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Prabhakaran asks: Are we terrorists?
| The tigers first time in the history of war called that they are willing to come to negotiated settlement far behind their original demand of separate land which they called as Tamil Eelam. Expressing dissatisfaction over the world community including his organisation in the list of world terrorists, Mr. Prabhakaran said that these countries had failed to differentiate between deliberate acts of terrorism, emerged through hate and facism and acts in reply to state sponsored violence. "These decisions have a negative impact. They have been made in haste, without deep insight into the historicity and legitimacy of our struggle of self-determination. Some of the repressive states with a history of notorious history of racist oppression and gross human rights violations have joined this global alliance against terror ", he said. Western countries which branded LTTE as terrorists were fully aware that the organisation was a freedom movement functioning with the people's support. They were dismayed as to how could these actions facilitate the peaceful resolution of the conflict, Mr. Prabhakaran said. The LTTE was not against the Sinhalese people and their struggle do not in any way pose a threat to their culture or economy. All communities could 'co-exist" if a peaceful settlement is reached however they would be left with no alternative other than separation if the 'Sinhala nation" continued to refuse peaceful resolution to the problem, he said.
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Police fire on Elakanda protestors kills three
| The fishermen are said to have protested against two foreign companies who were engaged in sand mining in the seas of Uswatakeyyawa-Elakanda for the construction of Katunayake- Colombo highway. They claimed that the companies had been dishonest in paying compensation for their damaged equipment and disruption of fishing. The protestors said that they were promised a large sum as compensation by the companies as the mining process damaged their fishing nets and affected their livelihood. Witnesses said that the protesters had set up road blocks and deflated some vehicles came to the company on business. Wattala police Anti Riots Squad on being informed of the situation had arrived at the scene in a mini bus and started firing at the protestors, they said. The bus was set on fire by the fishermen later. Meanwhile several parties expressed concern as to how police could fire at protesters at their will while there were many other ways of dispersing them like teargassing.
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President pledges alternative jobs for forces after peace
| In a letter addressed to "brotheren in the armed forces"the president said she would not send the soldiers empty handed once the war is over and their services would be required to protect large scale schemes proposed by the government. Her government had planned to construct several international airports, harbours, highways and an international trading centre. The soldiers would be provided with jobs in these projects, the President said. Lashing out once again at the previous United National Party (UNP) government of giving arms and other equipment to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Mrs. Kumaratunga said her government would never do so. Her government had provided the soldiers with hi-tech equipment, better salaries and facilities and had stood with them all the way. The government was prepared to solve the ethnic conflict through maximum devolution within a united Sri Lanka and at the same time resolved to fight terrorism until it is uprooted from the country, she said.
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EU monitors fear more violence
| John Cushnahan, the Head of the EUmonitoring group said that election officials, political party representatives and others and there were genuine fears that election could be full of violence. More than 70 people were killed in last year's election campaign and this year's campaign has cost 4 lives so far since the closure of the nominations on 27 October. Cushnahan said that the EU team had expressed deep concern on the government's inability to act upon 16 recommendations made after observing last year's poll. The EU team on October 2000 had recommended sweeping reforms to make Sri Lanka's election campaigning to be conducted on a level playing field for all contesting parties. They include measures on the conduct of media, abuse of state resources and better ways to investigate election malpractice. John Cushnahan said that the EU team was pleased to note the passage of the seventeenth amendment to the Sri Lanka's constitution which is expected to provide the Elections Commissioner with more powers. "We wish to call on all political parties, the state and security bodies to co-operate fully with the Elections Commissioner", Cushnahan said. The EU observers missionnoted that the Elections Commissioner has now got powers to orderre-polling within 7 days in areas where fraudulent practices have takenplace. "This sends a clear and emphatic message to anyone who might intend to stuff the ballot boxes", Cushnahan said. The last year's parliamentary election observed by the EU observers resulted in a hung parliament. The mission's final report stressed that it would be difficult to conclude that the election was free and fair in all districts yet the overall result did to a reasonable degree reflected the political will of the electorate. Themission hopes to observe between 400-500 polling stations in a total of over 9000 polling stations.
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Opposition slams President's speech as instigation of violence
| Former Minister of precent Government who crossover to opposition on October 10 with 11 other decidents, Prof. GL Peiris, addressing a press conference here in Colombo, said that the President had told a Peoples Allionce (PA) election rally at Tissamaharama that it was time her supporters started to be violent "What is the use of judiciary, the police if people tried to become a lawunto themselves," Peiris asked. Former Minister S.B Dissanayakewho also joined Mr. Peiris to topple the Government said that Former Speaker and brother of President Kumaratunga Anura Bandaranaike's statement at a PA rally that the President had the power to dissolve parliament again and again until the UNP got fed up with elections was undemocratic Dissanayake said that Anura Bandaranaike was yet to win an election despite entering politics in 1977. Dissanayake said that the President's remark that politicians must retire when they reached 65 years of age, was meant to make her brother Anura the leader of the opposition after the election.
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Give up separatist demand President tells LTTE
| Addressing the launching ceremony of the PA manifesto at the President House the President said, she was still of the view that the ethnic conflict should be solved through the devolution of power, but she did not think that the LTTE was the only representative of the Tamils. Giving explanations to the failure of her government in fully implement the 1994 manifesto , Ms Kumaratunga said it was due to certain people in the government obstructed their implementation. Those people who had made politics their way of earning money had left the party and more such people were about to go, she said.
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PA Manifesto theme: Peace, Democracy and Prosperity
| A solution to the ethnic conflict would be based on an undivided country with full participation of the minorities in the democratic process, the manifesto said. Abolition of the Executive Presidency and introduction of an electoral system with a mixture of Proportional Representation and first-past the post system, and the abolition of the preferential vote system have been envisaged in the manifesto on democracy. Subsidies on agricultural equipment and fertilizers, launching of a food production drive, strengthening the plantation and fisheries sector, have also been promised in the manifesto.
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Tamil Alliance release manifesto
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Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) General secretary R. Sampanthan told the landing ceremony on Monday that the alliance would work locally and internationally to meet this end.
The manifesto calls for the stoppage of war, allow free supplies to wanni, immediate peace talks with the LTTE and lifting the ban on the LTTE as steps to create a concessive environment for talks.
It also reiterates that while talks being held with the organisations no parallel discussion should be held with any political formation representing the Tamil people.
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Extremely dull day of trading
| Foreigners also remained on the quiet side with foreign purchases and sales accounting for 5% and 13% of market turnover. Foreign purcahses was seen in JKH and Lanka Walltiles shares, while Caltex Lubricants, Seylan Bank and Sampath Bank were the contributors to foreign sales. A net foreign outflow of Rs.1.4 million was recorded for the day. Sectorially, there were gains seen in five sector indices with the Investment Trust sector index witnessing the sharpest rise. There were as many as six sector indices that declined with the Banks Finance and Insurance sector index witnessing the biggest drop.
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Tamil party alliance urge lifting of LTTE ban
| Four parties, the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), All Ceylon Tamil Congress, Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) and the Eelam People's Liberation Front have formed a joint front to contest the 5 December parliamentary election. The alliance says that the proscription placed on the LTTE must be lifted and the government elected on 5 December must start talks with the LTTE aimed at a negotiated settlement to the ethnic conflict. Veerasingham Anandasangaree, the Vice President of the TULF said that they do not advocate separatism but want the recognition of the Tamil community's right to self determination. The alliance denied that they have a pact with the UNP. Anandasangaree said the people of Jaffna have suffered untold hardships and the present government must be defeated at the election for its failure to solve the ethnic conflict having made a firm pledge to do so before being elected to office in 1994. N Srikantha, the TELO leader said the majority Sinhala community politicians must take the responsibility if continued denial of Tamil right to self determination led to the separatism of the island.
The alliance hopes to double its parliamentary representation of nine in the previous parliament.
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Declined trading at CSE
| This resulted in both indices to witness declines for yet another day with the ALLSHAARE PRICE INDEX (ASPI) and MILANKA PRICE INDEX (MPI) sliding down by a further 0.2 points and 0.4 points respectively. With both local and foreign investors seeming reluctant to go after fundamentally strong stocks as the election campaign gains momentum, market turnover ended the day on a rather quiet Rs. 34.8 million. However, this represents a moderate increase from the previous two days. A local transfer of a quantity of Tokyo Cement shares at Rs. 54/= was the main contributor to the day's turnover,with Commercial Bank, Hayleys, NDB and Ceylon Investment Limited shares also making moderate contributions. Foreign selling yet again dominated foreign purchases with the former accounting for 21% of market turnover, while the later contributed a mere 2% of the day's turnover. This resulted in a foreign net outflow of Rs. 6.5 million to be recorded for the day. Foreign selling was mainly seen in Hayleys, Ceylon Investments and NDB shares. Price Declines edged out Advances by a 19 to 16 margin.
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Another day of listless trading
| With investors, both local as well as foreign, continuing to remain in a negative mind set, the inevitable declines were seen in both indices. The ALLSHAARE PRICE INDEX (ASPI) and the more sensitive MILANKA PRICE INDEX (MPI) dropped by as much as 5.1 points and 12.6 points respectively on a day where Price Declines dominated Advances by a 41 to 9 margin. Market turnover ended the day on a disappointing note totaling a mere Rs. 25.9 million. This on the heels of another lackluster performance yesterday. Once again JKH and NDB were the leading contributor to the day's turnover combining for 49% of this figure. Foreign selling made its presence felt yet again today with JKH and NDB being the main contubutors. With only JKH shares accounting for the day's only foreign purchase, a net foreign outflow of Rs.7.9 million was recorded for the day.
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Another Day of bull traading at CSE
| This resulted in market turnover totaling an extremely unimpressive Rs. 27.1 million as the market continued to lose steam. However, both indices picked up slightly on a day where Price Advances edged Declines by a 26 to 23 margin. The ALLSHAARE PRICE INDEX (ASPI) gained by a mere 1.6 points to close the day at 491.9 points, while the more sensitve MILANKA PRICE INDEX (MPI) appreciated by 2.00 points to end the day at 796.9 points. Foreign selling of quantities of JKH shares dominated foreign activity yet again. This resulted in a significant outflow of Rs. 8.2 million to be recorded for the day. There were as many as 8 sector indices that appreciated during the course of the day, with the Services and the Investment Trust sector indices witnessing double digit gains. The Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals, Hotels & Travels, Plantations and the Diversified sector indices were the only sector indices to decline during the day.
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LTTE blast Oil Tanks
| Mr. Ranatunga was admitted to hospital after being ordered to be arrested by Gampaha Magistrate on charges of beating a supporter to death. On October24 Mr.Ranatunga and his supporters allegedly assaulted Lionel Rodrigo (32) who was tracked at the Intensive Care Unit for five days. Succumbed to his injuries. The former minister was arrested them and was bailed out. On the victim's death the Magistrate ordered re-arrest of Mr.Ranatunga who then sought admission to hospital claiming that he had to redergo a few tests.
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LTTE blast Oil Tanks
| The vesel had set off from the eastern port of Trnicaomalee yesterday evening and had been transporting oil to the north once in every week. Of the 16 Navy personal 13 had been rescued and the rest are said to be mission. All 12 crew members on bound have been rescued on a combined operation by Army and the Navy. The tanks carrying about 800 tons of oil in said to be on fire.
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Better to die rather than having on knees-D.G of Bribery Commission
| Explaining the circumstance under which he was removed Mr.Arsecularatne said his "reluctance to peruse investigations into complaints which had no evidence and the determination to carry out investigations into compilations with evidence" resulted in his removal. However he declined to elaborate any specific case which caused of the removal. Mr. Arsecularatne also said although President Chandrika Kumaratunag in her letter had said he was being replaced as the Director General to get the services of a full times, members of the commissions should have been consulted before appointing another person. According to his knowledge neither the Commission are any other members had any idea of the President decision he said. President Kumaratunga in a controversial decision yesterday removed Mr.Arseculartne from the Commissioners to Investigation into Allegations of Bribery and Corruption. Political observers pointed out Mr.Arsecularatne's enthusians in investigation into complain male against prominent figures wanted to the government was the reason for the decision.
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Premier escapes assasination bid ?
| Police believed Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayake was the target of the bomb. Mr. Wickremenayake had passed the area a little while before the explosion after taking part in a ceremony , eye witnesses said. Sixteen persons were being treated at Colombo National Hospital and four of them are said to be in a critical condition. Three policemen deployed in civics had cheked the suspect a little while before the blast. On finding he had strapped a suicide jacket they had let him go and followed after calling for reinforcements. The bomber after trying hard to get out of sight of the policemen had exploded himself infront two traffic police mortor cycles, they said. Over the past few years there had been several bomb blasts in the run-up to national elections. In 1999 President Chandrika Kumaratunga escaped an assasination attempt and on the same day opposition UNP candidate retired army officer Lucky Algama was killed in a seperate incident.
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Routine Police transfers would continue- IGP
| There was nothing controversial in the transfers made and his department would continue to transfer the "weaker links" of the police. Also extra personnel would be transferred for election purposes, he said. In the run up to the December 5 elections the police would carry out their search operations and there would be no favouritism of anyone, Mr. Kodituwakku said. Denying having any dispute with the elections Commissioner Dayananda Disanayake Mr. Kodituwakku said that more than 350 police transfers had been effected after the announcement of the 1994 General Election. Earlier Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake had requested the IGP to cancel nearly 60 police transfers made after the dissolution of Parliament. However Mr. Kodituwakku responding to the request said no one had the right to interfere with his authority
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Heated contest for national list |
United National Front (UNF) has this time includedPeople's Alliance (PA) dissidents S.B Dissanayake,Prof G.L Peiris and Jayasundara Wijekoon on the list with former MPs Thilak Marapone and A.R.M.A Cader among others. Ministers D.M Jayaratne,Ronnie de Mel and DeputyMinister Harendra Corea are among the prominent figures in the People's Alliance (PA) national list. Sihala Urumaya General Secretary Thilak Karunaratne himself has this time opted to be on the national list with Udaya Gammanpila and former cricketer Mithra Wettimuni among others. Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) has included former MP Anura Dissanayake on its national list while Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Boomiputhra Party leader Dr. Harischandra Wijetunga himself has been placed on the party's list.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.28: Several prominent political personalities in the country have opted this time to go for the 29 seats allotted on the national list.
Out of that number 4610 have filed nomination papersto contest from political parties and the rest have been named on the national list. Candidates entering the fray from political parties is 3196 while 1414 independent candidates have filed nominations. According to official figures, out of more than 40 registered political parties in the country only 26 would be contesting the December elections.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.28: A total number 4943 candidates will compete to represent the 225 seat parliament in the general elections to be held on December 5,fugures released by the Elections Secretariat said.
During her visit Ms. Kumaratunga will be interviewed by BBC. Arraignments for this have been made by Bells Pottinger, a public relations company, they said. She is also expected to meet British Home Secretary David Blunkett and Foreign Secretary Jack Strow.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.27: President Chandrika Kumaratunga will leave for London on a three day visit on Sunday, informed sources said.
A spokesman or teh embassy said that they took this step as a precautionary measure. Last Monday the embassy received the suspicious letter and the room in which the letter was opened was sealed from then. Several foreign missions in Colombo including the Austrailian High Commisson and the French Embassy were in panic over the past week after receiving suspicious letters. Informed sources said that the Central Bank too had received a letter suspected to be having Anthrax bacteria. The letter had been sent to the Medical Research Institute (MRI) for confirmation.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.26: The French Embassy in Colombo was indefinitely closed today due to Anthrax scare after five days of receiving a letter containing a white powder.
This resulted in both indices witnessing moderate declines on the heels of a light session of trading. The ASPI gave up 2.8 points to once again close below the 500 point level, while the more sensitive MPI lost as many as 6.7 points during the day. However, Price Advances continued to outnumber Declines by a significant margin (43 to 23). Market turnover totaled an unimpressive Rs. 54.1 million, the lowest so far this week. Foreign activity was dominated by the selling of a quantity of Dipped Products shares resulting in a net outflow of Rs. 18.5 million to be recorded for the day.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.25: With investors adapting a rather cautious approach towards the already heated up stock market, coupled with selling pressure on the part of local retailers, the inevitable drop in share prices took place today.
Mr.Ranatunga who was speculated largely of Planning to enter politics since his exit from international cricket in August last year, decided to contest the December 5 General Elections on People's Alliance ticket. In the run-up for October 2000 elections Mr. Ranatunga was said to he planning to contest elections under Sinhala Nationalist "Sihala Urumaya" party. However he decided not to contest them. Addressing the media after announcing his decision he said he hoped to fair well in politics unlike Pakistan's World Cup winning captain Imran Khan. Former Indian all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar too entered politics soon after has retirement but made no progress. Arjuna Ranatunga has been appointed for contests election in Colombo district.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.25: Sri Lanka's World Cup winning cricket caption Arjuna Ranatunga yesterday expressed confidence of becoming successful in politics as he did in sports.
In his letter to the commisioner Prof. Peiris said that he sent the replies to Mr. Dissanayake on request when a complaint was made against the articles on Tuesday. The news items in question had quoted Additional Secretary of Industrial Development Ministry Roy Jayasinghe as having said that the former minister had allocated garment quotas to 10 industrialists without the approval of Textile Quota Board. Mr. Jayasinghe had informed him that he had made no such statement and even written to the newspapers denying it,he said. Prof .Peiris on Tuesday sent a letter of demand to the state-owned newspaper group Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd claiming Rs 2 billion as damages caused by the said articles.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.24: Former Minister Prof G.L Peiris has sent his replies to the alleged defamatory articles published on the state-run Daily News and Silumina news papers to Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake requesting him to direct the newspapers to publish them.
Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake taking a tough stance against the use of state power and property to promote any candidate or party last week requested Inspector General of Police Lucky Kodituwakku to cancel transfer orders given to nearly 60 police officers after general elections were announced. However the police chief claiming that there were no politics involved in the transfers said he had all powers to appoint or transfer any police officer under the police ordinance. He was not bound to take orders from the polls chief as the Independent Elections Commission had not been constituted so far. Apart from assigning policemen for election duty he had no legal obligation to take orders on police matters, he said. Mr. Dissanayake responding this had said that he was empowered under the 17th Amendment to direct any state institution which he saw as breaching election laws. He would refer the matter to Defence Secretary to get a final decision. Meanwhile unconfirmed reports said Defence Secretary Chandrananda de Silva had asked both parties to end the tug-of-war and requested the police chief to cancel all transfer orders and not to make any till the elections are over.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.24: Confusion over the enforcability of powers envisaged in the 17 th Amendment to the constitution had led to a despute between the elections chief and police chief with the latter refusing to take orders from the former relating to police transfers ,local newspapers reported today.
A spokesman for the coalition said that they had arrived at an understanding to contest under UNP?s Elephant symbol in all areas including the upcountry coalition?s strongholds. However discussions were on to sort out matters on seat allocation in certain areas. Under the MOU, UNP leadership had given their approval for a welfare plan for plantation sector people. Also the parties had agreed to field three candidates namely Arumugam Thondaman and Muttu Sivalingam of the CWC and Periyasamy Chandrasekeran of the UPF in their party stronghold Nuwara Eliya district, informed sources said. In the previous parliament the CWC was part of the ruling People?s Alliance and in the latter stages decided to quit from it and join the UNP. Party leader Arumugam Thondaman reasoning his decision said his party wanted to be with the government in power in order to win a better deal for the plantation workers he represented who were very much backward in all spheres of life.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.24: The main upcountry Tamil party coalition comprising Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and Upcountry People?s Front (UPF) was to sign a memorandum-of-understanding with the United National Party (UNP) this evening.
A spokesman for the coalition said that they had arrived at an understanding to contest under UNP?s Elephant symbol in all areas including the upcountry coalition?s strongholds. However discussions were on to sort out matters on seat allocation in certain areas. Under the MOU, UNP leadership had given their approval for a welfare plan for plantation sector people. Also the parties had agreed to field three candidates namely Arumugam Thondaman and Muttu Sivalingam of the CWC and Periyasamy Chandrasekeran of the UPF in their party stronghold Nuwara Eliya district, informed sources said. In the previous parliament the CWC was part of the ruling People?s Alliance and in the latter stages decided to quit from it and join the UNP. Party leader Arumugam Thondaman reasoning his decision said his party wanted to be with the government in power in order to win a better deal for the plantation workers he represented who were very much backward in all spheres of life.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.24: The main upcountry Tamil party coalition comprising Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and Upcountry People?s Front (UPF) was to sign a memorandum-of-understanding with the United National Party (UNP) this evening.
The All Share Price Index picked up a mere 3.7 points to go back up the 500 point level for the first time since 26th October 2000 which ended at 502.90 today?s closing. The more sensitive Milanka Price Index appreciated by only 0.3 points on a day where Price Advances led Declines by a 43 to 23 margin ended at 845.30. Market turnover ended the day at a rather moderate Rs. 218 8 million. This was mainly due a foreign transfer of a significant quantities of Ceylon Theatres shares changing hands at Rs. 420/= per share. Also large volumes of John Keels Holdng (JKH), National Development Bank (NDB) and Commercial Bank shares which changed hands contributed to the day's turnover. Ceylon Theatres shares accounted for the lion shares of foreign purchases and sales. Also foreign sales was seen in JKH shares which resulted in a net foreign outflow to be recorded for the day.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.24: Profit taking which began late yesterday continued today as investors began to sell out. This resulted in both indices witnessing only marginal gains for the day.
Mirihana police said that a group in a double cab had thrown the hand granade causing minor damages to the building. The security guard was discharged from hospital after treatment. Police guard had been tightened in the area after the incident.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.23: Headquarters of the United National Party (UNP) "Sirikotha", in Kotte, about 10 km from Colombo came under a grenade attack last night injuring a security guard on duty.
Until the Independent Elections Commission is constituted powers vested in him under section 27 (2) of the 17 th Amendment and Parliamentary Elections Act could be exercised by the commissioner. Under these he could prohibit the use of any moveable or unmovable state property for the promotion of a party or candidate, Mr. Dissanayake said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.23: Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has warned all heads of government institutions not to violate election laws saying he was empowered to take action against them under provisions of the 17 th Amendment and Parliamentary Elections Act.
Explaining his decision to quit the PA Mr. Andramana said though he had worked hard to bring the PA to the reigns of the country, he now realized that the government had failed to keep its promises. As an Economics teaccher who had taught to thousands of students, he felt that the country's economy was in bad shape, despite the rosy picture painted by the government. His vision was to ensure a bright future for the coming generations, which duty had befallen on today's elders, he said. PA rebel leader S.B Dissanayake said Mr. Andramana's defection from the PA was only a signal that many more were join their ranks. Mr. Andramana is likely to contest the December elections in Matara district.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.22: Another prominent People's Alliance (PA) politician, Mayor of the southern city Matara Sugath Andramana joined the United National front (UNF) on Monday.
The government had information about the latest consignment of arms brought down by the LTTE, but the government forces would keep their guns silent unless the Tigers engage in provocation. However the forces would not hesitate to hit back in case of an LTTE offensive, Mr. Kadirgarmar said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.22: Despite the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) recent mass scale arms purchases and recruitment drive in the Eastern province, the government had no plans of pushing an operation against them, Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgarmar said.
Mr. Ranathunga speaking on state run television network Rupavahini said that he joind Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), key partner of the ruling PA coalition on request of President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Sports Deputy Minister Mangala Samaraweera. He said he will be contest the December 5th general elections from the PA. Mr. Ranatunga led the Sri Lankan Cricket team to victory at the 1996 world cup and retierd from cricket in August 2000 after playing 100 test cricket. Mr. Ranatunga was released on bail by Maligakanda Magistrate for allagedly beating school children who entered his garden to collect their cricket ball while they were plaing next door. One student was admitted to Colombo mental hospital and are taking treatment after the incident. Next hearing of Mr. Ranatungas was fixd for December 7, two days after the general elections.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.22: Sri Lanka Cricket team world cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga announced today that he will be contesting up coming general elections from the ruling Peoples Alliance (PA).
With John Keels Holdings (JKH) and National Development Bank (NDB) shares leading the way, both indices recorded significant gains. The All Share Price Index appreciated by as much as 14.8 points which ended at 488.40, while the more sensitive Millanka Price Index picked up a whopping 39 points during the day which closed at 819.80. Market Turnover continued to remain healthy topping the Rs. 100 million mark once again with JKH and NDB shares being the main contributors. Local activity was once again in the forefront of the day's trading. On the other hand foreigners adapted a rather more cautious approach towards the market as evidenced by the foreign activity that was recorded during the day.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.22: The Colombo bourse ended yet another extremely busy day of trading in positive territory as investors continued to be in an upbeat mood.
Anusha Perera 35 year forensic officer died while she was examine a bomb at the department, police told the Lankapress. A spokesman for the department said that Mrs. Perera was four months pregnant when she was died.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.18: Assistant Analysis of the Government Analyst department died today in bomb explosion inside the department head office in Colombo.
The ASPI appreciated by 4.09 points to close at 468.97, while the more sensitive MPI picked up by 12.16 points to close at 770.78. The notable transactions which took place in the market was 1,094,800 shares of NDB at Rs. 50.00/= which was Rs. 3/= above the previous closing. Also 116,545 shares of Commercial Bank were traded mainly at 100.00. In addition 576,968 shares of JKH also traded between 43.50, 45.00. These three transactions contributed 88% of the total market turnover.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.18: After yesterday?s dull trading session the Colombo bourse was dominated by local activity as investors sought after selected stocks. Both indices witnessed further gains on a day where turnover topped the Rs. 100 million mark.
A turnover, for the first time since the mini rally started dipped below the 100 Million mark, closing the day at Rs. 74.1Mn mainly due to a parcel of 2.6 Mn shares of Bogawantalawa Plantation shares changing hands at a price of Rs. 15.50 gaining Rs. 2.25 to close at Rs. 16.00. Once again foreigners continued to remain on the sideline. Foreign buying was Rs. 3.85 Mn with foreign sales being Rs. 1.63 Mn. The other notable volumes that changed hands were 190,000 shares Of John Keells Holdings, 62,000 shares of National Development Bank and 35,000 shares of DFCC Bank.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.17: At the end of trading today the All Share Price Index (ASPI) rose 5.89 points to close at 464.8 and the Milanka Price Index (MPI) gained 16.45 points to 758.6.
Addressing a media conference today Prof Peiris said he suspected the government would use police, state media and persons hurriedly recruited to state run institutions to stage their malpractices. The government had already started to activate its mechanisms to win the December elections by unfair means. They would seek the intervention of judiciary and civil organisations to counter these attempts, he said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.17: Former People?s Alliance (PA) minister and United National Front (UNF) media spokesman Prof G.L Peiris said that the UNF would take steps to preserve powers vested with the Elections Commissioner through the 17th Amedment to the constitution.
Former Minister of Tourism and Sports Lakshman Kiriella and Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils Nandimithra Ekanayake would be vying for parliamentary seats in Kandy and Matale districts respectively under the United National Front (UNF) coalition. Mr. Kiriella addresing a news conference today said he decided to part with the party he had served for more than 25 years due to inefficiency, economic instability and finding no end to the war. Though it was a tough decision to take he took it considering the plight of the country,Mr Kiriella said. Meanwhile Deputy Minister and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Assistant Secretary Nandimithra Ekanayake sent his letter of resignation to President Chandrika Kumaratunga today. In his letter he has stated that the decision to resign was to Informed sources said that the former minister too would be joining the UNF shortly.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.17: Two People?s Alliance (PA) strongmen and members of the cabinet Lakshman Kiriella and Nandimithra Ekanayake quit the PA and would contest the December 5 general elections under the coalition led by United National Party (UNP).
After several days of discussions the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) and a faction of Eelam People?s Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) led by Suresh Premachandran decided to contest under a common plantform in the northern Jaffna, Wanni and eastern Batticaloa districts. A spokesman for the alliance said that they would contest under rising sun symbol owned by the TULF and differences on these matters had been sorted out cordially with other parties. Meanwhile two parties representing the Indian Tamil people mostly concentrated in the central Sri Lankan plantation areas too formed an alliance focussing on elections. Leader of the largest plantation trade union and a member of the People?s Allinace government Arumugam Thondaman said that his party along with P. Chandrasekeran?s Upcountry People?s Front (UPF) had formed an alliance to ensure strong representation to his 1.5 million people. These two parties were arch rivals once but decided to work together after a collective hunger strike staged last year which they claim successful. This alliance is likely to help the party which emerges with most number of seats to form a government in return for concessions for the people.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.17: Four political parties representing Tamils in the north east have decided to form an alliance to face the forth coming general elections.
The Media spokesman Mangala Samaraweera said that they will soon have a price stability program to stabilise the prices of Bread and Gas as an interim relief to the people. The government has also incresed the public servents salary by Rs. 1200, Rs.750 hike for pensioners and is also to abolish 5000 rupee diesel tax. The government has also reduced the defence leavy to 6.5 percent from 7.5 percent while the Save the Nation fund has been abolished. Tax on Cement has also been reduced . Mr. Samaraweera also said that the PA will gain 38 percent in the coming general elections excluding North and the east according to survey conducted by the PA. The UNP will get 32 Percent while the Jantha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) will get 11.5 percent at the elections. The PA would able to form a government on December 6th with the help of JVP, Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) and National Unity Alliance (NUA). Mr. Samaraweera also said that the government could work with understanding with the JVP.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.12: The governemt on Friday announced a series of measuers to grant relief to the public after seven years in office, just ahead of the next general election.
