Anti-Ranil campaign hots up in Hambantota

The Provincial Council election fever is gradually increasing with the UPFA, JVP and the Democratic Party making every effort to strengthen their election campaigns. The ruling UPFA is conducting its campaign in a highly successful manner, winning more and more members to its fold.

Even the JVP and the Democratic Party are working full time to win the Opposition votes. In contrast, the main Opposition - the United National Party (UNP) is making a lethargic campaign with hardly any organised election mechanism.

The UNP's rebel group, under the blessings of former deputy leader Sajith Premadasa, are not throwing their full weight behind the UNP campaign. They are only interested in producing a few more council members from the Hambantota district.

UNP rebels Shiral Laktillake and Maithri Gunaratne who did not get nominations to contest the Provincial Council elections, have now joined Sajith in conducting the UNP campaign in Hambantota which is turning into an anti-Ranil program.

But Ranil is having day dreams and wild imaginations of regaining power. Having lost 28 successive elections under his shaky leadership, Ranil continues to set deadlines to capture power. The UNP reformists know that it is a ploy to deflect demands for a change in the UNP leadership.

UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe last week vowed to topple the Government in the same way he toppled the government of former President Chandrika Kumaratunga in 2001. With the next general election due only in late 2016, Ranil claimed at a UNP rally at Avissawela last week that his party would form a government in 2015.

Ranil said there were several who asked him about the recent discussions with former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and whether he had discussed the ouster of this Government with her.

"I did not discuss any political plot with the former President but told her that I will topple this government like the way I toppled her government in 2001. I will make my plan public at the right time," Ranil was quoted as saying.

He said a future UNP government would give priority to UNPers especially those who had been 'victimised' by the UPFA Government. "We will provide jobs to everyone irrespective of political party affiliations but would give preference to those who have been politically victimised," he added.

Ranil has said that people should not vote for small political parties as it would not do any good to anyone. He asked the people to vote for UNP as it was the only alternative and the better option. That showed that Ranil has a fear that the traditional opposition vote would go to the JVP or the Democratic Party and not to the UNP.

In other words, the UNP seems to have given up the battle to win the Provincial Councils and is only battling for the second place with the JVP and Democratic Party.

Many at the meeting had their last laugh when Ranil said about providing emplpyment opportunities under a future UNP government. "When the UNP was in power from 2001 to 2004, Ranil's government did not provide a single hob in the state sector. He must be joking now," a UNP rebel MP remarked on UNP leader's statement.

Meanwhile, the UNP launched its manifesto for the Provincial Council election at its headquarters Sirikotha last week. The manifesto named Bala Peraliyata Kola Eliya (Green light for a change of regime) and is in line with the party's policy of firing the first shot towards regaining power.

But it appeared to be an utter flop as most UNP seniors were no interested in knowing Ranil's so-called winning formula. Most UNP seniors, including his inner circle members Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Vajira Abeywardena, preferred to sleep, rather than listen to Ranil's pipe dreams.

Chairman of the UNP leadership council Karu jayasuriya and UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake were among the UNP seniors who were among those who had a good snooze. Ranil looked a dejected man after a photographer of a Sinhala daily newspaper had captured all those UNP seniors and published them on the following day.

One Shot's love affair comes to light

UNP parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake was in deep trouble last week with newspaper reporting a court report about broken promises by the celluloid hero. Former Rahula College teacher, with tears streaming down her cheeks read a letter in Court sent by a bank to parliamentarian Ranjan seeking arrears of a payment she made on his behalf.

The complainant Namali Wijeyaratne alias Udayangani Wijeratne read out the letter to Kandy Chief Magistrate W.T. Vasantha Kumar after Sub Inspector Rohitha gave it to her to be read for the benefit of the Court.

"Baba (baby), pay this money if not I will have to drink poison, I am going to marry you." was the most highlighted sentence in that letter and was quoted in last week's daily media. In this case, Ranjan is accused of having cheated the school teacher of Rs. one million on the promise that he would marry her.

The complainant teacher told the court that at first she was not prepared to pay this money but a woman employee of the Bank had advised her to pay the money because of he had agreed to marry her. She told the court further that she had helped the accused at the time he was unemployed and that after coming to know Ranjan Ramanayake, she had regularly spoken to him over the telephone.

