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. |