This is the third election in the last three years. While the 12 million electorate exercised their franchise in December 1999 to chose a President, the 2000 and 2001 elections were held for their Parliamentary representatives. In an anticipated face-saving move, the President dissolved Parliament in the face of growing defections from her Peoples' Alliance (PA) government which was to face an opposition-sponsored no-confidence motion today. By dissolving Parliament, the President has called for a general election on December five and the next Parliament will meet on January one next year. The nominations for the next general election will be accepted between October 20 and 27.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.11: Sri Lanka will go to the polls on December five to elect the 225-member legislature after President Chandrika Kumaratunga dissolved the Parliament following defection of 13 MPs from her government.
The local investors showing confidence to the new government which will be elected, chased after all most all the stocks which still looks a bargain if the economic conditions improve in the country. The ASPI and the MPI skyrocketed with the market turnover recording a healthy Rs. 143.79 Million dominated by local retail and institutional investors. At the end of trading the ASPI was up by 28.28 points to close at 459.07 and the more sensitive MPI was up by 65.92 to close at 739.57. Foreign purchases registering poultry figure of Rs. 4.824 Million followed by sales of Rs. 5.140 Million.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.11: The Colombo bourse continued with it?s bull run on the announcement of the dissolution of the parliament and the announcement of 5th December, the date for the election.
At least seven political parties including the main opposition United National Party (UNP) yesterday declared they would contest polls under a joint electoral pact or an understanding with the view of forming a strong government in the future. They are to contest as 'United National Alliance', which may use the elephant symbol of the UNP. The defectors, barring former ministers S.B.Dissanayake and Prof G.L.Peiris are planning to unite under the UNA while other parties such as the SLMC and TULF are likely to field candidates of their own in some areas and in some areas contest under the UNA ticket. Dissanayake and Prof. Peiris are to enter parliament on a national list or as appointed MPs. The UNP leader said the opposition parties collectively have been able to end the authoritative rule of Kumaratunga adding that it was a strong victory for the people of the country. 'With the priority to end the ethnic war, the main objective of our government would be to solve the problems of the people.' The SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem who started off the political crisis by withdrawing its support to the government and reducing the PA's majority in parliament in June declared that his party was planning to support the campaign with the aim of finding a solution to the ethnic issue.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.11: The UNP and a group of government defectors led by SB Dissanayake and GL Peiris have reached an understanding to contest the upcoming elections under a broad alliance, posing a major setback for the People's Alliance.
The elections had been fixed for Decemebr 5 while nominations will be received from October 20 to 27. The first session of the 12th parliament begins from January 1 next year. Mrs.Kumaratunga signed the gazette notification of the dissolution of Parliament which completed exactly one year today to protect her party facing the no faith motion backed by the opposition. Justice Minister Batty Weerakoon told the Lankapress that they had desided to dissolve parliament and go for elections seeking a fresh mandate from people of this country. President Kumaratunga prorouged the parliament for two months on July 10 when opposition submited a no faith motion against the government after seven members of the minority SLMC crossed over to the opposition. The People?s Alliance won 97 seats out of the 225-member assembly at the 2000 general elections. The PA formed the goveremt with the support of 11 members of minority SLMC, four member Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), the four-member Eelam People?s Democretic Party (EPDP).
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.10: President Chandrika Kumartunga dissolved the 225 member hung parliament Wednesday midnight after eight members of Peoples Alliance including three powerfull former Ministers defected to the opposition today evening.
As a result the all-important ASPI and the MPI appreciated tremendously, ASPI up 19.80 to close at 430.78 and MPI up 48.39 to close at 673.65. The ASPI and MPI rose 4.8 percent and 7.7 percent respectively today. Investors chased after all most all the stocks, which were trading at a bargain couple of days ago. The turnover recording an impressive figure of Rs. 54.135 Million dominated by local investors. The foreign figures recorded purchases outbeating sales to Rs. 5.4 Million to Rs. 3.8 million.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.10: The day's come closer to the "No confidence motion" which will be taken up tomorrow in the parliament and some key MP's crossing over from the Ruling party to the opposition, investors speculate in the market expecting a stable government to be established.
Mr.Gunawardene said that his party supported the PA to remain in power for one year period and he beleave that the mud which has stained his party and him due to their support to the government could be washed off from the waters of the Kelani river. He also said that he beleave that he could serve the people of Kalani river area beeing an independent member rather than beeng a governemnt member. He said that his life was in danger. ńToday morning I huged my five children befor I leave my house, I have no security guards at my home and no body guards for me anything could be happenednd to my life and I appeal public to lookafter my life î,Mr.Gunawardene said. ńAccording to my conscience I could not retain idling in this government. From now on I will act as an independent member of this parliament. As I cannot any longer support this government I am crossing over to the opposition,îMr. Gunawardene said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.09: The Peoples Allionce's (PA) constituent party Mahajana Ekasath Peramuna (MEP) Parliamentarian and economist Bandula Gunawardena crossed over to the opposition saing that that this government had failed to fulfil its promises.
The ASPI and MPI appreciated by 9.44 points and 25.50 respectively on a day where advances dominated declines by a staggering 52 to 5 margins. The ASPI closed at 410.98, up 2.4 percent from previousdayÍs 401.53 and the MPI up 4.3 percent 625.26 wich was 599.75 at previous closing. The market turnover continued to remain on the quiet side with the virtual nonexistent of the foreign activity. Market turnover totaling an unimpressive Rs.16.034 Million for the day. Foregin sales out beating Purchases to Rs. 0.852 Million to Rs. 0.244 Million.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.09: The Political uncertainty cropped up during the last few days seems to have renewed investors enthusiasm in the market due to he notice given for the ńNo Confidence Motionî. It is to be taken up for debate on Thursday which might lead the way of the formation of an economic friendly stable government. Lead retail investors chased behind selected stocks, resulting in both indices witnessing sharp gains.
The government is to select October 11 for the debate, which date according to political sources is astrologically favourable to Kumaratunga. The UNP sponsored motion reads "This House declares that it has no confidence in the government since it is demonstrably clear that it cannot solve the pressing problems of the country and its people". Both the government and the opposition appeared confident of securing the 113 votes out of 225 in parliament . On the face of it the government, with 109 seats plus the 10 votes to be delivered by its new ally the Marxist JVP is being seen as comfortable winners. Yet the government is faced with the prospect of a substantial dissident group voting in favour of the motion. Two former senior ministers SB Dissanayake and Professor GL Peiris are thought to have entered in to an arrangement with the UNP. Dissanayake and Peiris were at variance with Kumaratunga's style of governance and faced a severe public slamming from the tough talking Sri Lankan President. "We have surprisingly large numbers from the government necessary to win the motion", Dr Rajitha Senaratne, a UNP legislator told SADA. Dissanayake-Peiris duo are to deliver at least 14 government legislators who had been disgruntled due to Kumaratunga's pact with the Marxist JVP. The main left party insisted on down sizing the Cabinet from 44 to 20 which appeared to swell dissident numbers. The JVP is set to prevent the UNP from achieving its objective of defeating Kumaratunga's government. The Marxists threw a life line to Kumaratunga when her government was reduced to a minority in parliament. A JVP statement Saturday vowed "to make every effort to defeat on-going conspiracies by certain political forces to come to power". The JVP-government MoU outlines radical reforms which they have committed Kumaratunga to implement within a year. Wimal Weerawansa, the JVP legislator said "Current moves by certain political forces to come to power are being backed by business groups who face legal action for the recovery of massive loans long overdue". The JVP stressed its desire to push through legislation for action against a number of companies and ventures that have defaulted on huge loans taken from the state banks. The state media accused the UNP of planning to sponsor some of the government legislators on paid visits to Singapore to create crucial absenteeism at the parliamentary vote. The UNP is assured of votes from the minority Tamil United Liberation Front with 5 seats, Tamil Eelam Organisation with 3 seats and the solitary vote of the All Ceylon Tamil Congress. The main Muslim party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress is to decide which way their 7 legislators should vote only after the debate got underway. The solitary member of the ultra-nationalist Sihala Urumaya is yet to decide their position. A defeat at the motion would force Kumaratunga to invite the main opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to form a government. But Kumaratunga is said to be weighing the option of dissolving the assembly to face fresh elections. The date for the debate is to be decided on Monday.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.07: Speculation is rife that President Chandrika Kumaratunga's embattled ruling People's Alliance (PA) coalition may opt to face this week in parliament a vote of no faith moved against it by the main opposition United National Party (UNP).
Political sources said Sunday that in a letter delivered to the UNP hierarchy on Friday night, the five member government delegation that held talks with the UNP had said that they had discussions with the JVP on Wednesday and that the JVP cleared the government proceeding with talks with the LTTE. The government had told the UNP that the JVP recognises the north-east conflict as a "national question" and therefore the supreme important question in the domestic politics of Sri Lanka. The only condition the JVP has placed is that the process must not be rushed or done in haste, the letter suggests. The UNP's concerns were revolved around clause 20 of the MoU signed with the JVP which hinted that the probationary government had no right to agree to any negotiations with the rebels. The JVP's stated position on negotiations with the rebels was that the government should reach a consensus with all sections of society before anything was presented to parliament. On negotiations with the rebels the government and the UNP had talks and a draft joint statement previously discussed but not signed by the UNP refers to, inter-alia, the need to alleviate hardships and dangers to civilians affected by the on-going conflict that a "mutually agreed temporary halt to offensive military operations be declared with immediate effect". It also calls upon the LTTE to start talks at the earliest. The UNP leadership has repeatedly stated publicly, that the party is of the view that a negotiated settlement should be arrived at with the rebels and talks with them should commence early with this objective.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.07: The government has informed the UNP that its current pact with the Marxist JVP does not preclude them from reviving the peace process aimed at a negotiated settlement to the country's long drawn out ethnic conflict which has cost over 60,000 lives since 1983.
Rizvie Sinnalebbe, 43 died Tuesday afternoon possibly due to a kidney failure, a spokesman for the main Muslim party, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) said. He was hospitalised in Colombo for well over a month having undergone kidney surgery in India, a family source said. Sinnalebbe was a appointed legislator in the Sri Lankan parliament based on national proportional representation. Despite being a member of the SLMC he was in parliament as a legislator representing the ruling People's Alliance (PA) coalition - as provided for in an electoral arrangement between the PA and the SLMC. He was one of the seven SLMC legislators who crossed over to the opposition mid June triggering a severe political crisis in the country. The cross over of the SLMC legislators reduced Kumaratunga's government to a parliamentary minority.
Lankapress COLOMBO, October.02: The death of Rizvie Sinnalebbe Tuesday appears to have dealt a blow to opposition's chances of toppling the government of the President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
The bomb, weighing about three kilos was packed in the jacket and hidden was found by street cleaners, police said. The elite police Special Task Force commandos were called in to defuse the explosives. The explosives were found three days after the LTTE rebels accused government forces of killing one of their senior leaders Colonel Shankar in a bomb attack deep inside an area held by the LTTE at Oddusudan.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.29: A suicide bomb kit was found near the Vihara Maha Devi Park, Saturday, the Police said.
The UNP handed over a no-confidence motion against government on Friday, three months after a similar ouster bid led to the suspension of parliament. Five members of the UNP including party leader Ranil Wickramasinghe have signed the motion, a UNP source said. The one paragraph motion sates: "This house declares that it has no confidence in the government since it is demonstrably clear that it can not solve the pressing problems of the country and its people". The UNP Assistant Leader Gamini Athukorale said that most of the MPs in the opposition have already pledged their support for the motion. "We are confident that 15 government MPs will also support the motion at the crucial vote," he added. Analysts say that Kumaratunga fearing defections may either dissolve parliament for fresh elections or try to woo members of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress to rejoin her government. The next sitting of parliament is due on October 9, but it is unlikely that the government will agree to take up the motion on the date.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.28: The People's Alliance coalition is to face a vote of no faith moved by the UNP.
The Supreme Court held that the purported expulsion of the SLMC legislator Basheer Segudawood was invalid. Segudawood was one of seven SLMC legislators who had crossed over to the opposition ranks mid June which forced President Chandrika Kumaratunga's People's Alliance coalition to a parliamentary minority. The widow of SLMC founder MHM Ashraff, Ferial Ashraff, claiming herself to be the leader of the National Unity Alliance (NUA), which is an appendage of the SLMC, had expelled Segudawood on the contention that he had challenged her authority as leader. Segudawood as permitted in the Constitution petitioned the Supreme Court against the alleged expulsion. The court ruling is a triumph for the SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem who had faced a leadership challenge from the founder's widow Ferial Ashraff. The SLMC activists interpret the court ruling as a legal acknowledgement of Hakeem's leadership over Ferial Ashraff, who is a minister in Kumaratunga's government. Hakeem accused Kumaratunga of trying to divide the SLMC by using Ashraff as a tool. The two camps were involved in violent exchanges in the eastern province where SLMC draws majority of its support.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.28: The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress on Friday won a court battle enabling them to prevent the ouster of one of its MPs from parliament.
"Independent means that the commissions should be free of political interference in state affairs. However, these commissions have not fulfilled this necessity. The Commission should be appointed by merit and not on ethnic ratio. Unfortunately the 17 th amendment only states that there should be Indian Tamils, Tamils and Muslims in the Commissions without stating anything about the status of the Sinhalese. "Another reason we abstained from voting is that the amendments were all in English while the majority of the parliament was of Sinhala and Tamil speaking, " Mr. Karunaratne stated. Meanwhile, Dr. Neville Karunatilake the party Secretary and the President of National Constitution Drafting Commission of the party said that the seven commissions proposed by them were different from the four commissions envisaged by the 17th amendment. "No body paid heed to our proposals for seven independent commissions when it was put before the parliament. The establishment of these seven commissions would bring in a complete halt to any political interference in state affairs," he said. He also said that these institutions should be independent and subject only to the constitution and law. "They must be impartial and should exercise their power and perform their functions without fear, favor and prejudice. Other organs of the state through legislative measures should assist and protect their institutions to ensure independence, " he added.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.27: Sihala Urumaya says that the commissions to be set up as a result of the seventeenth amendment to the constitution are in no way independent. The General Secretary of the party Thilak Karunaratne told a press conference Thursday that the party abstained from voting as the commissions are not independent despite being called so.
Although the Army had denied responsibility for the killing, the LTTE have condemned it as provocation. A LTTE statement described the killed leader as Shankar, a self-styled colonel of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and believed to be a close confidante of the group's feared leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran. "A deep penetration commando unit of the Sri Lankan army triggered a claymore mine on Colonel Shankar's vehicle and he was killed on the spot," the statement said. The incident took place at Oddusuddan, about 30 km inside battle lines surrounding a large swathe of rebel-held territory in northern Sri Lanka. Shankar was a relatively low-profile guerrilla who made his most famous appearance beside Prabhakaran at talks with Norwegian mediator Erik Solheim last November.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.26: The LTTE on Wednesday announced the death of one of its very senior leaders and accused the army of carrying out the assassination in a commando strike deep into rebel held territory.
The Sub-Insepctor Bava Abdul Rasheed lost his both hands due to the explosion when he tried to open a letter around 9.40 am local time. He had also sustained serious facial injuries. He was rushed to the hospital in Ampara for treatment. Meanwhile, the defence ministry said that the LTTE casualty figures caused when a Naval patrol in the northern Mullaitivu seas confronted a flotilla of LTTE boats on September 23, has risen to 42. The government troops destroyed several of the boats when they were about to ram against the Navy craft. The ministry said that 28 of the 42 killed were Black Tigers, who are used for suicide missions. The troops had destroyed six rebel boats while bringing under Navy surveillance two merchant vessels heading towards South of the country.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.26: A Police sub inspector attached to the Kalmunai Police station, was severely injured Wednesday due to a letter bomb explosion, the defence officials said.
The mine hit a three-wheeler taxi carrying civilians on the Puttur-Jaffna road 5 Kms north east of the Jaffna town at around 6.45 am Monday, defence sources said. The civilians were on their way to the Civil Affairs office located in the Jaffna town in order to get permission to travel to the capital Colombo.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.24: At least seven civilians were killed and another was injured due to a pressure mine blast triggered by the LTTE guerillas in Jaffna on Monday, the defence officials said.
"The Naval confrontation sparked off during the early hours of Sunday ended around mid day. According to the reports of the Sri Lanka Navy four LTTE boats were destroyed and another six boats badly damaged. The Navy also confirmed that over 30 LTTE sea tigers have been perished in the confrontation. No casualties to own troops were caused", a defence ministry release said. There were also two unidentified merchant vessels in the area when the confrontation began about 36 miles off the coast of the rebel-held town of Mullaitivu, military officials said. There was no immediate word on casualties and it was not known whether the destroyed boats had been packed with explosives. A temporary 48-hour truce agreed by the two sides to allow children in the war zone to be vaccinated against polio expired at midnight on Saturday. The rebels killed a civilian in violation of a temporary truce agreed with UNICEF for the conduct of a polio immunisation campaign, the defence ministry added. Meanwhile the LTTE killed a civilian in violation of a temporary truce agreed with UNICEF for the conduct of a polio immunisation campaign, the defence ministry said Sunday. The LTTE attacked villagers at Aralaganvila on Saturday, killing a farmer and wounding three others, the ministry said. It said the attack against civilians came after the rebels fired 63 rounds of 60 mm mortar bombs at army defence lines in Muhamali in the northern peninsula of Jaffna Friday on the first day of the two-day truce. One soldier was wounded, the ministry said in a statement. "Troops did not fire as the government had agreed for two days of tranquility with UNICEF for the polio immunisation program," it added.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.23: The Navy destroyed four LTTE boats Sunday in a battle with a naval patrol off northeastern coast, military officials said.
"America would continue to assist the Sri Lankan military and the government in carrying out the war as long as the LTTE continued their terror tactics", Holgate had said. The USA in 1997 became the first nation to brand LTTE as an international terrorist organisation. Britain followed suit in February 2001.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.23: Sri Lanka is assured of continued support for eradication of terrorism. Stephen Holgate, the US Embassy spokesman had said that the USA in its campaign against global terrorism will take immediate action to bring to a halt terror activities in any country infested with terrorism.
The House is to debate the bill from 10 am to 9 pm Monday. The bill envisages the establishment of independent commissions for the subjects of judiciary, public services, the police and elections. On Thursday the bill was referred to the Supreme Court to rule on its consitutionality or otherwise. The ruling is to be forwarded to the parliamentary Speaker over the weekend. The Attorney General's Department on behalf of the government had agreed in the Supreme Court to amend the draft which had empowered the Elections Commissioner to issue mandatory directives to privately run news organisations. The move was opposed by newspapers, radio and television stations. According to the UNP the Attorney General's Department has agreed to allow elections chief to issue non-binding guidelines instead of mandatory directives that could have amounted to censorship. The establishment of independent panels the brainchild of the UNP, gained prominence after the government's deal with the JVP or the Janatha Vimukhti Peramuna, the main left party. The independent commissions require the support of the UNP as two thirds parliamentary approval is mandatory. The UNP was still negotiating with the JVP on details of the draft bill, such as the composition of those to be appointed to the independent bodies. The draft bill prepared by the joint opposition led by UNP included provision for eight member constitutional council. "It included the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and five eminent neutral personalities who are acceptable to all sections in politics. The UNP took exception to the draft jointly prepared by the government-JVP which empowered the executive President to nominate members to the constitutional council. The JVP said that all parties reached consensus that the Constitutional Council should consist of five dignitaries proposed by the Speaker, Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The President's nominee to be a retired Judge who needs to have the consent of all political parties. The UNP however will decide their final stance at their parliamentary group meeting which is to be held early Monday, a party spokesman said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.22: Parliament is to debate the draft bill on the 17th amendment to the constitution in a marathon session on Monday.
Both the government troops and the LTTE had agreed to a request made by the UNICEF to observe a ceasefire for four days; September 21, 22 and October 19-20 as the "Days of Tranquility for Children". The Army claimed that the rebels had violated the truce within the first 24 hours by firing 63 rounds of 60mm Mortars at the forward defences of Muhamalai in the northern Jaffna peninsula on Friday.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.22: Sri Lanka Army claimed Saturday that the LTTE have broken a two day truce agreed with the UNICEF.
'Pride of South' a vessel carrying 1200 troops had come under attack by rebel boats 6 Kms off Point Pedro, the defence officials said. The attack which started around 0630 local time Sunday had been carried out by rebels who had come in boats numbering 20, the defence officials added. No information on the number of casualties or the extent of the damage is available.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.16: The LTTE guerillas attacked a ship carrying troops to Point Pedro from Trincomalee early Sunday morning.
The present three hour power cuts will be extended to eight hours daily from Saturday, the Ceylon Electricity Board said. Friday's announcement came after last weeks's announcement by the Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake who said that power cuts would end in two week's time. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) said Friday it would enforce the power cuts in rotation to conserve water in hydro-electricity generating reservoirs which have hit rock bottom due to failure of monsoon rains. The power cuts have been in force since July.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.14: Sri Lanka announced extended nationwide power cuts Friday in a bid to save fast dwindling hydro-electric resources.
Air Commodore R.A. Ananda will be charged with criminal negligence for the July 24 attack which devastated the country's only international airport. The attack killed 21 people, including 13 rebels, and destroyed 12 military and commercial aircraft. The military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said the arrest was made late Thursday after the Criminal Investigation Department completed its probe.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.14: The commander of the Sri Lanka air force base adjoining the Colombo international airport that was attacked by the LTTE in July has been arrested, a military spokesman said Friday.
PRIME MINISTER
Rathnasiri Wickremenayake - Buddha Sasana, Cultural & Religious Affairs and Plantation Industries
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.14:
-Trade, Industrial Development & rural Industries
02. D.M.Jayarathne
- Agriculture, Forestry, Food & Cooperate Development
03. Mahinda Rajapakse
- Ports, Shipping & Fisheries
04. Richard Pathirana
- Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Vocational Education
05. Amarasiri Dodangoda
- Human Resources Development, Technical and Vocational Studies
06. Nimal Siripala De Silva
- Health, Indigenous Medicine and Social Services
07. Mangala Samaraweera
- Urban Development, Public Utilities, Housing and Sports
08. Anuruddha Ratwatte
- Lands, Irrigation and Power
09. Indika Gunawardene
- Posts & Telecommunication
10. A.H.M. Fowzie
- Highways & Muslim Religious Affairs
11. Laksman Kadirgamer
- Foreign Affairs
12. Maithripala Sirisena
- Mahaweli Development & Parliamentary Affairs
13. Batty Weerakoon
- Justice, Ethnic Affairs & National Integration
14. Sarath Amunugama
- Education and Higher Education
15. Douglas Devananda
- Development, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction of the North & Tamil Affairs, North & East
16. Dinesh Gunawardena
- Transport & Environment Protection
17. Mrs. Ferial Asraff
Development, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction of the east, Rural Housing Development & Women's Affairs
18. Athauda Senevirathne
- Labor, Youth Affairs & Mineral resources Development
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.14:
01. Anuruddha Ratwatte
- Defence
02. Mangala Samaraweera
- Finance and Planning
03. Nandimithra Ekanayake
-Posts and Telecommunications
04. Alavi Moulana
- Media
05. John Seneviratne
-Health and Social Services
06. Reggie Ranatunga
- Ports and Shipping
07. Monty Gopallawa
- Buddha Sasana
08. Milroy Fernando
- Fisheries
09. Jeevan Kumaratunga
- Housing and Sports
10. Pavithra Vanniarachchi
- Highway
11. Lakshman Kiriella
- Trade and Industrial Development
12. Salinda Dissanayake
- Samurdhi
13. Anura Priyadarshana
- Education and Higher Education
14. Tissa Karaliyadde
- Indigenous Medicine
15. Maheepala Herath
- Rural Industries
16. Susil Premjayanth
- Urban Development and Public Utilities
17. Harendra Corea
- Foreign Affairs
18. Munidasa Premachandra
- Agriculture and Forestry
19. Shantha Premaratne
- Tourism and Aviation
20. Felix Perera
- Power
All four have been critical of the performance of the Kumaratunga administration since been elected to office in 1994. Having crossed swords with Kumaratunga, they called for a government of national consensus with the main opposition United National Party (UNP) when Kumaratunga's People's Alliance coalition was reduced to a parliamentary minority mid June. The four ministers have said that they are resigning with their present Cabinet positions and would not accept similar positions in Kumaratunga's new Cabinet, reduced to 20 from present 44- which is to be appointed Friday. The Ministers in their resignation letter say that the deal with the JVP would not help improve an already sluggish economy. "We have failed to fulfil the aspirations of our supporters and have failed to create environment conducive to private enterprise and investment", the resignation letter says adding that their differences of opinion with the President on matters of state had led to much heartburn.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.13: : Key ministers SB Dissanayake, Prof GL Peiris, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Mahinda Wijesekera sent in joint resignations from President Kumaratunga's Cabinet, sources said Thursday.
People's Alliance coalition and the the JVP entered into a pact last week according to which the President was forced to reduce her 44 member Cabinet to 20.12 September was the JVP deadline for its appointment. The Government Director of Information, Ariya Rubasinghe said Wednesday that the JVP have agreed to extend the deadline until Friday, 14 September. A joint statement is to be released later in the day. Political observers noted that the President is faced with a serious dilemma in pruning her Cabinet in the light of an impending motion of no faith to be moved by United National Party (UNP). The UNP has tactically put on hold moving the motion of no faith with the aim of engineering defections of disgruntled Cabinet members who would lose their positions due to the JVP condition of downsizing the Cabinet.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.12: : President Chandrika Kumaratunga has delayed naming her down sized Cabinet despite a Wednesday deadline agreed with the JVP.
She has urged the international community "redouble" efforts to combat terrorism. Kumaratunga says that Sri Lanka shared the anguish of the American people fully and "unreservedly condemned the dastardly attack." The attack once again highlight the paramount necessity for concerted action by the international community for the suppression of terrorism," Kumaratunga has said. "We should redouble our efforts in combating this menace." Sri Lanka battling its own terror force of the separatist rebel LTTE guerillas hailed the US action to designate the Sri Lankan separatists a "foreign terrorist organisation" by the US in October 1997. Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar and the main opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe have both joined the President in sending messages to the US leaders condemning the attack and expressing solidarity with the US people.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.12: President Chandrika Kumaratunga in a message to the US President George Bush has condemned the Tuesday's terrorist attacks in the United States.
They demand a rupees 3000 wage hike among 14 other demands. The railway trade union officials said that workers belonging to 22 trade unions are taking part in the protest action which started midnight Monday. "We decided to launch strike action following the breakdown of our talks with the Transport Minister Dinesh Gunawardena", Rajitha Sampath, a trade union official said. Sampath said that the minister needed time till the end of this month but was unable to give any written undertaking on the government's willingness to concede their demands. Not all the railway trade unions however were in agreement with the decision to launch strike action. Some unions decided to keep away from strike action claiming that some of the demands were not reasonable. Large crowds were seen at the railway stations during morning rush hour Tuesday as they searched for alternative modes of transport, regular train commuters said. The strike action is due to end midnight Wednesday.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.11: Train services came to a crippling halt Tuesday as more than 10,000 railway workers launched a two-day token strike.
The two parties reached accord last week based on a Memorandum of Understanding throwing a lifeline to the beleaguered government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga. The Federation, representing the country's private sector business organistaions urges the government to give due consideration to business interests. The Federation's letter addressed to the Minister of Labour states "We are strongly of the view that it is important to pursue labour market reforms as already identified and that whatever committee if set up should necessarily be representative of employer and business interests". Under the clause 17 of the MOU signed between the government and the JVP, a committee is required to be set up comprising representatives of leading trade unions to look into matters relating to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions that have already been ratified by Sri Lanka and submit recommendations for the preparation of draft legislation on such conventions. It also requires to look into labour laws that are already in place in the country but are not being effectively imposed.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.11: The Employers' Federation Monday expressed concern over provisions dealing with labour related matters in the deal signed between the ruling People's Alliance and the JVP.
The LTTE in an apparent retaliatory move against sections of Muslims who recently protested against their alleged atrocities in Muttur, have set fire to one of the passenger launches, berthed at the Muttur jetty on Monday around 10.30 pm local time. The military believed that rebels had launched the attack to penalise the Muslim civilians for their continued protest against the LTTE during past few days. The Muttur residents fear that if the ferry become inoperative, their transport to the port town of Trincomalee, 240 Kms east of the capital Colombo, will be badly affected. The passage by sea launch takes less than an hour to reach Trincomalee whereas it takes about six hours to reach there by road. "Police and army personnel managed chase the attackers away, put out the fire and bring the situation under control," said military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne. The LTTE rebels who are fighting for an independent homeland for the ethnic minority Tamils since 1983, have stepped up attacks in recent weeks following their attack on the Colombo international airport late July which destroyed civilian and military aircraft.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.11: LTTE set fire to a civilian ferry in an attack at Muttur late Monday, defence officials said Tuesday.
They are the remainder of a total of 51 fishermen so detained. The release is to take place on Monday following a request by the Attorney General, to the Jaffna magistrate. The magistrate has ordered the naval and police authorities to be present in the court on Monday to take over the fishermen. At least 51 Indian fishermen were taken into custody for fishing in Sri Lankan waters by the authorities during May and July this year. 38 of them have been previously released in two stages. The released fishermen are to be handed over to the Indian authorities on Monday, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Fisheries said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.8: At least 13 Indian fishermen who had been detained in in the northern Jaffna prison for illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters are to be released, a Ministry of Fisheries official aid Saturday.
Kumaratunga warned political instability was holding up the peace process. "The talks with the LTTE (separatist rebels) will go on. They have come to a halt last two months because the LTTE has told the Norwegians that the government was unstable. So they have refused to talk", Kumaratunga told state Television 'Rupavahini'. Kumaratunga's minority government signed a deal with the Marxist JVP, a former rebel group who are opposed to Norway's efforts to open peace talks with the separatists. "The talks with the LTTE are in no way affected" Kumaratunga said. "We haven't even talked about it in the agreement and the talks with the LTTE will go on," she said. Just before it struck a deal with the JVP last week, the government announced a fresh peace initiative and reversed its position on a ceasefire, saying it was ready for a truce before talks begin. But the offer received a rebuff from the rebels who said they would not negotiate with an unstable government. The JVP general secretary Tilwin Silva, however said Tuesday that question of starting talks with the rebels does not arise due to rebels' refusal to enter talks with Kumaratunga's government.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.8: President Chandrika Kumaratunga said on Saturday that her new found Marxist ally was no bar to Norway brokered peace talks aimed at ending the country's separatist war.
