India sees "internal processes" producing solution

[TamilNet, Thursday, 01 December 2005, 17:51 GMT]
Commenting on Sri Lanka’s conflict and peace process, India said Thursday it "believes that an enduring solution can only emerge essentially through internal political processes." In a joint statement issued by both countries on the occasion of Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s visit to Delhi, the Indian government said it “continues to maintain an abiding interest in the security of Sri Lanka and remains committed to its sovereignty and territorial integrity."
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SL Foreign Minister to meet Indian leaders

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 November 2005, 11:31 GMT]
The Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister, Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, will meet the Indian leaders, including Indian Premier Dr.Manmohan Singh and other key figures, in New Delhi Wednesday to discuss bilateral issues, sources at Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry said.


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ITRO responds to allegations by SL Highcommission in Australia

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 November 2005, 11:47 GMT]
The International Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (ITRO London), the representative body of the overseas offices of the Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation, in a letter addressed to Mr. Asoka Girihagama, the deputy high commissioner of Sri Lanka in Australia, requested to provide details of the grounds for his recent allegations in Australian media that the TRO Australia had allocated Tsunami relief and rehabilitation funds to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
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Clinton meets SL President

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 November 2005, 11:43 GMT]
The former President of the US and UN special envoy on tsunami relief, Bill Clinton, currently in Sri Lanka as part of his his tour to South Asian countries, met with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa Tuesday at 11.20 a.m. at Sri Lanka Presidential residence, Temple trees, Colombo, sources said.


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Clinton arrives in Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 November 2005, 14:12 GMT]
The former President of the US and the UN special envoy on tsunami relief, Bill Clinton, arrived in Colombo at 2.30 pm today. He was received at the newly refurbished Bandaranaike International Airport by Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and UN officials in Colombo.
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Rajapakse to deliver vital policy speech Friday

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 November 2005, 17:03 GMT]
Newly elected Sri Lankan President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse is set to deliver his first speech at the Lankan Parliament Friday where he is also expected to express his stand on the ethnic crisis, the Norwegian facilitation, economic policy and his foreign policy. A motion on re-imposing Emergency Regulations is also expected to be tabled in the Parliament Friday.
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Mangala Samaraweera appointed new SL Foreign Minister

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 November 2005, 07:22 GMT]
Sri Lanka's new President Mahinda Rajapakse has demoted former President Chandrika Kumaratunga's brother, Mr. Anura Bandaranaike, by removing the Foreign Ministry portfolio from him and appointing him as the Minister of Tourism in his new 25-member cabinet. Chief coordinator of Mr. Rajapakse's Presidential Campaign, Mangala Samaraweera, a JVP-friendly hardliner, has been appointed as the Foreign Minister, in addition to his portfolios, Ports and Aviation. The twice postponed- swearing in of the new cabinet of ministers took place at the Presidential Secretariat Wednesday. Rajapakse is likely to keep with him the Finance and Defence Ministries.
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Rajapakse manifesto released

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 18 October 2005, 10:52 GMT]
Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse, presidential candidate of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) released his manifesto at an event held in the BMICH at an event held Tuesday morning in the Bandaranaike International Memorial Conference Hall (BMICH). The manifesto said that an ultimate solution to the ethnic crisis could only be reached through negotiations and not through war and that a settlement based on a unitary state is the basis to the ethnic crisis.


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Kumaratunge leaves for Paris

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 October 2005, 12:59 GMT]
Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge left for Paris Saturday morning to attend the 33rd session of the UNESCO General Conference to be held on 3 October, sources in Colombo said. UNESCO website said "The world's Ministers of Education will meet during UNESCO's General Conference in October to explore practical ways to address Education for All challenges by building on positive examples from different parts of the world."
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Rajapakse, JHU exchange agreement

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 September 2005, 10:51 GMT]
Prime Minister Rajapakse of Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Ellawela Methantha Thera of Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) exchanged agreement for the forthcoming Presidential election at Dalada Maligawa, Kandy Tuesday morning at 1130am. The parties agreed in principle to terminate talks on the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) and to find a solution to the ethnic crisis on the basis of a unitary state.


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SLFP holds 54th annual conference

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 September 2005, 09:17 GMT]
More than 20,000 participated in the 54th Annual conference of Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) which was held Tuesday at Colombo Horse Race Square, political sources in Colombo said. The conference rally started at 12 noon from Colombo Campell Park and marched through the baseline road, via Reed Avenue and reached the meeting venue at 6pm. Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumarathunga and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksha joined the rally at Reed Avenue and walked to Horse Race Square, political sources in Colombo said.


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Leader of the House of Sri Lanka parliament resigns

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 August 2005, 02:56 GMT]
The General Secretary of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Senior Minister Mr. Maithiripala Sirisena resigned from his position as Leader of the House Wednesday night, Sri Lanka Government sources said. Mr.Maithiripala Sirisena, an SLFP stalwart and a parliamentarian from the Eastern Polannaruwa district, is one of the confidants of SL President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge.
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Japan funds rural development in Badulla

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 July 2005, 10:30 GMT]
Japanese Governement is to provide Rs 9 million for the "rehabilitation of the Galahagama Irrigation scheme, construction of the Welihela Ladduma Water Supply Project and improve the Kahatapitiya - Hangiliela Road," said a press release issued by Japanese Embassy in Colombo Friday.
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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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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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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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JVP leaves UPFA, calls press conference on Thursday

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 June 2005, 18:39 GMT]
Mr.Somawanse Amerasinghe, leader of the marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said Wednesday evening in Kandy that the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) will not be in power on Thursday if Sri Lanka’s President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge does not revoke her decision to sign the joint mechanism proposal with the LTTE before 11.59 PM Wednesday. Mr.Amarasinghe made this remark when addressing the JVP district conference in Kandy this evening, sources said. In the meantime, JVP minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake told media in Colombo that JVP has dispatched letters informing their decision to leave the UPFA alliance to the President and to the Prime Minister, sources in Colombo said.
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JVP warns Kumaratunga not to be the last of Bandaranaikes

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 June 2005, 07:46 GMT]
Mounting a scathing attack on President Chandrika Kumaratunga and her family, Mr.Somawanse Amarasinghe, leader of the marxist extreme Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the main political ally of ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Government, warned on Tuesday that if Kumarathunga went ahead and signed the proposed joint-mechanism with the LTTE, she would be the "last of the Bandaranaikes".
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Samaraweera resigns from Media Minister post

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 07 June 2005, 14:46 GMT]
Mr.Mangala Samaraweera Tuesday gave up his Media Ministry portfolio, but continued to remain as Minister of Ports and Aviation, political sources in Colombo said. Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge has accepted Mr.Samaraweera's resignation sent on Tuesday, ruling party sources said.
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Competition for SriLankan, new Katunayake runway mulled

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 May 2005, 13:39 GMT]
The Sri Lankan government is set to allow local private airlines to operate international flights using its air service agreements with other countries and thereby competing with the national carrier SriLankan Airlines, press reports quoted the aviation minister as saying. Sri Lanka is mulling adding another runway to its sole international airport, Katunayake. Meanwhile Indian officials may be drafted in to break a strike by air traffic controllers.
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