Sajith’s two-way strategy to command UNP

It seems that the newly appointed Deputy Leader of the UNP is making every effort to increase his team of confidants in the reformist group so that he could exert more pressure on his party leader and the Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe whenever there is a popularity poll within the party seniors.

Though Ranil reappointed Sajith as the deputy leader in good faith in a determined effort to unite the party, the Hambantota District MP seems to be having his own secret agenda so that he could make a strong claim to become the party’s candidate at the next presidential election.

Although Ranil has already declared his plan to contest the next presidential election, Sajith has still not given up his plans. He seems to be adopting a two-way strategy – first use his reformist group members to promote his campaign to become the next presidential election nominee from the UNP.

Failing which, he would pretend that he will give all support to Ranil at the next presidential election and backstab him. In case Ranil contests the next Presidential election, Sajith knows that his leader would end up in the losing camp, increasing his chances of ousting Ranil.

Fonny accuses UNP

Democratic Party (DP) Leader Sarath Fonseka last week accused the UNP of trying to woo some of his party’s provincial council members. He said opposition political parties should desist from tapping each other’s men to create divisions among opposition parties. He said the Opposition parties, instead, should concentrate on challenging the ruling party.

Fonseka said a person claiming to be United National Party (UNP) Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa had contacted Southern Provincial Council’s DP Member Amarasiri Kuruwage and invited him to join the UNP.

Fonseka said this particular person had phoned Kuruwage at 4.00 a.m. “I wake up early in the morning like my father,” the caller had told Kuruwage, making an indirect reference to the late President R. Premadasa.

“All political parties in the Opposition should challenge the common enemy which is the ruling party instead of trying to woo members of other political parties to their fold,” Fonseka pointed out.

Thalatha discloses secret plan

The UNP is in the process of devising a secret plan to ensure victory at the next presidential election, the party’s Elections Affairs Secretary Talatha Athukorala said last week. Thanatha is one of the many UNP seniors who had got many posts as Ranil turned Santa Clause to pamper his opponents within the party.

Thalatha had disclosed the secret plan in response to a question raised by journalists at a media briefing held at UNP headquarters Sirikotha on the two contrasting statements that have been made by Party General Secretary Tissa Attanayake and MP Ajith P Perera.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake had made a recent statement that the UNP national leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would be the party’s candidate for the next presidential election while Perera had daydreaming that party would field a common candidate.

“We have a devised plan and would cautiously disclose it to people at the right time. The name of our candidate would not be declared right now,” Thalatha was quoted as assaying.

She stressed that the Bribery Commission should play an active role at future elections by monitoring as to how much candidates spent on their election campaigns. She made alleged that some candidates who contested the recent Uva Provincial Council election had spent staggering amounts.

Rs 12,000 for each and every preferential vote he obtained. This sum she alleged had been released from the Treasury for this particular candidate. Though she had mentioned certain figures spent, it was not clear whether she was referring to her own UNP candidate.

Mannapperuma to attend Budget debate

UNP Gampaha District Parliamentarian Ajith Mannapperuma whose right leg was amputated after an accident on the Southern Expressway had told media that that he plans to return to Parliament soon, even on crutches or on a wheel-chair, to serve the people.

“One of my legs was amputated below the knee. My left knee was also dislocated in the accident though I am recovering quickly. The doctors at the Colombo National Hospital have been treating me well, both mentally and physically,” he said.

He said most of his fellow parliamentarians, both in the UNP as well as in the Government, have visited him in hospital.

“My supporters organised several Bodi Poojas to invoke blessings on me and wished me a speedy recovery, which I think may have also helped me to recover sooner than expected,” he said.

Mannapperuma said he was dedicated to serve the people even at the cost of his life and assured that he would make every attempt to attend the budget debate on October 20.

Mannapperuma hopes to buy an artificial leg from an American company at a cost of over Rs. one million. “I do not have money to buy an artificial leg at such a cost but my supporters have offered to help me,” he said.

He was badly injured in an accident that had occurred between the 39th and 40th kilometre posts on the Southern Expressway on September 7.

One of his bodyguards was also badly injured in the accident and his leg too had to be amputated.

President in audience with Pope

President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was received at an audience by His Holiness Pope Francis on Friday morning, extended an invitation to His Holiness to visit Sri Lanka in January next year.

