IUSU representatives threatened with death in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 June 2010, 15:14 GMT]
Unknown gunmen on motor cycles speaking fluent Sinhalese threatened Inter University Students’ Union (IUSU) representatives Sunday as they were returning after being denied entry into Jaffna University for the second time during the week-end, IUSU representatives staying in a lodge in Jaffna University surroundings said. IUSU representatives had been turned away at the main gates by Jaffna University Vice-chancellor Saturday morning when they wanted to get in to give the war affected Vanni undergrads relief materials including wheel-chairs for invalids they had collected in the South. The gunmen had warned that the IUCU representatives will be killed and their vehicle burnt threatening with revolvers if they do not leave Jaffna immediately, they further said.
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JVP vows to defeat constitutional changes by UPFA government

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 June 2010, 13:48 GMT]
The Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Sunday declared that it would take all necessary steps to defeat the attempt by the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government to change the constitution to suit to its political agenda. The JVP would muster the support of other opposition parties to prevent a two-thirds majority in Parliament for the government to bring about constitutional changes, JVP parliamentary group leader of the JVP led Democratic National Alliance (DNA) Anura Kumara Dissanayake said at a media briefing held Sunday.
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CEPA will flood Sri Lanka with Indian workers: UPFA minister

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 June 2010, 05:33 GMT]
National Freedom Front (NFF), a constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government Wednesday charged that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) that is likely to be signed by India and Sri Lanka is a ploy to fill the island with Indian workers. Wimal Weerawansa, leader of the NFF said at a press conference held Wednesday at the NFF headquarters at Battaramulle that CEPA if signed would adversely affect Sri Lanka. NFF is a splinter group of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).
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Emergency extended for another month in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 June 2010, 16:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s parliament Tuesday evening adopted the motion tabled by the government to extend the State of Emergency by another year by a majority of sixty eight votes. 121 parliamentarians of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its constituents voted for the extension while fifty-three voted against. Kandy district parliamentarian Abdul Cader elected from the main opposition United National Party (UNP) voted with the government.
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India wants TNA proposals submitted to Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 June 2010, 06:11 GMT]
Top officials of the Indian government have advised the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) to consider submitting its devolution proposals to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa before he leaves to New Delhi on June 7, informed diplomatic sources in Colombo said. The move has come as the Indian Establishment, locked in a corporate race with China, has been pushing Colombo to finalise the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which New Delhi wants signed when Mahinda Rajapaksa visits India. In the meantime, the TNA leadership has invited Tamil parties, except Douglas Devananda, through Tamil channels, to join hands with the alliance before facing the provincial elections in the North. The invitation has also been extended to paramilitary-cum-political outfits aligned with India.
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3rd death anniversary of slain journalist Thevakumar observed in Moo’laay

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 May 2010, 20:01 GMT]
Public organizations in Moo’laay in Jaffna observed Sunday the third death anniversary of Jaffna correspondent of Sakthi TV station, Paranirupasingam Thevakumar, 34, abducted while he was returning to his residence in Moo’laay and hacked to death in Kaakkaitheevu, a barren land near Naavaanthu’rai in Jaffna on 28 May 2008, in Ganesha Community Centre Hall in Moo’laay, sources in Jaffna said. Immediately after the killing, his wife in her statement to three Sinhalese journalists from Colombo had said that men of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent of ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), were directly involved in her husband’s assassination.
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Minister Douglas Devananda to launch a new Tamil daily in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 May 2010, 16:32 GMT]
The leader of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Douglas Devananda, a cabinet minister in the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), who continues to publicly accuse the three Tamil dailies published in Jaffna of having denied him and his party equal opportunity and sufficient cooperation during the last parliamentary elections, is actively engaged in launching a new Tamil daily in Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. Minister Devananda had in person offered higher wages to the members of the editorial boards of the three dailies published in Jaffna in an attempt to lure them to his new daily, the sources added.
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UNP, DNA appeal to Rajapakse to release Fonseka immediately

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 May 2010, 16:46 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) and the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) have appealed to President Mahinda Rajapakse, head of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, to release General (retired) Sarath Fonseka from military custody immediately. Fifty parliamentarians from the UNP and DNA including the Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe signed the appeal.
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Left allies in UPFA government for abolishing executive presidential system

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 May 2010, 10:33 GMT]
The Common Left Front (CLF) comprising Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), Sri Lanka Communist Party (SLCP) and Democratic Left Front (DLF), constituents of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) have decided to submit proposals against continuing the executive presidency and to oppose the rescinding of the constitutional restriction for the incumbent president to contest for more than two terms. Instead they demand introduction of the post of executive prime minister.
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Jaffna Mayor, her husband tender apology in Jaffna court for contempt of court

