UNP to form election alliance

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 June 2008, 18:59 GMT]
The leadership of the main opposition United National Party (UNP) has been holding talks with leaders of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Western Peoples Front (WPF), and the splinter group of the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) on forming an alliance to contest the elections to the Sabragamuwa Provincial Council (SPC) and North central Provincial Council (NCPC), political sources in Colombo said.
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Just, fair election impossible in East – UNP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 May 2008, 16:09 GMT]
United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians and supporters led by its General Secretary, Tissa Athanayake, staged a protest demonstration Tuesday around 2:30 p.m in front of the election office in Colombo calling for the removal of arms from the paramilitary Pillayan group and to conduct the election for the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) in a just and fair manner. Meanwhile, the UNP parliamentarian Laxman Kiriyelle has accused the Sri Lankan Defence Ministry for involvement in distributing blank polling cards and warned that the government is preparing itself for a large scale election rigging.
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Anura Bandaranaike passes away

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 March 2008, 10:32 GMT]
Anura Bandaranaike, the brother of former SL President Chandrika Kumaratunga and the son of two former Prime Ministers of Sri Lanka, passed away after brief illness at a private hospital in Colombo Sunday at 2:45 p.m. Mr. Bandaranaike, the 59-year-old son of the world's first woman prime minister, a former Foreign Minister and a former Opposition Leader, had walked away from the Sri Lankan parliament after crossing over to the opposition during the final voting of the latest Sri Lankan Budget in December 2007. His father, Solomon West Ridgeway Dias Bandaranaike, was assassinated by an extremist Buddhist monk when Mr. Anura Bandaranaike was 10 years old.
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Sooriyaarachi to be laid to rest Wednesday

[TamilNet, Sunday, 10 February 2008, 21:51 GMT]
The remains of former Port Development Minister and Sri Lanka Freedom Party-Mahayana Wing (SLFP) (M) Coordinator Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, who was killed in a car accident Saturday at Thambuththegama, Anuradhapura was kept in Jayaratne Funeral Parlour in Borella Sunday morning for viewing by public to pay their homage, and was later taken to his residence in Kandana, sources in Colombo said.
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2007: The year in review

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 January 2008, 07:34 GMT]
For the people of the NorthEast, 2007 was a grim year. Sri Lanka’s security forces and allied paramilitaries intensified their campaign of abductions (‘white van’ abductions), torture, and murder of Tamil civilians. Tamil civil society leaders bore the brunt of the counter-insurgency campaign. Jaffna remained an open prison with shortage of essential items, east falling under the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) control with thousands displaced as Colombo concocts colonization schemes to make east a Sinhala majority province.
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Attackers hurl firebombs at SLFP rebel MP's house

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 November 2007, 15:32 GMT]
Unidentified attackers riding in a motorbike hurled petrol bombs Thursday around 8:00 p.m. at the house of Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi, former minister who broke away from the SLFP. Nobody was wounded in the attack on his residence at Austin Place, Borella in Colombo, Police said. Earlier in the day, the SLFP-breakaway parliamentarian had accused that the SLFP should be held responsible for the loss of former foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. Informed media sources quoted Mr. Sooriyaarachchi as saying that certain SLFP leaders had opposed a move, within the SLFP, to appoint Lakshman Kadirgamar as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka when the JVP proposed his name to the post.
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SL Parliament to debate Rajapakse-LTTE bribe allegation

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 September 2007, 11:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka Parliament is to debate an adjournment motion moved by Mr.Sripathi Sooriyarachchi, co-ordinator of the Peoples Wing of he Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) on Thursday on the controversial allegation that Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse had given money to the LTTE on the eve of 2005 November presidential election.
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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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Chandrika Kumaratunge to meet Samaraweera

[TamilNet, Monday, 13 August 2007, 02:11 GMT]
Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge, former President of Sri Lanka for two terms from 1994 till 2005, returned to Colombo from UK Sunday and is scheduled to hold talks with Mr.Mangala Samaraweera, leader the Peoples Wing of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), regarding current political situation Monday evening at her Horagolla residence, media sources said.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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CID arrests Sooriyarachchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 March 2007, 09:34 GMT]
Sri Lankan Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested Sripathy Sooriyarachchi Saturday in Colombo following his summon for investigation into alleged misuse of a government vehicle after his removal from the ministerial portfolio. The arrest comes after Mr. Sooriyarachchi, the former non cabinet minister of port development, who was sacked by the SL President Mahinda Rajapakse, exposed an alleged scandal by Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, the brother of Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, involving Rs.600 million in the purchase of Russian-made MIG fighter and weapons.
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SLFP dissidents removed from party organizer posts

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 March 2007, 11:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Thursday night at its emergency central working committee meeting dismissed the two sacked ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi from party organizers' posts. Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse presided the meeting in the capacity of party president, sources said.
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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.
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SLFP dissidents ask Rights Commission to guarantee safety

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 March 2007, 00:52 GMT]
Mangala Samaraweera, sacked Foreign Minister Monday said that Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse in his capacity as Defence Minister, and Gothabaya Rajapakse, Defence Secretary, should accept responsibility should anything happen to Sripathi Sooriyarachchi or him. Mr. Samaraweera was speaking to the press after attending the inquiry held by the officials of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) on complaints made by him and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi.
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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.
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UNP demands to know JVP, JHU's position on SLFP-LTTE deal

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 March 2007, 21:27 GMT]
The main opposition United national Party (UNP) Monday requested the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), all monks' party and Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) to state their stand on the allegation leveled by ousted ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Sripathi Sooriyarachchi that some politicians of ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) had struck a secret deal with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) before the last presidential election.
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One family show must end- Sooriyarachchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 March 2007, 17:41 GMT]
"There is a large number of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) members, including 25 members of the parliament, who will likely support Mangala Samaraweera's and my stand, for our ideological struggle within the party and our advocacy for good governance. We also have a responsibility to bring the one family show of Rajapakses' to an end," said former Port Development Minister Sripathi Sooriyarachchi in an interview with Lankadeepa, a Sinhala weekend newspaper, Sunday.
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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.
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