Kumaratunga seeks 'unequivocal' mandate

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 July 2001, 19:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga Thursday blamed the island's constitution for the ills besetting her country and called for unequivocal mandate for a new constitution in an address to the 'nation' on state run television. The speech focused primarily on the need to do away with the proportional representation system of elections introduced under the 1978 constitution.
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Constitutional stratagems key to S.L crisis

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 July 2001, 03:50 GMT]
"Asking us whether we are in agreement with the proposal that the 'country needs a new Constitution?' is akin to asking a person whether he wants to marry or not marry a woman whom he does not know at all. How can they ask us to vote for something when we do not know whether it is black or white," asked Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, MP, the propaganda secretary and senior leader of the radical Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (People's Liberation Front), condemning the Sri Lankan President's decision to suspend parliament and hold a referendum in August.
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Joint opposition wants debate on July 18

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 July 2001, 09:47 GMT]
The no-confidence motion against the People's Alliance (PA) Government is likely to be taken up for debate on July 18. This is in consequent of the written request by 115 opposition parliamentarians submitted Tuesday to the Secretary of the Speaker. "The entire opposition has requested the Speaker that the no confidence be taken up for debate on July 18. A certified copy the request was also handed over to the Secretary General of the parliament," Mr.Mahinda Samarasinghe, a UNP parliamentarian said.
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Opposition conspiracy thwarted -president

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 July 2001, 04:42 GMT]
"The government has been able to abort the conspiracy by the United National Party and Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to get the State of Emergency removed in the bid to serve the needs of the LTTE" claimed President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge in a special statement Thursday evening, which followed her decree extending the proscription of Liberation Tigers under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
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PA sees 'capitalist conspiracy' in no-faith motion

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 July 2001, 11:36 GMT]
Hundreds of workers of pro-government trade unions demonstrated at the Lipton's circus roundabout near downtown Colombo Wednesday. "The working classes have confidence in the PA government. Businessmen and millionaires cannot be allowed to overthrow the present government which came to power with the support of working community", demonstrators told state media units covering the protest.
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UNP, JVP to vote against extension of emergency

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 July 2001, 10:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition, the United National Party Tuesday decided to vote against the motion on extending state of emergency which will be taken up for voting on Friday. "If the government holds the majority power in Parliament as repeatedly claimed by the Prime Minister, this is the best opportunity to prove it and show the strength of the government by ensuring the passage of the Emergency Regulations through Parliament" the parliamentary group of the UNP said in statement issued in this regard. Meanwhile the radical Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna that has 10 MPs in the parliament said it will also vote against the motion.
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Opposition submits no confidence motion against the govt.

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 June 2001, 07:03 GMT]
A motion of no confidence against the ruling People's Alliance government, signed by 97 MPs was handed over to the speaker of the house Friday morning. The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said it is confident of defeating the government.
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Tamil parties sign no confidence motion

[TamilNet, Thursday, 21 June 2001, 13:28 GMT]
Three Tamil parties in Sri Lanka’s Parliament signed the no confidence motion against the ruling People’s Alliance government in Sri Lanka Thursday. The Tamil United Liberation Front, the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation and the All Ceylon Tamil Congress which together have nine seats in the legislature. However, a spokesman for the radical Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna which has ten seats, and hence holds the key to the numbers manoeuvring in the Sri Lankan Parliament, said Thursday that it would announce its decision on Saturday.
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Sri Lanka govt. faces collapse as Muslims leave

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 June 2001, 09:16 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's ruling People's Alliance regime is facing collapse following the decision of its main coalition partner, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, Wednesday to pull out of the government. The SLMC decision is the culmination of a month long crisis sparked by a pogrom against Muslims in the provincial town of Mawanella. The Sri Lankan President sacked Mr. Rauff Hakeem, the co-leader of the SLMC and Minister for Internal and Internal Commerce from the cabinet last night.
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Kadirgamar's move said linked to no confidence motion

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 May 2001, 19:34 GMT]
"The Sri Lankan government announced that it had reached an agreement with the Liberation Tigers not because of a genuine commitment to peace but to deftly pre-empt the support of minority parties for the opposition's impending no confidence motion against the government", a spokesperson for the ten party Tamil alliance told TamilNet in Colombo Friday evening. "The government is alarmed now that it might lose the support of at least a section of its main coalition partner, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress over the Mawanella pogrom. This is has created a serious crisis for the People's Alliance. Why should the Sri Lankan government, which consistently rejected the LTTE's ceasefire and refused to even partially lift the embargo on the Vanni despite facing greater military defeats than Agni Khiela I last year, jump the gun at this juncture to falsely declare that it had reached an understanding with the Tigers to begin peace talks?" the Tamil politician in Colombo asked.
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Sri Lanka's radical Marxists stage massive rally

