Sources said that he had left the country on a private visit after accusing the SLFP leadership of not honouring a pre-poll promise to appoint him as Chief Minister of the Province. Sources said that an irate Muthuhettigama had criticised the party leadership for cold shouldering him.

A JVP-instigated student protest, close to Temple Trees, demanding the immediate release of 13 undergraduates, including the convener of the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF), Udul Premaratne, in remand and the dropping of the ‘university privatisation’ plans, ended without incidents.

Undergraduates gathered near Temple Trees after marching from the Viharamahadevi Park.

They set fire to an effigy of President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Kollupitiya junction while the police looked on. The police said that there was no requirement to use force as students did not make an attempt to cross the barricades. A senior officer told The Island that the police were fully prepared to thwart any attempt to enter the high security zone.

The protest caused a massive traffic jam in the area. .

Acting Convener of the IUSF Sanjeewa Bandara, told The Island that they only wanted to hand over a petition to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, but the police have thwarted their plan.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the Cabinet yesterday that local government members, whom he had consulted for their views on the next election, wanted him to call a snap presidential election.  

The President said local government members had a better understanding of politics at grassroots level and were thus well placed to know the pulse of the people.

He said on November 15 he would announce his decision and asked the ministers to be ready for any eventuality.

“I am not greedy for the presidency. That is why, I do not even care about sacrificing two years of   my first term,” President Rajapaksa said adding that he would again talk to leaders of political parties in the ruling coalition to seek their views on whether it should be the Presidential or General Election that should be held first.

Meanwhile the Cabinet also discussed the trade union crisis, and the President said his talks with trade union representatives were not given adequate coverage even in the state media.

Minister Rajitha Senaratne is reported to have emphasized the need to re-organize trade unions affiliated to government allies.

Some of the minority political parties which are allies of the government are holding discussions with other minority parties with the objective of forming an alliance to contest future elections, informed sources told Daily Mirror yesterday.

The sources said talks, lasting for about two hours were held at the Colombo Renuka Hotel,  between Tamil and Muslim political parties with the participation of TNA leader R. Sampanthan; SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem; DPF leader Mano Ganesan; TULF leader V. Anandasangari and PLOTE leader D. Siddharthan and a representative from the EPRLF (P)............ (Read More)

In yet another political development yesterday, the main opposition UNP  openly extended an invitation to the JVP to join hands with it in the struggle to abolish the executive presidency.

“Today, the JVP has come to a firm stand on the executive presidency. We ask the party to work with us together at least on the issue of the abolition of the executive presidency,” UNP General Secretary MP Tissa Attanayake told a news conference.

He said that the UNP had already made rapid strides in its attempt to forge a grand political alliance to defeat what he termed as ‘the present tyrannical regime’ at the next election. Mr. Attanayake said that this alliance would be formally announced within the next few days, and it would be registered with the Elections Commissioner under a separate symbol. However, he said that the parties in the proposed alliance had agreed to contest a future election under the symbol of any of them based on the consent of the majority............ (Read More)

Nishantha Muthuhettigama together with the National Organization for Sri Lanka Senior Citizens is to set up his own political party to contest the upcoming general elections.

Mr. Muthuhettigama told Daily Mirror online that the present regime was not going in the right direction and that the new alliance would effectively contest their policies.

The new party, the Sri Lanka Nidhahas Jyeshta Puravesi Mahajana Eksath Jathika Peramuna (Sri Lanka Free Senior Citizens Public United National Alliance) has already been given the green light by its Executive Committee, according to Muthuhettigama who also said that the symbol used for the new alliance would be a choice among a crown, a sword and a lion. (Read More)

Speaking to the media at the massive protest walk and rally held in Colombo this evening, the General Secretary of the JVP, Tilwyn Silva said they would certainly defeat government if it holds presidential elections next year.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has no right to hold a presidential election since he promised to abolish the executive presidency within his first term, he added.

The JVP leaders threatened the government that this protest would be the first step in the process to defeat the government and promised to continue it until the decision of holding the presidential election is removed.

Meanwhile, in response Sri Lanka government today stressed that they have to be responsible only for the people in the country and not for the JVP.

Speaking to the press the Media Minister Laxman Yapa Abeywardena said the countrymen still have not asked to abolish the executive presidency.

Double elections seem in the offing following a government statement that the possibility of holding both Presidential and General Elections on the same day in one fell swoop is being considered. The announcement came as the UNP promised a “fresh political twist” with new parties tipped to join the common opposition alliance.

Addressing a media briefing Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena noted that such an option was being considered by the government and was being actively discussed by the executive committee of the ruling party. He also maintained that the final decision would be announced at the SLFP annual convention which will be held on November 15.  (Read More)