At 2010 General Elections:

Lalkantha says even his father did not vote for him

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Colombo District leader for the Western Provincial Council K.D. Lalkantha made a stunning disclosure during a press interview with a Sinhala daily paper last week.

Lalkantha has said that even his father had not voted for him when he successfully contested the last 2010 Parliamentary General Election from Anuradhapura district. According to him, the JVP trade union head's father has voted for the SLFP led UPFA at the last General election in April 2010.

"When I was contesting from Anuradhapura, even my father did not vote for me. He voted for the SLFP (UPFA). The reason he gave was that there is no point in voting for me as I would not get elected," Lalkantha was quoted as saying.

Perhaps, his father had made the perfect calculation as Lalkantha failed to retain his seat in the parliament at the 2010 general election at which the JVP suffered a humiliating defeat. At the 2004 General election, the JVP contesting under the People's Alliance, secured a record 39 seats. But in 2010, it was reduced to a handful.

JVP too in preferential vote battle

Candidates of the JVP have never been associated in any of preferential vote battles at all elections to date. It gave a unique identity to the JVP as all their candidates, be it at Local Government, Provincial Council or Parliamentary general election, have refrained from canvassing with their preferential numbers.

It seems that the JVP has abandoned this style, which was exclusively to them, with the appointment of Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the new party leader, replacing ageing Somawansa Amarasinghe.

Many JVP candidates have openly expressed their dissatisfaction over their Colombo district leader and trade union chief Lalkantha's personal campaign to obtain preferential votes.

Though the JVP had put up collective posters and advertisements with the preferential numbers of all their candidates, Lalkantha has ignored all such exemplary acts of the party in sending short messages (SMS) through mobile phones to the voters in Colombo. Though some JVP seniors initially tried to cover things up and denying such personal campaigns, Lalkantha himself had openly admitted that he had done so.

During the newspaper interview, Lalkantha has said that he sent SMS to all his friends and relatives right from the day he got his preferential number. He claims that it was only sent to friends and relatives but there are many Colombo district voters who have got SMS with a request to cast a preferential vote for Lalkantha.

"Yes, I sent SMS to my friends, relatives and those who only deal with Lalkantha and not with the JVP," he was further quoted as saying.

Asked whether it is unfair to ignore JVP's principles and indulge in a personal campaign to get more preferential votes, Lalkantha said his intension was to get the vote of people who normally don't vote for the JVP. "They will not vote for JVP or our policies. They would only vote for me. Hence, I must grab those personal votes. They are voting simply because Lalkantha is contesting," he said.

Asked whether he could have sent a couple of other preferential numbers of fellow JVP candidates along with his number in those SMS, Lalkantha has said that is not possible. "That is impossible because those people will not vote for other JVP candidates." He had said. Is it an indication that Lankantha is now trying to single out himself from fellow candidates and show his might to the new party leader?

Basil leads UPFA's exemplary battle in Gampaha

At a time even the JVP is hit by preferential vote battles and disgusted Colombo district candidates over Lalkantha's personal campaign, the ruling UPFA is conducting an exemplary and a successful campaign in Gampaha District under the guidance of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

The minister has masterminded collective newspaper advertisements with preferential numbers of the all UPFA candidates in the district. This novel concept, first introduced by the minister at the 2010 general election, has won the hearts of not only the UPFA supporters in the district but also others.

The UPFA began its series of election rallies in support of its candidates contesting the forthcoming Provincial Council polls with a massive rally at Kotalawela grounds in Kaduwela yesterday. It was held under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The second UPFA rally of the series, to be addressed by the President, will be held at Gampaha today, followed by two other similar rallies with the UPFA candidates and the President at Mount Lavinia tomorrow and in Galle on Wednesday.

Udaya asks for blood-pint, Rs. 100 and vote

UPFA's Colombo district leader Udaya Gammanpila is going slowly but steadily in his election campaign. Adding another to his novel concepts, Gammanpila marked his birthday with a blood donation campaign at Jayasekhararamaya in Rajagiriya.

The JHU stalwart had to put off his usual birthday event as it overlapped with nomination day for the Provincial Council election. When he was planning the event, Hambantota district MP Namal Rajapaksa called to inquire how he could contribute to Gammanpila's campaign.

