No chitchat during sessions, Speaker warns Rosy

Most Opposition parliamentarians have failed to honour the rich traditions in the Parliament and only use the country's legislature to discredit the Government or criticise the people's-friendly actions of the ruling UPFA.

The UNP MP's hardly use their presence to indulge in constructive criticism and debate factually with the Government ranks. Though the UNP parliamentarians are in their numbers with serious looks on the days they bring unsuccessful no confidence motions, its relatively young and inexperienced brigade have been seen indulging in private discussions during the parliamentary sessions are on.

Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa would have thought enough is enough when he advised UNP parliamentarian Rosy Senanayake to discipline her mouth without disturbing the parliamentary proceedings. The Speaker last week told Rosy to stay close to him as otherwise she would disturb the proceedings in the House by chatting to others.

The Speaker was compelled to tell this after he noticed Rosy constantly chatting to her UNP colleagues Sujeewa Senasinghe and Harsha de Silva.

"It is better for you stay near me. Otherwise, you will waste time chatting with others," the Speaker said. The trio appeared to be shocked after the Speaker's remarks SC dismisses Harin's petition The Supreme Court last week dismissed the petition filed by the UNP on the seat allocation in the Districts of Badulla and Meneragala of the Uva Province.

UNP's Badulla District MP Harin Fernando, who is tipped to be the party's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Uva Provincial Council Election filed the petition last Monday.

Sources at Sirikotha said that Harin had filed the petition against the warnings of the party seniors. Most of them had been of the view that filing such a petition was a useless exercise. But Harin was adamant for best reasons know to him.

It is now a do or die situation for Harin now as the party leadership has not shown positive response to any of his demands which included facilitating of one of nominees to Parliament from the national list, accommodating him as a national list MP in case he fails to become the Chief Minister and the presence of Ranil and Sajith Premadasa for all his major rallies in Badulla and Moneragala districts.Having realised that he is turning out to be the UNP's scapegoat at the Uva Provincial Council elections, Harin had told his inner circle that things are becoming bitter and that it wasn't a wise gamble, sacrificing his seat in the Parliament.

When Sajith met the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe last week, he reminded the Opposition leader of his request of sitting beside him at his maiden UNP rally for the Uva Provincial Council. "You come to my maiden rally with Sajith. You both should stand beside me, hold my hands together and introduce me to the people in Uva," he said.

Though Harin meant his maiden election campaign rally for the Uva PC polls, Ranil twisted it in another direction. "Okay, there is a function of Bikkhu Front head Ven. Girambe Ananda Thera. Sajith too will be there and we could introduce you to the people there," Ranil told Harin.

Patali in facebook mess

The official account and fan page of Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka in the social media network Facebook was disabled without any prior notice by the web administrators.

The Facebook administration has informed Minister Ranawaka that his facebook account had been disabled due to the incompatibility of the account name with the name appearing in his Parliamentary identity card.

In response to his inquiry the Facebook authorities had indicated that the incompatibility of the facebook account name Patali Champika Ranawaka with the name appearing in the Parliamentary identity card as Hon. Patali Champika Ranawaka, has resulted the deactivation.

Hence, the minister was compelled to open a new Facebook account and page for his fans from last Thursday. The minister also stressed that all other facebook pages and accounts appearing with his photographs under his name were false.

When his original account was disabled, Patali took up the matter with the facebook administrative committee via e-mail. "There were about 21,000 fans who express various opinions on my official Facebook page," the minister said.

Five fake Facebook profiles using similar names to the minister's along with his photos were found on the social site. Patali said people could use such fake profiles containing false information to mislead the public.

"I have used my official Facebook account without showing disrespect towards any religion or culture -- politically or socially -- and I suspect that there may be some organised group behind the disabling of my Facebook account and the fan page," the minister said.

Mistaken identity?

A complaint has was lodged against Chief Minister of the Western Province Prasanna Ranatunge last Tuesday over an alleged assault on a resident in Rajagiriya. According to the police, W.G. Piyasena, in his compliant, had said that he was assaulted by the Chief Minister with a cricket bat. The victim is undergoing treatment at the National Hospital, Colombo.

Meanwhile, parliamentarian Ruwan Ranathunga has lodged a complaint at the Welikada Police that his neighbour Piyasena had climbing on to the parapet wall of his house wielding a knife and used foul language.