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 May 2001, 19:55 GMT]
More than hundred and fifty thousand members and supporters of the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna, Sri Lanka's radical Marxist party, took part in a massive May Day rally Tuesday in Colombo.
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PA budget passed, TULF misses MP for vote

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 April 2001, 14:11 GMT]
The budget of the People’s Alliance was passed in the Sri Lankan Parliament Wednesday by a majority of nine votes amidst speculation that the opposition might woo the government’s Tamil and Muslim allies to defeat the ruling party. However, the opposition lost one vote from the minimum it expected to be cast against the budget today when the TULF MP for Batticaloa, Mr. P. Selvarajah left for India amidst charges that he had been inveigled at the eleventh hour to stay away from the crucial vote. Mr. Selvarajah was the only MP who was absent in the Parliament today during the vote. The Sri Lankan legislature has 225 members.
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Sri Lanka Marxists commemorate insurrection

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2001, 20:04 GMT]
Sri Lanka's radical Marxist party, the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Thursday commemorated its cadres who were killed in the insurrection of 1971. More than ten thousand youth who took part in the JVP's armed insurrection to overthrow the Sri Lankan government and establish a communist regime in Sri Lanka were massacred by the army and Police. The Indian government sent in troops to aid the Sri Lankan security forces quell the rebellion.
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Emergency extended

[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 April 2001, 18:52 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Parliament Thursday passed a motion extending the State of Emergency for another month by a majority of 22 votes. The United National Party (UNP), Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), Tamil Eelam Organisation (TELO) and All Ceylon Tamil Congress (ACTC) voted against the motion. The solitary Parliamentarian of the Sinhala Urumaya was not present at that time of voting. 111 parliamentarians voted for the motion and 89 voted against.
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Marxists, UNP mark women's day, NGO flops

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 March 2001, 16:30 GMT]
The women's wing of Sri Lankas radical Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (People's Liberation Front) staged a street play in the heart of Colombos business hub to mark International women's day.
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SLFP stages massive show of strength

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 March 2001, 16:25 GMT]
In a massive show of strength the Sri Lanka freedom Party (SLFP) gathered more than hundred thousand supporters and members for its golden jubilee celebrations and 13th national convention Sunday in Colombo. The SLFP, the chief constituent and convenor of Sri Lanka's ruling People's Alliance (PA), was established in 1951 by the President Chandrika Kumaratunga's father Mr. Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike (1899-1959) and was led by her mother, Sirimao Ratwatte Dias Banadaranaike (1916-2000), after his death. Addressing the rally at the Colombo racecourse grounds, the Sri Lankan President reiterated her stand on the ethnic conflict that peace talks could begin with the Liberation Tiger without her government declaring a cease-fire.
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Plantation protestors light lamps

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 February 2001, 21:43 GMT]
Sri Lanka's plantation sector workers lit lamps Wednesday night in Hatton, a large town in the island's tea producing central province, on the third day of a protest fast campaign demanding an increase on their current daily wage of 101 rupees (1.14 US Dollars). Hundreds of workers, mostly ethnic Tamils, joined the 'satyagraha' fast Wednesday afternoon despite being advised by their trade union, Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), that they should not stay away from work. The CWC is major coalition partner of the ruling People's Alliance (PA) government in Colombo.
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Sri Lanka's PM decries insurrectionary Marxists

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 February 2001, 21:49 GMT]
"The murder of human beings is considered a crime in any society. It is totally against the principles of Buddhism" said Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayaka Friday, addressing the opening of an exhibition of photographs of people allegedly killed by the Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) in Piliyandala, an outer suburb of Colombo, in 1988-89.
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Opposition march carries 'SL economy' in coffin

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 January 2001, 16:31 GMT]
Hundreds of opposition United National Party members and supporters marched through a busy suburb of Colombo Friday, carrying a coffin and protesting against the steeply rising cost of living and crime in Sri Lanka. UNP leaders and supporters addressed a meeting around 11 a.m. Friday at Sri Kotha, the party's national headquarters, lambasting the People's Alliance regime for the failing, cash strapped economy, the rupee devaluation and rising crime. The crowds then marched to the busy Nugegoda junction, carrying placards and shouting slogans against the Sri Lankan government.
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Pandemonium in SL Parliament

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 January 2001, 22:12 GMT]
Pandemonium reigned in the Sri Lankan Parliament Wednesday morning when ruling party members tried to shout down opposition ranks that were protesting over Police breaking up a demonstration by the radical Marxist Janata Vimukthi Peramuna in downtown Colombo on Monday.
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