SL President leaves for Italy

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 April 2007, 09:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa Wednesday morning around 11:00 a.m. left Colombo on a three-day official visit to Italy. Three Catholic ministers in the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government Messrs: Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Milroy Perera and Felix Perera also accompanied Mr.Rajapaksa, Presidential Secretariat sources said.
Full story >>

UNP Kurunagala MP Fernando complains of death threat

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 April 2007, 00:03 GMT]
The United National Party parliamentarian for Kurunagala district, Johnston Fernando, who has recently criticized Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary and the brother of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, Wednesday complained to the Police and to the Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament W.J.M Lokubandara that he has received death threats over telephone for having criticized Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapakse.
Full story >>

Sooriyarachchi further remanded

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 April 2007, 13:40 GMT]
Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, sacked minister and a parliamentarian of the ruling party United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) was ordered further remand till April 24 by Kaduwela Magistrate Tuesday. He was produced in court under heavy security. He has been in remand on allegation that he had misused a state vehicle after being dismissed the UPFA cabinet, legal sources said.
Full story >>

UNP leader slams Rajapakse regime for "notorious Human Rights record"

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 April 2007, 10:58 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Opposition Leader Ranil Wickramasinghe, who attended a confluence of the relatives and friends of the missing persons, held in Colombo Monday, charged that the ruling United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (UPFA) regime was responsible for the bad reputation of the Sri Lankan state's Human Rights record. 88 persons have been either abducted or gone missing since August 2006 up to now, according to the records of the Civil Monitoring Committee (CMC), an ongoing initiative by a few involved politicians.
Full story >>

UNP holds awareness meetings on current political, security situation

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 April 2007, 10:40 GMT]
Mr.Tissa Attanayake, parliamentarian and UNP general secretary addressing a meeting held in Colombo New Town Hall Saturday evening, asked the Sri Lanka government why it has not nullified the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) if the Government thinks CFA offers no benefit. UNP has been conducting a series of awareness meetings to brief the people about the current political and security situations in Sri Lanka.
Full story >>

More dissidents to rejoin UNP, says party secretary

[TamilNet, Saturday, 07 April 2007, 10:05 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said more dissidents who joined Mahinda Rajapakse's ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) are to lend their support to UNP at "an appropriate time," according to UNP general secretary Tissa Attanayake who spoke at a meeting held Friday evening at Minuwangoda in the western province. One of the eighteen dissidents parliamentarians Edward Gunasekara last week returned to the fold of the UNP after relinquishing the Deputy Minister post for Railways.
Full story >>

AG given time to file objections on Sooriyarachchi case

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 April 2007, 02:08 GMT]
Avissawella High Court Thursday gave time till April 9 to the Attorney General (AG) to file objection to the bail application of Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, sacked minister of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government. Mr.Sooriayarachchi, a UPFA parliamentarian has been in remand on an allegation that he had misused a state vehicle after being dismissed from the cabinet, legal sources said.
Full story >>

UNP, LSSP oppose referendum move to scrap CFA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 April 2007, 16:49 GMT]
The main opposition United National Party (UNP) and Chairman of the All Party Representatives Council (APRC) Tissa Vitarane have voiced their opposition for the proposal to hold a referendum to nullify the ceasefire agreement (CFA) signed by Ranil Wickremasinghe, the then Prime Minister and Velupillai Pirapaharan, Leader of the LTTE on 22 February 2002, media sources said.


Full story >>

Speaker to give ruling on "Secret deal" motion

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 April 2007, 16:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Speaker W.J.M.Lokkubandara is expected to give a ruling this week whether to include the motion submitted by Sripathi Sooriyarachchi in the parliament order book, parliamentary sources said. Mr. Sooriyarachchi has called the Speaker to appoint a parliamentary select committee to probe the alleged secret deal between some leaders of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the last presidential election period.
Full story >>

