First UPFA Cabinet meeting to be held on May 5

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 15:17 GMT]
The first Cabinet meeting of the new United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government that came to power following April 8 general election is to be held on Wednesday (May 5). The first parliamentary group meeting of the ruling UPFA was scheduled to be held on Saturday, UPFA sources said.
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Major parties hold May Day rallies without procession

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 May 2010, 14:38 GMT]
Major political parties held their May Day rallies without procession Saturday. The ruling party United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) held its May Day meeting at Colombo Municipal Grounds. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) decided not to hold its May Day procession.
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Jaffna Mayor accused of abuse of authority

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 April 2010, 17:15 GMT]
Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) opposition and public organizations including Jaffna Traders Union (JTU) have raised strong protests against ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Jaffna Mayor Ms. Yogeswary Patkunam for abuse of authority, particularly in erecting a Buddha statue on Jaffna Main Street and in attempts to hand over the Jaffna Public Library canteen to Sinhalese caretakers from South, sources in Jaffna said. The Thursday meeting of JMC had to be called off as arguments against the erection of Buddha statue ended in chaos, the sources added.
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DNA to oppose extension of state of emergency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 April 2010, 13:00 GMT]
The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Tuesday decided to oppose the extension of the State of Emergency when the government tables a motion seeking it for another month 4 May in parliament, sources in Colombo said. DNA parliamentary group met Tuesday with General Sarath Fonseka in the chair at the parliamentary complex and discussed the strategy that is to be adopted in parliament by the DNA when its meets next week.
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Jaffna Mayor allows star hotel in historical sacred site in Nalloor

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 April 2010, 06:07 GMT]
Amidst strong protests raised by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, Saiva and cultural organizations in Jaffna peninsula against the proposed construction of a star hotel in the land where the palace of last Tamil King of Jaffna Kingdom Sangkilian had stood and in the sacred vicinity of historically famous Nalloor Kanthasuvami temple, ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Jaffna Mayor, Ms. Yogewary Patkunam has decided to permit construction of the said star hotel, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, UPFA Minister Douglas Devananda, in a recent press meet in Colombo had said that he had advised the Mayor on this issue and that he has taken action to stop the hotel being built on the sacred site, the sources added.
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Jaffna MP accuses EPDP of illegal sand excavation in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 April 2010, 05:38 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Jaffna parliamentarian, E. Saravanbhavan publicly raised accusation against Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), a constituent party of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), for having appropriated exclusive rights to excavate sand for building construction in Ma’nattkaadu in Vadamaraadchi East using illegal means making millions of rupees, in a press report, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, EPDP Minister Dougals Devananda, in response to Saravanabhavan’s accusation, said that the EPDP firm engaged in sand excavation is registered in Sri Lanka parliament and the increase in the demand for sand is due to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) permitting only a limited number of lorries to transport sand from Ma’nattkaadu SLA High Security Zone (HSZ), in a media report, the sources added.
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5 more cabinet ministers to be appointed this week

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 April 2010, 11:55 GMT]
Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) leader Arumugan Thondaman and three others are to be sworn in as Cabinet Ministers after Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa returns from Bhutan this week, government sources said Wednesday.
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New parliament to debate extension motion of Emergency on May 4

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 April 2010, 08:57 GMT]
The newly formed United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government is to table a motion seeking the extension of the State of Emergency for another month when the parliament meets on May 4. Mr. D. M. Jayaratne, the new Prime Minister, will move the motion as his first official duty amid reports in political circles that the new government is contemplating to relax the imposition of emergency regulations in some areas, parliamentary sources said.
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Sajith Premadasa expected to take over UNP leadership

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 April 2010, 15:54 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) is in the process of electing a new leadership to take the party forward from the present plight after facing defeats in every election held in the island since the UNP government was dismissed by the then SL president Chandrika Kumaratunga in 2004. 42-year-old Sajith Premadasa, the son of former president Ranasinghe Premadasa, is expected to take over the leadership of the UNP, political sources said quoting Gayantha Karunatilake, Galle district UNP parliamentarian.
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Chamal Rajapakse new Speaker, Fonseka attends parliament