Representatives of British security auditing firms Trident Maritime and Control Risk Group are expected to meet defense ministry officials, as well as to visit the port, the state owned 'Daily News' said Saturday. The safety audit follows a war-risk insurance rating slapped on the entire island nation by a war-risk rating committee headed by Lloyds underwriters. The rating was prompted by a separatist rebel attack on the Colombo international airport on July 24. The global undwerwriters slapped hefty insurance premiums on ships calling Colombo port and caused several lines to bypass the island. But a Sri Lanka government-led delegation that visited London last month convinced the rating committee to reduce the hefty surcharges by around 75 per cent thanks to a 50 million dollar bank guarantee made by the government. The extensive audit during the next 3-4 weeks is expected to recommend the waiving the remaining 25 per cent of the war risk charge on the cargo arriving at the Colombo Port or leaving it, the Daily News said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.8: A four-member team of international security auditors picked by underwriters of Lloyds of London will Saturday begin a safety review of Colombo's port as part of an assessment of a war-risk rating recently slapped on Sri Lanka, port ministry officials said Friday.
The market turnover countinued to remain on the lite side totaling a mere Rs. 19.4 million for the day. A parcel of 250,000 shares of Central Finance Company changed hands at a price of Rs.27.50 per share. Continued buying interest was witnessed in shares of John Keells Holiding with a volume of 177,400 shares traded for the day.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.6: Buying interest on selected stocks resulted in the Colombo Stock Market ending the day in positive teritory, with the ASPI and the MPI moving up 1.8 points and 5.88 points respectivly.
"Government officials should not think about a change of government in the near future. They must be prepared to implement all development projects already finalised in their areas," Kumaratunga told a group of government officials who serve in the North-Central Province. Kumaratunga cannot call a parliamentary election until after mid October, was thought to be contemplating the disolution of the current parliament where her People's Alliance coalition was reduced to a minority. She was left with just 109 seats in the 225 member Assembly due to the defection of her key Muslim ally, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. This led to a prolonged period of political instability which appeared to end when the ex-rebel JVP, the main left party cut a deal with Kumaratunga to extend the present regime limited to a period of one year.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.5: President Chandrika Kumaratunga has said that there wouldn't be any parliamentary election this year or next year.
"They (the JVP) have agreed to vote with the government on important issues," said DM Jayaratne, the general secretary of the ruling People's Alliance, after the two parties signed an agreement. "We have decided to work with the government for a limited period and we will extend our support based on the memorandum of understanding we have signed," JVP general secretary Tilvin Silva said. The final agreement was not immediately released, but the JVP said it contained conditions including a halt to privatisation of state enterprises and fresh elections within a year under a neutral caretaker government. "This is a historic step we have taken today because it is the first time a political party has entered into a pact with a government without seeking any positions for itself in return," Silva said. Once feared radical Marxist group was keen to make it clear on Tuesday that it was not looking to join the Peoples' Alliance coalition, which has 109 seats in parliament, in ruling the country. The JVP legislators numbering 10 will not take up cabinet positions in a sharply reduced cabinet which was one of the conditions in the agreement. President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who suspended parliament on July 11 ahead of a no-confidence vote, said last week she was willing to make "an alliance with any devil" to end the country's worst political turmoil in years. The JVP's parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa said the party will immediately pull out of the deal if the government reneges on any of the agreements entered into Wednesday. "We will have no cabinet portfolios to leave. so it will be easy for us to quit this agreement if the government is not sincere," Weerawansa said. Senior minister, Richard Pathirana said the JVP's agreement had reminded the government of its popular 1994 promises. Kumaratunga's People's Alliance in August 1994 promised sweeping social reform enabling them to topple the 17-year long United National Party rule. "They have reminded us of the promises we made before we came to power in 1994," Pathirana said. "So it will not be difficult for us to implement these things because we already identify ourselves with them."
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.5: The government and the JVP Wednesday signed the deal leading to the setting up of a probationary government.
In the US markets the DOW gained 30.17 points to 9,949.75 but fell 4.5% for the week. The tech heavy Nasdaq composite index rose 13.75 points to 1,804.43. Its monthly decline is 11%. The worldst second biggest computer maker Hewlett Packard and third ranked Compaq Computer will merge in a US$ 25 billion stock deal.The new company will have total revenues of US$ 87.4 billion
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.4: The Colombo bourse witnessed a dull day of trading today with the ASPI and the more sensitive MPI loosing 1.13 and 3.99 respectively. The market turnover ending the day was a disappointing Rs. 22.54 million, mainly due to a large volume of Ceylon Cold Stores shares changing hands at Rs 43 per share, which accounted for almost 69% of this figure. Foreign activity remained on the quiet side all through the day with foreign purchases having a slight edge over sales.
The government on Sunday accepted the JVP's offer for a probationary government limited to a period of one year leading to a conclusion of the country's political crisis which has palgued the country since mid June. The decision by the former rebel group with 10 seats in the 225 member Sri Lankan parliament provided the Kumaratunga's embattled ruling coalition a lifeline after it lost its majority in parliament. The MOU is to be signed at 3pm Thursday, a JVP spokesman told lankapress. The agreement Sunday night included the reconvening of parliament suspended for two months in July and the cancellation of a widely criticised plebiscite on constitutional reform. On Monday Kumaratunga promptly responded with relevant gazette notifications on both. The JVP leaders addressing a Colombo press conference Wednesday said that they were neither a coalition partner nor an ally of Kumaratunga's People's Alliance government. "We are only partners to our programme (for a probationary government)", JVP spokesman Wimal Weerawansa, a party legislator said. "We have agreed to work with the government for a limited one-year period during which time they would implement key demands such as appointing independent commissions until proper elections are held", Tilvin Silva the party's general secretary added. The JVP will not take up cabinet positions in a sharply educed cabinet hich will be set up upon the signing of the MOU. The People's Alliance parliamentary group approved plans to cut the cabinet in half to 20 members during meetings with the JVP on Sunday. Silva said the government had also agreed to appoint independent commissions on elections, the civil service, police, the judiciary and state media. The JVP also said the government had assured to freeze all privatisation of state assets during the next 12 months in return for its support. This, the analysts said, is set to upset government plans to raise about 250 million dollars this year from the part sale of Sri Lanka Telecom, the government Telecommunication monopoly. Another area in which the JVP is likely to provide headaches to the government is the peace process with the separatist rebels. The JVP is opposed to Norway's efforts to negotiate an end to the 18-year ethnic war, in which more than 60,000 people have been killed. "The war has been going on for the last 20 years and is likely to go on. We will not support talks until the rebels are willing to come down from their demand for a separate state," Wimal Weerawansa said. The JVP said it was also forcing the government to introduce labour-friendly laws to ensure that the rights of workers were upheld and there was no interference with trade union activities. The private sector has accused the JVP of instigating work stoppages. Weerawansa striking a different tone said that it was time that the public also made some sacrifices by not demanding salary hikes at a time when the country was going through economic hardship.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.4: COLOMBO, September.4: The JVP and the government of the President Chandrika Kumaratunga are to sign a memorandum of understanding Thursday following their deal Sunday night.
President Kumaratunga is expected to announc the cancellation of the referendum scheduled for October 18 asking if the country needed a new constitution. The President has agreed to the JVP's proposal for probationary government limited for one period of one year. The government is also to announce re summoning of Parliament on September 6, a day ahead of the scheduled 7 September, and to take action to reduce the number of cabinet Ministers to 20 from 44. The decisions were taken at the PA parliamentary group meeting held Sunday evening at President's House following the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the dominant party of the Peoples Alliance.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.2: Sri Lanka's political crisis which lasted since June due to the ruling Peoples Alliance (PA) being reduced to a minority in parliament seemed to end Sunday night with President Chandrika Kumaratunga agreeing to cancelthe national Referendum and conceding some of key demands put forward by the main left Party, the JVP.
The President however noted that she would enter into any pact with "any devil" to work for the betterment of the country. Kumaratunga acknowledged that her supporters had apprehensions about a deal with the Marxist JVP, the main left party whose bloody rebellion saw thousands of youth being killed during 1987-90. "We have been discussing with the JVP but nothing has been finalised." Kumaratunga once blamed the JVP for the killing of her husband, the actor turned politician Vijeya Kumaratunga. "We will go into any agreement with any devil to overcome the problems we face today and ensure that we save our country." The JVP said earlier Sunday that it was ready to help Kumaratunga's minority People's Alliance (PA) government to form a "probationary government". "The government has agreed in principle to subject itself to a probationary period of one year," JVP general secretary Tilvin Silva said. Kumaratunga has a Sunday midnight deadline to meet JVP's demands and announce her willingness to co-operate with the main left party. The JVP's 10 seats in the 225-member assembly will help Kumaratunga's ruling coalition to survive in the face of an opposition moved vote of no faith against her government. Kumaratunga suspended parliament on July 10 to stop the no-confidence motion being debated in parliament. The JVP insists it must recall parliament at least a day earlier than scheduled on Friday to show that the government can no longer do just as it pleases. Kumaratunga must also scrap a referendum slated for October 18 on the need for a new constitution and electoral reforms. Kumaratunga during her address made no reference to the party revolt led by two front line ministers, SB Dissanayake, the general secretary and prof GL Peiris, the Constitutional Affairs Minister. They were conspicuous in their absence.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.2: President Chandrika Kumaratunga told SLFP's 50th celebrations Sunday that talks with the JVP was not finalised.
The Chief of the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau Dr Wijenanda said the tremors began at 0830 local time, and lasted about 20 seconds. Dr Wijenanda said that so far the tremors had been reported only in the coastal areas of Moratuwa Panadura and Kalutara. However residents of Padukka, a town east of Colombo and Colombo central Colpetty are reported to have felt the tremors. Wijenanda said no damages had been reported so far, and added that the tremors may have been caused by an oceanic disturbance off the Western coast of the island. Sri Lanka experienced a similar tremor in December 1993, Wijenanda added.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.2: Earth tremors measuring less than 3 points on the Richter scale rocked western coastal areas early Sunday, geological officials said.
"The decision to open a mission in Brazil was taken by the cabinet sometime ago and the mission will be open before the end of this year. We see many opportunites of mutual co-operation in country as large as Brazil. Sri Lanka's diplomatic representation in South American nations is not what we wish it to be, therefore this would be a great opportunity for Sri Lanka", the source who did not wish to be identified said. Sri Lanka established diplomatic relations with Madagascar last month as part of its drive to expand its diplomatic goodwill.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.1: The government of Sri Lanka will open a new mission in Brazil, a senior Sri Lankan foreign ministry source said Saturday. It will be done before the end of this year the source added.
According to the application movable assets included Rs. 47,694 in Hatton National Bank in Suduwellla, Colombo10, Rs.103,230 in State Bank of India and Rs. 26,618 in the HNB branch in Nittambuwa. The moveable property stated in her last will was furniture valued at Rs. 3,000,000, jewellery valued at Rs. 150,000, the money she had in her hand Rs. 50,000 and two vehicles Pajero and Massy Ferguson tractor which were valued at Rs. 500,000 and Rs. 200,000 rrespectively. The immovable property included land to the extent of 63 perches with house at Rosmead Place valued at Rs. 55,000,000 which was already disposed, land of two acres, two roods and one perch valued at Rs12,000,000 in Nittambuwa, another land of 3 roods and 31 perch valued at Rs 6,140,000 in Nittambuwa and a land of one rood 5 perches valued at Rs. 9,400 in Aththanagalla. The liabilities stated in the last will of Ms. Bandaranaike was Rs. 28,618.85. In the application Anura Solomon Priyadarshana Dias Bandaranaike and Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga were cited as defendants and the executors asked for a probate order to allow Ms. Bandaranaike's three children to manage her estate valued at Rs.19,171,706.74. In the application it was said Ms. Bandaranaike had passed away on October10, 2000 at a private hospital in Kadawatha and in the last will written before her death she had bequeathed her estate among the three children.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.1: World's first woman Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike last will has had assets of nearly Rs. 20 million, this was revealed in the the testamentary case was filed by Sunethra Bandaranaike and Shanaka Ravindra de Livera as executors of the last will. The assets include her estate is estimated to be valued at Rs. 19,171,706.
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga, met JVP leaders Friday to discuss the party's offer of outside support to the government for one year on tough conditions. The main left party had given the government an August 31 deadline to respond to its conditions. The sources said Saturday that the prime minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake had sent a letter to the JVP at 1130 pm local time on Friday stating that the government was willing to accept the JVP's offer for a probationary government pending approval by the ruling party's parliamentary group. It was not immediately clear if the government had conceded all or any of the JVP's demands. One such condition was that the Cabinet be prune down to 25 from its present number of 43. The news emerged Friday that the government was willing to accept the condition as a goodwill gesture. The JVP holds 10 seats in the 225 member Sri Lankan parliament where President Kumaratunga's ruling coalition has been reduced to a minority. The President suspended the parliament as a move to side step the motion of no faith moved by the opposition. She has announced the re-summoning of parliament for 7 September and it was vital for Kumaratunga to come to an arrangement with the main left party to help keep her government afloat before parliament met in six days time. With the JVP support the government could once again emerge a majority as it would effectively reduce the opposition to 105 seats. Earlier in the week, the unity talks between the government and the main opposition UNP, failed as both sides failed to give into key demands set by each other.
Lankapress COLOMBO, September.1: Sri Lanka's political deadlock which had plagued the island nation since mid June showed signs of imminent end Saturday as the embattled People's Alliance government and the ex-rebel Marxist JVP have reached agreement, political sources said Saturday.
The rebels called it was a ploy to draw attention from the country's political crisis. "Peace talks are not a crisis management exercise to be invoked at the pleasure of a government which is on the verge of a collapse," the rebels said in a statement on Thursday on the pro-rebel Web site. "The LTTE is not naive to jump on a sinking ship," the statement quoted the LTTE's chief negotiator Anton Balasingham as saying. Balasingham called the government's offer "a calculated political duplicity to divert the attention of the people and the world from the deepening crisis in Colombo". "The LTTE is not prepared to enter into negotiation with a corrupt, inefficient, unstable government which does not have a majority in parliament," he said. The government is emobroiled in a political crisis after losing its parliamentary majority in June. The government's offer on Wednesday for a mutually agreed ceasefire was the most dramatic peace move since the Tigers called a four-month unilateral truce in December and urged the army to match it. More than 60,000 people have been killed in Sri Lanka's separatist war since 1983.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.30: Separatist rebel guerillas fighting for a separate state in Sri Lanka, Thursday rejected a government call for a mutual ceasefire ahead of talks.
The bomb was hidden on a bicycle and was set off by remote control, military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said. The attack was the latest since Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam guerillas stepped up attacks in the wake of their devastating suicide strike on the country's international airport on July 24. The government said on Wednesday it was ready for a mutually agreed ceasefire with the separatist rebels ahead of peace talks and said it was considering a fresh invitation to the guerrillas to begin negotiations. The government did not honour the rebel ceasefire announced on Christmas eve last year claiming it was a rebel ploy to regroup. More than 60,000 people have been killed in Sri Lanka's ethnic war since 1983.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.30: Two policemen and a civilian were killed on Thursday when rebel separatist guerillas set off a bomb in the eastern town of Kalmunai, defence officials said.
The Ceylon Electricity Board has announced that the power cuts will continue as long as the current water shortage lasts. Sri Lanka depends on hydro power for 75 percent of its electricity supply. The board calling the power cuts a load shedding program said water levels at its reservoirs had reached catastrophic levels and it had become impossible to run the turbines at the Randenigala reservoir. If the board continued with the present level of one and a half hour load shedding all the reservoirs would run dry in two or three days. Under the new extended load shedding program it is possible to keep the system running till the northeast monsoon sets in and avoid a total break of power supply. The Minister of Power and Energy Anuruddha Ratwatte told a Colombo press briefing Wednesday the massive water shortage in the reservoirs in central Sri Lanka was due to three failed monsoons.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.30: Sri Lanka, already experiencing a one and a half hour power cut for the past two months, is to have a further one hour power cut from Thursday due to the acute drought the country is facing and the hydro power reservoirs running dry.
The PA which lost its majority when a key ally defected in June, had invited the opposition United National Party to negotiate an end to a crisis that has led to parliament's suspension and brought protesters onto the streets. A terse joint statement Tuesday night said the two parties had "terminated their discussions without reaching an overall agreement". The talks in the public eye represented Sri Lanka's best chance for stable government, something it needs desperately as rebel separatists stepped up attacks after the collapse of a Norwegian peace bid. Privately the leading lights of both sides expressed pessimism on any breakthrough even before the talks began last Saturday. Sources close to the government delegation said the talks had collapsed over the "composition of the government and the allocation of portfolios", adding that they had suggested amending the constitution to create the post of vice president as a means of sharing power. Senior Minister Mangala Samaraweera blamed the main opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe for demanding the position of prime minister and blamed the stance for the breakdonw of talks. However a UNP release said "the PA (government) proposed to create an unconstitutional position of a Vice President for the incumbent Prime Minister who does not even command a majority in parliament". UNP spokesman Dr Karunasena Kodituwakku said "It was shameful the way the government side was bargaining for portfolios after losing a parliamentary majority." The main opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said his party's delegation had been directed to discuss modalities of forming an opposition led government with the prime minister from the opposition. The main left party, the JVP meanwhile has given President Chandrika Kumaratunga time until 31 August to cut a coalition deal. Its proposal for a 'probationary government' would hinge on Kumaratunga's action to reconvene parliament before September 7, a controversial October 18 referendum on constitutional reform is cancelled and new laws are passed to strengthen democracy. The analysts now feel that with Tuesday's breakdown of talks a situation of dissolution of parliament looms large leading for fresh parliamentary elections.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.29: The ruling PA coalition and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Wednesday traded charges as the last-ditch coalition talks between the two parties failed on Tuesday, effectively ruling out an early end to the country's worst political turmoil in years.
Two parties are to discuss modalities of working out a "consensus government" after initial talks which ended Saturday with no agreement. If the UNP, who are bent on achieving their demands such as reconvening parliament, cancellation of the referendum, establishment of independent commissions on the public service, elections,judiciary, police and media under a caretaker government followed by a general election, would agree to give priority to the north & east situation is being viewed with interest by analysts. UNPers privately admit that the talks would not make much headway unless the government showed keenness to discuss the party's demands. The party was keen to stick to its deadline Wednesday for the conclusion of talks. The UNP is to propose at Monday's talks the setting up of a caretaker government for a maximum of 12 weeks leading to a parliamentary election in December. In the alternative, the UNP will co-operate with the government for a national government with UNP leader Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.27: Sri Lanka's bloody ethnic conflict which has plagued the nation for 18 years is to give priority by the government when the two main political forces, the ruling People's Alliance and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) resume their talks Monday, political sources said.
The government had decided to meet the main opposition UNP in a bid to end the political crisis before any foreign intervention, the 'Daily News' quoted Kadirgamar as saying. Despite not naming the US government it came in as a clear reference to the US embassy announcement Thursday that the US Ambassador in Colombo, Ashley Wills had delivered a "message" from one political party to another. Wills was widely thought to have brokered a unity government between the beleaguered ruling party and the main opposition United National Party (UNP). The foreign minister had said the government would continue to engage the opposition "in discussions relating to the future of the country independent of epresentations or messages which any foreign government may make or carry. " The UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had also said this week that he had neither asked ambassador Wills to pass on any message nor had he received one from him.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.27: Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has downplayed the role by the government of United States in their bid to try and help Sri Lanka break its political deadlock, a foreign ministry release said Sunday.
The JVP had a round of talks with the Sri Lankan President Saturday evening folowing a government letter to the JVP on Thursday night. The left party's key demands had been turned down by the government on Thursday. President Kumaratunga turned down the JVPęs demand of installing independent media commission for state media and President Kumaratunga told the representatives of JVP that independent commissions of judiciary, Public service and election were included to the drafted constitution which preceded to parliament on 1999 August and could not pass due to strong protest of main opposition and the civil organizations including Maha Sanga, sources told the Lankapress. The JVP holds 10 seats in the 225 member parliament where Kumartunga's People's Alliance has been reduced to a parliamentary minority with just 109 seats. The JVP on 10 August announced that they were willing to extend support to a 'probationary government' limited to a one year. Kumaratunga then wanted 10 days to respond to the JVP proposals. As the President chose to ignore the 10 day period the JVP again wrote to the government; as a response for which the government on Thursday rejected its key demands. Kumaratunga has suspended the country's parliament till 7 September a move aimed at dodging a vote of no faith against her government. The talks held between the government and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) also ended without agreement Saturday, after nearly four hours of talks the two sides could only agree to meet again on Monday.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.26: JVP set August 31 deadline for the President Chandrika Kumaratunga to concede to their demands and continue with her administration or face ouster, political sources said Sunday.
The Army conducted the operation at around 0530 Hrs local time Sunday in the general areas of Muhamalai and Kilaly in the northern Jaffna Peninsula and destroyed a section of the first line of rebel defence line, the defence officials added. One officer and eleven soldiers were wounded and evacuated to the Army Base Hospital at Palaly. Sri Lanka's LTTE separatist rebels are fighting for an independent homeland for the ethnic minority Tamils in the north & east of the country. More than 60,000 people have been killed in the conflict since 1983.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.26: At least six separatist LTTE rebels were killed and nine others were injured when the government troops carried out a limited clearing operation Sunday, defence officials said.
A joint press release by the two delegations said "The discussions lasted three and a half hours and will be continued on 27 and 28 August". The statement would give no further details. The offer of formal discussions for a government of consensus between the PA and the UNP first came from Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, who proposed a unity government with the opposition. The UNP responded to the offer by setting a number of conditions for its support - the reconvening of parliament, the cancellation of a referendum aimed at changing the constitution and a package of wide-reaching democratic reforms. The sources said the opposition's prime objective was to press for the reconvening of the parliament which President Chandrika Kumaratunga has supended until 7 September, a move aimed at side steppping a motion of no faith against her minority which she appeared certain to lose. Despite agreeing for talks with the government the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the UNP had no intention to prop up a 'dying' government.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.25: The talks between the two major political parties, the ruling People's Alliance (PA) and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) which began Saturday have ended without any sign of a breakthrough, political sources said.
The bodies handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were of those killed when the rebels attacked the Kokkuthuduvai army camp. With the handover of the seven bodies, the number of troops known to have been killed in the attack rose to 14, the officials said. The military estimated that eight guerrillas were also killed and another 15 wounded when soldiers repulsed the attack.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.25: The LTTE Saturday returned through the Red Cross the bodies of seven soldiers killed during a clash Thursday in northeastern Sri Lanka, officials said.
The JVP demands for re-summoning of parliament has been ruled out and no clear response had been made for the JVP demand for cancellation of referendum. The JVP had also asked for a complete halt to the government's privatisation drive, but the president told them she has no plans to sell any more state enterprises before the end of this year. The government has also said that waiving off of farmers' loans cannot be done and more discussions are needed on the proposal to reduce the Cabinet to 20 members. The JVP's Wimal Weerawansa said that their politbureau would discuss the government letter and would try to meet the President late Saturday.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.25: The government has brushed aside JVP's demands for a "probationary government" by rejecting their demands Thursday night in a letter sent by the prime minister.
A government release Friday said the President Chandrika Kumaratunga, had named a six-member team for the discussions. UNP's Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya who heads the party's delegation said that talks would begin in the morning at the neutral venue of BMICH. The offer of formal discussions first came from Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, who has proposed a unity government with the opposition. The UNP has responded to the offer by setting a number of conditions for its support - the reconvening of parliament, the cancellation of a referendum aimed at changing the constitution and a package of wide-reaching democratic reforms. However, the political analysts were sceptical of any major breakthrough given the government's stated unwillingness to re-summon parliament and the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe's statement Thursday that "he was not prepared to 'resuscitate' a dying government". President Kumaratunga's ruling alliance faces a no-confidence motion when parliament reconvenes in September - and is almost certain to lose because it no longer has a majority. The analysts also felt that Saturday's parley has come as a result of growing pressure on the two main parties to end this dangerous period of political instability which appears to lead the country towards a serious economic and social decay. The political stand-off has complicated efforts to end the debilitating ethnic war in the north & east of the country. The talks between the main forces begin following a government response to the Mraxist JVP, the main left party late Thursday. The government told the JVP that it was not possible to concede several of the JVP's key demands which the JVP had laid down on August 10 as conditions for the JVP to support Kumaratunga to continue her government. Commenting on the government response, the JVP's parliamentary group leader Wimal Weerawansa told Lankapress that his party's politbureau would discuss the response and they were hopeful of a meeting with the President late on Saturday.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.25: People's Alliance (PA) and the main opposition United National Party (UNP) are to meet Saturday morning for discussions on ways to end the present political deadlock and possibly a power-sharing agreement.
The Embassy was responding to press reports here that the US Ambassador Ashley Wills had proposed a government of national consensus between the ruling People's Alliance and the main opposition United National Party. The reports said that the US Ambassador had proposed the formula in order to overcome the current political impasse in the country. Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga facing certain defeat in a vote of no confidence against her ruling coalition suspended the country's parliament mid July. Her government was reduced to a minority in the 225 member national parliament after its key ally the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress crossed over to the opposition ranks on 20 June. Political uncertainty has prevailed since in this Indian ocean island. The unstable political situation was worsened when the country's rebel separatist guerillas launched a devastating attack on the Colombo international airport on 24 July. It dealt a body blow to the country's war battered economy with tourist industry becoming the most serious casualty. War risk premiums slapped by international insurance underwriters presented the country with an unprecedented economic slide with businesses facing hard times and serious fears of massive job cuts looming. Business leaders called for urgent action to restore the worsening situation and pressure mounted on both major political forces to unite. It was speculated that the US Ambassador had made a request for a government on a common understanding for a limited period of time for the sake of peace, democracy and development. Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake on Tuesday invited the main opposition UNP leader for talks on the possibility of forging a consensus government. Press reports Thursday suggested that Wickremanayake's request to the opposition was a direct result of the US Ambassador's initiative. The US Embassy statement Thursday said that the Ambassador was asked by one political party to deliver a message another. He had agreed to do so. "Along with many other friends of Sri Lanka, the US has been concerned about Sri Lanka's political uncertainty and its possible impact on the prospects for peace and economic growth", the Embassy statement said. For that reason the Ambassador had agreed to carry the message to the parties concerned, the US Embassy statement said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.23: The US Embassy in Colombo said Thursday that it was hoping that Sri Lanka would return to a stable government.
However, both indices bounced back after yesterday's relatively big losses, to record slight gains for the day. The ASPI and MPI nudged their up by 2.0 points and 2.5 points respectively on a day where Advances outnumbered Declines by a 18 to 13 margin. Trading for the first time this week recorded thin volumes, while market turnover recoded its lowest by far this week totaling a lackluster Rs.13.53 million for the day. Foreign purchases was seen in Coca Cola Beverage shares, while foreign sales was dominated by quantity of John Keells Holdings changing hands. Sectorially, there were as many as five sector indices that appreciated during the day with the Beverage Food & Tobacco and the Services sector indices recording the sharpest gains. Four sector indices lost ground today with the Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals sector index depreciating the most.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.23: The quietest trading day for the week thus far was witnessed at the Colombo bourse as investors adapted a rather cautious approach towards the market.
The military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said that attacks had been carried out around 1000 local time. "This aerial attack on this identified LTTE base was successfully accomplished", Karunaratne added. The government air raids followed a pre dawn guerrilla attacks on army camps in eastern Sri Lanka on Thursday where at least 15 people were killed. The rebels, fighting for a separate state in the north and east provinces, launched three waves of attacks on the Janakapura and Kokkutudu Wai camps in the Welioya area, 240 km east of Colombo. On Wednesday, the rebel guerrillas blew up a civilian bus wounding 15 passengers, and the previous day they stormed a police station in the eastern Ampara district, sparking a fierce battle in which 23 people were killed. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerillas have stepped up attacks after a devastating suicide attack on the country's only international airport on July 24. More than 60,000 people have been killed in Sri Lanka's ethnic war since 1983.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.23: Sri Lanka Air Force Kafir jets attacked identified rebel separatist Kandikuruchchiaru base in the jungles of Thoppigala 335 Kms east of the capital Colombo on Thursday, defence officials said.
The protest is to be held along the similar lines as the July 19 demonstration which led to a Police crackdown leaving two dead and over 80 injured. "We will proceed with the marches, there's no question about it," Gamini Atukorale, the Assistant Leader of the UNP said. Protest marches were banned on the eve of July 19 demonstrations citing the Referendum laws which was then scheduled to be held on 21 August. It has since been postponed until 18 October but a government statement Wednesday insisted that the ban was still in place and appealed to the UNP to call off the protest. The statement also warned of renewed rebel separatist threats to key government installations in the city and advised that public should not take part in any protest demonstration in view of the rebel threat. "The government again wishes to point out the importance of maintaining national security and urges the UNP to refrain from marches and protests," the statement said. The UNP protest Thursday is to go ahead despite an invitation by the Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake Tuesday to the UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to begin talks on forming a government of national reconciliation. Wickremesinghe presented Wickremanayake's invitation to joint opposition alliance who form a majority in the 225 member parliament. The opposition alliance insisted that Kumaratunga convene the suspended parliament, set up independent commissions aimed at ensuring democratic freedom, cancell the referendum. A caretaker government could then be formed before holding fresh parliamentary elections, the opposition leaders said. They accuse Kumaratunga of taking the country toward dictatorship by her decision to suspend parliament. "Chandrika (President) is the problem, not the solution," Wickremesinghe said Monday addressing the business leaders. His deputy Atukorale referring to the government statement warning of possible rebel separatist threats on the UNP's pro-democracy demonstration, said that earlier in the week the government had assured global insurance underwriters that the city was free of any rebel threats.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.23: The UNP is to go ahead with the pro-democracy demonstration in Colombo Thursday defying a ban on demonstrations.
