Security beefed up in Colombo

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 July 2005, 10:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka President's Official residence and adjoining streets have been declared as high security zone, The Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP) Poojitha Jayasundera who is in-charge of the Colombo's security said that the declaration of the high-security zone areas around the President's official residence has been already gazetted last Friday.
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More than 200 000 participate in UNP march, Colombo at standstill

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 July 2005, 08:20 GMT]
The final lap of the protest march organised by the opposition United National Party (UNP) drew around two hundred thousand anti-government protesters in Colombo on Tuesday as it reached the final destination. The protest demanding the UPFA Government and President Chandrika Kumaratunge to hold the Presidential polls this year crippled the traffic in Colombo city. The march commenced at 9 am in Dehiwala along the main Galle road was led towards Lipton's circle in the heart of Colombo. Armed forces and the Police were deployed to guard Government institutions and departments which remained closed. Routes leading to the President's residence were shut down.
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SL Parliament approves Terrorist Financing Suppression Bill

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 July 2005, 11:11 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament Thursday adopted the Draft Bill to give effect to the Convention on the Suppression of Terrorist Financing with a majority of sixty votes, 81 parliamentarians including ruling party, United peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), main opposition United national Party (UNP), National Unity Alliance (NUA), Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the four dissidents of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) voted for the bill. 21 parliamentarians including 20 Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs and one UNP MP Mr.T.Maheswaran voted against the bill. parliamentary sources said.
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Ex-paramilitary cadre shot Monday succumbs to injuries

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 July 2005, 07:19 GMT]
Mr.Varothiayan, who was shot by an unidentified person in Trincomalee Monday night later succumbed to injuries at Dambulla while being transferred to Kandy general hospital for emergency operation, Hospital sources said. He was an active supporter of the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), which is a constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA).
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Sri Lanka parliament to hold debate on P-TOMS

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 July 2005, 07:02 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament is to hold two-day debate on the P-TOMS signed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The dates for the debate will be fixed at the party leaders' meeting to be held later, Speaker Mr. W.M.J.Lokkubandara announced Tuesday in parliament.
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Indian High Commissioner discusses Canal Project in Mannar

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 July 2005, 10:22 GMT]
Ms Nirupama Rao, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Monday visited Mannar and met high ranking navy officials in Thalaimannar, Government Agent of Mannar Mr V Viswalingam and UPFA Minister (SLMC rebel MP) Mr Rishard Badurdeen, and discussed issues related to Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project (SSCP), sources said. The SSCP attempts to create a navigable sea route between Gulf of Mannar and the Bay of Bengal within India’s own territorial waters.
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UNP's foot march continues for second day

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 July 2005, 11:52 GMT]
162 km long foot march organized by the main opposition United National Party (UNP), which began Saturday morning from the Vishnu Shrine, Dondra head in south of Sri Lanka, arrived Koggala Sunday evening. UNP organized the march called "Peoples Power Movement " demanding that Presidential election must be held in 2005. Protesters also demanded that the United Peoples Front Alliance government must reduce the cost of living. The first phase started from Dondra and concluded at Mirrisa from where the second phase started Sunday morning.
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Cooray reappointed Chief Minister

[TamilNet, Saturday, 02 July 2005, 00:59 GMT]
Governor Mr.Alavi Mowlana Friday reappointed Mr.Reginald Cooray of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) as Chief Minister of the Western Provincial Council removing Mr.Nandana Mendis, after a split in the SLFP increased support to Mr Cooray, political sources said. Mr Mendis took oath of office on 22 June after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the UPFA and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Mr Cooray is to be sworn in on Sunday, Governor Mr.Alavi Mowlana said.
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SC rules dissident MPs' expulsion from SLMC invalid

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 July 2005, 09:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Friday ruled that the expulsion of three dissident parliamentarians Messrs Rishard Badiudin, Ameer Ali and Najeeb Abdul Majeed from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) was invalid and of no force and effect in law. The dissident parliamentarians are currently Ministers in the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, legal sources said.
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Bhikku Front accuses Kumaratunge of betraying Buddhist Prelates

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 June 2005, 15:05 GMT]
"President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge is the number one enemy of Buddhism in Sri Lanka," said the National Bhikku Front (NBF), an organization of Sinhalese Buddhist monks of Sri Lanka in Colombo Monday. The NBF urged the top Buddhist Prelates to withdraw the blessings they gave Ms Kumaratunge as Head of the State and to declare her as a non-Buddhist.
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JVP files case against P-TOMS