Sooriyarachchi files appeal against remand

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 April 2007, 11:52 GMT]
Sripathi Sooriyarachchi has filed an appeal in the High Court of Avissawella seeking bail and the Court will take the case for hearing on April 3. Mr. Sooriyarachchi, sacked minister from the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) cabinet, is now being kept in remand on a charge that he had misused a state vehicle following his dismissal, legal sources said.
Full story >>

JVP boycott of APRC helps LTTE- Vitarane

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 April 2007, 00:19 GMT]
Science and Technology Minister Tissa Vitarane, chairman of the All Party Representatives' Committee (APRC) appointed by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse in June 2006 to work out a political package to find a lasting political solution, said Saturday that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is helping the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by not participating and submitting its political proposals to the APRC to solve the ethnic conflict.


Full story >>

Court orders further remand for Sooriyarachchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 March 2007, 10:13 GMT]
Kaduwela Magistrate Tuesday ordered further remand till April 10 for Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, sacked minister and a parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP), main constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, legal sources said.
Full story >>

CID to question Samaraweera

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 March 2007, 12:35 GMT]
Media reports in Colombo said Mangala Samaraweera, one of the three-sacked ministers by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse in a major cabinet reshuffle last month, is likely to be taken in for questioning regarding an alleged malpractice during his tenure as minister. Mr. Samaraweera was foreign minister when he was dismissed from the cabinet, sources said.
Full story >>

Puttalam observes hartal against killings, abductions

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 March 2007, 00:42 GMT]
Residents and traders in Puttalam observed a general shut down Wednesday condemning killing and abducting civilians demanding ransom, sources in Sri Lanka's west coastal town said. Shops were closed, public transport came to a standstill and normal life in the town was disrupted.
Full story >>

Sooriyarachchi remand extended, attends parliament under escort

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 20 March 2007, 11:14 GMT]
Kaduwela Magistrate Tuesday ordered further remand for Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government till March 27. The court further said it could consider application by Mr. Sooriyarachchi to attend parliamentary sittings during remand period, legal sources said. Accordingly, Mr Sooriarachchi attended the parliament under escort Tuesday afternoon. Opposition parliamentarians greeted him with applause when he entered the well of the House, sources said.
Full story >>

Samaraweera vows to continue his political journey

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 March 2007, 17:06 GMT]
Mangala Samaraweera, dissident parliamentarian of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), main constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government led by Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse said no force can stop his political journey, during a meeting held at Navimada in Matara district Saturday evening. He was commenting on a report that he had been removed from Matara district SLFP organizer post by the party central working committee, sources said.
Full story >>

SLFP dissidents allege financial scandal in arms deals

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 March 2007, 01:52 GMT]
Sacked ministers, Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, Wednesday requested the Commission on Bribery and Corruption of Sri Lanka to initiate an independent inquiry into the allegations of a financial scandal involving Rs.600 million in the purchase of Russian-made MIG planes and weapons.
Full story >>

Struggle will continue until CFA is annulled-JVP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 March 2007, 20:27 GMT]
The Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said that its struggle will continue until the Sri Lanka government annuls the ceasefire agreement (CFA) it signed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). "We successfully obtained a ruling on the demerger of NorthEast province after nineteen years. We will also succeed in cancelling the ceasefire agreement very soon,"Wimal Weerawanse, parliamentary group leader of the JVP addressing a meeting last Sunday in Matara in the southern province said.
Full story >>

SLFP dissidents, JVP predict demise of Rajapakse regime

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 March 2007, 17:29 GMT]
Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, sacked minister from the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government said Saturday that a new government will be informed in Sri Lanka shortly, and Mangala Samaraweera, another sacked minister will play a vital role in that government. He didn't reveal any other details. Meanwhile, separately, the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Saturday said the life span of the present United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) agreement will last only for fifteen months.
Full story >>

SLFP ponders expelling dissidents, as intra-party turmoil worsens

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 March 2007, 12:55 GMT]
Speculation is rife in political circles in Colombo that two dissident Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) parliamentarians, Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, the sacked ministers, are to be expelled from the party, after Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse returns from his seven-day official visit to China on Sunday evening. The SLFP is the main constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, sources said.
Full story >>