said.(Read More)

The UNP charged yesterday that the government was carrying out work secretly on the delimitation of wards to conduct the local government elections under a new system even without passing necessary legislation in Parliament.

Addressing a news conference, UNP General Secretary MP Tissa Attanayake said District Secretaries had been informed unofficially to do the basic work in this respect.

As a result, Mr. Attanayake urged the government to maintain transparency and accountability when introducing the new electoral system.

“We had preliminary talks with the government and put forward our proposals. The Bill is expected to be discussed at the Parliamentary Consultative Committee now. Even before it is passed in the House, the government has started work on delimitation. We have received information now. This is a secret operation,” he said. (Read More)

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said yesterday important decisions would be taken at Friday’s working committee meeting with party reforms having now reached the final stages.

Galle district parliamentarian and UNP spokesman Gayantha Karunatilleke told a news conference among several important decisions would be the ‘Grama Charika’ programme designed to take the party’s message to grassroot levels.

He said the UNP convention would be held in December this year and the party would be ready to face the local councils poll expected to be held early next year.

Mr. Karunatilleke said the list of organizers would also be finalized before the polls and disputes within the party would also be resolved soon. (Read More)

The no-faith motion moved by the UNP against External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris was defeated by a majority of 107 votes in Parliament yesterday with 32 members voting for it and 139 against.

Those SLMC members who were present also voted against the motion.

The House became alive from morning with most of the government frontliners speaking in defence of the minister and the members of the Opposition trying to affirm the allegations made against him.

Some government mem bers who spoke of the abilities and qualifications of Professor Peiris even tabled his bio data Prof. Peiris who denied all charges said he would not be deterred by the no -faith motion and called on the UNP to bring such motions every week.(Read More)

He opened the debate on the Provincial Councils Amendment Bill and said he had also requested the president to restore the civil and military status of the former army commander.

Mr. Wickremesinghe, who read out his letter in the House, said he had decided to make a written request to the president to fulfil his duty as opposition leader.

“It is my duty as the opposition leader to act when the parliamentary privileges of an opposition member are violated,” he said.In his letter the opposition leader had recalled that president, at a meeting with the Maha Sangha, stated that he was willing to consider pardoning the former army commander if a proper appeal were made. (Read More)

Opposition and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe said yesterday that he would be filing a report in parliament about the security and other conditions under which Retired General Sarath Fonseka, MP, was being held at the Welikada jail. Speaking to the media after visiting Fonseka, he said that as Opposition Leader, it was his duty to ascertain the conditions under which a former army commander and war hero had been unjustly imprisoned.

Wickremasinghe said that he also intends meeting the Prisons Minister and Commissioner General of Prisons. (Read More)

The UNP said yesterday that contrary to accusations, it had not abandoned retired Gen. Sarath Fonseka and was writing to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to release Fonseka immediately.

The entire country should be ashamed that a war hero, described as the best army commander in the world, was being treated worse than a common criminal, he said. (Read More)