President Rajapaksa and First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa who arrived at the Vatican on Friday morning were received with honour by Head of Vatican Protocol Office, Msgr. Jose Avelino Bettencourt.

The traditional Swiss Guards of the Vatican formed a Guard of Honour accorded to the President. Later the President, First Lady and members of the Sri Lanka delegation were escorted to the Apostolic Palace where President Rajapaksa had his audience with His Holiness at the special audience hall of the Palace.

At the cordial discussions between the President and His Holiness, President Rajapaksa informed His Holiness of the progress made in resettling internally displaced persons, the rehabilitation and reintegration of former combatants, the return of child soldiers recruited by the LTTE to their parents, progress made in the clearing of landmines, infrastructure development and progress made in health, education, power supply and similar progress made since the end of the conflict in Sri Lanka.

His Holiness was further told of the country being directed towards rapid economic progress and the steps being taken to build national unity.

The elections held in the Northern Provincial Council was cited as an example for the restoration of democracy that had been destroyed due to terrorism.

The President informed His Holiness that although certain groups spread wrong information on the issue, members of all religions in Sri Lanka live in friendship and harmony.

The Pope expressed his gratitude to the President for explaining the current situation in Sri Lanka, and said he was eagerly awaiting a visit to Sri Lanka.

After the meeting with His Holiness President Rajapaksa had a brief discussion with His Eminence Pietro Cardinal Parolin, Secretary of State and Prime Minister of the Holy See. The President met Sri Lankan expatriates later in the day.

Chief Justice Mohan Peiris, External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris, State Resources and Enterprise Development Minister Dayasritha Tissera, Social Services Minister Felix Perera, External Affairs Deputy Minister Neomal Perera, Coconut Development and Janatha Estate Development Minister Anthony Victor Perera, External Affairs Ministry Monitoring MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga, and External Affairs Ministry Secretary Kshenuka Senewiratne are accompanying the President during this tour.

Shasheendra takes oaths

Shasheendra Rajapaksa took oaths as the new Chief Minister of the Uva Provincial Council before President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat, Colombo at the auspicious time of 9.15 am on Wednesday.

Earlier, all UPFA members elected to the Uva Provincial Council took their oaths before the President.

The other Provincial Council Ministers are expected to take their oaths after the newly elected Council holds its maiden meeting.

Shasheendra Rajapaksa who polled 96,619 preferential votes at the recently concluded Uva Provincial Council election is a past pupil of Mahanama College, Colombo and S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia.

He obtained an Honours Degree in Political Science from the University of Delhi and a Post Graduate Degree in Business Management from the Colombo University as well as a National Diploma in Human Resource Management.

Shasheendra Rajapaksa who functioned as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister when Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Prime Minister from 2004 to 2005 now functions as Private Secretary to the President, a post held since 2005.

He also functions as the Basnayake Nilame of the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya since 2006.

President warns

People’s representatives should forget their rat race for preferential votes and buckle down to hard work by dedicating themselves to the service of the people, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

The President who said that he was totally unconcerned about the number of preferential votes polled by candidates in the selection for high posts, said the sole criterion for selecting candidates for posts is their good conduct and sacrifices made for the progress of the party.

Addressing the gathering after swearing in the new Chief Minister of the Uva Provincial Council, and the newly elected Council members at the Presidential Secretariat last week, the President said politicians should always live up to the expectations of the people by desisting from pursuits the people abhorred.

“It is the responsibility of each and every people’s representative in Parliament, Provincial and Local Councils to identify the needs of the people and act accordingly.

If they did so, it would not be difficult to win each and every election,” he said.

President Rajapaksa who observed that the UNP was pretending to have gained a massive victory at the Uva Provincial Council elections, said anyone listening to Opposition claims and pronouncements would be puzzled as to whether the government or the opposition won the election.

He said allegations about a ‘computer jilmart’ and changing of ballot boxes were common whenever the government won an election. “Whatever is said the UPFA gained a convincing victory at the Uva Provincial Council election and it was a victory of the people of Uva.

“When one compared the conditions which prevailed in Badulla and Moneragala districts in the past with the present, it was evident that the Uva Province had made vast strides in development in all fields after the UPFA gained power in the Provincial Council,” he said.

