Ranil-Karu cold war, Sajith turns observer

Most Opposition politicians have been talking of a so-called common candidate for the next Presidential election but nobody knows what type of candidate he is! Though they talk of a common candidate, their ideas and intentions are not common and have hidden political agendas.

It seems that the so-called common candidate concept has boomeranged on the UNP and the JVP in different aspects. The news that the Government was preparing for an early Presidential election has added more problems to all major parties in the Opposition. Though all of them have been daydreaming of a common candidate, none of them is willing to compromise and sacrifice their chance to contest.

The worst hit is the main Opposition - the UNP, after the Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe declared his willingness to compete. Though the party’s Working Committee has not officially declared any name, Ranil is almost certain of obtaining the UNP ticket through his confidants in the Working Committee.

But the chairman of the UNP leadership council Karu Jayasuriya too has his own plans and has held a couple of closed door meetings with his confidants to analyse his chances of contesting the next Presidential election. The latest meeting of his inner circle took place at his Colombo residence last week. They have explored the chances of promoting Karu as a common candidate ahead of Ranil.

Unconfirmed reports said that Karu had also held discussions with former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaranatunga in London during his recent visit to the UK. The reports added that the duo have discussed on a common candidate for the next Presidential election.

Karu has also asked Chandrika why she has been awaz for so long. It has come to light that Chandrika had been away on advise of an astrologer and is awaiting the right time to return to Colombo.

However, former deputy leader of the UNP and Hambantota district parliamentarian is adopting a wait and see policy after he had pledged support to Ranil. Knowing that he could not come anywhere near the immense popularity of President Mahinda Rajapaksa if he contests the next Presidential election from the UNP, Sajith has found the best remedy – to use Ranil as a scapegoat.

Sajith’s chances of gaining the UNP leadership would increase if Ranil contests the next Presidential election. An imminent defeat for Ranil would develop fresh demands for an immediate change in the UNP leadership. Hence, Sajith is maintaining a low profile after assuring support for the UNP leader.

JVP supporters in the wilderness

The JVP membership is baffed regarding which side they should take after Anura Kumara Dissanayake and K.D. Lal Kantha expressing contrasting views on the party’s stance for the next Presidential election.

The new JVP leader is trying various options and does not like to become a loser immediately after taking power from Somawansa Amarasinghe.

Anura Kumara is acutely aware that he would paint a poor picture of himself if he contests solo on the JVP ticket. He does not want to get exposed and make it obvious about the JVP’s political bankrupcy.

Hence, Anura Kumara is on the look out for coalition partners to form an alliance and contest the next Presidential election. At a time the UNP had indicated that it would field its own candidate and Democratic Party leader Sarath Fonseka’s demand that the JVP and UNP should support his candidature this time too, Anura Kumara is running out of options.

Hence, the new JVP leader has turned to even small parties to increase its vote base by a few thousand. But most members of the JVP politburo have criticised Anura Kumara’s move. They insist that the JPV should have its own identity and must not waste time by going behind common candidates.

Heading the alternate group in the JVP is its trade union stalwart Lal Kantha who is adamant that they should not make the same mistake again.

His loyalists have pointed out that the JVP’s decision to support Fonseka at the 2010 Presidential election was a big blunder.

The JVP trade union wing leader has insisted that the party should field its own candidate at the next Presidential election.

Lal Kantha has the backing of the majority of the JVP membership which rejected the party’s decision to support the candidature of Fonseka four years ago.

President to address G77 Summit today

President Rajapaksa arrived in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia on Friday to attend the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Group of 77 and China (G77+China).

The President was welcomed at the Viru Viru International Airport with military honours and received by the President of the Bolivian Senate, Eugenio Rojas Apaza and Sri Lanka's Ambassador in Cuba Sarath Dissanayake. This is the first time a Sri Lankan head of state is visiting the South American country. The President is due to address the G77+China Summit which begins in Santa Cruz de la Sierra today. The theme of the two-day summit is ‘For a New World Order for Living Well.’