Accordingly, Namal and his youthful MP brigade, including Kanaka Herath and Udith Lokubandara, joined the blood donation campaign.

"Other candidates only ask for the vote. But Udaya aiya not only ask for the vote, but Rs. 100 and a pint of blood," Uditha remarked jokingly.

"But it was me who spilled Rajapaksa's blood since 2005," said Gammanpila, referring to Namal's gesture to donate blood.

Meanwhile, Colombo District UPFA candidate Ajith Subasinghe had a Jaya Pritha with the participation of over 100 leading monks in the area. It was nice to see almost all chief incumbents of the temples in the Kolonnawa electorate joining the Jaya Piritha at Gothatuwa New Town to invoke blessings on Subasinghe.

The millionaire businessman has been a leading philanthropist in the area who had made lavish donations to most of the temple not only in Kolonnawa but also in other parts of the country.

At a time when most candidates even go to the extent of changing their names or have an additional first letter in the Sinhala alphabet before their existing names to get No. 1 as their preferential vote number, Subasinghe has got it without any effort, automatically.

Ravi to reply Muza after PC polls

UNP Colombo District Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake has said that he would respond to recent allegations levelled at him by Colombo Mayor A.J.M. Muzammil, when the Provincial Council elections are over.

Ravi has said that he would respond to Muzammil at the appropriate time, without affecting the UNP's election campaign. He added that he could not answer on allegations on the Nomination Committee as it was not totally under his wings.

"If I had carried out the entire procedure by myself then I need to answer. But when the outcome of the Nomination Committee was not what I expected, how can I answer to that? I have a backbone unlike him, and I have been with the party for two decades. Unlike him I have not betrayed the Party at any time. Not only Mrs. Muzammil but there were many others who were loyal party members who did not get nominations," Ravi was quoted as say.

Ravi alleged that Muzammil did not have the courage to express his convictions against the party leader, instead he attempts to vent his anger by blaming others. "Muzammil is giving oxygen to the Government. He is carrying out the government's agenda. He was not with the party right throughout and on the other hand I was with the party throughout. I have been committed to the party always. I have honest feelings for the party. However, I am thankful to him for all these because his true colours came out after this fiasco. Many members said with their tongue in cheek that we needed to consider someone like him who could turn to be so unfaithful to the party. All these allegations and remarks have energised UNP," Ravi had said.

The Colombo District UNP heavyweight said UNP is not a party which is having everybody's family members in. "I will answer all his allegations once the elections are over. I am studiously silent for one reason. That is we need not to waste time in dealing with the shamelessness of him. When the time comes I will answer all these with ample of circumstantial evidence," Ravi adds.

Kiriella hints at Ravi-Muza row

The UNP held a breakfast meeting to its speakers at national level election rallies with the Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe in Parliament on Tuesday.

Among those who participated at the meeting preside over by Ranil, were Joseph Michael Perera, Mangala Samaraweera, Gayantha Karunatillake, Lakshman Kiriella, Tissa Attanayake, Ravi Karunanayake, Harsha de Silva, Harin Fernando, Eran Wickremeratne, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and Ajith Mannaperuma. The notable absentee was UNP rebel group leader Sajith Premadasa.

Ranil stressed the need the importance of including a few Muslim leaders to address the UNP national level rallies in the Southern and Western Provinces. "Muzammil could do so. He also could find a few others. Am I right Ravi?" Kiriella quarried with an indirect reference to the ongoing verbal battle between Muzammil and Ravi. All UNP MPs lad a loud laugh but refrained from casting any remarks.

Ramil made a lengthy advice on the information that the UNP speakers should give the masses. "However much we have huge rallies, there is no point if we don't take the message across to the grassroots level. We must concentrate at interior, rural level," Gayantha pointed out.

UNP's facebook strategy boomerangs

When there were a few suicide deaths due to relationships that had been developed through the famous social website facebook, the UNP developed their own theory and shouted from the roof tops that the Government was planning to ban facebook access in Sri Lanka.