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 May 2010, 14:57 GMT]
Jaffna magistrate Friday offered general amnesty and released Ruling United People’s Front (UPFA) Jaffna Mayor Ms. Yogeswary Patkunam and her husband and secretary K. Patkunam charged with contempt of court as both publicly apologized pleading they had not published the announcement in question intentionally, sources in Jaffna said. The magistrate warned the two accused severely and said that they will be punished if they engage in activities amounting to contempt of court in the future, the sources added.
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Jaffna magistrate calls for statement from Jaffna Mayor

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 May 2010, 16:49 GMT]
Jaffna magistrate A. Anantharajah Thursday directed the police to obtain the statement of Ms. Yogeswari Patkunam, Jaffna Mayor of the ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) on the issue of the advertisement published by Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) which was counted as contempt of court, sources in Jaffna said. The police were further directed to submit a report based on the statement when the courts takes up the case 17 May. The said advertisement, titled in Tamil language calling the ‘Judiciary to render justice’ was brought to the notice of the Chief Justice and the Justice Service Commission by the magistrates of Jaffna district.
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SL Parliament to meet in evenings in future

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 May 2010, 01:19 GMT]
Sri Lankan parliament will be meeting in the evenings in future, according to a proposal by the ruling UPFA government in Colombo. Leaders of the political parties represented in the Sri Lankan parliament have agreed to the change the sitting time at a meeting held on Friday, media sources said.
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Rajapaksa to appoint new heads to state corporates

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 May 2010, 19:11 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government is to appoint new heads to all corporations and statutory bodies on May 10. All held those posts under the last government had tendered their resignation on the instruction of Mr. Rajapaksa, SL Presidential secretariat sources told media.
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UPFA government to table 1st budget in June

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 May 2010, 19:11 GMT]
The first budget of the new United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government for the year 2010 would be tabled in parliament in June, according to a statement by the Sri Lankan Deputy Minister for Economic Development Ranjith Siyambalapitya in parliament Friday.
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UPFA to table constitutional amendments in June: Sirisena

[TamilNet, Friday, 07 May 2010, 15:52 GMT]
The ruling alliance of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is formulating its constitutional amendments, which are likely to be tabled in the Sri Lankan parliament in the month of June, according to a leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) Maithiripala Sirisena. The SLFP is the main constituent of the UPFA government and Mr. Sirisena is a senior minister in Rajapaksa's cabinet.
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Emergency extended for another month in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 15:33 GMT]
Sri Lanka parliament Wednesday after a two day debate adopted a motion moved by the government to extend the State of Emergency for another month by a majority of 118 votes. 132 parliamentarians from the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and a rebel MP of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) voted for the motion. Two parliamentarians of the UNP who were present in the House at the time of voting and 12 MPs of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) voted against. The State of Emergency is in force since 12th August 2005 and being extended every month with the approval of the parliament.
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Fonseka begins fast as military prevents attending parliament

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2010, 08:22 GMT]
Democratic National Alliance Parliamentarian Sarath Fonseka Wednesday morning began an indefinite fast in the Navy Headquarters where he is being detained since his arrest after the defeat in January presidential election, as the military forced him to attend the second court martial hearing fixed on Wednesday. He was prevented from leaving the Navy Headquarters to parliament on Wednesday morning.
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Colombo relaxes some provisions of Emergency Regulations

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 2010, 09:03 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka Tuesday relaxed some provisions of the Emergency Regulations now in force since 12 August 2005. The relaxed provisions are such as holding meetings, imposing curfew, printing certain literature and providing the house holder’s name to the police, according to SL External Affairs Minister G.L.Peiris while speaking in the parliament that began Tuesday two-day debate on the extension of the State of Emergency for another month.
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Withdrawal of SLA forces from Jaffna peninsula to be reconsidered

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 May 2010, 05:00 GMT]
The earlier decision taken by Jaffna Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander Major Gen. Mahintha Kathursinghe to withdraw SLA forces in stages is to be reconsidered as per request of newly appointed Defence Secretary, Gothabaya Rajapakse, the brother of President Mahintha Rajapakse, Mahintha Kathurusinghe told the editors of Jaffna dailies in a meeting Sunday night at Gnanams Hotel SLA base. The decision is to be reconsidered due to the current deterioration of law and order in Jaffna peninsula which the Defence Secretary explored into with the key officials of SLA and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) at Palaali SLA Head Quarters Saturday, the Major General told the editors. He further alleged that armed men of Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), were involved in the social crimes in Jaffna peninsula in the meeting with the editors.
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UPFA plans 'War Heroes Week' in mid May

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 16:42 GMT]
The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government is to celebrate War Hero’s Week (Ranaviru Sathiya) from May 12 to May 18, said the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse during an informal talk with media persons at Elephant Pass in the north Friday while he was on a visit to Jaffna. Media sources in Colombo commented that the model being implemented by the Sri Lankan military and the UPFA, ignoring the advice from its global partners who advocate 'reconciliation' and 'development' as 'post-conflict' paradigm in the island.
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