Basil’s response to Ranil’s MoU suggestion

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe last week came out with his latest strategy to overcome problems within his United National Party (UNP) and remain as the UNP leader until his death!

He suggested that the UNP is ready to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government so that he could go all the way to Geneva to speak on behalf of Sri Lanka at the ongoing United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions.

He said he would even come to Mattala, where the country’s second international airport will be opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa tomorrow, to sign the MoU with the Government.

Even a child would know the hard time the UNP leader is undergoing, losing over 25 successive elections including three general elections and two presidential elections under his shaky leadership.

Moreover, Sajith Premadasa is roaring to oust the leader and find the winning formula for the UNP. Many believe that Wickremesinghe is more than happy with the post of Opposition Leader he holds now and is acutely aware of his capabilities and limitations.

However, he needs a new slogan and a story to woo the moderate UNPers and silence the reformists within his party.

Hence, he came up with an overnight suggestion of a MoU at a time none of the UNP or Government politicians asked for such an alliance.

Mahinda Samarasinghe

Pavithra Wanniarachchi

Sajith Premadasa

W.B. Ganegala

On the other hand, the ruling UPFA commands more than two-thirds majority in Parliament and does not need the support of bankrupt political parties such as the UNP and JVP.

But Wickremesinghe unilaterally suggested signing of a MoU, assuming that it would help him to resurrect his image and that of the political party he leads.

But he never thought that it would boomerang on him as he has demanded signing of a MoU to voice his support on behalf his motherland. If he is genuinely interested in supporting Sri Lanka at the UNHRC, he could do so without any conditions or MoUs.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) National Organiser, Minister Basil Rajapaksa rejected Wickremesinghe’s offer to sign a MoU with the Government. The Minister said that the UNP leader has no moral right to suggest a MoU and speak on behalf of the country at the UNHRC sessions.

Speaking at the opening of Reggie Ranatunga Vidyalaya in Minuwangoda, Minister Rajapaksa said there were hundreds of thousands of people who were prepared to go to Geneva and speak on behalf of the President without signing any MoUs.

The Minister said the President had come forward to save the country from the clutches of LTTE terrorism paying no heed to external threats.

“He came forward to save the country and told the people he would save the country from terrorism even if it resulted in him being sent to the electric chair. Despite what he has done several external elements have continued to discredit the president and the country,” he said.

Anunayaka takes Ranil to task

Opposition Leader and UNP Chief Ranil Wickremesinghe kept away from the ceremony at which the Akthapathra was presented to the Most Ven. Napane Pemasiri Thera, Mahanayaka of the Sri Lanka Ramanna Maha Nikaya.

He feared that his shortcomings would be exposed, the Most Ven. Girambe Ananda Thera, Anunayaka of the same Chapter, told a local newspaper. The Ven. Thera said Wickremesinghe is not fit to be a future leader of the country as he has emasculated the UNP and alienated its loyal members.

Leaders of all political parities including Ranil Wickremesinghe had been invited to the ceremony.

However, Ranil was later seen singing his cares away at a cricket match between two schools , at a venue adjacent to the Independence Square.

The match proved to be a source of disturbance to the ceremony presided over by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The rumpus continued albeit.

The Thera said that Wickremesinghe has destroyed the UNP and alienated its members and hence he was not fit to be the leader.

As long as he continues as Leader of the Opposition, he does not pose any threat to the Presidency.

The President had provided him all facilities including renovations to the office of the Opposition Leader, enhanced security, a substantial financial provision for his office and a luxury vehicle, the Thera said.

Sajith back in WC

These unfavourable developments would have prompted Wickremesinghe to take one step back and look more strategically on the Reformist group which still operates within the UNP.

Though the UNP reformist do not issue statements as in the past, they continue operate silently and are waiting for the right time to topple the leader and gain control of the party.

Wickremesinghe would have felt that the situation is not too conducive, though he has the backing of his Working Committee. Hence, former UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa was re-appointed to the Working Committee last week.

More importantly, Sajith has been appointed to the Working Committee through the party leader’s quota.