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and the Kelanitissa electricity generating and distributing centre were key targets, The Special Media Information Centre (SMIC) run under Government Information Department said. The defence authorities had already warned the government of the threats against the Key places, SMIC said. "Reliable information has been received by intelligence authorities that the LTTE are posing a fresh threat to Colombo," the SMIC release said in a two-page statement. The statement came a day after the aviation and ports ministries sought to assure the world that Sri Lanka was safe and there was no justification for foreign underwriters to slap war-risk surcharges on ships and aircraft calling at the island. Ports Minister Ronnie de Mel is currently in London to negotiate with Lloyds to reduce surcharge on Ships and Airlines calling to Colombo as war-risk insurance after LTTE attacked countries only international airport on July 24, which damaged six airbuses to national carrier and eight military aircrafts. SMIC statement raised fears that an opposition rally organised for Thursday could help Tiger rebels to enter Colombo. "The government requests the public not to attend demonstrations or rallies that will help LTTE terrorists to achieve their objectives," the statement said. The UNP is holding its demonstration on Thursday to demand the resignation of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, immediate re summoning parliament and immediate restoration of democracy in country.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.22: The government said that the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam (LTTE) are targeting Colombo again.
The All Share Price Index (ASPI) gave up 3.6 points for the day, while the more sensitive Millanka Price Index (MPI) lost as much as 11.3 points on a day where Price Declines edged out Gainers by a 18 to 14 margin. Market turnover ended the day on a rather quiet 21.6 million rupees. This was mainly due to large volumes of Asian Hotels shares changing hands which accounted for 56 percent of the day's turnover. Foreign purchases were witnessed only in Asian Hotels. Although there was foreign selling seen in Sampath Bank and John Keells Holdings shares, a net foreign inflow of 3.88 million rupees was recorded for the day. Sectorially, only the Hotel & Travels and Manufacturing sector indices picked up. There were as many as 7 sector indices that depreciated today, with the Construction and Engineering witnessing the sharpest decline.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.22: The bullish trend that was prevalent during the previous two days could not be sustained today as buying interest by investors lost steam. This resulted in both indices losing almost all the gains of the past two days.
Wickremenayake had last month vowed not to engage the UNP in talks following the breakdown of unofficial talks between the two main political forces in the country. The Sri Lankan Prime Minister then accused Wickremesinghe of "stabbing him in the back". The current political deadlock has plagued Sri Lanka since 20 June with the cross over to the opposition ranks of government's key ally the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC). Two days later the joint opposition moved a motion of no faith against the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga's coalition government which had been reduced to a parliamentary minority as a result of the SLMC defection. Kumaratunga fearing certain defeat suspended the parliament on midnight 10 July and set 7 September as the day on which the parliament would be reconvened. The opposition took to streets against Kumaratunga's suspension order of parliament and a huge pro democracy demonstration in the capital Colombo resulted in two deaths and caused injuries to over 80 as Kumaratunga ordered a police crackdown of the UNP demonstration. Kumaratunga was later forced to back down on her order to hold a national referendum on 21 August in the light of mounting opposition. Sri Lankan Prime Minister's invitation to the UNP leader Tuesday states that an alliance between the government and the UNP can only be justified by the adoption of an agreed programme of action for the common good of the country. There have been repeated calls for both main political parties to join together for the national cause coming from all strata of society including the influential religious leaders. The pressure mounted on both sides after the rebel separatist attack on the country's only international airport which dealt a crippling blow to the already battered national economy. Responding to the Prime Minister's invitation for talks, the UNP spokesman Karunasena Kodituwakku said that the invitation extended to the UNP has to be discussed with the rest of the opposition alliance and that the government must re-summon parliament immediately. A re-summoned parliament could then discuss the possibility of forming a caretaker government. Wickremenayake in his letter says that a government of consensus could engage the separatist rebels in constructive negotiations and make constitutional arrangements to guarantee the right of minorities.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.21: Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayake in a bid to break the current political deadlock, Tuesday invited the leader of the main opposition United Nastional Party, Ranil Wickremesinghe for talks "concerning the possibility of a government of consensus being formed between the People's Alliance and the United National Party".
Both the ASPI and MPI picked up by 2.9 points and 13.50 points respectively on a day where Advances led Declines by a 30 to 10 margin, Stockbroker said. However, the purchase of large volumes of Colombo Dockyard shares dominated trading for the day. 5.9 million share of this stock changed hands form price ranging from 12 rupee per share to 15.50 rupee per share were traded during the day. Also large volumes of Asian Hotel shares at 2.50 rupee per share for the day. This resulted in market turnover topping the 100 million rupee today. Foreign activity had a relatively quiet day with foreign purchases being seen in Coca Cola Beverage shares and Hatton National Bank shares. Foreign sales was witnessed in Caltex Lubricant and Colombo Dockyard shares. Foreign purchases accounted for 5 percent of the day's turnover, while foreign sales contributed 4 percent of the day's turnover.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.21: The market witnessed gains for the second successive day as investors went for bargains in selected stocks, Bartleet stockbrokers said today.
The Sunday Leader of 12 August had alleged that the local agent of the supplier claimed that a bribe of over 500,000 USD was needed to be paid to the Sri Lanka's Army Commander and two other senior Sri Lankan Army officers. The Sri Lankan Army chief in a letter to the 'Sunday Leader' says "I write to strongly deny the wild allegations of corruption made against me, as Commander of the Army and against two other senior officers. I would request you to give this denial prominent publicity since the publication of the said article, for reasons best known to you, is intended to ridicule us in the public eye and to demoralize the Security Forces at a crucial phase in the conduct of the ongoing separatist war". The LTTE pounced on the Sunday Leader report to blame the Army for its attempt to use weapons with chemical warheads in the separatist war. A rebel statement said "This Russian made rocket propelled weapon is internationally banned for its lethal toxic effects on combatants and civilians, "The acquisition of this banned weapon by Sri Lanka marks a new and dangerous escalation of the armed conflict in the island." The defence ministry on Friday refuted the rebel accusation that the government had purchased chemical weapons. The rebels had warned the government Thursday of "disastrous consequences" if it inducted the weapons with chemical warheads. Army Commander Balagalle in his letter to the 'Sunday Leader' accuses the paper of compromising Sri Lanka's national security interests by carrying the report last Sunday.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.19: The Commander of Sri Lanka Army Lt Gen Lionel Balagalle has refuted the 'Sunday Leader' report that he had solicited a commission from a deal purchasing 1000 units of rocket launchers, banned by the Americans and sold only by the Russians, to be used in the war with the separatist rebel guerillas.
Military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said that around 11.18 local time the Mig27 which was on a training mission crashed on to a house between the Negombo lagoon and the main Colombo-Negombo highway near the 18th milepost. It was a routine training flight where two Migs were in operation. "Out of the two flights one got crashed on to a house whilst it was pulling up", Karunaratne added. The Ukrainian Instructor pilot of the ill-fated Aircraft has died while seven others received burn injuries.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.18: A Sri Lankan Air force MIG-27 fighter aircraft crashed Saturday near the Colombo international airport, the defence officials said.
Tamilnet website quoted the LTTE's Anton Balasingham as saying that Fernandopulle had met only with LTTE border guards. An Aviation Ministry statement on Monday however said that Fernandopulle had met with regional leaders of the LTTE who had provided the Minister with full security. The Minister also claimed that the LTTE had told him they did not want a separate state but only wanted a peace with justice. The LTTE Wednesday said that the minister had "misunderstood" his meeting. The LTTE accused the Minister of "falsely" raising peace hopes after his pilgrimage to the Madhu shrine.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.15: The LTTE has denied having talks with Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle when he visited the Roman Catholic Church in Madhu last weekend.
Chamari Maelge, the Tourist Board's Marketing Manager said Wednesday the launch is aimed at creating a positive image world wide after the devastating rebel separatist attack on the country's only international airport. Under the programme Sri Lankans living in all parts of the world are invited to bring a friend along and help re-build tourism trade which has become the main casualty of the rebel attack on the airport, Maelge added. Tourism is one of the major foreign exchange earners for Sri Lanka. The Tourist Board earlier in the year launched its promotion 'Land Like No Other' with tourist arrivals showing an upward trend during the first half of the current year. The arrivals showed a 29.8 per cent increase up until June. The total earnings from tourism in 1999 was rupees 204.66 billion. The industry leaders have asked for government intervention by way of re-scheduling bank credit in the face of slackened arrivals. All major tour groups have cancelled winter bookings following travel advisories by Western nations that their citizens should not visit Sri Lanka until further notice, and thousands of employees face the threat of retrenchment. Maelge said that the new launch would help Sri Lanka retain its job opportunities in the travel trade and help the country to overcome a possible catastrophic situation. Maelge added that the Tourist Board would next look at a project to invite international travel writers from all countries on a familiarisation tour of Sri Lanka to experience the real situation.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.15: In a bid to boost up the falling tourist arrivals the Ceylon Tourist Board is to soon launch 'Bring-A-Friend-Home' campaign targetting Sri Lankan expatriates overseas.
For the fifth consecutive day both indices recorded new lows as the ASPI and MPI fell by as much as 5.6 points and 14.4 points respectively during the day. Market turnover closed the day at a healthy Rs. 86.4 million. Foreign activity made its presence felt in more than one way today. Significant foreign buying was once again seen in Coco Cola Beverage shares at Rs. 35/= per share. Foreign selling was witnessed in large volumes of NDB shares at Rs. 24/= per share. Price Declines completely dominated Advances by a whopping 46 to 9 margin.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.15: The downward momentum continued for yet another day as heavy selling both by both local and foreign continued unabated at colombo Stock Exchange today.
London-based insurance underwriters have further raised premiums on vessels calling on Colombo following fears raised after the rebel separatists attack on the Colombo international airport on 24 July. "Renewed fears being created among London-based underwriters, that the Colombo port risks future attacks by the rebels has prompted a further 300 per cent increase in the war-risk premium from Tuesday, Prarakrama Dissanayake, vice chairman of the Ceylon Association of Ships Agents told reporters. "This latest hike makes it not commercially viable for lines to call on Colombo. We are already seeing several shipping lines bypassing," he said. The war-risk insurance rating brought with it insurance surcharges of around 150,000 US dollars per vessel calling which were being recouped by charging shippers per container. Disturbed shippers demand that the country's President Chandrika Kumaratunga sought intervention of key Western nations in order to highlight the unjustifiability of the latest premia hike. Shippers also face an additional cargo insurance premiums of up to 500 US dollars for a 20-foot equivalent unit, or TEU, and 1,000 dollars for a 40-foot equivalent unit, or FEU. Since Tuesday, London underwriters were charging premiums of around 450,000 US dollars per vessel calling at the Colombo port, Dissanayake said. In the past, higher premiums have only been applied to cargo to the island's north and east, where the separatists fight government troops for a separate state. "Shipping lines won't be able to recover the increased premiums as local importers and exporters won't be able to bear the added costs," said Rohan Masakorala, chairman of the Sri Lanka Shipper's Council. Masakorala said exporters in key sectors like garments and tea were being forced to transfer their produce from vessel to vessel to try and ship their goods. Masakorala said President Chandrika Kumaratunga urgently needed to intervene and clear misguided perceptions "that the whole country was a war zone, otherwise the situation can become even graver than a tragedy." A government reaction to the grave situation has come in the form of a delegation led by Ports Minister Ronnie de Mel, comprising defense ministry and private sector officials, who are due to leave for London Thursday to convince underwriters to revoke their decisions. Several foreign security experts have arrived in the country to look at measures to intensify security at both Colombo airport and sea port. Israeli and British experts are already advising the local officials having done on site inspections.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.15: The shipping lines have begun by passing the port of Colombo as global insurance underwriters have raised premia further, shipping line sources said Wednesday.
The markets analysts said that this was the first time that the stocks had dropped below the 400 level since 1991. Brokers said that the market is still to recover from the blow dealt by the July 24 rebel separatist LTTE guerilla attack on the Colombo international airport. The rebels in a daring pre-dawn attack destroyed commercial and military aircraft and it was to be the worst economic blow since the conflict started in 1983. The attack led the international war risk insurers to slap a surcharge on all international flights and vessels to and from Colombo. Business leaders urged government intervention to turn things around in the economic sphere as the analysts have issued gloomy economic forecast
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.14: The Colombo stock market hit a record low Tuesday as the All Share Index dropped to 396.48, down 1.85 percent from Monday's 403.97.
Kfirs carried out air raids around 2.30 pm local time on Tuesday at Chempianpattu, about 10 Kms southeast of Nagarkovil in the northern Jaffna peninsula, Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne, the military spokesman said. In another aerial attack, a sea rebel base at Vathirayan, about 12 Kms south East of Nagarkovil had come under attack, Karunaratne added. The Pilots confirmed that their mission was successfully accomplished, a defence ministry release said. Sri Lanka stepped up air raids on succesful rabel positions in the northern Jaffna peninsula after the rebels launched a devastating attack on the country's only international airport. The rebel separatist LTTE guerillas are fighting for an independent homeland for the ethnic minority Tamils since 1983. More than 60,000 people have been killed in the conflict so far.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.14: Sri Lanka Air Force Kfir jets destroyed a communication tower controlled by the LTTE guerillas, the defence officials said Tuesday.
The JVP announced Friday that their talks held with Kumaratunga was successful as the President had agreed in principal to accept their proposal for a probation government limited to a period of one year. The JVP proposed that they would support the PA government for a period of one year if the President agreed to re-summon parliament, to cancel the referendum and took action to appoint independent commissions on elections, police, public service, judiciary and media. A JVP release said that their talks with Kumaratunga resulted in agreement on most of the demands. Yet the President had asked for more time to agree on the JVP proposals to set up an independent commission to run state controlled media organisations, to reduce the number of cabinet posts from 45 to 20 and an arrangement to hold all future elections under a caretaker government. The President told the JVP that she needed to consult her PA and the SLFP on the issue. The JVP's 10 parliamentary seats would ensure the continuance of the PA rule as it would effectively reduce the opposition to 105 seats as against PA's 109. The four seat government majority would ensure defeat for the motion of no faith moved by the joint opposition. There was no indication yet as to if the President would order the immediate re-convening of parliament which she has suspended until 7 September. The JVP insisted in their talks with the President Friday that its support will depend on Kumaratunga restoring parliament.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.10: President Chandrika Kumaratunga Friday appeared to be able to come out of the current political crisis following a partial arrangement with the main left party, the JVP or the People's Liberation Front.
President warned that the government would not be able to meet the economic targets at least in the next two quarters as slow downing global economy also affecting Sri Lanka. "This is a difficult time politically and for the economy, the need of the hour is to work for the national interest," President said. President told business leaders, that the "doors are still open" for discussions with the UNP and suggested sharing of "some positions". The economy, electoral reforms and education could be part of the agenda of the national consensual government, she said. She said she was also conducting talks with the main leftist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). "PA and UNP, two diametrically opposed parties cannot work together unless we agree on a common program of action at a time of crisis. Let us sign a memorandum and then we can sit and talk about who is getting what. President also blamed the opposition for the failures of the talks with the UNP.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.9: President Chandrika Kumaratunga called Main Opposition United National Party to form Government with the Peoples Alliance (PA) where PA government lost its majority in parliament.
Kumaratunga's offer is aimed at ending the country's current political impasse. Addressing a group of business leaders in Colombo Thursday the President made the offer as a way out of the current political stalemate. Kumaratunga for the first time admitted to the serious economic crisis the country is faced with by saying "This is a difficult time politically and for the economy, the need of the hour is to work for the national interest." Kumaratunga told the business leaders that three separate groups from the main opposition UNP had sounded her on the need to form a government of national consensus between the two main political forces in the country. She urged the business community to prevail upon the main opposition UNP to join her in this hour of national need. There was no immediate reaction from the UNP to the President's offer.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.9: Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga Thursday offered to share Power with the opposition leading to a government of national consensus.
It said that the referendum would now be held on October 18. Kumaratunga on midnight 10 July announced a national referendum aimed at asking the nation if the country needed a new constitution. Her move came in for wide spread condemnation as it coincided with her decision to suspend the country's parliament. Kumaratunga faced a vote of no faith against her ruling coalition as her government was reduced to a minority with the defection of her key Muslim ally to the opposition. The decision to suspend parliament was seen as a move to side step the motion of no faith, which she seemed certain to lose. A joint opposition coalition carried out a concerted campaign for the restoration of parliament and cancellation of the decision to hold the referendum. Kumaratunga faced dissension from her own colleagues with at least two front line ministers including her Constitutional Affairs Minister GL Peiris questioning the validity of the question asked at the referendum. Speculation was rife since last week that Kumaratunga may opt to postpone the plebiscite in the face of warnings from her close confidantes that she faced certain defeat at the referendum.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.7: President Chandrika Kumaratunga has postponed the referendum scheduled to be held on August 21, a presidential secretariat announcement over state controlled Rupavahini and ITN television stations said Tuesday evening.
Hakeem's challenge came in the wake of speculation that Kumaratunga may opt to postpone the referendum which she intends holding in order to ask the question if the country needed a new constitution. "I challenge the president to go ahead with the referendum," Rauf Hakeem, a minister in the Kumaratunga's ruling coalition until mid June said. "The Muslims will vote a resounding 'no'. It will be an endorsement of my leadership in the SLMC." It was Kumaratunga's sacking of Hakeem from the Cabinet which triggered the current political instability. Hakeem and six of his SLMC legislators crossed floor of parliament to occupy opposition seats which reduced Kumaratunga's People's Alliance to a minority in Sri Lanka's 225 member parliament. Hakeem then joined the main opposition campaign in urging Kumaratunga to re-summon parliament which she suspended until 7 September with the objective of side steeping the motion of no faith against her government. Hakeem told Kumaratunga to display her "courage" by going ahead with the referendum, which Kumaratunga was sure to lose, he said. The SLMC leader said that his party was ready for a snap parliamentary election and Kumaratunga should stage a parliamentary election instead of a referendum.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.7: Rauf Hakeem, the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), the main political party for the minority Muslims, Tuesday challenged the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga to go ahead with her plan to hold the national referendum on August 21.
Representatives of the main opposition UNP, the main left party the JVP, Sihala Urumaya, the ultra-nationalist Sinhalese heritage party and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress, a political party for the minority Tamils met the Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake and asked for the deployment of international observers, preferably from the European Union in addition to the local polls watch groups in view of reported comments by a senior government minister that the government has under their sleeve "ways and means to win the referendum". The opposition parties informed the Commissioner that it was imperative to make arrangements for effective monitoring to ensure elimination of malpractice on 21 August. Responding to opposition concerns, the commissioner told the parties that he will be advising the heads of state media institutions to refrain from abusing referendum statute. The opposition complained to Dissanayake that the state controlled press was blatantly carrying out state propaganda while defaming parties and individuals who are campaigning against the referendum. Sri Lankan President Kumaratunga called for a national referendum to ask the question if the country needed a new constitution or not. Her move was seen as a diversion of public opinion on her controversial move to suspend the country's parliament in the face of an opposition sponsored motion of no faith against her ruling People's Alliance coalition. The opinion is sharply divided among her own Cabinet minister's on the President's decision to call for a national referendum. Some of her senior ministers have expressed reservations on the wisdom of her move. The opposition believe that Kumaratunga would certainly taste defeat in the referendum, and given the situation unfavorable to the government Kumaratunga may opt to either postpone the referendum or cancel it altogether. The call for international polls monitors stem from opposition fears that individuals connected to the government may try to rig the poll on 21 August.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.6: The opposition political parties met the Commissioner of Elections, Monday and stressed the need to have the presence of international polls observers at the August 21 referendum.
The Sri Lankan cricket board appointed Desmond Fernando in November to investigate charges that world cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga and Sri Lanka's best known test batsman, Aravinda de Silva, took money to fix a 1994 Test match against India at Lucknow. Fernando's report "categorically exonerates Ranatunga andde Silva," said a statement from the cricket board's interim chairman Vijaya Malalasekera. "It is with great pleasure that the Interim Committee issues this release, in view of the tremendous contributions made by Mr.Ranatunga and Mr. de Silva to Sri Lanka cricket," the statement said. The two Sri Lankan players were named by Indian bookmaker Mukesh Gupta. Both Ranatunga and De Silva denied charges but were made to face an International Cricket Council's anti-corruption unit investigators. Ranatunga slammed the investigation while De Silva co-operated. Sri Lankan investigator Fernando said that he had not found solid evidence of match-fixing against either Ranatunga or de Silva and therefore he was clearing both. Yet the local hierarchy declined to endorse Fernando's findings early this month as the interim committee was yet to study Fernando's report.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.1: Sri Lanka Wednesday formally cleared cricketing legends Arjuna Ranatungaand Aravinda De Silva of match-fixing allegations.
Sri Lankan airlines Human Resources spokesman said the new retirement program is effective from Wednesday. The move follows a package that was offered in mid-June. Although that offer was to end December 31, the airline had closed it Tuesday to make way for a new package. Under its Voluntary Severance Scheme700 employees were retrenched on Tuesday while another 1000 jobs were expected to be cut on Wednesday. The airline has suspended its operations in 12 destinations worldwide after it lost half its fleet last week during a devastating attack by the rebel separatist guerillas on the Colombo international airport. "At the moment we will continue flights to only 23 destinations due to a lack of sufficient aircraft," a Sri Lankan Airlines spokesperson said. The destinations that have been temporarily cutoff include the Middle East, India, Australia and some cities in Europe. The airline partly owned and managed by the Dubai based Emirates Airlines suffered severe damage due to the rebel attack. One of its Airbus A340 and two A330s completely destroyed while another two A320s and an A340 were damaged. Last week, the airline's Chief Executive Peter Hill said it won't immediately replace lost planes, but efforts are being made to repair the damaged aircraft. The airline had recorded a loss of 388.2million Sri Lankan rupees for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000 compared with a net profit of rupees 2.69 billion a year earlier.
Lankapress COLOMBO, August.1: Sri Lankan airlines Sri Lankas National carrier said in a bid to cut down its overheads in the face of massive losses the airline has offered new early retirement package to it's 5,070 employees.
"for the next six years after the referendum there will not be any election" the President said addressing the trade union representatives on Monday. This would mean that no election would take place in the country before the year 2007. She urged for a mandate on 21 August in order to formulate a new constitution. A politically powerful government would then be able to find solutions to all problems, she said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.31: President Chandrika Kumaratunga announced Monday that the Presidential election which should be held in 2005 and the general election to be held in 2006 would not be held as a result of the country adopting a new constitution after the August 21 referendum.
The bodies are to be returned through the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) in Colombo. Harasha Gunawardena, the ICRC spokesman confirmed that the Police had requested the ICRC to hand over the bodies back to the LTTE. "We have already notified the LTTE but have not yet received any response," Gunawardena said. The military claims it killed over 12 rebel cadres last Tuesday when the Tigers launched a daring pre dawn attack on the airport and air force base. Meanwhile the Police and airforce investigators have detained 19 men for questioning about the rebel attack on Sri Lanka's only international airport and adjoining air base, officials said Monday. Nine Tamil civilians were detained during overnight raids, adding to the seven minority men taken into custody last week the Police said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.30: The government have offered to return the bodies of the LTTErs killed in last Tuesday's devastating attack on Sri Lanka's main Air Force base and the adjoining Colombo international airport at Katunayake.
The Ceylon Tourist Board said all visitors to the island were being given coupons that would entitle them to cash discounts on all food and beverage charges in hotels. "This is an immediate public relations exercise we are undertaking", Renton de Alwis Chairman of the Tourist Board said. "We are also offering them Sri Lankan picture postcards at the airport to be posted abroad to spread the word." The industry officials expected arrivals to drop by 20 to 25 percent following Tuesday's rebel attack. The Tourist Board Chief stressed that not a single foreign tourist or passenger was hurt in the attack that forced the authorities to close Colombo's Bandaranaike International Airport for 36 hours."All our tourism operations systems are up and running as usual," De Alwis said, adding that he has been having meetings with security authorities and Colombo-based diplomats. Australia, Britain, Germany and the United States have warned their citizens not to travel to Sri Lanka because of fears of more unrest while several other countries, including Japan, had issued travel advisories even before Tuesday's attack. Sri Lanka was bracing to celebrate a record number of tourist arrivals in June and the national carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines, had notched the highest number of passengers carried in a week when Tuesday's attack came. Tourist Board officials said last month saw a record 28,000 foreign holiday-makers visit Sri Lanka, marking a near 30 percent increase compared with the corresponding period last year.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.30: Following the LTTE attack which devastated the Colombo international airport last week, Sri Lanka Tourist Board has begun offering 15 percent discounts to holiday-makers in a bid to woo back tourists.
The monks led by the influential chief of the Asgiriya chapter of Monks Udagama Buddarakkita convened a congress of Monks in Colombo on Monday aimed at protecting the Buddhist order in the face of a threat from missionary activists. The Monks charge that poverty stricken rural Buddhist folk are being converted into other religions offering money as an incentive. "We call on the authorities to immediately bring legislation to prevent the conversions taking under the cover of helping rural communities to improve their economic standards", Monks said at the congress. The congress urged media to create an awareness of the threat and urged action to spread Buddhism among students. The Monks said that proselytisers are targetting an annual conversion rate of around 23,000 in 5000 villages in the country. The monks stressed that the Buddhists in the country, a larger majority of them from the majority Sinhala community, are sharply divided among 20 political parties. Also the majority community's economic influence in the country was fast diminishing, almost 9 out of 10 top businessmen are from minority communities, the Monks' congress asserted. The congress adopted an eleven point plan to fight conversions and to propagate the Buddhist order in the country.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.30: Buddhist clergy Monday called for legislation to prevent Buddhists from being converted into other religions, mainly to Christianity.
It was said that the explosives strapped to their bodies went off accidentally. The two men believed to be on a mission were blown to pieces. Their possible targets have not been identified yet. The deadly suicide cadres of the LTTE guerillas are known as "Black Tigers" and they are blamed for a long list of high profile attacks including Rajiv Gandhi, an Indian Prime Minister and Ranasinghe Premadasa, a Sri Lankan President. The first known suicide attack was carried out by a rebel cadre named 'Captain Miller' who blew himself up destroying a Sri Lankan Army base in the north of Sri Lanka on 5 July 1987. Their latest strike was against the Colombo international airport and the adjoining Sri Lanka Airforce airbase last Tuesday. A total of 14 aircraft were damaged or destroyed while 14 rebels and seven security personnel perished. Sri Lankan security forces were put on red alert throughout July to prevent possible suicide attacks by the suicide cadres of Tamil rebels in celebrating the 18th anniversary of the anti-Tamil riots in the capital Colombo.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.29: Two LTTE suicide squad members were killed in Mannar on Sunday, the defence officials said.
Therefore the PA regime will not take any effort to bring the killers to book. Tamils cannot expect any justice from this government. This is why the alliance of 11 Tamil parties are opposing it,î. Representatives of the PLOTE, EPRLF, the All Ceylon Tamil Congress and the TELO addressed the meeting. The leader of the TELO, Selvam Adaikalanathan, MP for Vanni explained why his party supports the oppositionÍs no confidence motion against the PeopleÍs Alliance regime.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.29: Addressing a rally to commemorate the 1983 Welikada prison riot which killed LTTE suspects, held in Vavuniya on Friday, the TELO Advisor Sri Kantha has said ńThe leader of the ACTC, Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam and the Jaffna journalist Mayilvaganam Nimalarajan were murdered by agents of the PeopleÍs Alliance government.
They said they acted in the "interest of civilians" when they opened fire at opposition protestors which killed two people. Police used tear gas and rubber bullets and at two points used live bullets. Deputy Police Inspector General, DSC Kombalavithana said police acted only to break up the "illegal" demonstration. More than 80 protestors were injured. "It was a crowd that was in breach of the law and we had to act in the interest of protecting civilians and property," said Kombalavithana who heads the special branch handling internal intelligence. "If there are complaints against police officers, we are ready to investigate them." A Colombo magistrate had ordered the arrest of three police officers implicated in the killing of one of the demonstrators. Police said they had not yet arrested them as they were still consulting the state attorney general. The main pposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was among those hurt in the attack. He alleged that the attack on him was an attempt of assassination. The international human rights group, Amnesty International, had condemned the police for using excessive force to break up the largely peaceful demonstration. The group accused the government of trying to suppress the freedom of expression and urged the president to ensure police and troops observe the basic principles in the use of firearms.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.28: Police, underfire from human rights organisations for its brutal crackdown of last week's opposition demonstration, defended its action Friday.
Addressing a Colombo press conference, CWC leader Arumugam Thondama said that his party was not for any change to the present system of elections in the country. The present proportional representation system has ensured adequate participation of their party in parliament, Thondaman said. The party waas hoping to see the President on Monday in order to seek clarifications on the new electoral system to be introduced with a new constitution.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.27: CWC on Friday expressed concern over the government attempt to change the constitution.
