UPFA budget passed by 47-vote majority

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 December 2007, 12:17 GMT]
Third reading of the 2008 budget was passed by 47 majority votes Friday evening in Sri Lankan Parliament. 114 members voted for the budget and 67 voted against. 37 JVP members and SLFP parliamentarian Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa abstained from voting. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) voted against the Budget of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Soon after the voting was over there was a pandemonium in the House as SLFP parliamentarians Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Jagath Pushpakumara placed a wreath in front of the opposition leader's chair, antagonizing the UNP.
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Court orders release of all Tamil detainees

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 December 2007, 04:53 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Monday directed the Attorney General (AG) to release all 361 Tamil civilians detained in Boosa detention camp on bail immediately. The court further instructed the AG to make arrangement to release all Tamil civilians now in remand on personal bail instead of cash bail, legal sources said.
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Sri Lanka extends State of Emergency

[TamilNet, Thursday, 06 December 2007, 19:39 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday adopted a motion to extend the State of Emergency for another month by a majority of 126 votes. 141 parliamentarians from the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its constituent parties Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) voted for the motion. The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) also voted with the government, parliamentary sources said.
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Sri Lankan minister announces cabinet decision to proscribe TRO

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 November 2007, 04:49 GMT]
Leader of the House, and Health Minister in the ruling United People Alliance (UPFA) government of Sri Lanka, Nimal Siripala de Silva, said Thursday morning that a cabinet decision has been taken Wednesday to proscribe the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) in Sri Lanka, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. Mr. Nimal Sripala de Silva was responding to a question raised in the parliament by Wimal Weerawansa, the propaganda secretary of the JVP, on the efforts taken by the Sri Lankan government on restricting the activities of International NGOs inside Liberation Tigers controlled areas.
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UPFA budget passed with 16 majority votes

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 November 2007, 11:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka parliament Monday evening adopted the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) budget for 2008, the third budget of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, with a majority of 16 votes. 118 members voted for the budget and 102 voted against, parliamentary sources said.
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'Rajapaksa sustains majority votes' - UPFA minister

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 November 2007, 18:18 GMT]
Addressing a live political discussion programme in the Sri Lankan state-run ITN (Independent Television Network) TV, Thursday night, the Sri Lankan Minister of Education, Susil Premajayantha, assured viewers that the SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa has sustained sufficient number of votes, more than 117, to pass the 2008 budget in the parliament, coming Monday. Mr. Susil Premajayantha, who appeared in the "Thulawa" programme, said that the Rajapaksa government was not dependent on the JVP to pass the budget.
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Three UNP MPs to support Rajapaksa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 November 2007, 12:44 GMT]
Three opposition United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians have promised Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa to cross over to the ruling alliance UPFA goverment to strengthen the majority of the Rajapaksa goverment, informed political sources in Colombo said. Colombo district UNP MP T. Maheswaran, Gurunagale district MP Gamini Jayawickrama Perera and Mohammed Mahroof, another Colombo district UNP parliamentarian met Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa Thursday extending their support.
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UPFA MP joins opposition in parliament

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 November 2007, 16:19 GMT]
A national list parliamentarian of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), Wijedasa Rajapakse, Wednesday crossed from government side to the opposition when the parliament resumed its sitting to continue the debate of the 2008 Budget proposals presented by the SL President Mahinda Rajapakse for the fourth day, parliamentary sources said. Mr. Wijedasa Rajapakse is the chairman of the COPE, a parliamentary select to probe the malpractices and irregularities in the ministries and statutory boards coming under the government
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2008 Budget debate to begin Friday

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 November 2007, 19:39 GMT]
The debate on the second reading of the 2008 Budget presented by Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapakse in the capacity of Minister of Finance in the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government is to begin Friday. The voting on the second reading would take place on November 19, parliamentary sources said.
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UNP decides to vote against 2008 Budget