Chief Minister of the Western Province Prasanna Ranatunge had rejected the claims that he was involved in an assault incident. He said that his official residence is at Green Park and private residence is at Minuwangoda.

Welikada Police OIC recorded a statement from the Chief Minister in connection with the complaint. Prasanna, in his statement had said he had at no time gone to Rajagiriya, Melwatte for any private or official purpose on the mentioned date.

He said he would take legal action against the person who made a false complaint against him.

President intervenes to settle university dispute

President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday directed the Vice Chancellor of the Rajarata University to pardon the university students and to reopen the university immediately, during the District coordinating Committee Meeting held in Anuradhapura.

The president had inquired the Vice Chancellor Professor Ranjith Wijewardane about the situation of the university. The Vice Chancellor explained current situation at the University to which the President had requested him to pardon the students.

"Students are students and they make mistakes. They shouldn't have taken the law into their hands, which is unacceptable but the entire student community should not suffer due to such action of a few.

Therefore, reopen the university paying heed to the needs of the majority of the students and their education," he was quoted as saying.

He had instructed the Vice Chancellor to meet the parents of the students to find an immediate solution for the issue.

Earlier the Rajarata University was closed after students were suspended following a fall out with the administration.

Heavy traffic has been reported from the Town Hall area on Wednesday due to a protest by Students of the Rajarata University in front of the University Grant Commission (UGC), Ward Place.

The undergraduates accused the authorities of failing to find solutions for their grievances. "We have been campaigning for more than 250 days demanding solutions for our issues but we haven't received any solution so far," they said.

President exempts bank employees from taxes

President Rajapaksa last week removed the taxes imposed on employees in the state and private banks and other financial institutions imposed under the 1857/8 special gazette notification.

The taxes on housing loan interest, disaster loan interest, vehicle loan interest, medical expenses reimbursement, overtime allowance and other allowances of employees at institutions imposed will now be removed on the Presidential directive.

The decision was taken following a meeting between the President and the Bank Employees' Union at Temple Trees last week.

Foreign leaders invited

President Rajapaksa said last week that he wishes to see more foreign leaders visiting Sri Lanka to experience progress the country has made after the eradication of terrorism five years ago.

The President commented on the progress of the country while receiving the Prime Minister of Portugal, Pedro Passos Coelho. The Portuguese leader was on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka during last weekend.

President Rajapaksa explained the successful military campaign which ended the three-decade-long LTTE terrir. "It would take time to heal the wounds of war because a lot of young people died from the south and the north," the President said.

He said the visits by foreign leaders were important, adding that the devastated north had recorded over 20 per cent growth highlighting the government's development work in rebuilding the infrastructure.

He added that it is the duty of all to safeguard the national harmony and coexistence that prevail for thousands of years in the island.

The President stressed the importance of strengthening cultural ties between different groups when he was speaking at a function at the Mohideen Jumma Mosque in Anuradhapura on Thursday.

"The government is committed to protect all the religions in the country. Every ethnic group has identical characteristics," he said.

The President said all members of different ethnic groups should work together to protect their identities.

Don't bother about UN inquiry, Dr. Swamy tells Sri Lanka

Chairman of India's BJP Committee on Strategic Action and the ruling party's National Executive Committee Member Dr. Subramanian Swamy had said Sri Lanka need not unduly worry about the UNHRC international inquiry as it could not take any unilateral action.

Better known for his outspoken mannerisms, Dr. Swamy compared the OHCHR to a scarecrow, adding that it had no powers to take any action without seeking a mandate from the UN Security Council.

"Why should Sri Lanka bother about the UNHCR? Who are they to exert pressure?" he questioned. If it is taken before the UN Security Council, the Chinese will exercise their veto. I don't think Sri Lanka should bother and we certainly will not allow any foreign intrusive investigation of human rights by international agencies," he stressed.

Swamy said the intervention being made by international agencies in Sri Lanka could not be justified. "International intervention is justified only under one ground, genocide.

Even the UN doesn't say there was genocide in Sri Lanka in 2009. Only the crackpots in Tamil Nadu and London come out with such stories" he said.

Dr. Swamy questioned the grounds on which the international agencies are attempting to intervene in Sri Lanka."If there are human rights excesses, there is a democratic process in Sri Lanka. Let Sri Lankans raise it like we do in India. I don't think anyone should interfere in Sri Lankan affairs," he said.