ASM. Muzzamil, the association's chairman, said at its annual general meeting on Wednesday that high interest rates and high costs of energy have had an adverse affect on export earnings which has resulted in several closures of export firms. "I cannot recollect facing a situation such as the one we are facing today where everything seems to be against us - the markets, prices, the country's political and economic stability and costs of production," Muzzamil said. "It is therefore very likely that the end year result would be negative growth as there is no sign of the economic scenario changing significantly," he said. The central bank has forecast a 10% export growth for 2001 and is estimating that the trade deficit this year will narrow to $1.2 billion from $1.9 billion last year amid falling imports. Muzzamil said interest rates, which have jumped around 10 percentage points over the past year due to heavy government borrowing, and a weak rupee had raised exporters' finance costs by as much as 75%. He said steep energy costs, due to high global oil prices, were also hurting operations. Muzzamil added that the daily power cuts, imposed from earlier this month to conserve electricity amid falling water levels at reservoirs, were also eating into schedules.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.26: Sri Lanka's export earnings will drop in the current year due to slower demand from key markets in the U.S., Europe and Japan, according to the Exporters' Association of Sri Lanka.
An eyewitness had described a private bus with a Matara-Colombo destination board, parked near the Kurana junction and the crew having meals around 2145 hrs on Monday. He had also seen three sacks being unloaded from the air-conditioned bus and about 20 young men in camouflage uniforms alighted from the bus and proceed towards the Kurana rail track. Police Tuesday night had sought the assistance of the public to trace the air-conditioned luxury coach which had been allegedly used by the terrorists. The flight operations resumed at the airport with first flights arriving from Madras.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.25: Police have arrested three suspects in connection with Tuesday's attack on the Bandaranaike International Airport and the adjoining air force base in which 14 aircraft were destroyed and l8 people killed.
"The tour is on, so far as we are concerned," the Cricket Board spokesman Niresh Eliatamby said. "Both teams have gone for practice and there is no reason to think otherwise." Eliatamby said that Sri Lankan board officials met the managers of the two teams competing in the triangular limited-over series, New Zealander Jeff Crowe and A.N. Mate of India, and gave them an update on security. The management of both India and New Zealand agreed to continue the triangular series. "Officials in charge of security have given assurances that adequate precautions are being taken to ensure the safety of players and officials, which is of the highest priority", Sri Lankan Board press release said. The New Zealand team manager Jeff Crowe had said on arrival that his team was wary of attacks by the rebels like the ones in 1987 when a car bomb devastated the capital's main bus terminal killing scores of people and in 1992 when the rebels carried out a suicide attack on the then Naval Chief. Both occasions the Kiwis cancelled matches and returned home. Crowe was the captain of the 1987 New Zealanders and in fact scored a century on the very day the rebel bomb rocked the city. Since their arrival in Sri Lanka both teams have been escorted by the elite Ministerial Security Division.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.24: The 3-nation one day international one day cricket tournament currently being played in Colombo is to continue despite major security concerns following the LTTE attack on the Colombo internartional airport, Sri Lankan Cricket Board announced Tuesday.
Military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said the government had already launched the probe into the pre-dawn attack against the main airbase and the adjoining international airport. A total of eight military aircraft were destroyed while five civilian passenger airliners were also hit. Three of the SriLankan Airlines Airbus aircraft were completely destroyed while two suffered relatively minor damage. The death toll from a pre-dawn attack by Tamil Tiger rebels that closed the Colombo international airport on Tuesday rose to 18 with at least 12 more wounded, the military said. "A total of 13 bodies of LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) terrorists were found," a military statement said. At least five security force personnel were killed and another 12 wounded it added. "The infiltrators were dressed in military fatigues," the statement said. The attack came on the anniversary of 1983 anti-Tamil riots that are considered to mark the watershed in Sri Lanka's bloody ethnic war. The state media has launched a campaign throughout Tuesday to blame the main opposition United National Party for the attack. The state owned ITN television quoting unnamed political analysts said that the UNP had hatched a plot in connivance with the rebels to destabilise the country. Last Thursday's UNP sponsored massive anti-government demonstration enabled the rebel cadres to infiltrate the city, the state media alleged. The UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, however, addressing a Colombo press conference Tuesday evening charged that his rival, the President ought to take responsibility for the attack. "The government has failed miserably to protect the economically vital entry point to the country", Wickremesinghe charged.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.24: The government announced Tuesday that a full scale inquiry into the rebel attack on the Colombo airport has been ordered by the President Chandrika Kumaratunga.
A SLMC release said "the SLMC reiterates that the abandonment of peace process initiated by the government of Norway by the Sri Lankan government for petty party political gains was the primary cause for this enormous loss and damage". The death toll from a pre-dawn attack by Tamil Tiger rebels that closed the Colombo international airport on Tuesday rose to 18 by Tuesday evening. The loss suffered by the national carrier Sri Lankan Airlines due to five damaged airbuses was estimated at US dollars 300 million. The SLMC release said that the economic cost of this incident is incalculable and the country would feel the consequences of the attack in the coming months. Seven SLMC legislators led by its leader Rauf Hakeem reduced the Sri Lanka's coalition government to a parliamentary minority on 20 June with their crossing of the floor to occupy seats in the opposition benches. Hakeem, who was the minister of Trade until then was fired by the President Chandrika Kumaratunga from the Cabinet. They are now a part of the joint opposition alliance who seek to oust Kumaratunga's government. The SLMC has urged the President to "re-summon parliament and to commence deliberations with all concerned with a view to usher in peace, economic prosperity and democracy". Sri Lanka's Norwegian brokered peace initiative has been stalled due to a rebel demand to de-proscribe them. The government states that peace talks must start without any pre-conditions.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.24: Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, the main political party for the minority Muslims Tuesday blamed the abandonment of peace process as the main cause for the rebel attack on the Colombo international airport.
Three Fighter jets and two helicopters of Sri Lanka Air force had been damaged from the attack. Military Spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunarathe said Two Kaffir and One Mig17 fighter jets, MI24 and MI17 helicopters, three training crafts of Sri Lanka Air force were damaged from the attack. Two A 340 airbuses and one A 330 air buss of Sri Lankan Airlines was also damaged from the Attack, Mr. Karunarathne added. The government declared curfew in the area. The Air force provides security to the airport. The air force only last week reopen the departure lobby to out siders declaring that the measures they have taken are adequate to protect the airport.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.24: Eleven died and six others injured from LTTE attack to Air force base at Bandaranaike International Airport at Colombo.
No immediate details of casualties were available and the form of attack was not clear. A witness said that he saw fire from Nai Kanda area near the airport and when he inquired from security they had informed about some attack to Air force base in Bandaranaike International Airport. An employ at the airport said the cargo division, which is out side the main building, was also under threat of LTTE attack, with the rebels exchanging fir with air force nearby. The Air force provides security to the airport. The air force only last week reopen the departure lobby to out siders declaring that the measures they have taken are adequate to protect the airport.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.24: An Air force base in the Bandaranaike International Airport came under LTTE attack this morning.
At least two demonstrators were injured in the Colombo suburb of Nugegoda when Police fired rubber bullets at a gathering of around 2500 people. Several entry points to the capital were sealed by police armed withanti-riot gear and orders to break up any demonstrations in the capital the Police said. Over a dozen political parties, trade unions and professional groups Vowed to go ahead with their protest rally and processions despite a Police order which banned them. The joint opposition action without the main left party the JVP was Aimed at pressuring President Chandrika Kumaratunga to restore parliament which she suspended last week. Eyewitnesses said that Police fired tear gas at about 1000 oppositiondemonstrators at Peliyagoda, a suburb north of Colombo. Police Chief, Lucky Kodituwakku under orders from President Chandrika Kumaratunge to stop the marches, says the police are prepared for any eventuality and will prevent the procession from reaching its target point at Maradana. Heavily armed policemen travelling in police trucks were seen at all entry points to the city and its suburbs. The opposition threatened to bring Colombo to a standstill by bringing tens of thousands of its supporters onto the streets. Fears of violence were raised after a state-run newspaper warned of a bloodbath. The 'Daily News' quoted intelligence sources as saying the opposition was planning to bring in truckloads of thugs to instigate riots at the behest of what it called foreign and local reactionaries as well as Tamil rebels. Opposition parties were hoping to vote on a no-confidence motion against the government this week, which they looked set to win following the defection to their ranks of a key government ally, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congresss. This reduced the government to a minority in parliament. The US governnment warning to its citizens said that Sri Lanka now Seems set for a long period of political uncertainty. The opposition activists said that despite Police attacks the march will be continued to the rally site at Maradana.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.19:Opposition demonstrators clashed with the Sri Lankan police Thursday as the Police who were placed on red alert stepped up security in the capital and barred traffic on key routes to block an opposition rally at Central Colombo's Maradana area.
This followed Speaker Anura Bandaranaike's refusal to defy a Presidential decree issued by his sister the President suspending the assembly until 7 September. UNP MP's led by Ranil Wickremesinghe pushed barricades and other obstacles and moved into the parliament compound at around 6.30 am, but they were unable to get into the locked building sources said. All roads leading to parliament have been blocked by the Police denying access to other opposition MPs who were due to arrive. The UNP's deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya said that he had requested the Speaker to intervene in order to permit the rest of the opposition legislators top roceed to parliament. The JVP however had decided to keep away from thescene.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.16: A group of UNP MPs numbering around 40 stormed parliament early Monday as Police tried to block their entry to the tightly-guarded parliament building.
In a letter to the leader of the opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sunday evening, Bandaranaike has said that as the Speaker he had no authority to reconvene a parliament suspended by the President of the country. The President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga last Tuesday suspended the parliamentary sittings, a move aimed at side stepping a motion of no faith moved against her 8 month old government by the main opposition UNP. Kumaratunga faced almost certain defeat in the event the no faith motion debated as her ruling coalition was reduced to 109 seats as opposed to joint opposition's 115 seats in the 225 member Sri Lankan parliament. Leaders from the joint opposition met Speaker Bandaranaike on Friday and urged him to convene Parliament on July 16, as earlier scheduled. They expressed the opinion that the suspension was illegal, and it was an undemocratic act by the President Kumaratunga to protect her government. Speaker's rejection may seem as a blow for his UNP colleagues who had anyway vowed to convene parliament by themselves on Monday in a show of defiance. Bandaranaike though rejecting the request has ruled that both the motion of impeachment against the Chief Justice and the motion of no-faith against the government stand valid and therefore can be taken up after 7 September.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.15: Speaker of Parliament Anura Bandaranaike Sunday rejected a request by the opposition to re-summon parliament suspended until 7 September by his sister the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.
Two Muslim youths were shot dead by the Police around 6.30 pm local time on Friday. It was alleged that the police fired at random after one of their colleagues was shot and wounded by unidentified gunmen. Shops remained closed in Kalmunai, Kalmunaikudi, Sammanthurai and Maalikaikkadhu. Angry protestors took to the streets shouting slogans, and stoned several police posts in the town, sources said. The Police fired in the air to disperse the crowd.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.15: Kalmunai, a Muslim town 240 miles east of the capital Colombo was tense Sunday as shops were shut and roads barricaded following a protest against the alleged killing of two students by the Police, local journalists said.
An Indian bookmaker Mukesh Gupta had alleged that both were paid 15,000 US dollars each to fix the Lucknow test match between India and Sri Lanka played in January 1994. Desmond Fernando, the investigator appointed by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board has said in his report that Gupta's charges were "inadequate, untested and impossible to be acted upon". Fernando, who is a member of the International Cricket Council's code of conduct committee is also critical of the Indian CBI report for naming foreign cricketers without substantial evidence to back the claim. Fernando's 11 page report says "publication of this report with the allegations against the foreign cricketers was unfair as it was one-sidede and adversely affected the reputation of several highly respected foreign cricketers". There was no prima-facie evidence against any of the two Sri Lankans, Fernando asserts. The ICC investigators led by Sir Paul Condon visited Sri Lanka early May to quiz both Ranatunga and De Silva. Ranatunga's solicitors objected to the ICC investigators though De Silva co-operated with them. Ranatunga later slammed the local cricket Board for having agreed to carry out investigations on what he termed baseless allegations made by Gupta.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.15: The investigation carried out by the Sri Lankan cricket authorities into the allegations of match fixing by two of Sri Lanka's cricketing stars, Arjuna Ranatunga, the world cup winning captain and master batsman Aravinda De Silva has ruled that both were not guilty.
The 17-year old student was among six students who were alleged to have been assaulted by the Ranatungas on March 3. The dispute was over a cricket ball when the students climbed up the parapet wall of the Ranatunga household to retrieve the ball. The Ranatungas charged that the students had verbally abused their mother. Several students were injured, with one sustaining head injuries. Asoka's principal said that the boy had begun to act crazy by pretending to be a member of the Ranatunaga family and started threatening to assault people. Arjuna Ranatunga, the world cup winning cricket captain and a Sri Lankan cricketing legend and his younger brother Prasanna, a provincial politician and Prasanna's personal security personnel were among those charged for assault. The court case is still proceeding.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.14: The Asoka Vidyalaya student student has been admitted to a mental hospital after he began behaving strangely following an alleged attack by Arjuna Ranatunga and his brother, a spokesman for the Asoka Vidyalaya said.
"We feel that the president's decision is timely and wise," said Athuraliye Indarathana of the All Island Clergy Organization. Yet the main Buddhist Monks, the Chief Prelates - at least one of them have already gone public saying that the government's decision was unwise. On Tuesday midnight, President Chandrika Kumaratunga suspended the 225-member Parliament and ordered a referendum on changing the constitution mainly aimed at changing the electoral system in the country. The present proportional representation system, Kumaratunga laments, "does not provide enough parliamentary power to address the nation's problems". The joint opposition has blasted the government decision saying that the President's action was dictatorial as her government had been reduced to a minority in parliament when the decisions came. They charged that the decision was to stall a no-faith motion which would have signalled the end of Kumaratunga's government.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.14: Several hundreds of pro-government Buddhist monks gathered at the Vihara Maha Devi Park Friday evening to extend support to the government. The monks were supportive of the President Chandrika Kumaratunga's decision to hold a referendum aimed at amending the country's constitution.
She backed her Tuesday night's Presidential proclamation to call for a national referendum in August by urging for a fresh mandate to bring a new constitution. The president appealed to the people to give a clear verdict against the current constitution which is the main cause for a series of crises in the country. "It was brought in without the approval of the people," the President said. She added that the purpose of the new constitution would be to achieve three main aims. Firstly, to bring about a new electoral system. A mix between the current proportional representation system and the first past the post system. The president said the current PR system has ensured that no party gets a stable majority in parliament. The President asserted the preference system would also be done away with and a new system introduced without elaborating on it. The second target was to implement the independent commissions that have been widely discussed today. The President said that the third and important target would be to solve the ethnic problem by introducing clauses in the new constitution that would allow all religious and ethnic groups to live amicably together in the country. In her first public remarks since suspending parliament and calling for a national referendum, Kumaratunga said she had a "deep interest" in scrapping the current presidential system of government. "I have always had a very deep interest in carrying this out," Kumaratunga said. "I seek your mandate to definitely and effectively carry this out through the new constitution." She added "We are fully committed to introduce the new constitution within this year after necessary consultations with broad sections of society."
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.12: President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in a televised address to the nation Thursday night vowed that Sri Lanka would adopt a new Constitution by the end of the year.
Moonesinghe along with nine other government legislators last week urged the President Chandrika Kumaratunga to enter into joint action with the main opposition UNP in order to overcome the current political crisis. Moonesinghe told mediamen that his home in the coastal town of Negombo had come under a bomb attack. No one was hurt. Moonesinghe was thought to be one government legislator who was expected to defect to the opposition UNP during the no-faith vote against the government. President Kumaratunga by proroguing parliament until 7 September has stalled the opposition move to bring down her government by way of the parliamentary vote on the no-faith motion.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.12: The home of Ananda Moonesinghe, a government MP was attacked early Thursday by unknown persons.
The army had earlier hinted that the crime had been committed by the separatist rebels in order to implicate the government troops. The Police in Meesalai in Jaffna said Saturday that the victim, a 42-year-old was raped on Saturday by "armed men in military fatigues". A Tamil woman, who was allegedly raped at a checkpoint in the capital Colombo last month, appeared in court this week and identified a policeman as one of her assailants. That incident brought Tamil political parties on to the streets in protest
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.12: Sri Lankan Army said Thursday that at least two government soldiers have been arrested on suspicion of raping a woman from the minority Tamil community.
Citing national Interest President Kumaratunga also decided to hold a Referendum to determine whether a new constitution should be introduce. The new constitution Proposed by her government envisages greater devolution of Power to the regions in order to appease The Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Ealam Rebels war fighting or an independent Tamil homeland. President Kumaratunga used powers wasted in her under section 86 of the constitution to prorogue the parliament. This effectively put off a debate and a vote on a no-faith motion against the government forwarded by the main opposition United National Party (UNP). The government has 109 seats in the 225-seat house while the Joint opposition commands 115. The Speaker does not vote. The presidentęs decision was announced today over State media.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.10: Fearing that she will loose the no confidence motion in a parliament where her government is in minority, President Chandrika Kumaratunga today suspended sittings of the house for two months.
Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Forces Admiral Dennis P. Blair's visit is in response to an invitation by Sri Lanka's Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Rohan Daluwatte, who oversees combined military operations against Tamil rebels, the radio said. Blair is expected to meet with President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who is also Sri Lanka's defense minister, and army chief Lt. Gen. Lionel Balagalle, said a senior government official who declined to be named. The official said Daluwatte would brief Blair on the situation in the war zone, where Tamil Tiger rebels are battling government troops. The rebels have been fighting since 1983 to carve out a Tamil homeland in the north and east. More than 63,000 people have died in almost 18 years of warfare. Blair's visit comes a week after the U.S. criticized the Sri Lankan government for ordering air strikes against northern Tamil rebel positions. The Sri Lankan government said it ordered the air strikes in early July to pre-empt a major rebel offensive. The U.S. government, which has conducted training programs for Sri Lanka's military since 1994, has urged Sri Lanka to cooperate with Norway in bringing Tamil rebels to the negotiating table after more than five years.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.10: The chief of U.S. Pacific Forces began a three-day visit to Sri Lanka on Monday as part of an ongoing effort to boost bilateral ties between the two countries, state radio said.
Panic-stricken businessmen and industrialists, worried by the political battles, have appealed to President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the opposition to form a national unity government. Latest figures from the central bank signal more gloom ahead and the stock market is in the doldrums. The first-quarter gross domestic product growth was estimated at a dismal 1.3 percent, compared to 6.6 percent in the corresponding period last year. The central bank has said the overall growth this year will still reach 4.5 percent, down from 6.0 percent last year, but the private sector is sceptical. "The high cost of living has become unbearable for most resulting in many thefts, robberies and murders that are destabilising civil society," the Joint Business Forum told both Kumaratunga and Wickremesinghe. "If this situation was allowed to continue unabated, there would be no turnaround and even result in anarchy."
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.09: Sri Lanka's current political crisis has dashed hopes of an early recovery of the war-battered economy, say bankers and business leaders.
Sri Lanka announced a re-establishment of ties with Israel in May last year, a day after India ruled out giving any military assistance to the island to defend against a major Tamil rebel offensive in the northern peninsula of Jaffna. Sri Lanka suspended full diplomatic relations with Israel in the early 1970s over its refusal to withdraw from the Palestinian territories. Colombo has tried to re-establish ties with Israel since 1995, but was prevented by Muslim politicians. Matnai presented his credentials more than two weeks after seven Muslim legislators walked out of Kumaratunga's shaky coalition, turning the government into a minority in parliament. Before 1990, Israel had sent military advisors to help local security forces. It had also helped set up an elite commando unit for the Sri Lankan police. Israel and India established diplomatic relations in 1992 and have also had warming ties.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.08: Israel's Ambassador to Sri Lanka David Matnai, presented his credentials to President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Friday, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"The Ports Ministry agreed to increase the interim allowance of 750 rupees granted to workers this year to a permanent salary hike of rupees 2,000," Daya Wijesekera, Senior Assistant Secretary, Information of the ministry of Ports said. Wijesekera said ministry officials had Wednesday met union leaders, who had agreed to the offer. "The ministry said they will pay the new salaries from October, with arrears. The unions agreed to the wage rise but asked that the payments be made sooner," Wijesekera said. Union leaders of over 3,000 of the Colombo port's 17,000 workers have been threatening to strike at the Colombo port if their demand for a rupee 4,000 monthly wage hike isn't met. Ports minister Ronnie de Mel met union leaders last month and said he would push for a salary hike, effective from Jan. 1, 2001, as a rise was due to port workers according to an agreement made in 1995 with the former minister of ports. According to the agreement, the employees were to receive a salary hike every three years from 1995.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.08: Sri Lankan Ministry of Ports has struck a wage deal with trade union leaders who had threatened to lead a strike of some 3,000 employees at the main Colombo port, officials said Saturday.
Calling the situation a potentially dangerous one, they have pointed out that time called for a joint effort by the President, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to save the country. They have told the President that the need of the hour was a stable government, which had no extremist political agendas and non-racial in disposition. "A time has come to think of the country much more than one's own political party" they have pointed out. Warning that the resulting lawlessness which would be the final result of the present developments, could aggravate the problems, the people are undergoing due to high costs of living, unemployment and the break-down of the law and order situation, the group of young government MPs have said that all political leaders should contribute to the task of saving the country from the situation facing it. The ten MPs include, J. Wijekoon, Ananda Munasinghe, Keerthi Mawellage, Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, Wijeya Dahanayake, Bandula Gunawardane, Dayasritha Tissera, Somaweera Chandrasiri, and Duminda Dissanayake.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.07: A group of at least ten government MPs in a joint appeal to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga has urged her to summon all political parties to discuss the basis of forming a government which could save the country from the looming crisis.
-Does it mean that the Government Printer has a say in deciding on the Parliamentary business," the opposition leaders had asked the prime minister. Talks had ended in a deadlock with the opposition party leaders sticking to their position that the motion should be taken up for debate this month itself and the government insisting on their August dates. However, they agreed to meet again on July 12 in another bid to resolve the issue, Parliamentary sources said. Speaker Anura Bandaranaike came to the rescue of their Government when he overuled a motion to reshuffle the Select and Advisory Committees of Parliament so that the Opposition would have a majorities in each case. The motion was proposed by Chief Whip of the main Opposition UNP, W.M.Lokubandara soon after the leaders meeting and he told Parliament that the entire opposition was behind him mentioning the Tamil parties TELO, TULF and Tamil Congress, the JVP, Sihala Urumaya and the SLMP. Most of the PA members who were in the well of the House listened passively while W.M.Lokubandara walked in and immediately conferred with the Deputy Chairman of Committees Lalith Dissanayake saying that the unified Opposition wanted a temporary suspension of Standing Orders 19, 20 (1) ,20 (3) and 23(3). He said that Opposition was a majority in the Parliament of 225 having 115 constituents. The Government with 110 seats would have to allow the opposition more have members for each of the parliamentary committees. He said that being of utmost urgence the motion had to be ruled on and a vote taken to show that the Opposition were in fact a majority. The Government Benches first passively watched but then rose in protest after the Speaker took his seat and then most vehemently protesting were Ministers Reggie Ranatunga, Mangala Samaraweera, Mahinda Rajapakse and Deputy Minister Harindra Corea. Deputy Chairman of Committees Lalith Dissanayake who was in the Chair when the movement had made order to suspended sittings for five minutes after which Speaker Anura Bandaranaike sat at the resumption after the suspension. He stated that the day had been set aside for condonlences of the Late A.H.M.Ashraff overuled the motion saying it had not been made in accordance in the Order Book and could only be made with prior notice to the given to the Speaker. The House was then adjourned till July 16 on a suggestion of the speaker.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.06: Tensions ran high at the party leaders meeting held at the Parliamentary Complex on Friday when Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake sidetracked the issue of setting dates for the no-confidence motion. The Prime Minister had said that the Government Printer had been unable to have the motion ready yet.
The request signed by the opposition members read: -We, the undersigned members of Parliament of the opposition membering 115, being the majority of members of Parliament request that the motion of no-confidence against the government be listed in the order paper to be taken up for debate on the 18th July 2001 and a vote taken thereon during that sitting week." "We are virtually demanding the Speaker to set the date for the debate on July 18",SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem later told journalists.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.06: The opposition parties yesterday handed over a written request signed by 115 members of the opposition to Speaker Anura Bandarnaike to take up the no-confidence motion against the government on July 18.
Spokesman for ICRC Harasha Gunawardena said, Jayakody was released at Killinochchi and the ICRC escorted him to the south today. "We hope to reunite Jayakody with his family during the course of the day," he said. However, the ICRC said that three crewmembers of the vessel "M.V. Missen", four crewmen of the vessel "Princess Kash" along with nine others from the Sri Lankan Army and one from the Navy still remain in LTTE custody. "The remaining detainees have been registered and are regularly visited by the ICRC," Mr. Gunawardena added., The 500-seater Indonesian passenger ship hijacked in July 1997, Several crewmembers of the vessel have been held by the LTTE. The crewmembers of the Princess Kash were taken into LTTE custody on August 28,
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.05: Jayantha Jayakody, one of the remaining crewmen of the vessel MV "Missen", was released from LTTE custody on July 3.
Parliamentary officials said the government refused to grant an early date for the no-faith vote in parliament in spite of public comments by the prime minister that the debate would be allowed in the week beginning July 16. The Leader of the House and Minister Richard Pathirana had indicated that the earliest date on which the debate could be taken up was August 7. The business committee of parliament, which decides the legislature's agenda, ended its monthly meeting in disarray after nearly two and a half hours of talks. The meeting is to be reconvened Friday. UNP sources said that the main opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was defiant and vowed to press for the debate July 16. "Even if the government refuses to grant a debate and the vote, we will start the process July 16 and have a three-day debate and then take the vote," he told journalists after the meeting. Kumaratunga's governing alliance lost its majority in parliament last month and was reduced to 109 seats in the 225-member legislature after she fired a key Muslim ally from the cabinet. The main opposition United National Party and its allies have 97 seats. The other seats are held by several opposition parties, who are undecided which way to vote. The UNP said that it was now abundantly clear that the government had no mandate to rule. Meanwhile, thousands of people demonstrated in the capital Colombo in a show of solidarity with Kumaratunga's government. Carrying placards that accused the opposition of siding with the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels, the protesters marched through the streets forcing rush hour school traffic to come to a halt. The demonstrators were government employees who had been brought to the site by pro-government trade unions, eye witnesses said. The government is set to face another test of its parliamentary strength Friday when the monthly extension of emergency laws are debated. The emergency laws give sweeping powers to police and security forces to arrest and detain suspects for long periods of time, as the government battles an 18-year-old separatist war with the rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The latter want an independent state for the Tamils in the north and northeast of the country. Speculation was rife, that fearing adverse results the government may not press for the debate Friday. Even if parliament refuses to renew the measure, the president will still be able to use her executive powers to enforce emergency regulations, but only for 10 days at a time, analysts pointed out.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.04: The Sri Lankan government Wednesday appeared to resort to delaying tactics to stall a move by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to topple President Chandrika Kumaratunga's People's Alliance coalition.
The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister's interview was released to all media on Wednesday. Kadirgamar had said that he was told at the weekend that Oslo was willing to continue its assistance for as long as both parties in the Tamil conflict needed it. His statement came two days after the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerillas warned Norway's peace bid would be "permanently damaged" by Colombo's renewed air attacks at the weekend. "The government of Norway took some time, which is only reasonable, to decide in what manner it was going to take the peace process forward with high level political commitment," Kadirgamar said in his interview. "That explains the Silence on the part of the government of Norway and the government of Sri Lanka over the last three weeks." The new Norwegian team consists of Deputy Foreign Minister Johanssen, Norway's ambassador to Sri Lanka, Jon Westborg, Solheim and Kjersti Tromsdal, executive officer of the Foreign Ministry, Kadirgamar said. Kadirgamar had also defended the latest government air attacks against Tamil rebel positions in the face of statements of concern by US and the Indian government over Sri Lankan air raids. Kadirgamar said the government was commited to a political settlement and the air attacks were in self-defence to prevent a major rebel offensive against the northern peninsula of Jaffna.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.04: The government of Norway is to revive its peace efforts in Sri Lanka with a new four-member team headed by deputy foreign minister Raymond Johanssen, Sri Lanka's foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgmar says in an interview with an unspecified special correspondent.
Parliament approves the state of emergency every month after a parliamentary vote. The emergency laws give sweeping powers to the security authorities aimed at countering separatist rebel threats. "I have been informed that the emergency will not be taken up for debate as scheduled on Friday," Dhammika Kitulgoda, Secretary-General of parliament said adding no new date had been set. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said on Tuesday it would vote against the motion, threatening the political viability of the ruling Peoples' Alliance, which lost its parliamentary majority on 20 June with the cross over of the key Muslim ally SLMC to the opposition ranks. The combined opposition has 116 seats in the 225-member house, including the speaker who cannot vote. The government was reduced to 109 seats. The government had warned that opposition attempts to defeat the emergency would play into the hands of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerillas. The emergency debate, the analysts said, was expected to set the voting pattern for the proposed no-confidence motion which needs support of the Muslim Congress and ex-rebel Marxist party, the JVP. Both have not been able to make their minds up as to how they should vote in the no-faith vote though both were expected to vote against the government on the emergency vote. The opposition's idea to have the no-faith motion taken up for debate this month, received a huge blow when the meeting of party leaders in parliament ended in deadlock on Wednesday.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.04: The government on Wednesday abandoned plans to extend a state of emergency after the main opposition United National Party said it would vote against the motion in parliament.
Economic growth in the first quarter of this year was sharply lower at 1.3 percent from a year earlier compared with 6.6 percent in the same period last year, bank officials said. "The expected slower growth was largely due to slowing down of economic activities in industrial countries, which crippled the demand for manufactured exports," the bank said in a statement. The central bank had forecast 4.5 percent GDP growth in calendar year 2001 compared with 6.0 percent in 2000, but economists said the latest political developments have made their original projections too optimistic.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.04: Sri Lanka's economy is headed for more trouble because of political instability and a severe energy shortage, the central bank said here Wednesday.