She said she first spoke to the actor turned politician at a friend's party and later met her at school. At this stage the Court inquired whether this matter could not be settled. Attorney at Law David Weeraratne said a settlement was suggested but nothing had happened.

Attorney-at-Law Sujith Kariyawasam who appeared for Ranjan Ramanayke asked whether such a relationship was possible when one consider the disparity in the ages. Attorney at Law Ranjith Welikumbura appearing for the complainant said "Onasis also married late in life," The case was postponed for May 16.

President debunks international criticism

President Mahinda Rajapaksa debunked international criticism of undermining Sri Lanka's Tamil minority on the strength of the success in crushing the LTTE through military means.

"The war was not against the Tamils. We only fought a brutal terrorist outfit that was the LTTE," the president told a political rally in Galle on Wednesday.

"If our battle was against Tamils how could the Tamils live happily and peacefully among the Sinhalese in the south of the country," he quipped.

Responding to accusations that the Government had promoted a culture of impunity for those who attack the island's religious minorities, the President said the religious harmony and reconciliation was visible throughout the country.

"I am aware that some non-governmental organisations with foreign help are trying to show there is religious disharmony," he stressed. The President said that every attempt is being made to embarrass the Government at a time the UN Human Rights Council meeting is taking place in Geneva.

More support for Sri Lanka in Geneva

Sri Lanka is on a better footing in Geneva as several countries have openly opposed the US-led resolution against Sri Lanka at the ongoing sessions of the UNHRC. While expressing Sri Lanka's opposition to the Resolution being moved by the US, UK and a few other countries against the country, Sri Lanka last week called upon all Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states to continue to show their solidarity with Sri Lanka.

Minister of Plantation Industries and Special Envoy of the President on Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe has said Sri Lanka's opposition to the Resolution being moved by the US, UK and a few other countries against Sri Lanka was a fight on a matter of principle and that Sri Lanka would not compromise on it.

He also stated that what is happening to Sri Lanka today, could happen to any other NAM country tomorrow.

Minister Samarasinghe made these observations when he addressed the Permanent Representatives and delegates of the cross regional Non-Aligned Group in Geneva, on the sidelines of the 25th Session of the UNHRC on Thursday.

Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ravinatha Aryasinha was also associated with the Minister at this briefing, a statement issued by the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Geneva said.

The Minister who had earlier this week addressed the Asia--Pacific Regional Group of Member and Observer States and the Latin American Group of Countries, said Sri Lanka over the years was a country that had continued to engage with the international community and needed no Resolutions to do so.

Minister Samarasinghe said, Sri Lanka, on this occasion too, was briefing that various groups and has been proactive and shared information in a transparent manner.

Recalling the challenges faced by the country in the aftermath of the conflict, the Minister pointed out that Sri Lanka looked after the internally displaced persons of around 300,000 taking care of their every need, leading to their resettlement after the completion of de-mining in their native habitats.

The Minister also pointed out that Sri Lanka has rehabilitated around 12,000 ex-combatants and former child soldiers have been reunited with their families while others have been provided with tertiary education, all within the space of under five years.

JVP meets Elections Commissioner

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) met the Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya last week to lodge a complaint about the election law violations.

JVP front-liner K.D. Lalkantha told the media soon after meeting Deshapriya that certain candidates are engaged in flagrant violation of election laws.

Meanwhile, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said the Government was resorting to illegal election propaganda campaigns because they had lost public support. "Although at the beginning of its campaign, the Government believed it was easy to win the March 29, it has now realised that the Government had lost the support," he was quoted as saying.

Political analysts said that the JVP is making a series of complaints on a regular basis so that they could use them as excuses after an imminent election defeat. Unlike the past, the JVP has even lost its limited vote base as part of their membership have joined the breakaway Peratugami Party and Sarath Fonseka's Democratic Party.

Knowing that there would be further erosion in their vote base, the JVP even changed the leadership to give the party a new look and woo the rural youth. But that seems to have triggered internal conflicts as a couple of party seniors appear to be dejected over the latest developments.

TNA conspires with the West

The TNA is making every effort to woo the international sympathy by capitalizing on the US-led Resolution to the UNHRC against Sri Lanka.