The Group of 77, popularly known as G77, is a coalition of developing nations designed to promote its members’ collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system, and promote South-South cooperation for development.

The Lankan leader is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with several state leaders from other countries attending the Summit.

External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris, External Affairs Ministry Monitoring MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and External Affairs Ministry Secretary Kshenuka Senewiratne are accompanying the President.

Wimal’s party commends SLFP decision

Minister Wimal Weerawansa’s National Freedom Front (NFF) has commended the Sri Lanka Freedom Party's (SLFP) decision to ascertain the views of Parliament on the letter sent by UN Human Rights High Commissioner regarding the appointment of an investigative team on Sri Lanka and her request seeking permission for the team to enter the country.

“As an ally of the ruling coalition, we are pleased that the SLFP had decided to refer the letter of UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay, asking permission to send a team to investigate alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka, to Parliament,” NFF spokesman Mohammed Muzammil told a news conference last week.

He said that Parliament was one of the best mechanisms to determine whether the country should or should not allow an international team of investigators to enter the country.

“A public referendum is also a good method in which to ask for the opinion of the people. Since Parliamentarians are selected by the people, consulting it is a wise decision, he said.

He said that the NFF had from the beginning warned that there would be an international probe on Sri Lanka.

“Only those factions that are against the best interests of the country would support such a probe. This is a good opportunity for the opposition to also show that they are real patriots,” he said. The parliamentry debate is scheduled to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday.

JVP submits ammendments

The JVP, meanwhile, is trying to gain some political mileage and undue advantage from the proposed debate on the UNHRC proposals.

The JVP has submitted an amendment to the Government motion, which opposes the UNHRC inquiry into allegations of violations of human rights during the last stages of the battle against terrorism.

The JVP amendment calls for a domestic independent inquiry into the alleged violations of human rights.

JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a media briefing that they had already handed over the amendment to Parliament General Secretary Dhammika Dassanayake seeking an indigenous inquiry into human rights violations and to be completed in three months.

The amendment calls for an independent inquiry into the deaths at protestors at Katunayake, Chilaw and Rathupasawala.

It was the JVP which had used these hapless protesters to fulfill their political agenda.

The JVP, while calling for an inquiry into the deaths of prisoners at Welikada, also tries to cover up its sins by dragging the attack of the Inter University Student Union members by the Slave Island police.

The JVP has always used undergraduates to show its strength and often used them in demonstrations.

The JVP amendment calls for the completion of all inquiries within three months and bringing those responsible to book.

Anura Kumara has said that the JVP’s decision on whether to support the government motion or not would depend on how the government responded to its amendment.

Ban Ki-moon’s crocodile tears

It seems that UN Chief Ban Ki-moon does not have any other business other than poking his finger in the internal matters of Sri Lanka.

From what he has said and done in recent past, it seems that Sri Lanka is the only country in the world for Ban Ki-moon and his men.

The UN chief now claims that he has encouraged Sri Lanka to engage constructively with the international community and cooperate with the proposed human rights inquiry to strengthen the existing domestic processes.

His deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told media that the Secretary-General supports the UNHRC and commends the leadership Navi Pillai has demonstrated to assist Sri Lanka in advancing accountability and reconciliation.

It is obvious that the UN Secretary General would naturally fall in line with whatever the decisions of a body under the UN.

He would never utter a word on how controversial Pillay’s conduct has been. It is deplorable that Ban Ki-moon has not uttered a word on Pillay’s partial conduct in pampering LTTE terrorists and showing more concern on the human rights of Tiger terrorists.

President at religious events

Prior to taking wing to Bolivia on Thursday night, President Rajapaksa attended religious ceremonies at Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa marking the Poson festival.

He took part in the opening of the annual Mihintale Aloka Pooja, organised by Lake House (ANCL) for the 52nd time marking Poson Poya Day. Mihintale Raja Maha Viharadhipathi Ven. Walawahengunawewe Dhammarathana Nayake Thera and ANCL Chairman and veteran media personality Bandula Padmakumara were present.

He also paid homage to the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura and also worshiped Somawathiya.

