President cautions parents

President Mahinda Rajapaksa last week disclosed a move by certain quarters to drag schoolchildren into politics using social networking websites such as Facebook and warned parents to protect their sons and daughters.

The government had received information about such attempts and the matter was raised in Parliament recently. The President said he had ordered the authorities to initiate an investigation.

Addressing a ceremony at the Panduwasnuwara National School, the President also called upon political parties not to use students as scapegoats for political purposes and destroy their future.

President Rajapaksa warned parents that Facebook was popular among students and called on parents to be watchful of the activities of their children.

Recalling the dark period in the past during which students had been mobilised by political groups to engage in political activities which ended in them being killed on roadsides, the President stressed the necessity protect the younger generation from opportunists.

“There were about sixty thousand names of those killed in a list I had compiled. Even Prabhakaran used schoolchildren for his terrorist activities, we witnessed the results during the battle against terrorism,” the President said. The President assured that he would not allow anybody to use schoolchildren for political purposes.

President travels by Yal Devi to Jaffna

On Monday, President Mahinda Rajapaksa ceremonially inaugurated the Yal Devi train service which resumed its journey to Jaffna after a lapse of 24 years.

The event was marked with religious ceremonies and cultural pageants adding pomp and colour to the historic occasion attended by large, cheering crowds at the newly constructed Palai Railway Station on Monday morning.

The resumpion of services to Jaffna fulfills a long-felt need of the people of the North. A plaque at the Palai Railway Station was unveiled by the President to mark the event.

Thereafter, the Yal Devi commenced its journey from Palai to Jaffna with the President and entourage on board, at around 10.10 a.m.

Thousands of national flag-waving Northerners amassed on either side of the railway track up to Jaffna to witness the historic event and express their joy at the return of the Yal Devi into their midst. Children cheered and expressed their happiness waving national flags when the train reached its final destination - Jaffna.

The train made stops at the two main railway stations, Kodikamam and Nawankuli.

The President unveiled plaques at the two railway stations amidst the cheers of the people and religious blessings.

Special attention was paid to resume the service of the Yal Devi which had ceased to ply to the North 24 years ago due to LTTE terrorism. The Railways Department took steps to resume service to Jaffna after the completion of construction work on the railway track with modern technology which also features a modern signalling system.

Financial assistance for the massive project from the Indian government under the Indian Line of Credit helped in restoring the Northern rail track to restart the train services connecting the North and the South.

When the train reached the Jaffna railway station, it was received by thousands of people on all platforms of the railway station. At every location, where the train stopped, President Rajapaksa was cordially and warmly received by massive crowds.

Arun takes on Wigneswaran

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s Batticaloa organiser Arun Thambimuttu has said that the much publicised boycott of the state functions in the North by Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran to embrace the Tamil-diaspora driven political agenda at the cost of their people’s development goes to show that the TNA’s interests lie outside this soil.

President Rajapaksa was in Kilinochchi and Jaffna last week. His visit to the Northern Province was connected to a series of objectives apart from the re-launching the Yal Devi.

One of those was to oversee the overall development work of the Northern Province, in terms of work undertaken by the authorities.

“Wigneswaran and TNA NPC members boycotted the State functions. The landless people in the Northern Province got land deeds in the presence of the Head of State of this country. Are they against it?” Arun queried.

“It is possible that the TNA members had shut their brains to the fact that President Rajapaksa is the Head of State. Could this be a case where a Provincial Chief Minister is acting as if he is the head of a separate state?” he queried.

Arun said the President Rajapaksa will ensure the implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) recommendations. He said that the Government has already implemented over 50 LLRC recommendations.

Godfather says no to Executive Presidency

The godfather of the introduction of the Executive Presidency to Sri Lanka under the 1978 Constitution, the UNP now says that the Government should scrap the Executive Presidency without holding a Presidential Election. Having failed to win a single Presidential election since 1988, it is natural for the UNP to hate the system which they had created.

UNP Parliamentarian Joseph Michael Perera told a media briefing last week that the government should peruse a course of action to scrap the Executive Presidency.

