Ranil full of praise for Govt

The Local political arena continued to maintain its heat in post-election developments, as the Eastern Provincial Council took centre stage. Though the ruling UPFA finished on top with 14 seats, it was a simple majority and needed the support of an ally to regain power in the council.

The SLMC, though being a constituent party in the Government, made a strategic move and secured seven seats while the National Freedom Front - led by Minister Wimal Weerawansa too secured a seat.

Though it was obvious for the SLMC to extend its support to the UPFA, the TNA, which secured only 11 seats, made desperate attempts to capture power. The UNP, meanwhile, carried various campaigns to discredit the SLMC, assuming that they could buckle the UPFA’s chances of forming provincial administration.

More importantly, it was TNA leader R. Sampanthan who was greatly perturbed by the election result. The TNA kept the LTTE cohorts and a section of Tamil Diaspora under an illusion, assuring that they would easily win the Eastern PC election.

The TNA worked overtime and tried their level best to form a provincial administration in the East. The TNA told the SLMC that they would give anything they demand in forming a provincial administration. The UNP, which was pushed to fourth place at the EPC elections, initially showed its interest in supporting the TNA as UNP general Secretary Tissa Attanayake gave early hopes to Sampandan’s camp.

But at the end, SLMC leader, Minister Rauf Hakeem decided to remain with the UPFA, shattering TNA’s hopes. It is no secret that there has been an unprecedented volume of foreign funding to the TNA coffers during the election campaign. Sampanthan gave too many hopes to LTTE cohorts and Tiger sympathisers so that there will be lavish funding from interested parties. But at the end, Sampanthan cut a sorry figure and he will soon have to pay back for misleading LTTE cohorts and Tiger sympathisers.

The UPFA too made a wise move by bringing in a Muslim as the new Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council, though one-third of the provinces’ population is Sinhalese. It was a Tamil who held the position of Chief Minister of the East and now it has gone to another minority, proving the Government’s sincere efforts to give equal rights to minorities.

UPFA’s M. N. Abdul Majeed was yesterday appointed Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council. He took his oaths before President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees last week. He came third in the list from the Trincomalee district obtaining 11,726 preference votes at last week’s EP poll where the UPFA emerged ahead of all contenders.

President Rajapaksa instructed Eastern Province Chief Minister M N Abdul Majeed to serve the public in the Eastern Province with fairness and equality towards building a prosperous future for them and their children. The President said, “the election is now over. The time is now right for those elected members of the Eastern Province to pool their strengths to fulfill the aspirations of the public by serving them well with their efforts,” a Presidential Media Division press release said. Speaking in Tamil the President said, “the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has undertaken governance of the Eastern Province respecting the decision of the province’s Muslim, Tamil and Sinhala communities”.

Out of the three Provincial Councils for which the elections were held on September 8, the Chief Minister of the Eastern PC has been appointed so far with the Chief Ministers of Sabaragamuwa and the North Central are to be appointed within the next few days.

The UPFA had landslide victories in Sabaragamuwa and North Central and has no problem whatsoever in commanding absolute majority. Former Chief Minister Maheepala Herath is tipped to take over Sabaragamua PC once again. However, former Chief Minister of North Central Province Berty Premalal Dissanayake was pushed to the second place in the preferential votes list of the Anuradhapura District.

S.M. Ranjith, brother of Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S.M. Chandrasena, not only finished ahead of former Chief Minister but also emerged as the candidate with the highest number of preferential votes out of all candidates who contested at the Sabaragamuwa, North Central and the Eastern PC elections.

Agrarian Services and Wildlife Minister S M Chandrasena last week said he resigned from his Cabinet portfolio to pave the way for his brother Ranjith, who secured the highest number of preferential votes in the recently concluded Provincial Council Elections to be appointed the North Central Province Chief Minister.

The minister said he took the decision in accordance with the advice of the special committee dealing with the appointment of Chief Ministers. “I decided to give up my portfolio for the benefit of the people who toiled and elected us to render a service to the public and also to safeguard their mandate,” he said.