A TNA delegation, led by R. Sampanthan, last week met US and British envoys in Colombo on Monday and discussed the US-led resolution. The TNA delegation comprising parliamentarians Mavai Senathiraja and M.A.

Sumanthiran on two separate occasions met British High Commissioner John Rankin and then the US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires William Weinsteinin in Colombo.

"Yes we met the British High Commissioner and the Deputy Ambassador and a US embassy official and discussed the ongoing UNHRC sessions," Sumanthiran was quoted as saying while declining to give details about their meetings with the envoys.

Political sources confirmed that the TNA held lengthy discussions with the British and the US envoys about the US- sponsored resolution that level war crime allegations against Sri Lanka.

The TNA had welcomed the US-sponsored draft resolution that seeks an international probe led by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The TNA said it looked forward to a stronger resolution after revisions ahead of the voting at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

It is obvious that the TNA has not given up its separatist agenda they had when the party had been remote-controlled by LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran during the heights of the battle against terrorism. They are now making every effort to woo international sympathy and gain the position held by the Tigers.

President opens another highway

For the second successive weekend, President Rajapaksa opened another highway yesterday as the second phase of the Southern Expressway from Pinnaduwa in Galle to Godagama in Matara was declared open by the President.

This enables vehicles to reach Matara from Kottawa in one and a half hours. A special ceremony to mark this occasion was held at Godagama, Matara under the patronage of President Rajapaksa last afternoon.

This section will have two interchanges at Imaduwa and Kokmaduwa along the Galle-Deniyaya road and Weligama-Kananke road. This expressway is to be further extended up to the Mattala International Airport and construction would begin in June.

This section from Pinnaduwa in Galle to Godagama in Matara has four bridges, 46 underpasses and 12 box culverts. The project costing US$ 180 million was funded by the Exim Bank of China.

The construction of the Outer Circular Road connecting the Southern Expressway with the Colombo-Katunayake Expressway is also in progress under three stages.

This highway which runs 20 Km away from the Colombo city centre is 29.2 km in length.

The first section of this Outer Circular Road from Kottawa to Kaduwela was opened by President Mahinda Rajapaksa on March 8.

The construction of the 8.9 km section from Kaduwela to Kadawatha is being completed and would be opened next year. The volume of vehicular traffic in these areas exceeds two million per day and most of the drivers are compelled to move via Colombo city due to lack of alternative roads.

When the hunter became the hunted

The US came under sharp criticism at the UNHRC in Geneva on Thursday for a long list of human rights abuses that included everything from detention without charge at Guantánamo, drone strikes and NSA surveillance, to the death penalty, rampant gun violence and endemic racial inequality.

At the start of a two-day grilling of the US delegation, the committee's 18 experts made clear their deep concerns about the US record across a raft of human rights issues. Many related to fault lines as old as America itself, such as guns and race.

Other issues were relatively newly listed.

The experts raised questions about the National Security Agency's surveillance of digital communications in the wake of Edward Snowden's revelations. It also intervened in this week's dispute between the CIA and US senators by calling for declassification and release of the 6,300-page report into the Bush administration's use of torture techniques and rendition that lay behind the current CIA-Senate dispute.

The committee is charged with upholding the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a UN treaty that the US ratified in 1992.

The current exercise, repeated every five years, is a purely voluntarily review, and the US will face no penalties should it choose to ignore the committee's recommendations, which will appear in a final report in a few weeks' time.

But the US is clearly sensitive to suggestions that it fails to live up to the human rights obligations enshrined in the convention -- as signalled by the large size of its delegation to Geneva this week. And as an act of public shaming, Thursday's encounter was frequently uncomfortable to the US.

The US came under sustained criticism for its global counter-terrorism tactics, including the use of unmanned drones to kill al-Qaida suspects, and its transfer of detainees to third countries that might practice torture, such as Algeria. Committee members also highlighted the Obama administration's failure to prosecute any of the officials responsible for permitting waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation" techniques under the previous administration.

Walter Kälin, a Swiss international human rights lawyer who sits on the committee, attacked the US government's refusal to recognise the convention's mandate over its actions beyond its own borders.

The move was taken after 9/11 as a way of evading international scrutiny over Guantánamo and other 'extra-territorial' measures of dubious standing in international law.