He was a member of the Working Committee earlier in his capacity as the Deputy Leader but once he lost the post, he automatically lost his place in the Working Committee.

But Ranil’s latest move is merely to satisfy Sajith temporally. The majority of the UNP Working Committee are Ranil loyalists appointed directly by the party leader.

An isolated Sajith could do precious little in the Working Committee and Ranil too knows it well.

Hence, Ranil would have thought it is better to re-accommodate Sajith in the Working Committee under his quota of members and get credit.

“The party leader is able to name 20 members to the UNP Working Committee as he sees fit while the appointing of Premadasa was done under that authority,” UNP General Secretary Tissa Attnayake was quoted as saying.

President’s visit to Japan

Leaders of Japan and Sri Lanka pledged to work towards strengthening the partnership beyond the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

President Rajapaksa, First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and a high level delegation flew to Japan on the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Both leaders decided to use wide ranging visits and dialogue to further reinforce bilateral cooperation. Issuing a joint statement, they expressed their satisfaction at the outcome of the official working visit by President Rajapaksa which had provided further testimony to continuing excellent relations between the two countries.

At this meeting, President Mahinda Rajapaksa extended a invitation to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to visit Sri Lanka to which the Japanese Prime Minister expressed his appreciation.

At the Summit meeting which marked the mutual respect, understanding and historical relations between the two countries since the San Francisco Peace Conference in 1951, both leaders acknowledged the relationship of the two countries have matured and diversified with the passing of time, encompassing wide ranging areas of contemporary relevance, including trade and investment, development cooperation, culture and education.

President Rajapaksa appreciated Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) over the years which played a significant role in the social and economic development of Sri Lanka.

President Rajapaksa also commended the ongoing study of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on transport infrastructure for metropolitan area and expressed hope that Japan’s assistance would continue in this area to introduce a suitable transport system to mitigate traffic congestion and eliminate transport bottlenecks in the Colombo Metropolitan area and the suburbs.

Prime Minister Abe expressed his profound gratitude on behalf of the people of Japan for the heartfelt sympathy and support extended to them from the Government and people of Sri Lanka, following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

The two leaders also noted the need to cooperate in the field of disaster management as countries that had suffered natural calamity.

The two leaders also agreed that as maritime countries, Japan and Sri Lanka had a responsibility to play important roles for the stability and prosperity of the Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.

Electricity subsidy for three million families

The Government was compelled to revise electricity tariffs for a short period.

The electricity bills would be increased temporarily with a promise to do away with the fuel surcharge from next year.

Though the Opposition was making a desperate attempt to capitalise on this and mislead the public, the new Ceylon Electricity Board Chairman W.B. Ganegala made an important disclosure on a staggering Rs. 26,000 million already given as electricity subsidy.

Although the government provides an electricity subsidy of Rs. 26,000 million for over three million families in the country, the government has decided to provide electricity even to the most underprivileged family in the country before long, though the decision greatly increases the CEB’s expenditure, said CEB Chairman W.B. Ganegala.

The CEB Chairman said the government has decided to increase electricity connections by 100 percent by the middle of next year. “This will provide people in the urban and rural areas equal opportunities, raising their living standards.” The CEB Chairman made these observations at a discussion at the CEB.

Ganegala said over five million families have been provided with electricity and three million families out of this number, use less than 90 units a month.

“An electricity subsidy of Rs. 26,000 million is granted to those families using less than 90 units a month. The government has no intention of removing the subsidy,” he said. He said the new tariff is only to obtain the additional expenditure of the CEB due to the fuel price hike.

Ganegala said there will not be any electricity tariff increase after 2013 and relief would be provided to consumers. He also said that in the final stage of providing electricity to those in remote areas like mountainous areas of Kotmale and Mahavilachchiya will be very costly.

He said that though families in such areas pay a sum of Rs. 200 monthly as a bill under concessionary rates, the CEB has to expend billions of rupees to provide electricity to 50 such houses. Meanwhile, Power and Energy Minister Pavitra Devi Wanniarachchi said that the CEB would not purchase electricity from private sector run fuel powered thermal power plants when the contracts lapse, as a measure of reducing CEB electricity generation costs to provide relief to the consumers.