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 June 2005, 10:54 GMT]
The former coalition partner of the United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA), the marxist Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Monday filed a case against the Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) agreement signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers. The case was filed at the Colombo District Courts.
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Hisbullah resigns from Aviation Board in protest of P-TOMS

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 June 2005, 10:48 GMT]
Mr M S M Hisbullah, Senior Deputy Leader of the National Unity Alliance (NUA), led by Ms Ferial Ashraff and a close ally of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government resigned Sunday from the post of Chairman of the Civil Aviation Services Board. Mr Hisbullah did not specify the reason in his resignation letter. However, at a press briefing held in his hometown Kattankudi in the Batticaloa district, Mr.Hisbullah stated that the Muslims have not been provided due place in the post-tsunami administrative structure in P-TOMS signed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Police fire tear gas on JVP demonstrators in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 June 2005, 12:31 GMT]
Sri Lankan riot police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the supporters of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) when demonstrators started throwing stones at the Police who tried to block the procession, sources said. JVP supporters were holding the protest demonstration to condemn the government for signing the P-TOMS agreement with the LTTE. JVP is a former close ally of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA).
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JVP to observe day of "Resistance" over PTOMS

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 June 2005, 14:50 GMT]
While Norwegian facilitators continued their shuttle diplomacy to get the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to come to an agreement on signing the aid deal, both supporters of aid deal and opposition groups intensified their campaigns in Colombo. Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the marxist extreme Sinhala nationalist party, said it will start an island-wide campaign against the aid deal beginning from capital Colombo Friday. Mr Wimal Weerawanse, the powerful propaganda secretary of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) declared Friday as a "Day of Resistance."
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UPFA Chief Minister for Western Provincial Council

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 18:11 GMT]
Mr.Nandana Mendis of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Wednesday evening was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of the Western Provincial Council (WPC) before the Provincial Governor Mr.Alavi Mowlana. He was appointed following the resignation of Mr.Reginald Cooray from the Chief Minister post, sources said.
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Defeat the minority NGO clique, Weerawanse tells SLFP Ministers

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 07:23 GMT]
Mr.Wimal Weerawanse, parliamentary group leader of the JVP, in a special statement soon after the parliament reconvened on Wednesday, thanking the Ministers Anura Bandaranaike, Mangala Samaraweera, Lakshman Kadirgamar, Siripala de Silva, Susil Premajayanth, Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse for their co-operation, said: "We, on behalf of the inspiration of millions of people, wish that you will be able to defeat the minority NGO clique which has wriggled its way into the Alliance government to destroy it." Mr. Weerawanse added that the JVP will function as an independent group of the opposition as announced earlier.
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SL parliament meets, JM not tabled

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 06:13 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament reconvened Wednesday for the first time after Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), withdrew its support to the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government last week over the Joint Mechanism structure to be signed with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is to facilitate the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the tsunami destroyed coastal areas in the northeast province. The government did not table any document or statement in the parliament on the joint mechanism proposal as widely speculated in the political circles.
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SL Parliament to meet with JVP in opposition

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 June 2005, 00:29 GMT]
Sri Lanka's parliament is scheduled to meet Wednesday for the first time after the Marxist Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) withdrew its support to the 14-month-old United Peoples' Freedom Alliance government (UPFA). JVP, a major constituent of the ruling alliance, and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) signed an agreement to form UPFA on 20 January 2004 in Colombo.
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Alliance faces test in WPC after JVP pullout

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 June 2005, 18:58 GMT]
The fate of the elected Western Provincial Council (WPC) will be decided by Governor Mr.Alavi Mowlana when he meets leaders of the United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA), United National Party (UNP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), political sources said. JVP withdrew from the UPFA last week precipitating a crisis in WPC governing coalition.
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TNA, UNP discuss aid deal

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2005, 17:15 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Sunday appealed to the main opposition United National Party (UNP) to openly declare its full support to the joint mechanism proposal and to insist that the Sri Lanka Government sign the agreement before tabling it in the parliament. TNA parliamentary delegation led by its leader Mr.R.Sampanthan met with Opposition Leader Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe, Sunday afternoon and held discussions regarding the current political crisis following the withdrawal of the Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) from the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, TNA sources said.
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