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Declare elections, UNF challenges President |
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2009-11-18 |
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Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday challenged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to declare a presidential election adding that the opposition would then announce who its presidential candidate was going to be. “We are prepared to face whatever election is declared whether it is a presidential election or a general election and depending on what it will be, the UNP-led United National Front will announce the name of its presidential candidate,” Mr. Wickremesinghe told a news conference. He said the President had not kept his promises after the war victory and once again he had failed to keep to his promise by not declaring the presidential election at the SLFP convention on November 15. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem said the government’s failure or inability to declare an election was a battle half won by the opposition. (Read More) |
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Presidential poll coming first |
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2009-11-18 |
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa is likely to declare a Presidential Election shortly, highly placed government sources said yesterday. According to the Constitution, the President can make the announcement for a presidential election after the completion of four years in office. The President will complete his fourth year tomorrow. Unconfirmed sources last night said the election was likely to be held on January 23. .............(Read More) |
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Govt. abused State power for SLFP national convention : JVP |
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2009-11-17 |
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The JVP yesterday accused the government of abusing State power and property for the Sri Lanka Freedom Party’s National Convention at the Khettarama Staduim in Colombo on Sunday. They said that it also violated media freedom by ordering all TV stations to give live telecast of the convention without interruption even at prime time. Addressing a press conference at the Party Head Office at Battaramulla, JVP Parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said it was a party convention and not an official event of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. But the government has ordered all television channels to telecast it. The TV stations had to telecast it even interrupting their main news bulletins. (Read More) |
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Fonseka s decision within 48 hours |
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2009-11-17 |
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Former Army Commander and Chief of Defence Staff Sarath Fonseka said yesterday he would announce his future plans within the next two days. “Whatever is open and accessible to a civilian I will do and I will think about it in the next 48 hours,” the General said in response to a question regarding speculation on his entry into politics as the common opposition candidate at a presidential election. “I don’t like to talk about politics while in uniform. I’ll make my comments only after I take it off,” he said. (Read More) |
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Common candidate: JVP to hold talks |
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2009-11-17 |
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The JVP said yesterday it would talk to opposition political parties this week on fielding a common candidate at a possible presidential election after the party central committee endorsed a proposal to support such a candidate who is acceptable to other parties. JVP parliamentary group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a news conference that throughout its political history, the JVP had been consistent in calling for the defeat of secessionism and the strengthening of democracy in Sri Lanka. He criticized President Mahinda Rajapaksa for not declaring the much-awaited major election though the people eagerly expected him to do so at the SLFP convention on Sunday. |
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SLFP convention turned out to be a farce: UNP |
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2009-11-17 |
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The main opposition UNP said yesterday that SLFP members were unhappy with most of those in the party leadership and the government and thus called for a presidential election at Sunday’s convention. UNP MP Gayantha Karunatilleke told a news conference SLFP members wanted a presidential election as their Ministers and MPs could not go to the voters because of the government’s poor performance. “The government has been shaken and surprised by the request made by SLFP members at its annual convention. The government exposed its bankruptcy by being unable to declare either a presidential election or a general election at the SLFP convention, though there was much hype that such an announcement will be made,” he said. (Read More) |
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UPF Councillor forms new political party |
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2009-11-17 |
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A new political party, Workers National Front (WNF) has been formed in the upcountry by an Up-country People’s Front (UPF) Councillor P. Digambaram, from the Central Provincial Council. The new party will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the recently formed United National Front, on Wednesday. President of WNF, P. Digambaram, told Daily Mirror yesterday that he had taken steps to form a new party since not a single party represented the requirements of the estate community at the moment. He has already requested the Election Commissioner to register his party as a recognized party in Sri Lanka. A former member of the Up-country People’s Front (UPF), Mr. Digambaram said he left the UPF due to differences with the party leaders. “The party leaders didn’t allow us to work and help the estate workers and that’s why I left the party and formed the WNF,” he said. |
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JVP lays down 4 conditions for the common candidate |
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2009-11-17 |
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JVP M.P. Anura Kumara Dissanayake said, the President yesterday (15), after questioning from the party members at the convention whether it is the Presidential or General elections they want first, and when they raised their hands and wanted the Presidential elections, the President then stating that this will be referred to the party and answered later, had insulted the party members and the constitution.
In any party constitution the highest place is for the party Convention. The Central Committee and the political Council come below it. But, at yesterday’s convention, it was the President who took the upper hand, Dissanayake pointed out.
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The Presidency in a promising season |
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2009-11-15 |
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to give a definite word regarding elections at the SLFP Convention on Sunday, November 15, 2009. His announcement will put an end to speculation and we can expect more clarity in stand and companion where the key parties and players are concerned. Then begins, as we all know, the season of promises. There are two elections ahead of us, the Parliamentary and Presidential. The latter is clearly the big prize and this is why most of the political speculation has surrounded the names of possible candidates, consequent implications and possible configuration of political forces. The name that has emerged is of course ‘Sarath Fonseka’. He’s been touted by many as the man who could put up the best fight against the incumbent, President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Both the United National Party (UNP) and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) have mentioned him as a likely ‘Common Candidate’ (CC). (Read More) |
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The spirit of the Ceylon National Congress to stir again |
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2009-11-15 |
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It is easy, perhaps too easy, to dismiss the Ceylon National Congress as a grouping of elitists, brought together by a shared, elitist power-need. Looking back, almost 90 years after it was formed and 69 years after its ultimate demise, it is easy to pick holes in the politics of the Ceylon National Congress. On the other hand people and decisions should ideally be judged against the realities of that time and no other. In the very least, it should be acknowledged that history is a great teacher and it is up to the student of history to disentangle from event and personality the lessons applicable to the present, to site example to alert the contemporary actor to possible pitfalls and glean elements that can feed the formulation of superior political strategy. (Read More)
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