“Why hold a Presidential Election if the government was ready to scrap the Executive Presidency?” he queried. But he did not elaborate when the Government had done so, except for the President’s recent offer to do so if the LTTE rump gives up separatism.

Joseph Michael said that the UNP had already embarked on an action to have a dialogue with other opposition parties such as the JVP and the Democratic Party to establish a common course of action to reform the Constitution.

UNP says no to new devolution system

The UNP last week said it was not prepared to accept any new devolution system other than the existing Provincial Council system and was ready to adopt a balanced foreign policy in developing ties with China, India and the West alike.

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who met the media following a meeting with Janasetha Peramuna leader Ven. Battaramulle Seelarathana Thera on Monday evening, said sticking to the 13th Amendment, a balanced foreign policy, scrapping the executive presidency and introducing a system where a Prime Minister and a Cabinet is held responsible to Parliament and de-politicising society are the components to which all opposition political parties could agree to when it comes to fielding a common candidate at the next presidential election.

Though Ranil spoke of a common candidate, he seems to have forgotten his earlier claim that he would definitely contest the next presidential election. But Ranil now says that the common candidature should be given to anyone who was ready to adopt these policies.

MR ready to give up Executive Presidency

President Mahinda Rajapaksa, addressing a public gathering in Kilinochchi said last Sunday, said he would consider removing the Executive Presidential system, if attempts to create a separate State in Sri Lanka stopped.

“Some people are seeking to set up a separate State and divide the country. Even the Tamil National Alliance is supporting that concept. Some sections of the Tamil Diaspora are also trying to divide the country. If those parties stop demanding Eelam in Sri Lanka I will consider removing the Executive Presidency,” the President told a well-attended gathering in Kilinochchi.

He said that there recent were reports that some members of the Diaspora in the UK, US and in the Europe had planned to create a separate state within Sri Lanka and even opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had met them.

About 20,000 title deeds of lands were distributed among the displaced people and the rightful owners in the north and jewellery, deposited in banks operated by the LTTE were also returned to 2,300 rightful owners.

Sumanthiran pleads innocence

TNA parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran has said that they were not plotting to divide the country and, therefore, the President should abolish the Executive Presidency right away as he pledged in Kilinochchi on Sunday.

Surprisingly, Sumanthiran did not utter a word against some of his fellow TNA seniors and the LTTE rump who still spread the separatist agenda and play the racist card.

“Everyone knows what our stance is on devolution of power. We even filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court in this regard. We presented our party proposals which are about devolution of power within a united Sri Lanka. We have never called for a separate State. Therefore, the President should abolish the Executive Presidency right away,” he told a news conference.

Ranil plays safe

UNP leader Ranil has played yet another trump card to save his position, this time by introducing a 20-member committee, known as the ‘Group 20’ to steer the party’s campaign at a future presidential election. In addition to UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa, the G20 includes all members of the Leadership Council. The others in the G20 are MPs Joseph Michael Perera, John Amaratunga, Palitha Range Bandara, Thalata Athukorale, Asoka Abeysinghe, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, P. Harrison, Eran Wickramaratne, Ajith P. Perera, Akila Viraj Kariyswasam, Rosy Senanayake, Wasantha Aluvihare and the Uva Provincial Council Opposition Leader Harin Fernando.

The G20 has already met twice and would have the third meeting this weekend to discuss political strategies in view of a national election. Leadership Council Chairman Karu Jayasuriya has been appointed vice president of the G20.

The appointments were made at the last Working Committee meeting.

But political observers said that it is yet another gimmick by Ranil to hang on to the UNP leadership and silence his critics.

Navin rejects crossover claims

Public Management Reforms Minister Navin Dissanayake on Tuesday rejected the claims that he would crossover to the United National Party (UNP) leaving the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA).

He said he would rather practise as a lawyer if he lost the portfolio which he was holding. Addressing a gathering at the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat to distribute seed potatoes among farmers, Minister Dissanayake said he would never cross over from one party to another again.

“I promise that I will never cross over to another party again by betraying the 40,000 votes I had received. My decisions are always direct and straightforward. I have no reason to deceive anyone. Even if I lost these posts I can work as a lawyer,” he said.