While India said that there was no alternative to peace,the United States said today that violence had a tendency to beget violence and reiterated its "strong" support to the Norwegian brokered peace process. A statement issued by the US embassy in Colombo said:" We have noted with concern the Sri Lankan government's decision over the weekend to bomb LTTE positions in the Jaffna peninsula. While we respect the right of any nation to defend its territorial integrity,it is also true that violence begets violence. " Recalling Secretary of State Gen.Colin Powell's statement in May,the embassy said that the US would "continue to strongly support Norway's attempt to facilitate peaceful negotiations."
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.03: Close on the heels of India's expression of "great disappointment", the United States Tuyesday expressed its "concern" over the air raids against LTTE positions in the Jaffna peninsula.
In an official statement issued from their headquarters in the Wanni, the Tigers described the air strikes as "provocative aggression and calculated escalation" and denied government claims that the attacks were an attempt to pre-empt a planned offensive by the LTTE to recapture the town of Jaffna. The Tigers' statement said the government would have to bear the complete responsibility of the consequences that may arise from renewed violence. The LTTE claims that it has made every effort to de-escalate the conflict by declaring a unilateral cease-fire and suspending attacks in the south of the island, with the aim of promoting the Norwegian backed peace plan. The Sri Lanka Air Force in the past two days have been bombing rebel positions in Jaffna and claiming that huge damages have been caused in rebel territory. However, the LTTE has yet to comment on their losses.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.02: The LTTE Monday warned the Sri Lankan government that the peace process could suffer permanent damage if the Air Force continued its air raids on LTTE positions in Jaffna.
Balapatabendi has tendered his resignation but President Kumaratunga has asked him to continue until the present political crisis could be resolved, the sources added. De Mel, who is being blamed for tension in the educational sphere over new educational reforms and a controversial switch to the English medium, is said to be at loggerheads with her minister Susil Premjayantha. Richard Pathirana the former Education Minister also had a running battle with De Mel who then headed the Presidential Task Force on educational reforms. Balapatabendi on his retirement is to resume his legal practice, it is learnt.
Lankapress COLOMBO, July.01: Tara De Mel, the Secretary to the Ministry of Education is to replace Kusumsiri Balapatabendi as the Presidential Secretary, reliable political sources said.
"Airforce Kfir and migs bombed suspected rebel positions at Pooneryn, southern sector of Jaffna peninsula", an airforce officials told Lankapress. No figures of casualties available. Significantly, the air attacks have come after a lull of more than two months and the resumption of military offensives against rebels by the government troops in the midst of a political crisis is being viewed with interest by the political watchers. The government has been reduced to a minority in parliament and faces an opposition moved vote of no-faith in parliament mid July. It is not unusal for the government to resume military offensives against the Tamil rebels whenever they find themselves in
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 30 : The government troops carried out air strikes against the LTTE early Saturday, the defence officials said.
SB Dissanayake said over state radio and television that there would be chaos in the country if the government fails to win approval for the extension of emergency laws that give wide powers to the military and the police. Sri Lankan parliament gives monthly approval to emergency laws, first imposed in March 1983. The laws give sweeping powers to authorities to arrest and detain any person for anti-government acts for long periods without trial. The emergency extension for July is to be debated on 6 July. Since the government is now reduced to a minority in parliament as a result of the current political crisis situation it is feared that the laws may be defeated. "Troops will have to be withdrawn from the north-east, terrorist suspects will have to be freed... there will be chaos," minister Dissanayake was quoted as saying. A defeat over the emergency laws will not require the government to resign. The UNP who have been opposing the motion to extend emergency every month is aware of the consequences. There have not been any clear indication as to how the party would vote in the motion. If they did vote against the motion, the analysts said, would add to the UNP bashing campaign by the state media to brand them as working hand-in-glove with the rebel separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) guerillas.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 30 : Senior minister SB Dissanayake Friday warned of street protests if the main UNP voted against the emergency.
The Tamil and Muslim parties say nine-tenths of rape cases go unreported for fear of Reprisals and social stigma. The parties want the government to change the law to deny bail to alleged rapists and introduce the death penalty for gang rape. But some Tamil human rights activists say such protests achieve very little and they propose documenting cases against the security forces and taking them to the international courts. The latest incident reported was last Sunday when at least four Police and Army personnel were charged with raping a 27 year old Tamil mother of two at a Central Colombo security check point.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 30 : Tamil opposition political parties in Sri Lanka have called for a day of protest next Friday agaist what they termed an increasing number of gang rapes of minority Tamil women by the security forces.
Over 100 people shouted slogans and waved banners against the Maharaja Organization, which owns several television and radio stations, accusing it of bribing ruling party legislators to vote against their own government. "Stop giving money to people who want to topple the government," the placards read. Among the main movers of the demonstrators was the Co-ordinating Secretary to Deputy Minister Mervyn Silva. The UNP proposed the no-confidence motion after President Chandrika Kumaratunga's governing alliance lost its majority in Parliament with the crossing over to the opposition by Rauf Hakeem, a key Muslim ally. Hakeem was earlier sacked from the Cabinet by Kumaratunga which followed his crossing over to the opposition with six other legislators. The move reduced the government's strength to 109 seats in the 225-member parliament. The UNP and its allies have 97 seats. The other seats are held by several opposition parties that may remain neutral during the proposed vote. Both the opposition and the government have made counter allegations that large amounts of money have been paid to legislators to influence their votes.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 30 : A pro-government group demonstrated against the Maharajah Group of companies, accusing it of funding a move by the UNP to defeat the government in a no-faith vote in Parliament.
The census officials said Thursday that the separatist rebels, who want to set up a separate state for the Tamils, would not allow enumerators into certain parts of the island. The national census, which is to be held on July 17, will take place in all areas but the north and east, the official's fear. "The census in Jaffna and the Wanni is meeting with a lack of cooperation and we are not sure if it will be possible to carry out an actual head count there," AGW Nanayakkara the Director General of the Census and Statistics Department said. The city of Jaffna is the northern capital and he center of the 18-year-old separatist rebellion. The Wanni region is under control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam guerillas. The government is asking the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees to appeal to the rebels to allow the census, Nanayakkara said. The data collection process of the census got under way on Monday. Volunteers and government officials are visiting households with questionnaires and personally interview residents. The separatist rebels have expressed opposition to the head count. The moderate Tamil political parties also have asked the government to exclude the war torn north & east from the census as the large number of displaced persons did not allow an accurate count. The parties fear that a census taken now would show a distorted picture of population in the areas concerned. These inaccurate figures would reflect adversely on the Tamil population for university education and parliamentary representation in addition to the other benefits which are calculated based on ethnic ratios, they claim. According to the 1981 census, Buddhists are the majority at 69.3%, followed by Hindus, who are 15.4% of the population. Christians make up about 7.6% and Muslims 7.6%. Almost the entire Buddhist population are Sinhalese and most Hindus are Tamils.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 28 : Sri Lanka's first national census in 20 years which is scheduled for next month may not give an accurate count of the minority Tamils.
Mr. Bandaranike schedule to hold official discussion with the Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihary Vajpayee, Opposition Leader Soniya Gandhi and Lok Sabha Speaker Mohana Chandra during his stay in India. His 5 day visit will end on June 2. Mr. Bandaranaike was forced last month to cancel his official visit to London in view of his ruling on the Supreme Court order which sought to restrain him from entertaining a motion of impeachment against the Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 28 : Speaker Anura Bandaranaike has left for New Delhi early Thursday Morning. The Sri Lankan Parliamentary Speaker is to attend an official function of the Punjab state assembly in Chandigarh.
Both indices remained virtually unchanged on a day where Advances edged out Declines by a 20 to 16 margin. A net foreign outflow was of Rs. 2,5 million was recorded for the day. The Colombo Share Market closed with the All Share index closing at 426.40, no change from the previous day 's 426.30. Meanwhile, the Milanka index closed at 641.70 today up 0.3 percent from previous day's 640.00. Today's top five gainers were Hayleys, up by Rs. 3.00; Seylan Bank(D30), up by Rs. 2.00; Haycarb, up by Rs.1.50; Tangerin, up by Rs.1.00; and Lanka Tiles, up by Rs. 0.75. The top five losers were Cargeels, by Rs. 4.50; Dipped Products, by Rs. 2.00; HNB(X), Soy Foodand Trans Asia, by Rs. 1.50 each. Today's turnover was Rs. 8,995,803 , loss 73 percent from previous day's Rs. 33,450,732. Today's foreign purchases were Rs. 211,000 and foreign sales were Rs. 2,736,960. Yesterday, foreign buying was Rs. 12,311,350 and selling amounted to Rs. 19,404,050.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 27 : The Colombo Stock Market witnessed yet another disappointing day of trading as investors continued to shy away from the Colombo bourse. Market turnover closed the day at an extremely dull Rs. 8.9 million.
There was no official announcement of her destination. Significantly the President has asked the Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake to act for her during her absence. Ever since Sri Lanka adopted executive presidential system of governance in 1978, no President had ever before appointed the Prime Minister to act during their absence from the country. The article 37(1) of the constitution states "If the President is of the opinion that by reason of illness, absence from Sri Lanka or any other cause he will be unable to to exercise perform or discharge the powers duties and functions of his office, he may appoint Prime Minister to exercise perform and discharge the powers.....". The analysts say that Wickremanayake's appointment to act for the President underlined the seriousness of the current political crisis faced by the government. Kumaratunga sacked the leader of her key ally last Wednesday from the Cabinet prompting the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress to leave the government and cross the floor of parliament. As a result Kumaratunga's government was reduced to a minority in the 225 member Sri Lankan parliament. Two days later the main opposition moved a vote of no-confidence on her government aimed at toppling Kumaratunga's 8 month old People's Alliance coalition.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 27 : Gripped by an unprecedented crisis in the government, the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga took time off Wednesday to leave the country for a brief visit overseas.
A senior parliamentary official told Lankapress that opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had asked Speaker Anura Bandaranaike to nominate a majority of opposition MPs to a select committee which Bandaranaike is expected to announce in order to investigate charges against Chief Justice Sarath Nanda Silva. If Bandaranaike complied with the opposition request it would present his sister Kumaratunga with another serious crisis in addition to the quitting of her key ally, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and a vote of no-confidence moved by the UNP against her 8-month old government. Parliamentary committees by procedure are headed by government legislators who form the majority. An opposition legislator would certainly expedite the proceedings against Silva, a handpicked nominee of Kumaratunga, purely as an exercise of embarrassing the President.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 26 : Having pushed the ruling People's Alliance government to a minority in parliament main opposition United National Party (UNP) Tuesday moved for a controlling hold in all parliamentary committees.
The guerrillas detonated a mine as the bus drove through the Madduvil area, they said. "The attack was a surprise because it took place in a cleared area. Casualties could rise", military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said. Though there have been no major battles between the rebels and the government troops, skirmishes claim dozens of lives every week in Sri Lanka's northern and northeastern provinces.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 25 : The LTTE gueriilas blew up an army bus in the northern Jaffna peninsula on Monday, killing at least four soldiers and wounding 22, defence officials said.
The SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem Monday met Speaker Anura Bandaranaike to request security for him as he was in serious threat, SLMC Spokesman told the Lanka Press. Mr. Hakeem had complained to the speaker that his security was removed even before he received the removal letter from President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Mr. Hakeem had also said that his life was under serious threat and requested the Speaker's intervention to provide security for him as as a party leader.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 25 : The SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem is scheduled to meet National Unity Alliance leader Ferial Ashraaf on Tuesday. Hakeem is expected to convey the SLMC high Command's decision of appointing Mrs. Ashraaf as chairman of the SLMC, party sources said.
The party's central committee had on Saturday night empowered its parliamentary group consisting 10 legislators to decide how to cast their pivotal votes in an opposition bid to topple President Chandrika Kumaratunga's minority government. The main opposition UNP on Friday had moved a motion of no trust against Kumaratunga's shaky coalition, the People's Alliance. "The parliamentary group of the JVP has been entrusted with the responsibility of making the decision on the no-confidence motion," the party statement said, adding the decision would be made when the motion comes up for debate late next month. The ex-rebel statement said "We will only look at how to gain the maximum benefit from this situation for the people and the country". The JVP won seats in parliament for the first time in the parliamentary election held in October 2000. Their support mainly coming from middle class of the society who are disgruntled with the two main political parties, the PA and the UNP. Both parties have launched brutal crackdowns of JVP rebellions separately in 1971 and 1989.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 24 : The JVP said on Sunday "We are not interested in propping up or bringing down either of these two capitalist, imperialist parties".
Simon Bell, Senior Financial Economist and project leader said, "As the supervisor and regulator of the financial system, the Central Bank is, in many ways, the heart of the economy-ensuring the smooth flow of financial resources throughout all parts of the country to support investment and growth, and ultimately a better standard of life for all Sri Lankans." Bell also said, "Sri Lanka has achieved a number of important steps to keep the financial system in place with a modern and increasingly global economic environment". Since mid 2000, Central Bank staff has received intense training on the role of the Central Bank. A release from the Central Bank said modernisation of the institution was an important pillar in a growing and dynamic economy. The total cost of the project is about US$ 42 million of which the government would be providing US$ 10.7 million while the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) would provide US$ 1 million. A spokesman for the CBSL said that the Bank had initiated the modernisation project after a critical examination of its operations. In order to attain multiple objectives, the CB had to be reorganised to improve professionalism and internal operational efficiency. The primary role of the CBSL is maintaining price stability, the external value of the currency and the stability of the financial system. This project would include an abundance of staff training, introduction of Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) with electronic payment, trading of government securities and bonds in an electronic form and the automation of book entry and general ledger accounts.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 24 : The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) is to be modernised with World Bank assistance. The World Bank will provide a credit of US$30.3 million to provide resources and technical assistance to bolster ongoing improvements and modernisation at the Central Bank.
Her reaction to the Friday's motion engineered by the main opposition United National Party came as the UNP awaited the main left party JVP's decision to make up the 113 MPs it needs to defeat the government on the floor of the 225-member Parliament. Kumaratunga's government was reduced to a minority on Wednesday when the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress withdrew support in the wake of the removal of its leader and Trade Minister Rauff Hakeem from the Cabinet. However, a four-member faction within the SLMC has chosen to remain loyal to the government, while Hakeem's own group of seven MPs has not openly announced their support to the UNP motion. "Changing of sides by small parties in a coalition government is not strange, and the cross-over by a small faction of the SLMC will not affect the government," Kumaratunga said. Although reduced to a minority in the House, it does not mean that President Chandrika Kumaratunga or her PA coalition has to quit office. Sri Lanka has a presidential form of government, in which the directly elected executive president is not only largely independent of parliament, but also has greater powers. Under such a system, the constitution envisages the possibility of an executive president from one party and a parliament and prime minister from another. It is only when the government is defeated on a money bill or a motion of no confidence, that the prime minister has to resign. The president is unaffected. It is not even mandatory for the president to call the leader of the opposition to form an alternative government. The president enjoys the discretion to choose anyone who commands a majority in the house.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 23 : Faced with an opposition motion to topple her government, the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has said that nobody could topple her government. "We are still strong, and alternative means are available to strengthen the government's power," Kumaratunga said at a function at the Bandaranaike family base at Attanagalla.
The separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) closed the Piramanalankulam check point which is also used to transport humanitarian supplies to rebel-held areas, the ministry said. It said the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had told local military authorities that trucks from rebel-held areas had not turned up Saturday to take supplies from the government-held area of Vavuniya.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 23 : The LTTE guerrillas have shut down a check point through which civilians and international humanitarian agencies cross thefrontlines in to the war torn north, a defence ministry release said Saturday.
Wickremesinghe met Kumaratunga at the latter's invitation to discuss the stalled Norwegian peace effort. The UNP just several hours prior to the two leaders' summit had handed over to the Secretary General of parliament the motion of no-confidence sigend by 97 MPs. The UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya said that the motion is expected to be placed on the parliamentary order paper in the first week of next month.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 22 : The UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had told President Chandrika Kumaratunga that no confidence motion and the peace effort are two separate issues.
Ashraff told a live television interview over ITN that although she had ceased to be a member of the Kumaratunga Cabinet she and three other SLMC legislators would continue to support the government. This crucial split in the SLMC has given new hopes to Kumaratunga that she would be able to wade off a challenge by the main opposition UNP to topple her 8 month old administration. Ferial Ashraff, the first Muslim woman to become a Sri Lankan Cabinet minister, entered politics after the death of her husband. Her television appearance came as a shock to Rauf Hakeem, the SLMC leader, who was sacked by Kumaratunga on Wednesday. The SLMC politburo which met at the same time as Asharff appeared on state television, had decided to call explanation from her, AM Sadhique, a SLMC politburo member told SAMWonline. Ashraff provides a rare instance of a Muslim lady politician in a country of 1.3 million Muslims. Unlike Sri Lankan women representing both the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils, the Muslim women do not usually take part in politics.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 22 : Ferial Ashraff, the widow of the founder of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, provided the battered administration of President Chandrika Kumaratunga with a much needed boost on Thursday.
"Mr. Rauf Hakeem was removed from the Cabinet of Ministers because of his violation of the principle of collective responsibility of the Cabinet of Ministers; his activities and attitudes were damaging the government, the country and national unity. I wish to emphasize that this decision was in no way one that was taken against the Muslim community or the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress. I wish to further state that my government will leave no cause for concern or create any difficulty for the Muslim community as a result of the considered decision to remove Mr. Hakeem from the Cabinet of Ministers", the President had said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 22 : President Kumaratunga in a statement issued Thursday said that Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) Leader Rauf Hakeem was removed from the Cabinet because he violated the principle of collective responsibility of the Cabinet.
The ASPI and MPI appreciated by 2 points (0.5%) and 4 points (0.6%) respectively. The Prices rose at the Colombo Share Market with the All Share index closing at 430.90, up from the previous day 's 428.90. The All Share index up by 0.5 percent. Meanwhile, the Milanka index closed at 650.20 today up 0.6 percent from previous day's 646.20. Today's top five gainers were Browns, up by Rs. 5.00; Tangerine, up by Rs. 2.00; CTC and Grain Elevators, up by Rs. 1.75 each; and Central Finance, up by Rs.1.00. The top losers were DFCC by Rs. 5.50; Commercial Bank, Lanka Lubricant (Caltex),Watawala, by Rs. 1.00 each; and Soy Foods, by Rs. 0.75. Today's turnover was Rs. 51,856,761, up 87 percent from previous day's Rs. 27,692,364. Today's foreign purchases were Rs. 7,951,095 and foreign sales were Rs.35,952,925. Yesterday, foreign buying was Rs. 6,666,850 and selling amounted to Rs. 3,071,638.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 22 : The political uncertainty which cropped up Wednesday seems to have renewed investor enthusiasm in the market, resulting in both indices witnessing for the second day.
Meanwhile, the Milanka index closed at 646.20 today up 2.8 percent from previous day's 628.50. The day's top five gainers were Pegasus Hotels and Richard Pieris, up by Rs. 3.00 each; DFCC, up by Rs. 2.50; Commercial Bank and Sampath Bank, up by Rs.2.00 each. The top losers were Renuka City Hotel by Rs.1.00; Int. Tourists, Ocean View Ltd and Royal Ceramics by Rs. 0.50 each; Royal Pham Beach Hotel by Rs.0.25. The day's turnover was Rs. 27,692,364, up 123 percent from previous day's Rs. 12,414,239. The day's foreign purchases were Rs. 6,666,850 and foreign sales were Rs. 3,071,638. On Wednesday, the foreign buying was Rs.1,847,825 and selling amounted to Rs. 400,500. The political uncertainty which cropped up yesterday seems to have renewed investor enthusiasm in the market, resulting in both indices witnessing the sharpest gains for the year so far. The ASPI and MPI appreciated by 9.4 points (2.2%) and 17.7 points (2.8%) respectively, on a day where Advances dominated Declines by a staggering 70 to 6 margin. Market turnover ended the day on a moderate Rs. 27.7 Million. The foreign purchase of a quantity of Caltex Lubricant shares resulted in a net foreign inflow to be recorded for the day. It is left to be seen whether the above trend would continue or fade away in the next couple of days.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 21 : The Colombo stock exchange seemed to have been boosted up by the current political stir as the Prices rose Thursday at the Colombo Share Market with the All Share index closing at 428.90, up from the previous day 's 419.50. The All Share index up by 2.2 percent.
The dignitaries of Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Catholic and Anglican priests are to meet their religious counterparts and civilians in Jaffna to explain the Southern people's yearnings for peace and the need to initiate a dialogue between people in the North and the South. Secretary to the National Integration and Ethnic Affairs Ministry, Prof. Gamini Keerawella said that along with religious leaders from Jaffna a People's Peace Committee was formed Tuesday at the Jaffna Kachcheri. The visit is a part of the North-South Exchange program of the Ministry of National Integration and Ethnic Affairs.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 21 : A group of religious leaders are currently in the Northern province carrying the message of peace.
Census chief A. G. Nanayakkara said the July 18 falls on Nekath day So the census has been moved forward to July 17. "We decided to advance our census by a day to July 17 or else our enumerators would have had to spend time at wedding receptions," Nanayakkara said. Some 115,000 people will be deployed for the first head count since 1981. The government has declared a half-day holiday on July 17 and has urged people to remain indoors in the evening, so they can be counted.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 21 : The first national census since 1981 is to be brought forward by a day because the authorities had chosen one of the most astrologically auspicious days of the year for the head count.
Kebithigollewa police said that the gambling place, had been run by a PA Pradeshiya Saba member in a Temple premises, who was also injured due to the incident. Police said that according to initial investigations the incident was sparked after two groups had started argument, while gambling, an army deserter had thrown a hand grenade. The army deserter also killed due to the explosion. Police also said that the villagers recanted running for the gambling place in the Temple premises, but the Pradeshiya Saba members had been run the place using his power. The injured persons were rushed to the Anuradhapura and Kebithigollewa hospitals. Four of them were said to be critical condition, police said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 21 : At least four persons were killed and seventeen others were injured when a hand grenade explosion rocked a gambling place in Kebithigollewa in the Anuradhapura district.
The SLMC decision to quit the government came after the sacking of its leader Rauf Hakeem from the ministry of Trade and Muslim Religious Affairs by the President Chandrika Kumaratunga early Wednesday morning. Addressing a press gathering Rauf Hakeem said "We have decided to leave the government. All our members who hold positions in the government would quit their posts". The SLMC leader said that the party would sit in the opposition and maintain its own neutral identity. Commenting on his unexpected sacking the SLMC leader said "I must thank the President, by her decision she has relieved me of the guilt of being part of a government which had a flawed mandate". Hakeem declared that the government had humiliated the SLMC by its action. Hakeem's partnership with Kumaratunga's People's Alliance has been Fettered with a shopping list of broken promises. The SLMC leader backed out of a pledge he made to quit the government after 100 days of forming the PA government after its close victory in the general election last October if none of the independent commissions towards greater democracy were appointed. Hakeem having warned the government on Saturday denied Tuesday that he had had talks with the main opposition UNP. The analysts said that Hakeem's sacking would pave way for a government move to woo the widow of the SLMC founder MHM Ashraff, Ferial to keep the government afloat. But Mrs Ashraff showed solidarity with Hakeem and announced that she would abide by the SLMC decision. It has not yet emerged if the PA coalition would be toppled due to SLMC's withdrawal of support. The vote of no-confidence to be moved by the UNP this week against the government would be an acid testof survival for the Kumaratunga government.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 20 : The ruling People's Alliance was plunged into serious crisis Wednesday With the decision to quit the government by its main ally, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC). The government effectively lost its majority in the 225 member parliament as seven of the SLMC's 11 MPs crossed over and took seats in the opposition benches in parliament.
A Parliamentary Select Committee will now be set up to study the impeachment charges. Bandaranaike told the House today that he would not allow for the supremacy of parliament to be violated by the courts. Delivering an unprecedented ruling in the House, Bandaranaike said "I am deeply conscious of my responsibility and obligation as your Speaker and as the custodian of the historic rights and privileges of this Assembly and its members to be ever vigilant against such intrusions from any place outside of this House". Bandaranaike, the brother of the President and an opposition legislator asserted that "The Supreme Court had no jurisdiction to issue the interim orders restraining the Speaker". The Speaker's ruling has come in as a further blow for his sister Kumaratunga's shaky coalition already beset with problems related to its main ally, the SLMC who barely minutes after the Speaker's ruling decided to quit the government.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 20 : Sri Lanka's parliamentary Speaker Anura Bandaranaike Wednesday in a historical ruling told Parliament that he will not abide by a Supreme Court order preventing him from proceeding with parliamentary procedure to probe an impeachment motion against the Chief Justice. Bandaranaike said the document carrying charges against the highest judicial officer in the land, Sarath Nanda Silva would be placed on the Order Paper and Parliament would immediately begin proceedings to investigate and assess the charges.
Mr. Hakeem was the Minister of Trade, Commerce Naval Development and Muslim Religious affaires. The President Kumarathunga has taken this measure powers vested on her under the constitution. Mr. Hakeem is leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the General Secretary of the National Unity Alliance (NUA). Eleven members are representing NUA and SLMC in the Parliament. The SLMC and NUA is key ally in the Peoples Alliance Government.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 19 : The President Chandrika Kumaratunga sacked Minister Rauff Hakeem from her Cabinet.
Bandaranaike announced that he had arrived at a decision after a great deal of consideration on the matter. Bandaranaike told the House "I wish to inform the House that I have been studying very closely the important matters raised in the House on 6 June 2001, pertaining to the Motion of Impeachment against the Chief Justice received by me, and will be making my ruling tomorrow morning". Speculation is rife that the Speaker will ignore the Stay Order issued by the Supreme Court which restrains him from appointing a Parliamentary Select Committee to probe the allegations. On 6 June the main opposition United National Party and the main left party the JVP, signed a motion calling for the impeachment of Sarath Nanda Silva, Chief Justice, on charges of misconduct and abuse of power. The Supreme Court order restraining Bandaranaike came in for heavy criticism by members of parliament representing all political parties claiming that the order violated the supremacy of parliament.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 19 : Speaker of Sri Lankan parliament Anura Bandaranaike told the national Parliament Tuesday morning that he will announce his decision on the impeachment motion against the country's Chief Justice on June 20.
Both indices witnessed marginal changes on a day where Advances edged out Declines by a 15 to 11 margin. Sectorially, only the Banks Finance & Insurance and the Beverage Food and Tobacco sectors indices saw gains. There were declines witnessed in five sector indices with the Chemicals & Pharmaceutical sector witnessing the sharpest depreciation. The number of sector indices that remained unchanged totaled nine for the day. The Colombo Share Market closed with the All Share index closing at 416.10, up from the previous day 's 416.20. The All Share index closed with no change. Meanwhile, the Milanka index closed at 625.40 today with no change from previous day's 625.10. Today's top five gainers were DFCC, up by Rs. 3.00; Seylan Bank (D20), up by Rs. 2.50; Kelani Cables, up by Rs. 1.75; Lanka Tiles, up by Rs. 0.75; Int. Tourists, up by Rs. 0.50. The top losers were LOLC, by Rs. 2.75; DIMO and Dipped Products, by Rs.1.75; Haycarb, by Rs.1.50; Richard Pieris, by Rs.1.00. Today's turnover was Rs. 3,888,099 , loss 93 percent from previous day's Rs. 52,350,288. Today's foreign purchases were Rs. 434,300 and foreign sales were Rs. 10,500. Previous day's, foreign buying was Rs. 33,875,025 and selling amounted to Rs. 32,300,675.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 18 : The Stock Market recorded the lowest turnover so far for the month of June as both local as well as foreign investors stayed away from the market.
The party reiterates the need of a practical political solution to the ethnic conflict. These details were highlighted in a statement issued by the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Mahajana Party, Parliamentarian Ranjith Navaratne on Monday. The proposal to urge the government to convene an All Party Conference was passed unanimously at the Executive Committee meeting of the SLMP held at the Party Headquarters in the morning. The General Secretary of the SLMP in his statement further points out that they have decided to extend their support to the Presidents peace efforts continuously. The party hopes to organize a peace march from Colombo to Kataragama by the end of next month.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 18 : The Sri Lanka Mahajana Party (SLMP) has proposed to the government that An All Party Conference (APC) be convened with a view to restore peace in the country.
Hakeem was addressing a Colombo press conference following his meeting Friday night with the President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Hakeem, who is also the minister of Trade and the Muslim Religious Affairs in the fragile coalition of Kumaratunga said that "SLMC is not an appendation, will never be an appendation of the PA. We are an independent neutral party". Hakeem said that the party had faced a challenge to its integrity. The SLMC leader was not very clear when asked if he would leave the government, saying that they still had faith in Kumaratunga as "the most minority friendly leader" in the country. Hakeem lamented however that the party is now paying for its folly of joining hands with the PA, when their late leader's last wish was to leave the PA. The young SLMC leader said that he told the President that the PA's mandate in the last parliamentary election was "a flawed mandate". Although the President had not agreed with him he asserted that had there been an independent election commission in the country during then last parliamentary election, the ruling PA would not have been able to come to power. The SLMC leader further said that his party would vote in favour of an opposition sponsored no confidence motion against a government minister for his alleged involvement in communal riots in the central town of Mawanella. Hakeem was asked about the result of his meeting with the President. "No assurances sought or given". But he warned the government "don't try to mess around with my party by using agents within the party". Although Hakeem did not name "the agents" the inference is widely believed to be on the widow of the late founder leader of the SLMC, Ferial Ashraff who is also a government minister, and a former MP Hisbullah. Both of them are closer to Kumaratunga.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 16 : The leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Rauf Hakeem warned Saturday that the ruling People's Alliance government must not try humiliate and cause damage to the dignity of his party by getting the elements within the PA to make disparaging remarks about the SLMC.
