SL Speaker to face no-confidence motion

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 November 2003, 11:34 GMT]
The leaderships of Sri Lanka's main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) and the Sinhala nationalist, Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Thursday decided to collect signatures of parliamentarians to move a no-confidence motion against the Sri Lanka Speaker Mr.Joseph Michael Perera stating he had no power to challenge the proclamation of the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge proroguing parliament, political sources said.


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PM holds talks with Malwatte Mahanayake

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 November 2003, 19:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasignhe Saturday afternoon called on the Mahanayake of Malwatte Chapter Most Venerable Rambukwelle Vipassi Thera in Kandy, capital of the central province and discussed the current political crisis. Senior minister Mr. G.L.Peiris and the chairman of the United National Party Mr.Malik Samarawickrema accompanied Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe to Kandy, government party sources said.
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Speaker undecided on reconvening parliament

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 November 2003, 10:32 GMT]
The Speaker Mr. Joseph Michael Perera said Thursday that no one has asked him to reconvene the parliament before 19th November responding to a written request from a group of opposition parties that parliament should not be reconvened before the stipulated date fixed by the President in her proclamation proroguing the parliament, parliamentary sources said.
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TNA urges UNF not to abdicate responsibility

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 November 2003, 17:18 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance Wednesday told Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, that its support to the United National Front government was totally related to the peace process and assured him its continued support to further the peace process. The TNA urged the Prime Minister that the United National Front government should not abdicate its responsibility to meaningfully continue with the peace process.
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Sri Lanka's PM invites TNA for talks

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 November 2003, 06:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe has invited the Tamil National Alliance for talks on Wednesday evening to discuss the present constitutional crisis and the future of the peace process. Earlier on the day Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe is scheduled to meet the President at the latter's invitation at the Presidential Secretariat, political sources said.
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Speaker to entertain request to reconvene parliament

[TamilNet, Monday, 10 November 2003, 08:30 GMT]
The Speaker of the Parliament, Mr.Joseph Michael Perera, Monday requested the leaders of the political parties who had attended a meeting in his chamber to submit a written request to reconvene the parliament before Tuesday. The main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) and the Sinhala nationalist -Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) boycotted the party leaders meeting convened by the Speaker stating it was illegal, parliamentary sources said.
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Kumaratunga presides over first NSC meeting

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 2003, 16:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, Thursday presided over the first meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) after she dismissed the defense minister of the United National Front (UNF) government, Mr.Tilak Marapone, Presidential secretariat sources said.


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UNF requests Speaker to convene party leaders' meeting

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 November 2003, 12:24 GMT]
The United National Front Thursday requested the Speaker Mr.Jospeh Michael Perera to convene a conference of the leaders of all political parties represented in the parliament to discuss the present political situation, sources said.
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TNA parliamentarians extend support to UNF government

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 November 2003, 16:16 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians Thursday decided to support the motion of vote of confidence in the United National Front government, led by its Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, in Sri Lanka's parliament when it meets after prorogation. The notice of the motion is likely to be handed over to the Speaker Wednesday with signatures of about 130 parliamentarians, the UNF Chief Whip and Minister Mr.Mahinda Samarasinghe said Wednesday.
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SLFP demonstrates against "betrayal of Sinhala nation"

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 October 2003, 14:17 GMT]
Thousands of people participated in the demonstration organized by the main constituent of the opposition People’s Alliance, the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), against the United National Front (UNF) government of Sri Lanka Friday in Colombo, saying the UNF has 'betrayed' the 'Sinhala nation,' sources said.
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Hindus celebrate Deepavali

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 October 2003, 17:05 GMT]
Hindus in Colombo celebrated the Deepavali Festival, the festival of lights, at the New Kathiresan hall in Bambalapitiya Thursday.
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JVP, SLFP foot march begins from Kandy

[TamilNet, Saturday, 27 September 2003, 13:13 GMT]
Leaders of sinhala nationalist marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP), Buddhist Monks and thousands of party activists, supporters joined together under the Patriotic National Movement banner today morning and started a five- day, 116 kilometers foot march from Kandy to Colombo as a protest against to the establishment of separate an interim administrative structure for the northeast province and United National Front (UNF) government.


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Jaffna fishermen to boycott minister's Colombo conference

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 September 2003, 20:58 GMT]
Jaffna district fisheries societies Friday decided to boycott the conference summoned by the Sri Lankan Fisheries Minister, Mr.Mahinda Wijesekara, next week in Colombo. The conference has been summoned to discuss and find ways and means to solve the problems confronting the fishermen of the Jaffna district, fisheries sources said.
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'Funds to NE only after resumption of peace talks'-Akashi

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 September 2003, 18:05 GMT]
The Japanese special peace envoy, Mr.Yasushi Akashi, said Friday that the funds pledged at the Tokyo donor conference will be channeled for the reconstruction of the northeast only after the resumption of stalled peace talks. The international aid community and the World Bank are also of the same view, he said at the end of the discussion held at Colombo Hilton Hotel Friday to find ways and means to release the funds pledged to the national development of Sri Lanka, sources said.
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SLFP launches member recruitment campaign

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 September 2003, 16:26 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), chief constituent of the main Opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) Sunday launched a house-to-house campaign to strengthen its grass root level organizations the day after the collapse of the talks with the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), party sources said.


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Southern fishermen demonstrate against poaching

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 August 2003, 18:41 GMT]
Hundreds of fishermen held a demonstration in front of the Fort railway station in Colombo Friday, condemning the Fisheries Ministry of Sri Lanka for not taking prompt action to stop poaching by foreign trawlers in the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. Fishermen from Matara, Galle and other parts of the south participated in the demonstration, Colombo sources said.
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SL Police uses tear gas on demonstrating teachers

[TamilNet, Thursday, 31 July 2003, 21:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka Police Thursday used tear gas and water cannon to disperse three hundred school teachers demonstrating in front of the Education Ministry in Colombo, in protest of what they said was the denial of salary increase and promotions and the Sri Lankan government's privatization policy in education, sources said.
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SL President appoints committee to report on IA proposals

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 July 2003, 05:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s President, Chandrika Kumaratunge, has appointed a four member committee to study and report on the interim administrative structure proposals which have been submitted to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam by the United National Front government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, political sources said.
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SLFP holds fourteenth party convention

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 June 2003, 01:18 GMT]
"I ordered the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) to destroy the LTTE ship that carried weapons last Saturday to safeguard the country and its people," declared President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge addressing the fourteenth national convention of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the main constituent of the opposition People's Alliance (PA) Saturday evening at Nittambuwa in western province, political sources in Colombo said.
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Speaker suspends sittings to bring order to Lanka's Parliament

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 June 2003, 10:30 GMT]
Pandemonium prevailed in Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday morning when opposition parliamentarians placed a wreath in front of the seat when the Interior Minister Mr.John Amaratunge rose to reply a verbal question from the opposition, parliamentary sources said.


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