He also took part at the placing of nidanwasthu at the Sanda Hiru Seya stupa relics chamber.

On his way to Poson celebrations, he also visited Rajakeeya Maha Vidyalaya, Polonnaruwa to declare open some projects. Addressing the gathering at the event, the President said he would provide opportunities for the people to travel between Colombo and Polonnaruwa within 90 minutes in two more years and assured the provisions would be made to begin work immediately.

“It took seven hours to travel from Medamulana to Colombo in the past but now it takes only four hours to complete the journey. I will assure that the people in Polonnaruwa will be able to travel to Colombo in one and a half hours in two years,” he told the ceremony.

He said at present almost all the roads in Polonnaruwa had been carpeted and funds had been allocated to carpet 250 more roads. “Several people voiced concern against road carpeting projects we were carrying out at the beginning but we won’t stop doing what’s needed to be done,” he said.

Supreme Court orders translations

The Supreme Court ordered that the original and the amended policy statements be translated into English and submitted to Court on a petition filed against the use of the word 'Confederal' instead of 'Federal' in the amended policy statement of the Ilangai Thamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK).

The petition filed by H.K.D. Chandrasoma stated that a citizen could petition the SC in the likelihood of a political party or a group attempting to set up a separate state in Sri Lanka and create a division among multi-ethnic communities. The petition was taken up for hearing last week by a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Eva Wanasundera, Sisira de Abrew, and Priyantha Jayawardene.

Attorney Dharshana Weerasekera representing the petitioner told Court that the word 'Samasthi' mentioned in the original policy statement of the ITAK had been replaced by the word 'Inaipachchi' in its amended policy statement. He said the word ‘Samasthi’ was similar to the word Federal, but however the word 'Inaipachchi' does not bear similarity to the word federal and was interpreted more as ‘Confederal’.

“The words Federal and Confederal are not two words with the same inference, but words that give different meanings altogether,” he said. The Counsel said the amended policy statement infers that people living in a unitary state were expecting to live under a different system in accordance with a Confederal state.

In the ITAK’s amended policy statement, the unitary state mentioned in the Constitution was grossly challenged.

He also appraised the Court by quoting from the Vadukkodai policy statement.

The respondents in this case, the ITAK was represented by parliamentarian and Attorney-at-law M.A. Sumanthiran who said there was no difference between the original policy statement and the amended policy statement as claimed by the petitioner.

The three-judge bench, having considered the submissions, directed that the ITAK’s original policy statement and its amendments be translated into English through the Official Languages Department and submitted to Court at the next hearing on July 15.

New laws for safety of workers

The Government plans to enact new laws to ensure the safety and rights of workers employed by manpower companies.

Minister of Labour and Labour Relations Gamini Lokuge said such companies were set up to provide manpower to companies as contingency when they faced difficulties in continuing the production line or work shift due to absence of staff.

“These manpower companies were created to provide workers to companies when in need of employees to continue the production line or the work shift," Minister Lokuge said.

"But today we see some companies functioning almost entirely on the work provided by these manpower companies. Even government institutions like the Central Bank, Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) and the other state banks employ them,” he said.

Lokuge said that none of the manpower companies were registered and there was no way to obtain information as to whether their employees were receiving EPF, gratuity payments or whether they got compensation when interdicted.

Lokuge said the ministry would implement new laws to ensure the safety of manpower company employees.

“We will draft a bill in this regard and present it to Parliament after putting it to the trade union advisory committee for discussion,” he said.

Faizer in Osaka

A Japan Sri Lanka Investment Forum was held on Friday in Osaka City Plaza Hotel in Japan.

Sri Lankan Deputy Minister if Investment Forum Faizer Mustapha addressed the gathering at the forum on Investment and Promotions to the country.

He made a thorough presentation on investment opportunities in Sri Lanka.

Osaka is mechanically highly developed and it is the first time that they held an Investment Forum between Sri Lanka and Osaka. The main aspect of this forum is to make Sri Lanka the commercial hub in Asia and also to bring more Investors from Japan to Sri Lanka