The commercial operation of the new plant is to commence op 15 June 2002. The Company which is a subsidiary of AES Corporation USA will own and operate the new plant. They will sell electricity to the Ceylon Electricity Board under a 20 year power purchase agreement. The AES Kelanitissa has signed financing agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and ANZ investment Bank for the financing of its 16.15 megawatt combined cycle diesel fired power plant. Sri Lanka's commercial giant Hayleys Ltd is the local partner of AES and will be shareholders in the project. The AES USA has operations in 32 countries and is one of the FORTUNE 500 companies.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 16 : Hundred million US dollar new thermal power plant is to start in north of Colombo by AES Kellanitissa (Private) Limited.
Speaking after opening the new building of the Ministry of Youth Affairs the Prime Minister said it was not too late yet for al parties concerned to begin peace talks. The Prime Minister has been a strong opponent of the LTTE demand to lift the proscription to begin peace talks.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 15 : Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayake warned Frday that the door opened to peace will not be open for ever and called on all parties to think of the future generations and take part in the peace process.
Mr. Hakeem is involved in a power struggle for the control of the party with Ferial Ashraff. Hakeem cancelled a scheduled meeting of the SLMC Politburo tonight. The Politburo was expected to confirm Mr.Hakeem as the leader of the SLMC and its sister party the National Unity Alliance. Ferial Ashraff was appointed as the leader of the NUA after the general elections last October, in a compromise deal to end a rift in the party at the time. Ashraff is aiming to remove Hakeem as general secretary of NUA. Ashraff is being backed by President Kumaratunga amidst reports that Hakeem was planning to leave the People's Alliance government.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 15 : Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauf Hakeem is to meet with the President Chandrika Kumaratunga Friday night to iron out differences as the internal battle in the party continued.
This transaction accounted for 82% of today's market turnover. For the second consecutive day both indices witnessed marginal changes on a day where Advances led Declines by a 24 to 13 margin. Foreign activity too continued to remain on the quiet side. Top five gainers were UAL up By Rs.1.00; REG up by Rs. 0.75; AHUN, CCS and DIPD, up by Rs. 0.50 each. Top five losers were NDB by Rs. 1.50; UML by Rs. 1.25; DFCC, HAYC and HPP by Rs. 1.00 each. Today All Share Index closed at 418.50 with no change from yesterdays 418.50. Meanwhile Milanka Index closed at 631.60 yesterday loosing 0.3 percent from yesterdays 633.20. Turnover amounted to Rs. 31,044,081 while yesterday was Rs.16,510,043.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 14 : The transfer of 6.8 million shares of Asia Capital was the highlight of another lackluster day of trading.
An airport spokesman said that Sri Lankan airlines flight UL201 which had taken off at 3.20 pm local time is currently being checked for explosives after the airport authorities received a phone call claiming that a bomb was on board the flight. All passengers and cargo have been evacuated.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 12 : A Sri Lankan Airbus A33O flight which left Colombo International Airport with 134 passengers for Doha in Qatar was forced to return to the airport after 25 minutes from take off Tuesday afternoon following a bomb warning.
A close friend of Mr. Balapatabendi said that he will not return to Colombo even if the President Kumaratunga asks him to do so. "He insists that he is under medical treatment though the actual reason I feel is nothing to do with that," he said. Mr. Balapatabendi was at the center of several controversies before he left the country. When inquired from the Presidential Secretariat, Mrs. Ratnayake, Personal Assistant to Mr. Balapatabendi confirmed that Mr. Balapatabendi left for London last week and yet to return.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 12 : Secretary to the President Chandrika Kumaratunga, Mr. Kusumsiri. Balapatabendi has left for London last week, and it is reliably learnt, is refusing to come back.
The Prices dropped at the Colombo Share Market with the All Share index closing at 420.10, down from yesterday 's 420.60. The All Share index down by 0.1 percent. Meanwhile, the Milanka index closed at 638.80 today up from yesterday's 638.10. Today's top five gainers were Hotels Corporation and CSF (D13), up by Rs. 4.00 each; Ceylon Tobacco, up by Rs.1.75 Hatton National Bank (D14), up by Rs. 1.50; Ceylon Investments, up by Rs.1.00. The top losers were Browns by Rs. 10.00; Cold Stores, by Rs. 5.75; Arpico, by Rs. 3.25; Seylan Bank (D20) by Rs.3.00; Hotel Sigiriya by Rs.2.00. Today's turnover was Rs. 20,684,117, loss 69 percent from previous day's Rs. 66,406,351. Today's foreign purchases were Rs. 3,375,200 and foreign sales were Rs. 5,388,725. Yesterday, foreign buying was Rs. 939,450 and selling amounted to Rs. 9,003,875. Disteleries Company recorded a profit after tax of Rs.721.2 million for the year ended 31st March 2001. This is an Increase of 40 percent from previous years figure of Rs.514.2 million, a stock broker said. Gross turnover which totalled Rs.12.1 million for the year is an increase of 14 percent from the previous years figure of Rs.10.6million, he said. Net turnover saw a year on year increase of 15 percent Profit from operations saw an year on year increase of 22 percent. While Profit before Taxation witnessed an increase of 32 percent when compared with the previous year, he added.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 11 : The market witnessed rather quiet session with DFCC and JKH shares
accounting for 43 percent and 25 percent of today's market turnover
which totalled Rs.20.7 million. Foreign activities was mainly seen in JKH where there was a transfer of a significant volume.
Bandaranaike had told the President that he will be accepting the Impeachment motion handed over by the opposition against the Chief Justice at a breakfast meeting on Sunday morning. The Speaker had said that he will follow the powers vested on him from the constitution and he will accept the motion and follow the normal procedure, informed sources told the Daily Mirror. He also said that he would not follow the Supreme Court stay order. Supreme court does not have powers to take over parliamentary privileges, he had stated. He had also said that both the government and opposition members had requested him to ignore the Supreme Court order.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 10 : Speaker Anura Bandaranaike was said to have told the President his ruling on the impeachment motion against Chief justice Sarath N. Silva on Sunday at the Presidents House.
The President had conveyed the decision to the Norwegian Foreign Minister Thjorborn Jagland in Colombo. The LTTE called for the lifting of the ban placed on them with the bomb attack at Dalanda Maligawa in Kandy in January 1998, as a pre-requisite to enter talks. Jagland left Colombo on Friday after Sri Lanka's decision to call for the ouster of Erik Solheim as the facilitator. The Norwegian Ambassador Jon Westborg on Friday evening had briefed the Indian High Commissioner in Colombo, Gopalakrishna Gandhi on the latest development on the peace process. The diplomatic sources said that Jagland is expected to replace Solheim as Sri Lanka's peace facilitator. How the LTTE would react to Jagland remains to be seen while they had expressed their anguish at what they termed Sri Lanka's unilateral decision to remove Solheim.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 10 : President Chandrika Kumaratunga has agreed to lift the ban on the LTTE to pave way for Norwegian brokered peace talks, the official sources said Sunday.
Sri Lanka on Friday announced that the Colombo government has called for higher level Norwegian peace facilitation inferring that Solheim, an opposition politician had been shown the door. The LTTE rebels expressed its displeasure over the unilateral initiative taken by the Sri Lankan government to effect a change in the role and function of the Norwegian peace envoy Solheim. "This initiative was undertaken to downgrade and marginalise Mr. Solheim from his active, impartial facilitatory role under the guise of upgrading the level of Norwegian involvement", the statement said. The rebel go on to say that "The hasty manner in which the Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Jagland was summoned to Colombo for a closed door secret meeting with President Kumaratunga and the Foreign Minister Mr. Kadirgamar, where a critical decision was made to up-grade the status of facilitation without the consultation of the LTTE, the other party in the conflict, is, in our view, improper. The facilitatory process in peace making is not an exercise in inter-governmental relations; it involves tripartite relations between the facilitator and the parties in conflict. As a facilitator, the Government of Norway is under obligation to consult both protagonists before making crucial decisions with regards to its level of involvement or engagement. Making a bi-lateral decision with the government of Sri Lanka, circumventing the other party in conflict entails a breach of protocol and neutrality". The rebels blame the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Lakshman Kadirgamar, a fellow Tamil, for being unhappy with Solheim's facilitatory role. The LTTE rebels note with sadness "the Sri Lanka government has deliberately affected a crafty diplomatic ruse to down-grade and marginalise Mr. Solheim by a ploy of up-grading the facilitatory engagement". Erik Solheim, the Norwegian peace facilitator was involved since early 2000, in facilitating peace talks between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE rebels. The peace process reached a deadlock with the rebel demand for de-proscription and the Sri Lankan government refusal to comply with the demand.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 10 : The LTTE Sunday slammed the government decision to call for the removal of Erik Solheim, the Norwegian facilitator in Sri Lanka's long drawn out ethnic conflict.
The Sri Lankan Supreme Court issued an interim injunction June 6, restraining the Speaker, from appointing a Parliamentary Select Committee to investigate the allegations against the country's Chief Justice, Sarath Nanda Silva. The court order placed the country on brink of an unprecedented constitutional impasse. Bandaranaike, who is the brother of the President was expected to make a ruling on the matter. He was due to leave for Britain on Saturday night to attend a 2-day conference. A source in Bandaranaike's office told SAMWonline that the Speaker had delayed his departure until Wednesday in view of the crisis. Bandaranaike a member of the UNP, the main opposition, was inducted in the office of the parliamentary Speaker under a very rare consensus arrangement between the two main political parties in the country. Speculation was rife that Bandaranaike may in an apparent attempt to please his sister would rule in favour of the government by declining to entertain the motion against the Chief Justice, who was handpicked by his sister for the position. Bandaranaike however as the custodian of the rights and privileges of parliament was expected to safeguard the supremacy of parliament in the light of an unprecedented challenge from the Supreme Court. The court order prevents Bandaranaike from appointing a Parliamentary Select Committee until the final determination of the Fundamental Rights application filed by three lawyers on behalf of the government.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 09 : Speaker Anura Bandaranaike has delayed his visit overseas in view of the current constitutional impasse in the country, the 'Daily Mirror' reported Saturday.
Amid reports that Sri Lanka may sideline Erik Solheim from the peace process, a senior moderate Tamil politician said Friday that this move by the President Kumaratunga could have disastrous political consequences on the President. "If she does it, would be a very foolish move" said Veerasinghem Anandasangaree, Senior Vice President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). Mr. Anandasangaree commended Solheim on his peace making efforts and said he was the best man for the job. "If he is removed, peace efforts will have to start all over again", he warned. Solheim and Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorbjorn Jagland arrived in Sri Lanka on Thursday on President Kumarathunga's invitation.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 08 : Erik Solheim has been dropped from playing the facilitator's role in the peace process. A foreign ministry release said that Solheim had not participated in talks with the President and the government of Norway had decided to participater at a higher level.
The bank said that the deficit figure excluded aircraft purchases for national carrier SriLankan Airlines during that period. However the Bank did not provide a trade deficit figure inclusive of the purchases. The central bank said the value of exports rose 2.9 per cent in the January-April period to US dollars 1.585 billion, compared with US dollars 1.541 billion in the same period last year. It said the increase in export earnings mostly reflected higher exports of agricultural, industrial and mineral products. Imports in the period under review fell by 7.5 per cent to an estimated US dollars 2.104 billion, compared with US dollars 2.275 billion a year ago. The central bank estimates the trade deficit in 2001 will narrow to US dollars 1.2 billion from US dollars 1.9 billion last year.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 08 : Sri Lanka's trade deficit narrowed to a provisional US dollars 518.3 million in the first four months of this year, compared with a gap of US dollars 734.2 million in the same period in 2000, the central bank said Friday.
Addressing a Colombo news conference Thursday morning, Rajapakse added the suggestion will be made when an Indo-Sri Lankan monitoring committee to look into the issue of trespassing fishermen gets off the ground. The Sri Lankan fisheries minister said that during his talks with the Indian counterpart Nitish Kumar in New Delhi both countries had expressed keenness to approach the increasingly difficult problem of poaching "in a spirit of compassion and humanity while giving due recognition to the security imperatives of both countries". High up on the agenda was an amnesty for fishermen arrested by authorities of both countries and kept in their respective jails. The ministers considered a once-and- for-all pardon to all fishermen held in detention at a particular date. Rajapakse said to date there were 63 Sri Lankans behind bars in Indian jails while 51 Indian fishermen were being held here. He urged the speedy setting up of the joint monitoring committee to settle "matters which are of concern to poor and innocent small-scale fishermen". Both sides are considering an exchange of some detained fishermen as "a symbolic gesture of friendship and goodwill between the two countries", he said. The ministers also discussed the maritime corridor, which will take the island's fishermen through India's exclusive economic zone into international waters. Sri Lanka has already handed over maps giving two possible routes and is waiting for India's assent.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 07 : Sri Lanka is to ask India to begin joint patrolling in the seas between the two countries to deter fishermen from crossing the maritime boundary, Fisheries Minister Mahinda Rajapakse said.
The visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister Thorbjoern Jagland and Norwegian peace facilitator in Sri Lanka Erik Solheim would hold talks with President Chandrika Kumaratunga later on Thursday, diplomats said. Just a few hours before the arrival of Norwegian diplomats, a joint forum of at least 31 non governmental organizations striving for ethnic harmony in the country held a parley in Colombo and said that they "would strongly urge the government to lift the ban on the rebel group if the ban is an impediment for holding the peace talks. "The issue of de-proscription could be resolved by suspending the ban to enable negotiations to commence...." Raja Dharmapala, a spokesman for the forum said. The LTTE has repeatedly said the ban must be lifted before any talks can begin. Erik Solheim has been shuttling between Colombo and the rebels in an effort to bring the two sides to the negotiating table.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 07 : The Norwegian Foreign Minister arrived in Sri Lanka on Thursday as the government came under renewed pressure to lift a ban on the LTTE to help push forward a stalled peace process.
This caused market turnover to end the day at a rather active Rs.33Mn, Bartleet Stock Brokers said. The All Share Index and Milanka Price Index remained 419.37 and 635.52 respectively. Today's top five gainers were Equity and DFCC, up by Rs. 3.00 each; Ceylon Investments, up by Rs. 1.75; Central Sec., up by Rs.0.75. and Taj Lanka, up by Rs. 0.50. The top losers were Printcare(CEY) by Rs. 7.00; Balangoda Plantations, Lanka Walltile Seylan Bank and Asiri, by Rs. 0.50 each. Other heavily traded shares were,Malwatta Plantation 116,300 and Bata 21,200. The local participation for the today's turnover was over 95 percent. Today's turnover was Rs. 33,044,484,up 144 percent from yesterday's Rs. 13,553,312. Today's foreign purchases were Rs. 33,000 and foreign sales were Rs. 65,375. Yesterday, foreign buying was Rs.20,825 and selling amounted to Rs. 355,771. The UK pound recovered some ground on Thursday after hitting 15-year lows.The currency last traded at $1.3915 after earlier weakening to $1.3877, its lowest since early 1986. The Bank of England has always said that the pound would have to fall for euro entry because it would not be good for the economy if the UK went into monetary union with its currency at present levels, Bartleet said. "It would have to trade at around that level for the government to give the go-ahead for entry," analysts said. The UK's leading businessman are in favour of the country's early entry into the euro to reduce currency conversion costs from their businesses.While a weaker pound makes imports more expensive, it also makes British exports cheaper and more competitive, which would boost industry. UK voters are going to the polls on Thursday to elect a new government in a general election.A significant quantity of DFCC, 268,900 and Print Care, 203,300 shares dominated proceedings at the Colombo bourse today. This caused market turnover to end the day at a rather active Rs.33Mn, Bartleet Stockk Brokers said. The All Share Index and Milanka Price Index remained 419.37 and 635.52 respectively. Today's top five gainers were Equity and DFCC, up by Rs. 3.00 each; Ceylon Investments, up by Rs. 1.75; Central Sec., up by Rs.0.75. and Taj Lanka, up by Rs. 0.50. The top losers were Printcare(CEY) by Rs. 7.00; Balangoda Plantations, Lanka Walltile Seylan Bank and Asiri, by Rs. 0.50 each. Other heavily traded shares were,Malwatta Plantation 116,300 and Bata 21,200. The local participation for the today's turnover was over 95 percent. Today's turnover was Rs. 33,044,484, up 144 percent from yesterday's Rs. 13,553,312. Today's foreign purchases were Rs.33,000 and foreign sales were Rs. 65,375. Yesterday, foreign buying was Rs. 20,825 and selling amounted to Rs. 355,771. The UK pound recovered some ground on Thursday after hitting 15-year lows.The currency last traded at $1.3915 after earlier weakening to $1.3877, its lowest since early 1986. The Bank of England has always said that the pound would have to fall for euro entry because it would not be good for the economy if the UK went into monetary union with its currency at present levels, Bartleet said. "It would have to trade at around that level for the government to give the go-ahead for entry," analysts said. The UK's leading businessman are in favour of the country's early entry into the euro to reduce currency conversion costs from their businesses. While a weaker pound makes imports more expensive, it also makes British exports cheaper and more competitive, which would boost industry. UK voters are going to the polls on Thursday to elect a new government in a general election.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 07 : A significant quantity of 268,900 shares of DFCC and 203,300 shares of Print Care dominated the proceedings at the Colombo bourse today.
"We handed over the motion at 1.10 this afternoon to Speaker", a UNP spokesman said. At least 77 MPs representing the UNP and the main left party, the JVPhave signed the motion. The constitution requires that a minimum of 75 members in the 225 seat parliament support a resolution seeking the removal of the chief justice or any other judge of the Supreme Court. Speaker Anura Bandaranaike, is expected to appoint a panel of legislators to investigate he allegations against Silva, who was handpicked by his sister for the post. The UNPers expressed confidence that the support of the ruling party legislators would be forthcoming. The analysts said that the motion against chief justice will be a test for the President's coalition which is also expected to face a vote of no-confidence in parliament soon. The government has only a four-seat majority in parliament and depends on two minority parties to remain in power.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 06 : The UNP Wednesday moved in parliament to impeach Sri Lanka's Chief JusticeSarath Nanda Silva on charges of misconduct and immoral behaviour.
The motion argues that there can be no peace in Sri Lanka unless the LTTE is made a participant in the quest for peace. De-proscription of the rebels has been named as a pre-requisite by the rebel group if they are to enter the Norwegian brokered talks with the government. The peace process has reached a deadlock on the issue of de-proscription as the Sri Lankan government has stated its unwilligness to comply with the rebel demand. More than 60,000 people have been killed in Sri Lanka's ethnic war. The LTTE rebels are fighting the government forces in the north & east provinces in their quest to set up a separate state for the minority Tamil community.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 06 : The All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) is to table a motion in the Sri Lankan parliament urging the government to lift the ban on the separatist rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) at the earliest. ACTC spokesman and its sole legislator in Sri Lankan parliament A.Vinayagamoothy said that de-proscription would enable the LTTE to enter peace talks with the government as an "equal" and also as the "sole representative" of the Tamil people.
Significant volumes of Richard Pieris shares which changed hands was the highlight of the day's trading, accounting for 75% of today's market turnover of Rs.13.5mn. Both the ASPI and the more sensitive MPI declined by 1.33 points and 1.68 points respectively on a day where price declines outnumbered Advances by a 24 to 20 margin. Foreign activity, which made its presence felt during the previous week, was virtually nonexistent today, Bartleet Stock Brokers told Lankapress. The top five gainers of the day were Cargills by Rs.4.50, John Keells up by Rs. 2.00, Ceylon Investments up by Rs. 1.25, United Motors up by Rs.1.00 and Bairaha Farms up by Rs.0.75. The top five losers were Ceylon Brewery by Rs. 3.50, DFCC and Trans Asia by Rs. 2.00 each, Saylan Bank by Rs. 1.50, and Cold Stores by Rs. 1.00. The day's turnover amounted to Rs.13,553,312 losing 56 percent with compared to yesterday's Rs.30,903,879. The day's foreign purchases were Rs. 20,825 losing 80 percent from Tuesday's Rs.102,550. Foreign sales amounted to Rs. 355,771 gaining 64 percent from yesterday's Rs. 216,750.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 06 : The trading experienced a relatively subdued day at the Colombo Stock Exchange on Wednesday, the brokers said.
The constitution is the supreme law and not the UDA act or any other law," said the Jaffna Mayor said. If the Minister persisted in grabbing the functions of the local authorities at this rate, the work of these authorities will be reduced to only collecting garbage, he pointed out. "People elected us not only to ensure collection of garbage but a good administration in the area" If The Minister feels that a particular local government body is inefficient and is not capable of delivering to the people then the Minister or the government should assist that body and help taking remedial action instead of interfering with its administration.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 05 : The Urban Development Authority is usurping the powers of the local bodies while the government is talking about the devolution of powers, Jaffna Mayor Ravi Raj said. Colombo Municipal Council sued the UDA for taking over of Viharamaha Devi Park as the Minister Mangala Samarawera ordered the taking over of CMC's functions under UDA wing such as the city water supply. "Under the 13th amendment to the constitution wide powers have been devolved to local authorities.
The JVP and the Tamil parties had agreed to support the motion, he added. JVP Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath said that the JVP will support the impeachment motion against Chief Justice. "This is a decision by the entire UNP parliamentary group, and the entire 88 members are signing the motion", Dr Senaratne said. Meanwhile the Chief Opposition Whip W.J.M.Lokubandara said that the party was in the process of collecting the signatures in support the motion. Lokubandara headed the party's committee appointed to bring the motion in to shape.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 05 : The UNP is to hand over the impeachment Motion against Chief Justice Sarath N Silva in Parliament on Wednesday. UNP Parliamentarian Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that the party had put the final touches to the impeachment motion against the Chief Justice and will be handed over to the Speaker when it meets on Wednesday.
The rebel attack took place in Valachchenai in the eastern provincial Batticaloa district, about 230 km from the capital Colombo when
the rebels launched an attack on a checkpoint near the local army headquarters. An unconfirmed report said that up to five civilians had
been killed in the fighting. The hospital sources in Batticaloa city could confirm that only four civilians had been admitted to hospital. There
was still sporadic fighting late on Tuesday morning. The LTTE rebels have been fighting since 1983 for a separate state for minority Tamils in the north and east. A Norwegian-brokered initiative to bring the two sides to the negotiating table is stalled over a rebel demand that the government lift a ban on their organisation before talks begin. Sri Lankan leader Kumaratunga has gone on record saying that her government would not give into the rebel demand for de-proscription.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 05 : A day after the government forces attacked one of their key bases, the
rebel separatist Tamil Tiger guerillas (LTTE)staged a dawn attack in eastern Sri Lanka, Tuesday, the defence officials said. At least six
soldiers were killed and another nine injured. One civilian also died and 14 were wounded when they got caught up in the crossfire, the defence
sources said.
The Tamil United Liberation Front also extended its support to the motion against the government. The Jaffna Mayor Ravi Raj (TULF) said that the support comes because the Party is confident of the UNP's ability to solve the ethnic problem. "The government should think of the entire nation but the president is promoting only one group; EPDP. We can not end the war by promoting the EPDP," he added. The money given by the international community for rehabilitation and development of the north and east appear to be going into other means, he alleged. "We don't mind anybody assisting the EPDP but they should use the funds to rehabilitate and develop the north if they are meant for that," he added. He also accused the government for failing to reciprocate the unilateral ceasefire declared by the LTTE for four months, and start the peace process. "Today thousands of Sri Lankans are suffering because of the government's stubborn attitude. Whoever is killed in this war, that is another Sri Lankan," he added. The JVP however wished to reserve its comments till the "actual document" was placed before them, for scrutiny. JVP Parliamentarian, Vijitha Herath claimed that any decision on the motion would have to follow a meeting of the party hierarchy.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 05 : The United National Party is expected to bring the no-confidence motion against the government within this month. Deputy Party Leader, Karu Jyasuriya said that the Party was presently in the process of putting final touches to the document. UNP MP Dr Rajitha Senaratne said that the party was confident of its abiolity topple the government through the vote of no-confidence.
President Chandrika Kumaratunga in a statement has expressed grief on the death of the Nepalese royal family. "I was deeply grieved and profoundly shocked to learn of the sudden and untimely death of His Majesty Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Her Majesty Queen Aiswarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah Devi and several members of the Nepalese Royal Family in a tragic incident at the Narayanhity Palace", the Sri Lankan President had said. "His Majesty the King was a true friend of Sri Lanka and worked tirelessly to promote friendship and cooperation between our two countries and peoples. The warm reception and hospitality extended to me by Their Majesties and other members of the Royal family during my state visit to Nepal in 1999 still remain vivid in my memory", the President adds.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 03 : The Third Special Session of the Standing Committee of SAARC scheduled to be held on 8th and 9th of June has been postponed as a mark of respect to the late His Majesty the King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Her Majesty the Queen Aiswarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah of Nepal, a foreign ministry release said Saturday.
In the previous month the rate of inflation on the same basis was 13 per cent. However the annual inflation on the basis of a 12 month moving average rose to 11.5 per cent in May from 10.3 per cent in April. Most of the consumer products had recorded sharp price increases in May. "The price increases in food items can be mainly attributed to the short supply of consumer goods to the main markets in Colombo city and also due to the hike in prices of fuel", the Census and Statistics Department said.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 02 : The Department of Census and Statistics said Sunday that the Sri Lankan inflation rose to 16 per cent in May on a point-to-point May 2000 to May 2001 basis.
The President was addressing delegates from 34 countries who were in Colombo to attend an internatioal seminar titled 'Media and Democracy'. Sri Lanka's peace process brokered by the Norwegians have reached a stalemate following demands by the rebels and the government's refusal to acceded to their demands. The rebels told the Norwegian facilitator Erik Solheim mid May that a proscription imposed by the Colombo government should be lifted if they were to enter peace talks. As much as the President's appeal, the rebels too made similar appeals to the international community to influence the Sri Lankan government on the need to enter peace talks with them. Meanwhile the President on Friday evening at a Buddhist religious ceremony in Gampola had blamed the rebel separatist Liberation Tiger (LTTE) guerillas of placing ludicrous conditions for peace talks. "I assure the country here that my government will not accede to any conditions placed by the LTTE which are detrimental to the country at large. We have already accepted two conditions put forward by the LTTE. But it is the one which they are calling the most which we can no accept", Kumaratunga had said referring to the rebel demand for de-proscription. More than 60,000 people have been killed since 1983 in Sri Lanka's ethnic war. The rebel separatist LTTE are fighting the government forces in the north & east provinces in their quest to set up an independent homeland for the ethnic minority Tamils.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 02 : Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has appealed to the international community "to do everything possible to bring LTTE to peace talks", a Presidential Secretariat release said Saturday.
Very few journalists have traveled to rebel-held areas despite the restrictions, which have been in place for more than five years. A US journalist based in London, Marie Colvin, was shot and wounded when she tried to cross front lines in the Vavuniya district in April. Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga on Wednesday ordered to revoke the censorship on military news. The government gave no reasons for the decision.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 02 : The Sri Lankan newspaper Editors' Guild Friday welcomed the lifting of a three-year military censorship and asked for the lifting of a ban on travel to the battle zone in the country's north & east provinces. The Editors' Guild said the lifting of the censorship was "long overdue".
This is the first time that De Silva has not been offered a contract ever since he came into the national side in March 1984. The interim committee source said that despite De Silva's non-inclusion among the 13 contracted players he would be paid on a per match basis. De Silva who has scored 5952 test runs and 8430 one day international runs for Sri Lanka was last month included in the 22 member pool to play in the forthcoming triangular series with New Zealand and India followed by the tests against India. The new contracts are said to be offering each of the 13 contracted players US dollars 40,000 with provision to go up to 50,000 by way of bonuses and tour fees. The fringed players are set to receive US dollars 2,500.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 02 : The Sri Lankan Cricket authorities have not renewed the contract with the country's premier batsman Aravinda De Silva. The leading Sri Lankan run getter in both forms of international cricket has not been included in the recently awarded new contracts which has come into effect for 12 months from 1 March, an interim cricket committee source said Saturday.
The order issued on 21 May had prevented the interim committee from operating any of the bank accounts maintained at five separate banks. The order was made on an application by the sacked cricket administration led by Tilanga Sumathipala. The sacked President claimed that the Sports Minister had no right to authorise any interim committee appointed by him to deal with any funds belonging to the sacked administration. "The enjoining order has been vacated", the Chief Executive of the Cricket Board, Anura Tennakoon said Friday. Immediately after the enjoining order the Sports Minister Lakshman Kiriella was quoted as saying that the government would provide necessary funds for the interim committee to run cricket in the country.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 01 : The Colombo Commercial High Court on Friday vacated an enjoining order on interim cricket administration.
At least six security personnel and four civilians, and four rebels have been killed. In the first clash around 0800 Friday the LTTE gunmen ambushed a joint army and police patrol at Gomarankadawala in the Trincomalee district. The second attack came six kilometers away later in the day. A group of 15 rebels had also abducted a Sinhalese fisherman in the area, the military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne said. The latest LTTE attacks come nine days after they ambushed a navy bus killing 14 and wounding 38 in the same area.
Lankapress COLOMBO, June 01 : The death toll in two separate attacks carried out by the LTTE in northeastern Sri Lanka Friday, has risen to 14, the defence officials said.