UNP parliamentarian Harin Fernando went to down to gain cheap political mileage, saying that the Government was planning to ban facebook as it fears a threat of regrouping. Harin said alleged that the Government would give suicidal deaths due to facebook as an excuse to ban the site.

But then came the prompt reply from the Government from none other than the President! The President assured that the Government does not have any intension to ban facebook and only cautioned parents to keep a vigil eye on their children.

That seems to have upset the UNP's plan of gaining petty political mileage by spreading a rumor that the Government is roaring to ban facebook. But it seems that it has now boomeranged on the UNP with Ranil claiming that the Government is holding on to facebook the maintain its popularity.

Speaking at a meeting held at Avissawella, the UNP leader claimed that the Government is trying to become popular by sticking to facebook.

Afghan President pledges support

Visiting Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai said last week that pointing accusing fingers at Sri Lanka over human rights violations was 'sad and unfortunate'.

Responding to a question at a media briefing, the Afghan leader said he sympathises with Sri Lanka on its predicament over allegations of human right violations made by the West.

"The West must help Sri Lanka protect human rights by regaining stability. There is no exception to peace, which is the demand made by all countries including Afghanistan. But to ensure a peace there must be no interference from external forces. Peace will guarantee a good life to all stakeholders. Afghanistan is keen to safeguard the rights of its own people those living in Asia," President Karzai said.

Commenting on the violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, he said the return of peace to both countries was a serious challenge and that the contribution made by the West was extremely important to secure sustainable peace in the region.

GL meets Pillay

External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris during his meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navaneetham Pillay said that the highly prejudiced actions taken by sections of the international community and the Office of the High Commissioner to give disproportionate attention to Sri Lanka had only made the separatist diaspora Tamil elements and their proxies in the north more intransigent, making the intensely difficult task of reconciliation in Sri Lanka even harder.

He said the UN Human Rights High Commissioner was well aware of the important political decisions the Government of Sri Lanka had taken in the restoration of normalcy to those affected following the conflict, channelling the necessary resources to develop the previously conflict affected areas and to enable the holding of the Northern Provincial Council elections on September 20, 2013,, which four previous presidents over 26 years had not had the courage to do.

Minister Peiris made this observation when as leader of the Sri Lanka delegation for the 25th HRC, he, as is customary, met the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navaneetham Pillay on Thursday at the Palaise de Nations in Geneva.

Minister Peiris drew the High Commissioner's attention to the objections he had made to the report submitted by her to the current Human Rights Council sessions where he had detailed the lack of objectivity and bias evidenced in her report which also called for the setting up of an international inquiry mechanism on Sri Lanka.

He said the report was both one sided and politicised.

He said it was particularly unfortunate that the High Commissioner should have done so after having the benefit of an extended visit to Sri Lanka where she was given unimpeded access. Noting that the High Commissioner had undertaken her visit almost two and a half years after the original invitation was extended by the Government of Sri Lanka, the minister said that he felt that some of the High Commissioner's comments while in Sri Lanka and her final report represented a lost opportunity to contribute positively to Sri Lanka's reconciliation process.

South Africa backs Sri Lanka

South Africa is along the new set of countries that have extended their support to Sri Lanka at international level. today said that international community must allow Sri Lanka to find their own solution to their own problem.

"It is important that we allow Sri Lankans to find each other, and out of this find solutions that are durable for their country," South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Nkoana Mashabane said addressing the 25th session of the UN Human Rights in Geneva on Tuesday.

Stating that the Human Rights Council has been seized with the issue of Sri Lanka for a while she also said, "We as South Africans also had to find each other and consequently find our own solution to our own problem. This is our wish for the people of Sri Lanka." She said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha said yesterday that the draft resolution on Sri Lanka deposited with the Human Rights Council by a core group comprising - the USA, UK, Mauritius, Montenegro and Macedonia, violates the constitutional provisions of Sri Lanka.

"The draft resolution on Sri Lanka, violates the constitutional provisions of Sri Lanka, is highly intrusive in nature and is in breach of the sovereignty of the Sri Lankan people and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka," he told the first informal meeting called by the sponsors of the draft resolution on Sri Lanka in Geneva.