“It is evident from the majority of preferential votes, that people expect a change,” Chandrasena said. He said his brother Ranjith will be sworn-in as the newly elected Chief Minister of the North Central Province tomorrow. “I am there to help him and advise him in the process of serving the people in the area. Giving up my ministerial portfolio will affect my service to all the provinces but I have to give priority to Rajarata where the energetic farmers have joined hands with the UPFA in the government’s forward march towards development,” he said.

Warm welcome to President

President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit to India last week enabled Indo-Lanka relations to strengthen further. There was a grand welcome for President Rajapaksa when he arrived at Palam Airport in New Delhi on a three-day official visit.

The Sri Lankan delegation led by President Rajapaksa was warmly welcomed by Indian Science and Technology and Earth Science State Minister Ashwani Kumar at the airport. The President’s Indian tour was organised following an invitation for a foundation laying ceremony to set up an International Buddhist University in Sanchi.

The President’s visit strengthened bilateral relations between the two countries. The President met his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the tour.

On Friday, President Rajapaksa laid the foundation stone of an international Buddhist University.

The foundation stone laying ceremony was done by Rajapaksa, Prime Minister of Bhutan Jigme Thinley, MP Governor Ram Naresh Yadav and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan amid chanting of vedic mantras by priests and blowing of conches. The Lankan President travelled by helicopter from Bhopal. At Sanchi, he was received by Madhya Pradesh Culture and Public Relations Minister Laxmikant Sharma.

Earlier, President Rajapaksa visited Sanchi Stupa, where relics of the Buddha are kept, and then laid the foundation stone on Friday morning for the construction of a Sanchi University of Buddhist and Indic Studies aimed at promoting mutual relationships between Asian countries.

The Lankan leader arrived amidst tight security at the Sanchi Stupa UNESCO World Heritage site on Friday with Buddha’s message of peace and a clipping from the Mahabodhi ‘peepal’ tree as a special gift to India.

Meanwhile, MDMK leader Vaiko with 700 other supporters were arrested at Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh on the same day for protesting against Sri Lanka.

Vaiko was held at the road-blockade agitation at Gadchicholi on Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh border while nearly half a dozen MDMK supporters opposing President Rajapaksa’s visit were detained at Salamatpur near Sanchi as a precautionary measure after police got suspicious about their movements.

The Indian Government provided utmost security to the Lankan leader, leaving no room for LTTE sympathisers to make unruly protests. Security arrangements were put in right places due to the President’s visit while boarders of Sanchi town were sealed and trains that were scheduled to stop at Sanchi proceeded non-stop as a part of security measure.

President Mahinda Japanese laid the foundation stone for Buddhist and Indic Studies University of Sanchi on Friday.

Meanwhile, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratna said that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha Jayaram cannot invalidate an international bilateral agreement signed between two governments just because she wants to take over Sri Lanka’s Kachchathivu island.

Commenting on the recent resolution brought to the Tamil Nadu State government by Jayalalitha which seeks to takeover Kachchathivu island from Sri Lanka, Dr. Senaratna said India ceded Kachchathivu island to Sri Lanka under an agreement in 1974. The ownership of the island has been recorded even in 1920.

“The agreement was signed between the Prime Ministers of two sovereign States, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,” he said. “There is no way that Tamil Nada Chief Minister Jeyaram can invalidate a treaty that was signed between two sovereign States,” explained Dr. Senaratna.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe last week commended the successful organising of the 58th CPA conference in Colombo and said it was of the best CPA conferences ever held.

He made this observation in Parliament thanking those who were committed and dedicated in organising the conference under the leadership of the CPA President and Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa.

He also stated that since the day it was decided to hold the 58th CPA Conference in Sri Lanka even the members of Opposition contributed immensely to make it a success irrespective of party differences.

