Tokyo donors' conference will not benefit Sri Lanka -PA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 June 2003, 20:06 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s main opposition People’s Alliance (PA) led by President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Tuesday said ninety percent of aid pledged at the Tokyo donors' conference are loans and not grants. "Majority of the aid given at the donors' conference are on various interest rates with several conditions attached," said People’s Alliance media spokesman Mr.Sarath Amunugama at a press briefing held Tuesday at the office of the Leader of the Opposition.
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Toppling UNF Government, PA's sole focus - Batty Weerakoon

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 June 2003, 00:11 GMT]
"People's Alliance (PA) of President Chandrika Kumaratunge does not have alternate policies for responding to issues of national importance. Instead PA is expending its energy in planning to topple the current United National Front (UNF) government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe," said Batty Weerakoon, Leader of leftist Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), speaking at a meeting of Civil Service Union in Colombo Thursday, local reports said.
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Sri Lanka's main opposition lays condition for IA

[TamilNet, Friday, 30 May 2003, 16:29 GMT]
The main opposition Peoples Alliance (PA) Friday said that Tokyo donors' conference should be held as scheduled next month with the participation or non-participation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It further said that the interim administration should be established to facilitate the implementation of the political solution reached at the peace talks now being held between the GOSL and LTTE and with certain conditions, sources in Colombo said.


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Constitutional crisis on NLB take over deepens

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 May 2003, 16:50 GMT]
The constitutional crisis precipitated by the take over of the National Lotteries Board (NLB) by the Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge from a senior minister of the United National Front government deepened further Tuesday when the President wrote to the Prime Minister stating that she would take drastic action if the government failed to print the concerned gazette notification issued by her, political sources said.
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Sampanthan writes to PM on interim administration

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 May 2003, 14:28 GMT]
The parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Mr.R.Sampanthan Monday sent a letter to the Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister urging him to act with “adequate clarity and certainty the commitment as stated in his 2001 general election manifesto that an Interim Administration will be set up for the northeast province and such a step will strengthen and consolidate the peace process.”
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PA rejects interim administration for Northeast

[TamilNet, Friday, 23 May 2003, 19:30 GMT]
Sri Lanka's main opposition People's Alliance (PA) Friday rejected the proposal for an interim council in the Northeast made by the LTTE, and warned that it would be forced to take constitutional remedies if Prime Minister Ranil Wikcremasinghe agreed to the council “contrary to” the constitution.
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Colombo’s new proposals said not valid in law

[TamilNet, Thursday, 22 May 2003, 06:40 GMT]
Institutional arrangements suggested by Colombo last week in response to concerns raised by the Liberation Tigers about establishing a legally viable and operable system to utilise donor aid for development and reconstruction of the war ravaged northeast are not valid in Sri Lankan law, legal experts said Thursday. “An Interim administrative mechanism similar to the one proposed under the Indo Lanka Agreement can be set up by the President alone; and only while Emergency Regulations are in force”, said Mr. V. T Thamilmaran, senior lecturer in law in the University of Colombo.
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Sri Lanka's PM leaves for India amid political crisis

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 May 2003, 16:21 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe left Friday morning to Cochin in South India on a private visit while his senior peace negotiators began discussions with the Norwegian delegation led by deputy foreign minister Mr. Vidar Helgessen to explore ways to resolve the present crisis following the temporary withdrawal by the LTTE from peace talks, political sources in Colombo said.
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Sri Lanka's deepening constitutional crisis

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 May 2003, 00:19 GMT]
President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge Wednesday rejected a request made by the Prime Minister to reconsider her decision of taking over the Development Lottery Board (DLB), a subject that comes under a senior minister of the United National Front government Mr.Milinda Morogoda, political sources in Colombo said.
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Peace snag said rooted in Sri Lanka's constitution