Meanwhile, the Milanka index closed at 637.00 today losing 1.2 percent from yesterday's 644.60. Today's top five gainers were Renuka City Hotels, up by Rs. 3.00; Asiri, Ceylon Brewery and Royal Ceramics, up by Rs. 0.75 each; Colonial Mtr, up by Rs. 0.50. The top losers were Seylan Bank (D20), by Rs. 5.00; LOLC,by Rs. 3.50; AEC , by Rs. 2.00; JKH and Tokyo Cement by Rs. 1.00 each. Today's turnover was Rs.49,608,503, up 603 percent from yesterday's Rs. 7,057,766. Today's foreign purchases were Rs. 14,174,300 and foreign sales were Rs.27,583,311. Yesterday, foreign buying was Rs.120,352 and selling amounted to Rs. 582,350. A rather hectic day of trading, dominated by foreign activity was witnessed at the Colombo Share Market. Market turnover totalled a relatively high Rs. 49.6 Million with foreign purchases and sales accounting for 29% and 56% of this figure. Both indices lost some of the gains witnessed during the past few days, with the ASPI and the more sensitive MPI giving up as much as 2.2 points and 7.6 points during the day. Price Declines outnumbered Advances by a 22 to 17 margin. Significant volumes of foreign selling was seen in Hatton National Bank, John Keells Holdings, Aitken Spence and Distilleries shares. Although there were foreign purchases of shares in John Keells Holdings and Aitken Spence, a net foreign outflow of Rs. 13.41 Million was recorded. Not to be outdone, local activity too made its contribution to turnover with significant quantities of DFCC and Royal Ceramics shares changing hand accounting for nearly 10% and 11% respectively of market turnover.
Lankapress COLOMBO, May 31 : The Prices took a tumble at the Colombo Share Market with the All Share index closing at 420.20, down from the previous day 's 423.00. The All Share index loss by 0.7 percent.
Commenting on the LTTE's decision Monday not to extend the ceasefire beyond midnight Tuesday, Brigadier Karunaratne said, "the calling off the ceasefire by the LTTE does not make much difference as the Tigers themselves have violated the unilateral ceasefire 220 times during the past four months". Brigadier Karunaratne said the army was always on high alert. "During the period of their so-called ceasefire period from last December
24 midnight up to this morning, five soldiers and three civilians were killed, 89 soldiers and five civilians wounded while five soldiers and one civilian were missing," he said. The LTTE in a statement issued Monday night had declared that it would not extend the four-month old unilateral ceasefire as it was a futile exercise since the government refused to respond positively. In a reaction to the LTTE statement the Sri Lankan government said Tuesday it was still open to Norwegian brokered peace talks with Tamil rebels, even though they have announced an end to a unilateral truce, in effect since Christmas Eve. "The doors are open for talks with or without a truce," said Ariya Rubasinghe, the Government Director of
Information. "The government did not ask for a truce.", he added
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 24 : The military spokesman Brigadier Sanath Karunaratne, Tuesday said that the calling off the ceasefire by the LTTE does not make much of a difference.
They have accused the government of exploiting their gesture to its own advantage. "We are compelled to make this painful decision as a consequence of the
hardline, intransigent attitude of the Sri Lankan government, which has not only refused to reciprocate positively to our peace gesture but intensified land, sea and air attacks causing heavy casualties to our side", the LTTE statement said. The LTTE, fighting for a separate Tamil homeland declared a unilateral ceasefire last Christmas Eve to help push forward a Norwegian-brokered peace talks. The two sides have been moving closer to talks since then but have accused each other of not being sincere about wanting negotiations. "It has become impossible to contain the military assaults of the enemy with our self-restrained defensive tactics without resorting to counter-offensive operations. Under such dangerous conditions we can no longer sustain our self-imposed truce which the enemy has been exploiting to its own advantage".
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 23 : The LTTE has announced on Monday they will not extend a four-month-old ceasefire set to expire at midnight on April 24.
Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar earlier announced that the dates for talks would be announced in April while speaking in parliament during the committee stage vote on his Ministry. Anton Balasingham at a meeting with Erik Solheim had insisted on government compliance with three pre conditions including the lifting of the ban on the LTTE according to the 'Sunday Observer'. The comments made by the Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and the deputy defence Minister Anurudda Ratwatte that the LTTE should come forward for talks without any pre-conditions are being seen as hardening of the government stance on the talks.
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 23 : The Norwegian brokered peace talks will not take place in May the diplomatic sources said Monday.
Wickremesinghe following a meeting with the party seniors Monday said that the UNP would move a vote of no confidence in the government in June. "We have today decided to press ahead with the no-confidence resolution in parliament to bring the government down," the UNP leader said.
A four-member committee headed by Wickremesinghe is expected to draft the parliamentary motion expressing no-trust against the government. A UNP press release said that in the face of severe economic bankruptcy of the government it indulges in a campaign of creating divisions within the UNP.
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 23 : The Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe has denied that there was a UNP revolt against his leadership and dismissed it as government propaganda to create dissension within the UNP.
Yet it has come with many strings attached such as the acceleration of privatisation and improve public services, cuts on subsidies on fuel, electricity and transport.
Five days before the IMF money was pledged, the government increased diesel prices by about 12 percent leading to prices increases and soaring cost of living.
The IMF said it was offering the credits to help Sri Lanka rebuild its dwindling foreign exchange reserves and ensure growth.
"The program aims to restore macroeconomic stability through an improvement in the financial position of the public sector and the rebuilding of official reserves, supported by a flexible exchange rate," the IMF quoted its deputy managing director Shigemitsu Sugisaki.
The IMF has said it expected the government to reduce its 2000 budget deficit, which were 9.8 percent of GDP to about 8.5 percent of GDP in 2001 and further reductions to about 5.0 percent in the medium term.
"The budget target is to be achieved through increased tax revenue by widening the tax base and increasing tax rates, as well as lower security-related spending and strict expenditure controls," the IMF said.
"Other key reforms (necessary) include improvements in the operations of the two state banks, rationalisation of the civil service, reform of the civil service pension system, improvements in the functioning of the labour markets and the removal of the remaining limits on inward foreign direct investments," the IMF said.
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 21 : The International Monetary Fund has approved a 253 million US dollar line of credit enabling Sri Lanka to immediately borrow about 131 million US dollars, an IMF release said Friday.
A Major and 12 soldiers have been detained for questioning by
the military Police over an assault on Inspector W.P.J Senadheera, the
officer in charge of the Pulmoddai police station, military spokesman Brigadier
Sanath Karunaratne said. Senadheera was allegedly beaten up on Tuesday by a
group of soldiers in the presence of his wife, while police say there was a
second assault inside the local army camp. The senior police officers
in the area have signed a petition demanding an investigation.
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 20 : A group of soldiers have been arrested for beating up a policeman
following an argument at a checkpoint in Pulmoddai, military officials said on
Friday.
A naval patrol spotted seven rebel boats heading
towards the coast in the early hours Friday, apparently carrying supplies to
the coastal area near where the LTTE have their main military base,
military spokesman Sanath Karunaratne said. Having alerted by a Naval patrol
sailors of the nearby navy base launched a joint operation with the air force.
Brigadier Karunaratne said four of the boats, each capable of carrying
five to 10 people and supplies were destroyed. Three of the boats escaped.
Friday's sea battle was the second this week in which there has been an
escalation of clashes between the LTTE and the Navy.
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 20 : Navy attacked a flotilla of LTTE boats off the northern coast early
Friday, destroying four vessels and killing several rebels, the defense
officials said.
"It
is no secret that alleged mismanagement of the Corporation has often been
highlighted especially in the matter of recruitment of personnel", the
statement hits out. It advises the government to haver an indepth look
into the management of the Petroleum Corporation. Those who are found to
have been responsible for mismanagement have to be dealt with. The two
parties have blamed the price hike on mismanagement by the Corporation
management and ask for their removal.
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 20 : The Communist Party and the Lanka Sama Samaja Party in a joint
statement have condemned the government decision to raise the diesel price.
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 19 : The Paris based Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), an international media
rights organization expressed concern Thursday over what it called
serious
shortcomings in a police investigation of a journalist's slaying in Sri
Lanka. The RSF has written to the Sri Lankan President Chandrika
Kumaratunga, saying that the government appeared unwilling to shed
light on
the death of Mylvaganam Nimalarajan. Nimalarajan, who reported for the
BBC's Tamil Service and several other privately owned media
institutions in
Colombo from the northern capital of Jaffna, was found dead in his
Jaffna
home in October. The RSF says in its letter to the Sri Lankan President
that it "deplores that six months after Nimalarajan's murder, the
investigation has been stalled. "We urge you to do all in your power to
ensure that the journalist's death is investigated properly". On April
6,
the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists wrote to
Kumaratunga,
expressing similar concern on Nimalarajan's murder investigation. The
RSF
has pointed out that Nimalarajan exposed allegations of intimidation,
violence and fraud marring the 10 October parliamentary elections in
the
Jaffna district, particularly by the Eelam People's Democratic Party
(EPDP). He was killed days after the voting, which gave Kumaratunga's
government a second term with EPDP providing key numbers to secure
absolute
majority with the help of several other allies.
Back...
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 19 : The leader of the UNP Ranil Wickremesinghe has said that his party
would
be compelled to withdraw support extended to the government to resolve
the
country's ethnic conflict unless the government took steps to appoint
independent commissions aimed at creating a free civil society. The UNP
has
been clamouring for the setting up of independent Elections, Police
Public
Serrvice and Media Commissions in order to protect and strengthen the
democracy in Sri Lanka. The UNP release issued Wednesday said that
party
leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who is currently on a tour of Norway had
emphasised this point to the Norwegian government. "The UNP has
displayed
it's bona fides by fully supporting a consensus between the government
and
the LTTE to pave way for lasting peace. The government must reciprocate
by
establishing the four independent commissions", Wickremesinghe is
quoted as
saying the Norwegians. The government of Norway is endeavouring to
broker
peace between the government of Sri Lanka and the rebel LTTE guerillas
who
have been fighting since 1983 to set up an indepdendent homeland for
the
ethnic minority Tamils in Sri Lanka's north & east provinces. The UNP
idea
for independent commissions come in the wake of successive elections
marred
with violence and wide spread allegations of vote rigging. In the
absence
of independent commissions the UNP feels that contesting elections
would be
of no use when the government could muster all the state resources at
its
command to their advantage in their bid to win the election.
Back...
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 18 : The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday urged
Sri
Lanka to open its war zone to the media after an American reporter was
wounded during an unauthorised crossing of battle lines in the
country's
north. Marie Colvin, a correspondent for London's Sunday Times,
suffered shrapnel wounds on Tuesday during a pre-dawn skirmish between
government troops and the LTTE in Vavuniya. "(Sri Lanka) urgently needs
to
work with journalists to develop a system allowing local and
international
media regular access to all parts of the country," the committee said
in a
statement. The committee, which describes itself as a non-partisan,
non-profit organisation, said it was concerned that the government
wanted
to be more cautious about letting foreign correspondents into the
country
after it found that Colvin had overstayed her visa.
Back...
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 17 : A US journalist working for the British Sunday Times newspaper had been
injured when she was caught in the crossfire between the Army and the
LTTE
at Piramanankulam in Vavuniya Monday night. Marie Colvin had received
as
many as four injuries when she was hit by shrapnels from a grenade
attack.
She was rushed to the national hospital in Colombo for eye treatment.
Back...
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 16 : The Army commander Sunday offered amnesty to nearly 15,000 deserters.
In
newspaper advertisements, Lt. Gen. Lionel Balagalle said army deserters
who
rejoin service will face minimum punishment. The Army Commander has
said
that 4,544 such deserters took advantage of a similar amnesty offered
last
year. The army has declared more than a dozen amnesties in the past
five
years to tackle the growing problem of desertions in the 120,000-strong
military. The new amnesty period, beginning April Monday, will last one
week.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 16 : An Indian passenger who was injured while trying to escape a fire aboard a Sri Lankan Airlines plane has died in hospital, diplomats said Monday. Kattula Sammiah, 28, was among four passengers who were hurt while trying to flee the Frankfurt bound Sri Lankan Airlines Airbus A330 which aborted take off when the cabin filled with smoke last Wednesday. Sammiah died at the national hospital here on Sunday night. The Indian High Commissioner (ambassador) in Colombo Gopalkrishna Gandhi had visited him in hospital just before he died, the hospital sources said.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 16 : For the third time in six months the government raised the price of diesel and kerosene oil Monday by up to 12 percent, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation officials said. The price of kerosene oil widely used in the country's rual areas mainly for lamps and cooking stoves increased from 18.40 rupees per litre to 19.40 rupees while diesel mostly used for public transport rose from 24.50 rupees to 27.50 rupees. The latest fuel price increase is the third since November 16 and represents an increase of one hundred fourteen per cent since the February of last year. This latest fuel price hike is bound to cause further escalation of cost of living in the country, the economic analysts predicted.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 16 : At least four Dvoras belonging to the Navy suffered serious damages as
Naval gun boats and LTTE were engaged in a heavy exchange of fire off
northern coast early Monday, the defence officials said. The military
spokesman Sanath Karunaratne said that pre-dawn sea battle erupted off
the
coast of Chalai when the navy detected a flotilla of rebel boats. The
air
force had been deployed to provide cover to two damaged naval craft.
Karunaratne added that seven LTTE boats were involved in the attack and
two
had been hit by the navy. The defence ministry had earlier accused the
rebels of violating their unilateral truce and trying to lay mines
outside
military bases during the government's New Year cease-fire, which is
due to
end Tuesday.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 16 : At least five people were killed and over 1000 were injured during Sri
Lanka's traditional New Year holiday period, the reports reaching
Colombo
from various provincial hospitals said. Most of them were due to
alcohol
related cases, drink-driving and brawls.
The bodies of five people who were killed in clashes and accidents were
brought to the National Hospital in Colombo. Remarkably the number
injured
due to fire crackers have dropped, the health officials said. Generally
the
fire cracker related injuries are high during the festive period as
millions of crackers are burnt heralding the dawn of several auspicious
times during the period.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 16 :Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe is to meet the Norwegian
peace facilitator Erik Solheim in the Norwegian capital Oslo on
Tuesday,
the UNP sources said Monday. Wickeremesinghe who is on an official
visit of
the Scandinavian country trying to broker peace in Sri Lanka had
arrived in
the Norwegian capital Sunday via London. He will also meet the other
senior
Norwegian officials, the UNP sources said.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 16 : Secretary to the Treasury PB Jayasundera has warned that all government
expenditure must be brought to barest minimum. According to his
circular
dated 4 April addressed to all ministry and provincial council
secretaries,
departmental heads, and chairmen of all stautory bodies, immediate
action
has to be taken to affect a 10 per cent cut of all overtime and
payments in
lieu of leave. Further all institutions have been warned not to make
any
new purchases of vehicles, office equipment, furniture and machinery.
All
non priority project must be halted and no new recruitments be made.
The
circular has also called for a 10 per cent cut down in all recurrent
expenditure. Meanwhile the Minister of Public Administration Richard
Pathirana has said that all loans of public service employees have been
suspended due to lack of financial provisions available currently.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 15 : The moderate Tamil political parties have urged the government to
continue
with its limited ceasefire announced to mark the traditional Sinhala
and
Tamil New Year. The five day ceasefire with the LTTE is due to end on
Tuesday. The TULF welcomed the truce and they are of the opinion that
the
truce should be continued indefinitely. Its Vice President V
Anandasangaree
said that both the government and the LTTE need to show flexibility. An
ex-Tamil militant group now a key ally of the government, Eelam
People's
Democratic Party (EPDP) said that ceasefire was a welcome development.
"We
need the peace process to be expedited", an EPDP spokesmamn said.
Several
other Tamil parties the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam
(PLOTE), All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC), Eelam People's Revolution
Liberation Front (EPRLF) and Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO)
also have called for continuation of the ceasefire.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 12 : President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Leader of the Opposition Ranil
Wickremesinghe have both left Colombo early Thursday morning for visits
overseas, the respctive officials said. Their foreign trips have come
after the government budget presentation in parliament, the one month
long
debate on which was concluded Wednesday; the longest in the country's
history. The President Chandrika Kumaratunga has taken wing for London
her
officials said while her rival, Ranil Wickremesinghe has left for Oslo,
the
Norwegian capital. Kumaratunga spent a hectic week in pacifying her
jittery
coalition allies who it was thought were party to a move by
Wickremesinghe's United National Party to defeat the government in
Wednesday's vote on the budget. The Sri Lankan President was eventually
succesful in retaining her coalition allies by apparently promising
them
more stake in the government by way of deputy ministerial positions
according to poltiical watchers. Wickremesinghe who is said to be
under
constant pressure from his party to step up a campaign to turn heat on
the
government is travelling to Oslo on a private visit. Back...
Lankapress
COLOMBO April 11 : The government secured the support of all its coalition partners to
resist
an opposition attempt to engineer defections in order to defeat the
vote in
the third reading of the budget in parliament Wednesday. It was a
narrow
116-107 victory for the government. President Chandrika Kumaratunga who
met
leaders of the minority Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and the Sri Lanka
Muslim Congress (SLMC)earlier in the week, had secured their firm
backing
for the government, by giving them further promises to meet their
demands.
The government is said to have offered two junior ministry positions to
CWC
and SLMC to keep them within a shaky coalition in order to stem an
opposition move to bring the government down. However the Leader of the
Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe was not in favour of the move to defeat
the
government claiming that it was not the right climate for such a move,
the
political sources said.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 11 : TThe Government has declared a five- day ceasefire to mark the Sinhala
and
Tamil New Year on April 14 and announced a surprise decision to release
10
prisoners including two Sinhalese that it said were Liberation Tigers
of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres. The ceasefire is to take effect from the
midnight of April 12 till 6 a.m. on April 17. A release from the
Ministry
of Defence said instructions had been issued to the commanders of all
the
three armed forces to halt offensive operations against the LTTE in the
military zones during the period. The LTTE has been observing a
unilateral
truce since Christmas. It is one of the LTTE's demands that the
Government
reciprocate the ceasefire in order to create a cordial atmosphere for
talks. The LTTE truce is due to end on April 24. The limited ceasefire
by
the Government, an annual practice for the New Year celebrations, is
not
intended as a reciprocal gesture. The release of the prisoners may give
rise to hopes for the on-going Norwegian-brokered peace process.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 10 : The UNP and the main left party the JVP said Tuesday that they
boycotted a
dinner hosted by the President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga on
Monday
night. The President in her capacity as the Minister of Finance had
invited
all 225 members of parliament to dinner to mark the end of budget
debate.
The budget is scheduled to be concluded Wednesday with its third
reading
vote. Earlier in the week she charged that the opposition UNP with the
assistance of several big business houses were engaged in a move to
topple
her government at the budget voting. The UNP who has 89 MPs in the
assembly
said that they "would not attend a dinner when the rest of the country
had
been left to starve by the President's government". The Tamil
Liberation
United Front (TULF) who sits in the opposition however said that they
attended the dinner in order to use the occasion to meet with the
President
so that they could air their grievances to the President. The analysts
said
that this was the first time in seven years that the President had
invited
the opposition members to dinner after the budget presentation. They
saw it
as a move to win over the goodwill of MPs amidst news that the
opposition
parties were attempting to defeat her budget in parliament, which
eventuality would lead to her government's resignation.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 09 : Three Pakistani naval war ships have arrived in the port of Colombo,
the
military spokesman Sanath Karunaratne said Monday. "They are on their
way
to Singapore and will spend three days in Colombo", Karunaratne added.
Three ships PNS Mowin, PNS Tippu Sultan and PNS/M Shushuk are on a
goodwill
visit in the South East Asian region. They are also to participate in
the
International Martitime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX 2001) to be held in
Singapore. PNS Tippu Sultan is a type 21 destroyer equipped with
sophistictaed weapons systems, while PNS Shushuk is Daphne class
submarine
of French origin, according to local Naval officials. The PNS Mowin is
one
of the Pakistani Navy's dynamic units and is said to be the pride of
its
42nd auxilliary squadron. It has the capacity to supply fuel,
provisions
and ammunitions to three frigate destroyers at a time, the Naval
officials
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COLOMBO April 07 : The Norwegian peace initiative has suffered a setback Saturday when the
LTTE set tough conditions for resuming talks with the government.
"It is absolutely essential that both the parties cease all armed
hostilities and maintain peace as an essential condition for the
resumption
of peace talks," a statement quoted SP Thamilchevlam, head of the
political
wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elelam, as saying.
Thamilchevlam
also said that President Chandrika Kumaratunga must lift the ban on the
group. The statement came after Thamilchevlam met with Norwegian
Ambassador Jon Westborg in rebel-held territory on Friday and
yesterday.
Minister of Justice Battie Weerakoon said the government was not
surprised
by the demands. "This is their method, when you get close to some
basis of
agreement, they start putting on new conditions. That is their modus
operandi," he said. "A cease-fire? They will not get it."
The government has rejected any conditions for talks with the LTTE.
Since December, the LTTE has been observing a unilateral cease-fire.
The
government says a truce depends on progress in talks. The LTTE demands
came four days after the government said it was prepared to begin
talks,
and even promised to announce a date before the end of April. "We will
not
under any circumstances participate at the peace negotiations as an
outlawed outfit," the Tigers' statement said. Sri Lanka, India, the
United
States, Malaysia and Britain have outlawed the LTTE. Sri Lanka banned
them
in 1998 immediately after the attack on the Dalanda Maligawa in Kandy
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 06 : The New York-based international media rights group, the Committee to
Protect Journalists (CPJ), Friday asked the Sri Lankan government to
expedite investigation into Jaffna journalist Nimalarajan's murder.
Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, who worked for the BBC's Tamil language service
and
several local media institutions, was found murdered in his Jaffna home
last October. The CPJ in a letter to the President Chandrika
Kumaratunga,
has said it was deeply disturbed by the lack of progress in the
investigation.
"The CPJ respectfully requests a full report as to the status of this
investigation," the letter said. The CPJ has said that Nimalarajan had
received several death threats before he was killed. The attack may
have
been provoked by his reporting on alleged vote-rigging and intimidation
in
Jaffna during the October parliamentary elections. The People's
Alliance
won a second term in the election clouded with wide spread allegations
of
vote rigging. Nimalarajan's house was within a high security zone, only
18
meters from a military checkpoint, with three other checkpoints nearby,
the
CPJ said. "We would like to know whether the soldiers stationed at the
checkpoints around Nimalarajan's home have been questioned," the CPJ
said.
The government said police were still investigating the murder.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 06 : The government on Friday relaxed controls of essential commodities
allowed
in to the LTTE held area of Wanni as the Norwegian Ambassador starts a
visit to Wanni to meet with the LTTE. The lifting of economic embargo
is
a key LTTE demand in order to enter talks, and by government action
Friday,
it appears as if talks are imminent, analysts said. The government
maintained that an embargo was never in force although restrictions had
been placed on movement of essentials to Wanni. Restrictions on 25
items
have been lifted which include cigarettes, medicine, agricultural
appliances, alcohol and soft drinks. President Kumaratunga last week
expressed hope that peace would soon dawn in the country with impending
peace talks. The two warring factions with a considerable distrust
still in
between them have been compelled to enter talks by the Norwegian peace
facilitator. The UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe is expected to visit
the
Norwegian capital Oslo next week for what is believed to be a vital
briefing by the Norwegians. Although the Norwegian Embassy would not
give
details of the Ambassador Jon Westborg's visit to Wanni district it is
likely that he would hold talks with the LTTE leader Velupillai
Prabakaran.
Erik Solheim, the Norwegian facilitator met with the rebel leader in
the
company of the Norwegian Ambassador in the northern jungles last
November.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 06 : President Chandrika Kumaratunga has warned of an opposition move to
defeat
her government during the budget third reading vote in parliament, the
government sources said Friday. The PA which depends on the support of
two
minority parties for survival faced the prospect of a tough vote on
April
11 when the 2001 budget is taken up for a final vote. The Daily News
quoted
the government Chief Whip Reggie Ranatunga as saying that unidentified
forces led by four business houses were trying to finance the move to
topple the government. The Daily News said President Kumaratunga was
unhappy with the performance of her ministers in countering charges of
corruption, some times levelled against her, during the ongoing budget
debate. "The President indicated that the ministers have not provided
satisfactory answers to these queries (on corruption)," the Daily News
said. The Daily Mirror said President Kumaratunga had warned her
legislators that the opposition may try to prevent them from travelling
to
parliament for the vote.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 04 : Hundreds of people and Buddhists priests demonstrated near the
Bodhiraja Viharaya at Punchi Borella on Wednesday following the demolition by the Urban Development Authority. Bulldozers flattened the Bodiraja Viharaya temple during the night, amid tight security. Demonstrators blocked traffic in the neighbourhood and demanded that the authorities return a statue of Buddha the 'dolosmahe pahana' and the sacred dhathu karanduwa. Minister Mangala Samaraweera has claimed that the temple, which was built eighty
years ago, was an illegal structure. The Opposition politicians accused
ministers of what they called Taliban-style vandalism - a reference to
the recent destruction of giant Buddhist statues in Afghanistan. Minister Mahinda Rajapakse who had visited the scene had allegedly been roughed up the demonstrators. The protest will continue until the government took action to rebuild the shrine.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 03 : The leader of the opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe is set to visit Norway amid moves by Erik Solheim to broker peace between the LTTE and the government. Wickremesinghe was due to leave next week at the invitation of the Norwegian government, official sources here said. It was not immediately clear if his visit was directly linked to Norway's attempts to bring the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government to the peace negotiating table. Norway's special envoy to Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim, has been holding talks with Wickremesinghe during recent visits here aimed at pushing the
peace process forward. President Chandrika Kumaratunga invited Norway to be a third-party facilitator, but so far there has been no face-to-face meeting between the antagonists since the peace effort began nearly two years ago. The GOVERNMENT is set to lift an economic embargo on Wanni.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 02 : The death toll in the explosion which ripped through a crowded open-air stadium at Kurunegala early hours of Sunday has now risen to 13. Over 200 were injured. The musical extravaganza organised by Sri FM radio and Swarnavahini TV had two Mumbai singers and a host of local artists performing police said. At least 100,000 spectators were packed in the Maliga stadium in Kurunegala when the bombs exploded early Sunday. A police officer at the site said he heard two blasts in quick succession. Mumbai singer Rithika had just finished singing and her colleague Sharmila was about to perform when the bomb went off about an hour after midnight last night, they said adding the Indian artists were unhurt. Police say an increasing number of army deserters with bomb-making skills and weapons are joining the criminal groups in the country. "We suspect this to be the result of a clash between two rival villages, Wehera and Bandaranaikepura in the Kurunegala district," the police said. Officials said the explosion is not linked with the LTTE . While eight people were killed on the spot, most members of the audience were injured in a stampede when they scrambled to get out of the esplanade. Four persons succumbed to injuries later, they said adding the man who carried the bomb was also believed to have died in the blast.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 02 : The UNP has moved vote of no confidence against six government parliamentarians, five of them deputy ministers, parliamentary officials said Monday. The deputy ministers are Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, DM Dassanayake, Chandana Katriarachchi, Ediriweera Premaratnne, Mahindananda Aluthgamage. A motion is also to be moved against the government's Kurunegala district MP Mrs Soma Kumari Tennakoon. This followed government action to move a similar motion against UNP's Puttalam District MP, Palitha Range Bandara. The motions have been handed over to the deputy speaker Sarath Munasinghe in the absence of the Speaker Anura Bandaranaike who is away in Cuba.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 01 : President Chandrika Kumaratunga has asked the Commander of the Navy to submit a full report on the 21 March battle bewteen the Navy and the LTTE, the Sunday Times reported. An Israeli built Dvora fast attack craft (FAC) of the Navy came under LTTE attack and it crippled the vessel. The crew of 17 were later rescued by another Naval FAC. The loss suffered by the Navy is estimated at half a billion rupees and it has raised serious questions on the preparedness of the Navy to meet the sea-Tiger threats. The paper says that the government authorities are worried that in spite of heavy spending on military procurements the returns in the form military gains have been minimal. The attack by the LTTE on 21 March was the frist major confrontation since the declaration of a ceasefire on Christmas eve. The ceasefire is now in its fourth month.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO April 01 : A bomb explosion at Kurunegala in the early hours of Sunday has killed
11 while causing injuries to over 200, the Police said. The explosion
happened during Sri FM radio's musical show held at the Maliga grounds in Kurunegala was the result of rivalry between two groups, the Police suspects. It is believed that a hand grenade or a hand bomb may have caused the explosion.Two Indian artistes were performing at the stage at the time of the blast, thge eye witnesses said. Several residents of Wehera and Bandaranaikepura whose rivalry had led to the incident are being questioned the Police said.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO March 31 : In an affidavit filed by the former Chairman of the Board of Investment
Tilan Wijesinghe in support of his fundamental rights application
Following the Bribery and Investigation case against him, the former BOI chief had drawn the names of the President, Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Presidential Secretary Balapatabendi. Wijesinghe claims that Ranjith Atukorale the investor had solicited USD 2.5 million from another businessman saying that the money had to be paid to Tilan Wijesinghe, Mangala Samaraweera and Balapatabendi and through Balapatabendi to the President. Wijesinghe claims that Atukorale had made false allegations against him and the said government high rankers.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO March 30 : The government is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the LTTE, Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar has said in Paris as reported by the BBC's Sandeshaya on Friday. The signing of the MOU will precede the talks brokered by the Norwegian peace facilitator Erik Solheim. The government was also considering a move to increase the quantities of essentials sent to the LTTE controlled Wanni region, the Minister had said. The aim is to cause reduction in prices of essentials in the region. Kadirgamar' reference to a MOU has been viewed with much interest given his previous standing of strong opposition to the idea.
Peninsula and the south.
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Lankapress
COLOMBO March 28 : Relatives of 11 seamen held captive for a long period by the LTTE staged a demonstrated in Colombo Wednesday, pleading with the LTTE to release the men in tim