The Opposition Leader also stated that the 58th conference brought fame both to the country and Parliament. Wickremesinghe also stated that he extend his profound thanks on behalf of the Opposition to everyone who work towards the success of the conference under the leadership of Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has determined that the Divineguma Bill should be referred to the Provincial Councils and should be sanctioned before it is enacted as a law by Parliament.

Announcing the Supreme Court Determination Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa told Parliament last week that in compliance with Clause 1 of Article 121 of the Constitution, the President should first refer the Bill to the Provincial Councils as the Bill involves matters coming within the purview of Provincial Councils.

The Speaker noted that when a petition is filed in the Supreme Court regarding a Bill presented in Parliament, a copy of such petition should be sent to the Speaker. “However, in this instance this requirement was not fulfilled. If someone assumes that this would be fulfilled simply by giving a copy to an official in Parliament such act would amount to breach of honour and supremacy of Parliament,” he said while noting that the matter would be discussed with party leaders and will be inquired into subsequently.

Major tenders affidavit

Major Chandana Pradeep of the Army Intelligence last week tendered an affidavit to Fort Magistrate Kaniska Wijeratne stating that he was not subject to an assault at JAIC Hilton, and that he intended to arrive at a settlement over the incident where he was hospitalised and his service revolver, mobile phone and vehicle keys lost.

Two of the items including the firearm and the mobile phone were later handed over to the Slave Island Police by the driver of Malaka Silva, the son of the Minister of Public Relations and Public Affairs.

The suspect along with Rehan Wijeratne, the son of Ambassador to Turkey Mano Wijeratne and five others were taken into custody and remanded on September 17. Colombo Fort Magistrate and Additional District Judge Kaniska Wijeratne later granted bail to Malaka de Silva and Rehan Wijeratne who were remanded in connection with the complaint made by Major Chandana Pradeep.

The judge directed the two suspects to furnish cash bail in Rs. 50,000 each and a bond of Rs. one million each with two sureties. The sureties should be their parents or close relations.

The two suspects were also directed to appear before the Slave Island Police OIC every Sunday between 9 am and noon. Judge Wijeratne also directed the CCD to conduct an identification parade on September 24 with regard to the other five suspects remanded in connection with the same incident.The complainant Major Chandana Pradeep (37) was present in court on notice and gave evidence before court. He said he had been in the Army for the last 16 years and had served in Jaffna and Trincomalee and in Colombo for the past five months.

Major Pradeep examined by his Senior Counsel Shanaka Ranasinghe said he made a statement to the Police on the day of the incident and submitted an affidavit to court last week.

At this stage, the Judge inquired from the Major whether he had given two statements on the day of the incident and later made another statement. Major Pradeep said that when he made the first statement he was in a state of shock.

The judge directed the Colombo Crime Division (CCD) which is conducting investigations into the incident to ascertain the truth of the Major's statements and file a comprehensive report on the next date.

UK deports 60 Lankans

The United Kingdom last week deported another group of 60 Sri Lankan asylum seekers and visa overstayers. Those sent back include failed asylum seekers and visa overstayers, BBC reported quoting UK officials. UK authorities deported them amidst efforts by pro-LTTE elements in Britain to prevent British authorities from carrying out the deportation of Sri Lankans who have failed to qualify for asylum.

The British Foreign Office last March told BBC that they send people back to Sri Lanka only when the British government and the courts are satisfied that they do not need protection. The Foreign Office has said there had been no substantiated allegations of mistreatment of those returning from the UK. Yesterday’s flight is the fifth such flight of deportees sent from the UK.

Meanwhile Sri Lankan asylum seekers are returning home willingly from both Australia and India. Around 14 Sri Lankan asylum seekers on Christmas Island have opted to return home.

Another group consisting of 70 people who had been staying in camps in South India returned to Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Special Services are being carried out by the Deputy High Commissioner's office in Chennai to facilitate the return of Sri Lankans living in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu.

They have organised special programs on orientation and issuance of travel and identity documents to help the smooth return of those who want to come back to Sri Lanka. The UNHRC to has opened a special desk at the Airport and is also offering financial help to the returnees from India.