Dilan discloses Harin’s dirty acts

Uva Provincial Council Opposition Leader in waiting Harin Fernando and his supporters who went in an illegal motorcade after the conclusion of the election provoked the incident which took place in the Hali-Ela town, by attacking UPFA Provincial Council members, said Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister and SLFP Organiser for Hali-Ela Dilan Perera.

During the incident both parties had attacked each other and Harin Fernando and another person called Aslam and his group ran away from the scene, the minister said in a statement titled ‘Post Election Violence in Hali Ela-What really happened?’.

He said, “Harin Fernando, while getting down from his vehicle on top of the road leading to the Pradeshiya Sabha shouting my name using abusive language had looked for me. (Hali-Ela Police checkpoint is located just a few yards from this location).

While this was happening, two unknown persons who were outsiders and not from our area, armed with two wooden poles emerged from behind Harin’s procession. At this point, Hali Ela Provincial Council UPFA members had objected to Harin for using abusive language against me.

At that moment, Harin has assaulted them, provoking UPFA supporters to retaliate in self defence”.

The minister further said: “Why Harin Fernando had gone to my house on his return from Hali Ela, is only known to him. As a neighbour, Harin Fernando knows me, my mother and father very well. Murder, thuggery and terrorism are not in my political culture and tradition. He had sought refuge for protection in our house because his heart and mind knows it well.

His conscience is his witness. Or else, he would have come to our house with the intention of attacking my father and mother, which he only knows”. “But, Harin Fernando at a media conference in Colombo has stated that my supporters who came from Colombo, had attacked him at Hali Ela. However, those who have been named to the police as attackers, were UPFA Hali-Ela Pradeshya Sabha Members and supporters.

“But after engaging in attacks, post-election violence, and tasting defeat at the Provincial Council Election, Harin Fernando, regains his composure at a Media Exhibition in Colombo.

In a similar way, those who joined Harin in an illegal procession under the pretext of a private trip, are making noises that they were attacked.

Among them are journalists and former UNP Pradeshya Sabha Members, etc,” he disclosed.

Gammanpila on challenge with Harin

The UNP Chief Ministerial candidate at the recently held Uva Provincial elections Harin Fernando had not followed conditions required to win the challenge he was thrown at, Western Provincial Council Minister Udaya Gammanpila said on Monday.

Earlier Gammanpila had challenged Harin to secure at least 50,000 preferential votes at the elections without using any posters during a television programme.

“I challenged him to secure at least 50,000 preferential votes without using posters, cutouts, banners or other prohibited campaign material, which he hadn’t fulfilled,” he said.

He said Harin Fernando had used posters and cutouts despite agreeing not to use them in his campaign.

President invites UN Secretary General

President Mahinda Rajapaksa had invited UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to Sri Lanka when he met Ban on the sidelines of UNGA sessions last week.

President Rajapaksa and Ban Ki-moon met for talks at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City today.

Congratulating President Rajapaksa on his leadership, Ban acknowledged the progress that had been made in Sri Lanka in the years after the war and expressed his optimism that the remaining challenges would also be overcome with this type of political leadership.

President Rajapaksa outlined the developments that have taken place, including the near-completion of all de-mining activities, the improvement of health services, and the rehabilitation and reintegration of ex-combatants, among others achievements.

The President also informed the Secretary-General of the rehabilitation of schools that the Government had undertaken in the terrorism-affected areas. Sec-Gen Ban also underscored the need for wider political consultation for a successful political process.

In this regard, he noted that all political parties must engage. President Rajapaksa invited Ban to make another visit to Sri Lanka to assess the development since his last visit.

Monitoring MP of the Ministry of External Affairs Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the Ministry of External Affairs Kshenuka Senewiratne, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Palitha Kohona and the Deputy Permanent Representative Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva were also present.

Media blind

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said it is wrong to think that the government gains an undue advantage from the positive developments taking place in the country even though the media rarely gave publicity to the positive developments.

He said that the children of today do not have an opportunity to see the good things happening in Sri Lanka though the country boasts of having hundreds of newspapers, television and radio channels.

The President was speaking at the national ceremony to mark World Children's Day at the National Youth Services Council, Maharagama on Wednesday.

“More than 22 television channels, 52 licenced radio channels and thousands of websites are operating in Sri Lanka,” he said. President Rajapaksa added that positive attitudes should be developed in children.