Foreign NGOs’ projects in NE do not benefit people – Thooyavan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 May 2004, 03:48 GMT]
“Many foreign NGOs [Non-Governmental Organizations] are claiming in international forums that they are engaged in development work in the North-East, but the reality on the ground is that no development of benefit to the people has been completed,” said Mr. S. K. Thooyavan, the director of the Liberation Tigers’ development secretariat, speaking at a conference at the Jaffna district secretariat Tuesday, according to Uthayan, the Jaffna-based Tamil daily.
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Security strengthened in Colombo for May Day

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 April 2004, 19:38 GMT]
Sri Lanka's capital Colombo has been put on red alert and more police and army personnel have been deployed at strategic places to ensure a violence-free May Day celebrations Saturday. Several roads have been prohibited for traffic within certain periods on the May Day to avoid traffic jam and to ensure security for processions and rallies, police said
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JVP ministers sworn in, attend first cabinet meeting

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 April 2004, 10:46 GMT]
Eight parliamentarians of the Sinhala nationalist, Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), one of the two major constituents of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) were sworn in before Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge as cabinet rank ministers and deputy ministers Wednesday morning around 9.30. Later they attended their first cabinet meeting at about 10 .30 a.m, political sources said.


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JVP ministers, deputies to take oaths Wednesday

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 April 2004, 18:06 GMT]
Four cabinet rank ministers and four deputy ministers of the Sinhala nationalist cum Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), one of the two major constituents of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), are to be sworn-in by Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, Wednesday morning at the President's House, government sources said.
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SLFP-JVP ministerial dispute resolved

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 April 2004, 03:28 GMT]
The politburo of the Sinhala nationalist cum Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), one of the major constituents of the ruling United Peoples' Freedom Alliance (UPFA), Monday night decided to accept one of the two proposals submitted by Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, and to bring the three week old dispute over ministerial and deputy ministerial posts to an end, political sources said.
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JVP politburo meets to decide on ministerial dispute

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 April 2004, 16:26 GMT]
The politburo of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) began its crucial discussion Monday evening on the alternative suggestions submitted by Sri Lanka's President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, in regard to the allocation of Mahaveli Development Ministry to JVP, political sources said.
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Sri Lanka Buddhist monks’ party slams Marxists

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 April 2004, 16:22 GMT]
Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), the party of ultra Sinhala nationalist Buddhist monks, Monday charged that the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s chief coalition partner, is planning to eliminate its leaders. Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thero, General Secretary of the JHU, told a press conference at the party’s headquarters in a plush Colombo suburb that leading monks of his party had received death threats again on Sunday night. Meanwhile thousands of posters lambasting the JHU monks appeared in Colombo during the weekend.
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UPFA wins NWPC as Central, Uva PCs await elections

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 April 2004, 03:15 GMT]
The United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) won the provincial elections held Saturday for the North West Provincial Council. According to the Elections Department, the UPFA obtained 59.10% of the votes cast, winning 31 seats, and the United National Party (UNP) won 19 seats, obtaining 37.53% of the votes.
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Violence against JHU monks increases

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 April 2004, 18:25 GMT]
The attack on Buddhist shrines and intimidation against monks of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) is on the increase in the southern part of the country since the election of new Speaker of Sri Lanka's parliament. JHU leadership has accused the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) activists are encouraging such incidents for voting for the opposition candidate in the Speaker's election, sources said.


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LTTE to await official word from Norway on peace process

[TamilNet, Sunday, 25 April 2004, 03:37 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers will inform their stand on resuming the peace process if the Norwegian government officially informs the LTTE about the Sri Lankan government's stand, Mr. Daya Master, the media coordinator of the LTTE, told the Tamil media on Saturday. Meanwhile, sources quoting the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo say a high level delegation of the Norwegian government will visit Colombo in the first week of May to hold discussions with the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE.
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SLFP, JVP to meet Sunday over ministerial dispute

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 April 2004, 17:10 GMT]
Senior leaders of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), two major constituents of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) are scheduled to meet Sunday in the President's House to take a final decision on the dispute over the allocation of ministries to the JVP, government sources said. The dispute marked a tumultous beginning to UPFA government and has raised questions on the ability of the Alliance to focus on governance.
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JHU parliamentarian complains of intimidation by unidentified group

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 April 2004, 10:22 GMT]
Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thera, Deputy Leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentary group Saturday lodged a complaint with the Embilipitya Police, down south of the country that a group unidentified persons covering their faces came to his Bodhirajarama Dharmajaye Vihare, tied black flags in the temple premises and intimidated the inmates, police said.
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Crisis within UPFA deepens over Mahaveli Ministry

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 April 2004, 18:04 GMT]
The crisis within the United People’s Freedom Alliance over the allocation of ministries to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) deepened Friday, with the General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, asserting that the allocation of four ministries to the JVP was consistent with a pre-poll agreement between the leaders of the SLFP and the JVP in forming the alliance.
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UPFA accuses JHU of joining hands with TNA

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 April 2004, 16:52 GMT]
The leaders of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the main constituents of the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), jointly addressing a press conference Friday, said that the "true form" of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has been revealed in parliament when its two parliamentarians voted in the Speaker's election with the main opposition United National Front, thereby "joining hands" with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), media sources said.
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Missing Bhikku parliamentarians attend new Parliament opening

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 April 2004, 04:50 GMT]
The first session of the thirteenth Parliament of Sri Lanka began Thursday morning around 10 am in a tense atmosphere to elect its sixteenth Speaker since independence.
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UPFA's first cabinet meeting held without JVP ministers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 April 2004, 19:01 GMT]
The optimism expressed by some senior leaders of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) that row over the allocation to the Mahaveli Development Ministry was close to a settlement evaporated Wednesday evening as the leaderships of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) failed to accept the compromise, political sources said.
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"No cross-over from UNP to UPFA" - Ranil

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 April 2004, 15:39 GMT]
Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, former Prime Minister and the leader of the United National Party (UNP) Wednesday dismissed media reports that few parliamentarians of the main opposition United National Front (UNF) are to cross over to the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) as baseless and untrue.
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SLFP-JVP close to resolving Mahaveli Ministry row

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 April 2004, 07:50 GMT]
Senior leaders of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance Wednesday expressed optimism that the three week old quarrel between the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) regarding the allocation of Mahaweli Development ministry to the JVP minister designate for Agriculture is likely to be resolved this evening, political sources said.
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UPFA MPs to hold first group meeting on April 17

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 April 2004, 17:53 GMT]
The first parliamentary group meeting of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is scheduled to be held on April 17, coinciding with the birthday of the late Prime Minister of Sri lanka, Ms.Srimavo Bandaranaike, the mother of the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, sources said.
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JVP ministers likely to be sworn in this week

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 April 2004, 15:43 GMT]
The four Cabinet rank ministers and other four deputy ministers of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) are likely to be sworn in on Thursday or Friday as all disputes between the JVP and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), regarding the allocation of subjects under the ministries designated for them have been patched up for now, political sources said.
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