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GOVT. REPLY NOT SENT YET |
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2009-12-24 |
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An official Government response has not been sent to the letter written by Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said yesterday. He refuted the statement made by the Disaster Management and Human Rights Secretary Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha which indicated that a reply had already been sent. On Monday Prof. Wijesinha forwarded to the Daily Mirror a draft letter which he intended on sending to the UN Special Rapporteur and confirmed the following day that the letter was sent. War crimes: Govt. reply not sent yet “I sent it this morning,” he told a private TV station. (Read More) |
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Cabinet comes down hard on Fonseka |
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2009-12-24 |
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Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake in a special statement yesterday said the Cabinet of Ministers while condemning the aspersions cast by Gen. Sarath Fonseka on the honour and integrity of the security forces has decided to use all means at its disposal to defend every member of the security forces against any potential international repercussions.The full statement follows: The Cabinet of Ministers at their meeting on 23rd December 2009, took serious note of the recent allegations made in the media by General (Rtd) Sarath Fonseka and the consequences arising thereof. (Read More)
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SHUT UP says the EC |
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2009-12-24 |
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Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake has instructed senior government officials including Ministry Secretaries not to make media statements advantageous or disadvantageous to any of the candidates in the fray, officials said. The instruction has also been issued by the Commissioner in a gazette notification to the Central Bank Governor, commanders of the three armed forces and the IGP as well. According to the regulations, none of these officials could participate in TV programmes and talk shows as well. The copies of this circular had been sent to Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and all the Ministry Secretaries. (Read More) |
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Signs of lakhs of IDPs losing their franchise: All the 22 Candidates, political parties silent |
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2009-12-23 |
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Media spokesman for Campaign for Free and Fair elections (CAFFE), Keerthi Tennekoon regretted that no political party has taken any action to protect the voting rights of the IDPs in the North.
Not only the Elections Commissioner and the govt. officials, but the political parties too have a grave responsibility to safeguard the voting rights of the IDPs in Jaffna and the Wanni Districts. These parties who are representatives of the people should take crucial measures to provide the IDPs with the right to vote. Yet, a majority of the candidates who are contesting the Presidential elections are indifferent to this need. (Read More)
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Lotteries Board money on MR campaign |
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2009-12-23 |
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A calendar of the Rajapaksa family is being printed these days utilizing allocations of the National Lotteries Board. It is a violation of election law to distribute a calendar with the President through the National Lotteries Board which is a state owned Institution, when the President himself is a candidate at the Presidential election. It is a fact that should draw the attention of the Commissioner of Elections. |
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Fonseka s allegations closes doors for armed forces |
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2009-12-23 |
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Transport Minister Dulles Alahapperuma yesterday said not only would Sri Lankan armed forces personnel be under constant threats of arrest in the overseas following Presidential candidate General Fonseka’s damaging statements, but the doors would be closed for our armed forces personnel to serve under the UNO peace corps programmes. Minister Alahapperuma stressed that Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka realizing well that he stands no chance to win the Presidential election is determined to harm the armed forces and the government as much as possible as he is on a contract from foreign and local elements that are hell bent on undermining Sri Lanka. Addressing a news briefing at the Mahaweli Centre yesterday, Minister Alahapperuma went onto say that the dream of any soldier or a policeman is to serve in an overseas peace mission under the UNO as it gives them a good income and experience. (Read More) |
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Forty years vs forty days |
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2009-12-23 |
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The people are aware about the person with 40 years political experience and a person with only 40 days political experience. I am aware the people have decided to give me majority in proportion to that experience at the forthcoming presidential election, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said in Kandy yesterday. President Rajapaksa was addressing a gathering of SLFP activists who met him at President’s House, Kandy. “At a recent public meeting in Kandy, the UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had repeated seven times that my family should be struck by thunder. Was he asking thunder to strike my family because I gave one of my sons to the Armed Forces to defeat the LTTE?,” the President queried. (Read News) |
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Ex JVP veterans return to support Gen. Fonseka |
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2009-12-23 |
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group of JVP veterans including Lionel Bopage and Kelly Senanayake who defected from the party from time to time have now teamed up to support Opposition Common Candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka at the upcoming presidential election. These ex-JVPers have formed an organization called the ‘People’s Forum’ to campaign for Gen. Fonseka. Mr. Senanayake told the Daily Mirror yesterday these JVP veterans did not join any political party after their defection from the party in the past but had now united to unseat PresidentMahinda Rajapaksa at the upcoming election. “That can be done only by supporting the candidature of Gen. Fonseka. We have taken this decision in the interests of the country. After we broke ranks with the JVP, we remained politically neutral. However, we have worked for certain non-partisan social movements,” he said. (Read More) |
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Govt. trying to gain political mileage: Mangala |
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2009-12-23 |
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Opposition common candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka’s spokesman Mangala Samaraweera, yesterday refuting the government’s allegation regarding the UN inquiry into war crimes, charged that the government was trying to gain political mileage over the issue. Addressing a news conference, Mr. Samaraweera said the government, by making an issue out of the matter, was actually dragging the country towards an inquiry into war crimes. Soon after the controversial media statement appeared in the English weekly, he, said, Gen. Fonseka denied it and admitted his responsibility for whatever happened in the battle front under his command. “Then, why is the government crowing over the issue charging that Gen. Fonseka has revealed war secrets? Our candidate has denied it. (Read More) |
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Fonseka aide abducted and held for two days |
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2009-12-23 |
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Presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka informed Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake at the Elections Secretariat yesterday that one of his aides, who is a retired army captain and was in charge of his internal security and campaign security, had been abducted two days ago,held at an unknown location and later released after being threatened, sources close to the general told Daily Mirror online. The source said that, upon his release, the abducted officer had said that he had been threatened for being part of General Fonseka’s team. |
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