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 November 2007, 16:49 GMT]
The parliamentary group of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) Wednesday met after the delivery of the 2008 budget by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and unanimously decided to vote against the budget. The crucial vote on the 2008 budget is to take place on November 19 amid claims and counter claims by the ruling party and the main opposition party that cross over of parliamentarians from both sides.
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Emergency extended for another month in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 November 2007, 16:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday adopted a motion moved by the Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wikremanayake on behalf of the government to extend the State of Emergency for another month with a majority of 120 votes. 124 parliamentarians voted for the motion and four against.
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Rajapaksa to deliver budget speech on November 7

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 November 2007, 17:37 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to table 2008-Budget in parliament on November 07. This would be his third budget since he assumed presidency in 2005. The Appropriation Bill 2008 was tabled in parliament in the month of October. The parliament will begin the debate on the 2008 budget soon after President leaves after presenting it.
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Emergency extended for another month in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 October 2007, 17:39 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's parliament Tuesday adopted motion to extend the State of Emergency for another month by a majority of 93 votes. All constituent parties of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) including the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) and Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) voted for the motion.
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Budget to decide political future - JVP

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 October 2007, 12:29 GMT]
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the extreme nationalist communist party, Wednesday announced that the forthcoming budget would cause serious impact on the current political situation of the country.
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Basil Rajapakse appointed National List MP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 September 2007, 18:59 GMT]
Basil Rajapakse, senior advisor and brother of Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse is to be sworn in as National List parliamentarian when the parliament meets on Wednesday, parliamentary sources in Colombo said. His name has been forwarded to the Commissioner of Elections by the General Secretary of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Susil Premajayanth Tuesday to fill the vacancy created with the death of Mr.Anwer Ismail, a minister in the present government last week.
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Wickremasinghe to visit India

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 September 2007, 12:51 GMT]
Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, leader of the main opposition United National Party (UNP), is to visit India to hold vital talks with Indian leaders. This follows the visit to India of Sri Lanka Government three-member delegation headed by Mr.Lalith Weeratunge, Secretary to President Mahinda Rajapakse, accompanied by two Rajapakse brothers, Defence Secretary Mr.Gothabaya Rajapakse and Presidential senior advisor Mr.Basil Rajapakse, media reports said.
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Sri Lanka's Minister opposes DC system

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 May 2007, 10:40 GMT]
"The proposed District Council (DC) system by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) would not help to solve the ethnic conflict. The quazi-federal constitution now in force in India would be ideal to find a lasting political solution to the conflict," Mr.Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, a senior minister and the chief whip of the SLFP in parliament told media persons.
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Sooriyarachchi released on bail

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 April 2007, 08:33 GMT]
Avissawella High Court Monday allowed the bail application filed by Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, sacked minister of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government and instructed the Kaduwela Magistrate to release him on cash and surety bail. Mr.Nihal Silva, High Court Judge said in his order that no substantial evidence had been submitted to Kaduwela magistrate court under the Section 381 of Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) to remand Mr.Sooriayarachchi, legal sources said.
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Sooriyarachchi refused bail for third time

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 April 2007, 11:43 GMT]
The Kaduwela Magistrate Tuesday refused the bail application submitted on behalf of Mr.Sripathi Sooriyarachchi for the third time and ordered further two weeks' remand, legal sources in Colombo said. Mr.Sooriayarachchi was sacked from the non-cabinet minister post. He is a parliamentarian from the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP), main constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government.


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SLFP political package, not of APRC - Tissa Vitarane

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 April 2007, 09:45 GMT]
The proposed devolution proposals to be submitted by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will not be of the United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government or of the All Party Representative Council (APRC). Devolution proposals would be submitted by SLFP, said Tissa Vitarane, Chairman of the APRC. Mr. Vitarane's comment came in the wake of reports that the SLFP, main constituent of the UPFA is to submit its political proposals to the APRC during the first week of May. APRC would formulate a political package based on recommendations submitted by all political parties, he added.
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