“There was much criticism over our support for the UPFA in 2007. We joined the government to support the President to put an end to terrorism. I think people today approve our decision to support the President,” he said.

UNP to support private universities

UNP Parliamentarian Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said last week that a future UNP government will set up a special institution similar to the University Grants Commission (UGC) to regulate private universities. But he did not name when his dream UNP government would be formed.

Akila Viraj told a news briefing that all private universities which are functioning under the BOI Act would be brought under this new institution and that new universities will have to register with it.

He added that a future UNP government would present a Bill in Parliament to give effect to these proposals. He said the UNP would create new party posts if it was essential for the betterment of the party.

That is a clear signal that his leader is willing to offer more and more positions in the party to save his position.

In response to a question whether the Deputy General Secretary’s post held by him is in keeping with the party’s constitution, Akila Viraj said that the Deputy General Secretary’s post was something which existed before and General Secretary Tissa Atttanayake had also held this post earlier.

Appointments were made with the approval of party members and not outsiders.

Fonseka to stay in Sri Lanka

Democratic Party (DP) Leader Sarath Fonseka on Wednesday rejected claims that he would leave the country in 2017 and vowed he would even spend his last moments in Sri Lanka.

“As I said when I first entered politics, I will do politics for at least 10 years. Unless someone attempted to kidnap me and forcibly take me away to another country, I won’t leave Sri Lanka,” he told a media conference in Colombo. Fonseka said he would continue to serve the people.

Commenting on the proposal made by the National Council for a Better Tomorrow (Pivithuru Hetak Udesa Jathika Sabhawa) to introduce a 19th Amendment to the Constitution, Fonseka said his party was in full agreement with it.

Crocodile tears for working class

When Ranil was the Prime Minister, he did not grant a single State sector job or increase public sector salaries by a considerable margin.

But now, he had discovered the grievances of the working class.

Last week, he called on the Government to give lasting concessions to the working people through the next budget and not just election goodies which could be taken away later. He also said that his party would back all trade unions for such a struggle.

Ranil who met several trade union leaders at his office said the prices of essential goods were recently reduced aiming at the elections.

He said the prices were reduced through a gazette notification.

He said the working class should strive for sustainable concessions in the coming budget. Ranil added that the UNP will join other political parties and the trade unions to obtain relief for government, semi government and private sector workers.

WDJ accuses Wigneswaran

Public Administration and Home Affairs Minister W. D. J. Seneviratne said that the implementation of several development projects, including the mega Iranamadu Water Supply Project worth US $ 164.4 million (Rs. 17,880 million) has been treacherously prevented by Northern Province Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran and Tamil National Alliance councillors of the Northern Province.

“The government had planned to launch the Iranamadu Water Supply Project in the North, having obtained massive funds for the project’s implementation from the Asian Development Bank, with the Northern Provincial Council, during the President’s visit to the North to relaunch the Yal Devi train service and to inspect the development work in the Northern Province,” the minister said.

Minister Seneviratna said under the 13th Amendment, the implementation of a project can take place only with the permission of the Provincial Council concerned.

“Northern Province Chief Minister Wigneswaran and his Provincial Councillors belonging to the TNA treacherously boycotted Monday’s Jaffna District Development Committee meeting chaired by President Rajapaksa to prevent the implementation of this project,” he said. Minister Seneviratna said the government allocated Rs. 5,000 million to develop the Northern Province.

“It has been brought to our notice that surprisingly less than Rs. 1,000 million has been spent on development in the province,” the minister said.

“The TNA Northern Provincial councillors have spent only Rs. 500 million which means that the rest of the funds will have to go back,” he pointed out.

The Iranamaduwa Water Supply Project is envisioned to solve the problem of scarcity of clean drinking water for the entire Jaffna district.

“Access to safe drinking water is a basic human right. The Northern Provincial Councillors have violated this right of their own people,” he said.

“They must not forget that the people in the North suffered immensely due to terrorism for three decades.”The minister said the Northern Province Chief Minister and the councilors in that region should not forget that other Provincial Councils have not received so much funds for development as the Northern Provincial Council.