He added India would also actively promote devolution but stressed on the fact that it would different from the way previous Indian governments did.

Health Minister disappointed

Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena appealed to family members of those who had died of smoking-related ailments on Tuesday to sue the Ceylon Tobacco Company (CTC) taking a cue from a US Court ruling that the tobacco company should pay USD 23.6 billion (nearly Rs.3,000 billion) to the victim's wife.

"As the Healtyh Minister, I am disappointed with the recent court ruling that only 60% of the surface area of cigarette packets be covered with pictorial warnings despite all 225 members of Parliament that 80% of the surface area be covered with such warnings," the minister said.

He said the Health Ministry would continue its fight to increase the surface area to be covered to 80%.

The minister said family members of victims of smoking-related diseases such as oral cancer, respiratory diseases and lung cancer should sue the CTC for compensation either individually or as a group. Minister Sirisena said the Health Ministry was ready to help them in any way possible.

"They must prove their case with medical and circumstantial evidence. We will continue our struggle to save our people from the menace of smoking and tobacco and we offer our fullest cooperation and assistance to anyone who is prepared to sue the CTC for compensation," Maithripala said.

A US court ordered Reynolds Tobacco Co - the country's second largest cigarette manufacturer, to pay a record US$23.6 billion to the widow of a cancer victim. Michael Johnson is said to have smoked the company's Kool brand menthol cigarettes for more than 20 years before dying of lung cancer in 1996 at the age of 36.

His widow, Cynthia Robinson sued Reynolds in 2008, seeking compensation for her husband's death. She argued that the company conspired to conceal the health hazards associated with its menthol cigarettes.

Lankan cyclists stopped by British police

Four members of Sri Lanka's Commonwealth Games team were stopped by police when they were spotted cycling down the M74 near Glasgow, in Scotland. They were seen on one of Scotland's busiest stretches of road at the exit for Motherwell and Hamilton before they were told they were breaking the law.

The junction is close to Strathclyde Park, which hosts the triathlon events on Thursday and Sunday. "The cyclists were advised to get off the road," Police Scotland said.

The quartet were photographed by Olympic champion and England triathlete Alistair Brownlee, who then tweeted the picture.

"The Sri Lankan cycling team cruising down the M74, lovely spot for a bike ride," the 26-year-old wrote.

A similar incident happened during the 2002 Games in Manchester when two Kenya cyclists travelled 17 miles down the M61 before being pulled over by police near Bolton.

Ukraine PM, Cabinet resign

Ukraine's Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and his cabinet on Thursday resigned in a shock move in protest at the disbanding of the ruling parliamentary coalition, plunging the strife-torn nation into political uncertainty.

"I announce my resignation in connection with the dissolution of the parliamentary coalition and the blocking of government initiatives," a furious Yatsenyuk told parliament.

Yatsenyuk said the "government and the prime minister must resign" after the withdrawal of several parties triggered the break up of the European Choice parliamentary majority in a move that paved the way for long-awaited early legislative elections.

Parliament speaker Oleksandr Turchynov called on deputies to put forward immediately a candidate for a temporary premier "until parliamentary elections are held." Early parliamentary elections in Ukraine have been expected since the February ouster of Kremlin-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych following months of deadly protests.

The formal dissolution of the majority coalition in Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada gives President Petro Poroshenko the right over the next month to announce a fresh parliamentary poll.

Poroshenko had pledged though that the possibility of upcoming elections would not paralyse the work of parliament at a time when Kiev is struggling to end a bloody separatist insurrection tearing apart the east of the country.

SC allows dress with easy identification

The Supreme Court last week directed that Muslim mothers could enter schools wearing their traditional dress but with the face uncovered so that the wearer could be easily identified.

The Bench comprising Chief Justice Mohan Peiris, Justices K. Sripavan and Priyantha Jayawardane gave this direction to the Rajagiriya Janathipathi Balika Vidyalaya and the Western Provincial Secretary of Education. The CJ said this direction was only for the parents. The petition was filed by a mother of a Muslim student of Janathipathi Balika Vidyalaya in Rajagiriya after she was prevented from entering the school in her Muslim attire.

The Janadipathi Balika Vidyalaya Principal and the provincial council authorities said they had no objection to parents in Muslim attire entering the school premised provided their identity could be ascertained.