She said the CEB could stop buying electricity at higher prices from the private sector due to the unwavering political decision taken by President Mahinda Rajapaksa to set up coal power thermal plants that generate a unit of electricity a very low cost.

She also said that the price of a unit of electricity generated by the private sector is sometimes Rs. 40 per unit while a unit of coal power electricity is around Rs. 7.50. The first phase of the Norochcholai coal power plant is already commissioned and phase two and three will be commissioned very soon.

The Minister made these observations during a discussion at the Foundation Institute. CEB Additional Deputy General Manager D K B S Thilakasena said the Kelanitissa Gas turbines which will be put out off use by 2014 will help save a lot funds money on fuel.

Ace Power in Embilipitiya, Heladanavi and Colombo power will also be phased out in 2015.

With the commission of the Broadlands, Uma Oya project and Ging Ganga projects in 2015 and 6,750 MW coal power thermal plants from 2017 to 2019, the country will not face any electricity crisis and power would be provided to CEB consumers at a comparatively low rate.

World support for Sri Lanka

Western nations are underestimating the development in Sri Lanka since the end of terrorism, Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso said when he met President Rajapaksa during the Lankan leader’s four-day official visit to Japan.“Sri Lanka’s security situation is getting better. The economy is on the right track. Investors and tourists are going to the country”, he said.

President Rajapaksa while thanking Japan for its assistance for Sri Lanka’s development said that leaders and people of the world should visit Sri Lanka to see for themselves the progress the country had achieved in all aspects in recent times. Ambassador Yasushi Akashi also met the President at a private lunch. During the visit President Rajapaksa held discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and had an audience with the Japanese Emperor and Empress who hosted a lunch for the President and the First Lady at the Imperial palace.

Meanwhile, China called on the international community to respect the sovereignty of Sri Lanka and provide assistance to rebuild the country. Speaking at the 22nd session of the UNHRC during the debate on the UPR of Sri Lanka, China also said that the international community should avoid external interference into the internal matters of Sri Lanka.

Also speaking at the session Oman stated that Sri Lanka has shown the willingness to corporate with the international community by accepting the recommendations of the UPR. Oman recommended the council to adopt the UPR report at the UNHRC.

Minister Samarasinghe back in Geneva

Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe is back in Geneva to attend the UNHRC Sessions and UPR meetings. “Ground verification of facts is continuing in the aftermath of results of a national census of 2012 - and the enumeration in the North preceding it in 2011 which were of such importance.

”We believe we will be able to gain an accurate picture of the several causes of civilian deaths,” said Special Envoy of President on Human Rights and Leader of the Delegation of Sri Lanka to the 22nd Sessions of the UN Human Rights Council Geneva, on Friday.

“We have come a long way since the initial Universal Periodic Review of Sri Lanka during the first cycle in 2008. My country then was engaged in a conflict against terrorism, in commencing in 2006, in trying to rescue a civilian population held by a ruthless group of terrorists.

”A year after that first review, we finally achieved success in the humanitarian operation and witnessed the dawn of a new era of peace, stability and prosperity for all Sri Lankans.

”Since May 2009 we engaged in a period of consolidation, removing military involvement in civil administration, reconstruction, demining, rehabilitation, resettlement and launched our initial efforts at national reconciliation and peace-building,” he said.

“Further to the recommendation of the LLRC, the database on detainees is available to next of kin (NoK) who are able to obtain details in response to their inquiries. The investigations into those allegedly disappeared are ongoing through national mechanisms.

“As we have regularly informed this Council, the National Plan of Action for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (NHRAP), was a commitment that grew out of our initial Review in 2008. That was a principal pledge we made and one that we spent considerable time and effort in realising. December 2012 marked the first year of implementation of the NHRAP,” he said. Minister Samarasinghe reiterated that Sri Lanka is deeply appreciative of Member and Observer States for their interest and positive engagement during its UPR Process and their acknowledgement of our efforts in the promotion and protection of human rights.