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2010, 08:18 GMT]
The first session of the seventh parliament elected in the April 8 general election was inaugurated Thursday with all new parliamentarians were sworn in the morning. Eldest brother of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mr. Chamal Rajapaksa was elected new Speaker of the parliament. Former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army General (retd.) Sarath Fonseka was brought to the parliament under tight security from the Sri Lanka Navy Headquarters where he is being detained since his arrest on February 8.
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Veteran SLFPer Jayaratne, 15th Prime Minister of Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2010, 03:52 GMT]
Mr. D. M. Jayaratne, a senior member of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), a constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance was sworn in as the fifteenth Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Wednesday evening at Temple Trees. He took oaths before President Mahinda Rajapakse. He held the post of Plantations Minister in the outgoing cabinet.
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National list MPs nominated: UPFA-17, UNP-09, DNA-02, and ITAK-01

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 April 2010, 11:46 GMT]
The names of twenty nine national list parliamentarians have been gazetted by the Sri Lankan Commissioner of Elections Wednesday. The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has nominated seventeen parliamentarians, the main opposition United National Party (UNP) nine parliamentarians, the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) two parliamentarians and the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) one parliamentarian from their national lists.
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UPFA 144, UNP 60, ITAK 14, DNA 7 constitute new Sri Lankan parliament

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 April 2010, 07:56 GMT]
Sri Lankan Elections Secretariat gazetted the names of newly elected members to the seventh parliament which is to meet on Thursday. According to the final results released, the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has won 144 seats including 17 places in the national list. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) bagged 60 seats including nine national list MPs. The Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) won 14 seats including one place in the national list. The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) led by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) won seven seats including two places in the national list.
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UPFA wins 2, UNP 1, ITAK 1 in Trincomalee district

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 April 2010, 16:57 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Election Department Tuesday night released the final official results of the Trincomalee electoral district. The ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) polled 59,784 votes, the main opposition United National Party (UNP) polled 39,691 votes and the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kadchi (ITAK) polled 33,268 votes.
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Ex-speaker Lokkubandara likely to be appointed cabinet minister

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 April 2010, 17:24 GMT]
Former Speaker W. M. J. Lokkubandara is likely to be appointed a minister in the new cabinet which is expected to be announced on Wednesday by President Mahinda Rajapakse. A new face is to be elected to the post of Speaker on the first day when the new parliament meets on Thursday, political circles in Colombo said.
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Rajapakse to declare open new parliament on April 22

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 April 2010, 17:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka's president Mahinda Rajapakse is to officially declare open the first session of the seventh parliament Thursday (April 22) morning. The Secretary General of Sri Lanka's parliament, Dhammika Kitulgoda, has notified that the parliament will meet at 8:45 a.m. All newly elected members should be present at 8:30 a.m. The ruling United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) has already won 117 seats in the 225-member Parliament, while the United National Front (UNF) led by the main opposition United National Party (UNP) obtained 46 seats, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) 12 seats and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) led Democratic National Alliance (DNA) 5 seats. Twenty-nine members would be appointed through the National List on the votes each political party polled island wide.
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JMC evicts Sinhalese pavement traders in Nalloor

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 April 2010, 21:28 GMT]
Due to pressure from Jaffna Traders’ Union (JTU) and civil society organizations in Jaffna peninsula Jaffna Municipal Council (JMC) administration has begun evicting the Sinhalese pavement traders who had illegally set up stalls in the surroundings of historically famous Nalloor Kanthasuvami Koayil, sources in Jaffna said. Some of the above Sinhalese traders along with Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers had on 22 March demolished the memorial pillar of Lt. Col. Thileepan located behind Nalloor temple and this had enraged the residents of Jaffna peninsula who had accused JMC authorities for not evicting the illegal pavement traders from the streets around the temple.
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Post-election related violence continues in South, one killed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 April 2010, 12:18 GMT]
A supporter of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) was killed Tuesday night at Anamaduwa (Aanaimadu) in Puththa'lam district in the north western province. The victim identified as a 19-year-old youth was killed by supporters of a defeated candidate from the same party, police said.
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New Sri Lankan cabinet to be sworn in on April 21

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 April 2010, 09:29 GMT]
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has been working on the formation of his new cabinet limited between 35-40 ministers with equal number of deputy ministers, scheduled to be sworn in on April 21, the day before the new parliament is to commence its sitting. A decision has already been taken to re-appoint Ratnasiri Wickremanayake as the Prime Minister to pacify other contenders for the post, political sources said.
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Re-poll in Kumpuruppiddi village

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 April 2010, 16:19 GMT]
A re-poll is to be held in Kumpuruppiddi polling station in the Trincomalee electorate on April 20 following the cancellation of polling held on April 8. Kumpuruppiddi is a Tamil village located north of Trincomalee town along Trincomalee-Pulmoaddai highway.
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