[TamilNet, Thursday, 15 May 2003, 00:02 GMT]
Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Peterson accompanied by his deputy Mr. Vidar Helgessen Wednesday morning arrived in Colombo to hold crucial talks with the leaders of the government and LTTE to in a bid to restart Sri Lanka’s stalled peace talks. Japan and Norway are keen that the LTTE take part in crucial aid conference next month in Tokyo. The Tigers, however, say Colombo should first establish legally operable bodies and procedures to ensure a direct say for Tamils over the utilization of funds pledged by donors for reconstructing the war torn northeast.
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EPDP's security strengthened

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 May 2003, 00:49 GMT]
The security at the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) office in Batticaloa district has been strengthened with effect from Tuesday, said Batticaloa district EPDP leader, Paraneetharan Pratheepan. Number of Police officers in permanent security duty has been increased from 6 to 8, he added.
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US diplomat cancels Trincomalee visit

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 May 2003, 14:27 GMT]
The Assistant Secretary of State in the US government Ms Christina Rocca cancelled her visit to Trincomalee due to inclement weather, diplomatic sources said. On her two-day visit to Sri Lanka, Ms. Rocca was scheduled to visit Trincomalee Tuesday to hold talks with Sri Lanka navy officials in the east port town in addition to a luncheon discussion with selected leading citizens of the area at a tourist resort in Nilaveli, sources said.


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Kumaratunge acted contrary to constitution - Peiris

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 May 2003, 13:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s United National Front government Tuesday said the taking over of the Development Lottery Board that comes under a minister in the UNF cabinet by President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge is contrary to the constitution of Sri Lanka.
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DLB controversy sparks constitutional crisis in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 May 2003, 10:52 GMT]
The constitutional crisis between the legislature and the executive branches of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) regarding the take over of the administration of the Development Lottery Board (DLB) took a new turn Monday when Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge issued a directive to the GoSL Printer Mr. Neville Nanayakkara to print the extra ordinary gazette notification sent by her on Thursday, political sources in Colombo said.


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Shooting in Ampara injures couple

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 May 2003, 01:58 GMT]
Anthony Thevarajah (40) and his wife Francis Catherina of Sorikalmunai village near Kalmunai in Ampara district were injured when unknown assailants fired at them around 9pm Sunday, security sources said. The couple have been admitted to the Batticaloa teaching hospital and are undergoing surgery according to medical sources.
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Education of 5000 children affected in Pallai region

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 May 2003, 12:22 GMT]
Three schools in Kilali, Allipallai and Muhamalai areas in Pallai region in Kilinochchi district cannot function in the original premises due to the occupation of school buildings by the Sri Lanka security forces, said Mr. Ariyaratnam, the Kilinochchi district Commissioner of Education.


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Chandrika strips lottery board admin responsibility from Morogoda

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 May 2003, 00:49 GMT]
President Chandrika Kumaratunge Friday took over responsibility for the administration of the National Development Lottery Board that functioned under the Minister of Economic Reforms, Science and Technology Mr.Milinda Morogoda, a senior Minister in the United National Front (UNF) government using the executive power vested on her by the presidency, sources said.


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Nambiar delivers HSZ report to Lanka's PM

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 May 2003, 02:23 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremesinghe told parliament Thursday during the special debate in Sri Lanka parliament that the report submitted by a former Indian army official, Satish Nambiar, on high security zones in the northeast has been forwarded to the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge, parliamentary sources said.


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Forcible occupation of land no basis for harmony - BBC Sinhala service head

[TamilNet, Friday, 09 May 2003, 00:02 GMT]
Speaking at the South Asia Discussion Group of the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London Wednesday, Mr. Priyath Liyanage, head of Sandesiya, the BBC’s Sinhala service, said the “effort to avoid the involvement of the Tamil Tigers” in rehabilitation and development in the north raises the question of the other ulterior agendas by Colombo.
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SLA camp relocation in NE premature-Chandrika

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 May 2003, 17:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge through her media spokesman Wednesday said she is opposed to the relocation of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps from the present sites without reaching agreements with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on core issues, sources in Colombo said.
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