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Tigers
make dramatic about turn
As the troops were about to deliver the knockout blow to the
LTTE yesterday, the Tigers in a dramatic about turn offered to
surrender, stating that they were ready do anything as demanded
by US President Barack Obama early in the week.
“The situation in the Wanni has reached colossal proportions and
what is happening there is unprecedented human carnage. At this
juncture we are ready to do anything...
SEE INSIDE
Massive mandate for
Congress
The leaders of India’s Congress party have thanked the people
for returning them to power with a “massive mandate.”
Congress President Sonia Gandhi said they had made the “right
choice” and PM Manmohan Singh vowed the party would “rise to the
occasion.”
Earlier, the main opposition BJP and the Third Front...
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Receiving “good news”
President Mahinda Rajapaksa seems all smiles
as he receives a telephone call, presumably from his Defence
Secretary and brother Gotabhaya Rajapaksa delivering “good
news,” during his visit to Jordan. The President cut short his
visit and will be returning to the country today
(Pic by Sudath
Silva) |
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Flash
MTNL drops plan to acquire Sri Lankan
telco Suntel
Updated on 18/05/2009 at
11.12 a.m.
Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) has pulled out from
acquiring a majority stake in Sri Lankan telecom company Suntel,
citing legal issues and high liabilities, Indian news reports
say...
SEE INSIDE
Rumpus at UNP meeting
Acting Leader of UNP Karu Jayasuriya, Party Secretary Tissa
Attanayake, MP Vajira Abeywardane and Sagala Ratnayake were
allegedly abused by some UNP supporters during the party
district meeting held in Matara last evening.
SEE INSIDE
No fresh visa for UN
spokesman
The Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry summoned
the Acting United Nation’s Resident Representative in Colombo
Amin Awad on ...
SEE INSIDE
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NEWS |
Power crisis due to CEB
bungling
With water levels receding in reservoirs and the delay of Ceylon
Electricity Board (CEB) to connect Lakdanavi Power Plant at
Kerawalapitiya to the national grid, has driven the country
towards a power crisis, despite having the capability to
generate enough electricity.Lakdhanavi Ltd Chairman U.D. Jayawardene told The Nation that
although the Kerawalapitiya Power Plant was capable of
generating power, it had not been in operation as the CEB had
failed to install a permanent connection to the grid.
SEE
INSIDE
NFF
appoints district leaders
Sri Lanka should give LTTE sympathisers in foreign countries a
chance to contribute to the national development, claimed
National Freedom Front (NFF) General Secretary Nandana
Gunathilake addressing a media briefing yesterday. The briefing
was held after NFF Leader Wimal Weerawansa appointed five new
district leaders.“We should give them a chance to come back to the country and
live like ordinary citizens. While people who supported the LTTE
materially should be punished we should not view all who were
sympathetic towards the LTTE as enemies. We should use their
talents and experience for the country’s benefit,” Gunathilake
said. SEE
INSIDE UN offered new role in post
conflict phase of the country
With the imminent end
to the three decade old war, with the government troops having
secured the entire coastal line in the North, in the early hours
of yesterday, the government is now planning to seek UN
involvement in the post conflict rebuilding phase in Sri Lanka.
Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda
Samarasinghe who is expected to meet the visiting United Nations
Secretary General’s Chief of Staff, Vijay Nambiar today, is
likely to make this request.
Nambiar’s visit was originally aimed at ascertaining for
himself the actual situation of the civilians trapped in the ‘no
fire zone’. However, Minister Samarasinghe’s contention is that
if all the civilians...
SEE
INSIDE Welisara leprosy hospital to be converted
to a centre for disabled
Hendala Leprosy Hospital will soon be converted to a
Rehabilitation Centre for the military personnel and IDPs
disabled in the conflict.
Director General of Health Dr Ajith Mendis said, that the
decision of the Ministry of Healthcare to convert the hospital
in to a Rehabilitation Centre was in order to give proper
guidance and care to those disabled from the on-going war. “Not
only the IDPs even the military personnel will be treated in
this centre. We have transferred, 150 to 160 remaining leprosy
patients to the Kandana Hospital, where they will be well taken
care of,” he said. SEE
INSIDE Sally-Muzammil feud heading for showdown
The feud between two leading Muslim
members in the UNP, Former Deputy Mayor Azath Sally and newly
elected Provincial Council member A.J.M. Muzammil is heading for
a showdown with the latter threatening to bring forth a party
disciplinary inquiry against the former. Azath Sally told The
Nation that he is ready to face any kind of disciplinary inquiry
against him as he is not guilty. “I am not afraid of facing any
action. In fact I love challenges so let’s see who is going to
win this battle,” he said. He said that, he has not fallen into
such low depths as to send SMS’s or distribute leaflets
requesting people not to vote for Muzammil. People were wise
enough to understand whom they have to vote for or not,
irrespective of whether they received thousands of SMS’ or
leaflets.
SEE INSIDE Maligawatte Mosque shooting incident
Police are on the trail of twelve suspects alleged to be
involved in a daylight shooting incident near the Maligawatte
Jumma Mosque on May 8, which had left one dead and nine injured.
A senior police officer conducting investigations told The
Nation that three teams, from the Maligawatte Police, Colombo
Crime Division and Intelligence have been deployed to arrest the
suspects. According to available information, the suspects had
fled their homes after the incident.
Sources disclosed that the wanted suspects are all Muslims
and the incident was a result of a long standing rivalry between
two underworld groups who have been feuding for many years. The
suspects are residents of Grandpass and Keselwatte areas.
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INSIDE |
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POLITICS |
 Electoral Reforms in limbo
The
much awaited Electoral Reforms that mooted a hybrid between the
Westminster style ‘First-Past-The-Post’ (FPTP) system and the presently
operational Proportional Representation (PR) system were shelved by the
Government last week, in the face of opposition from many minority
political parties.The event may have passed relatively unnoticed in the midst of all
the publicity surrounding the war, but it is significant nevertheless,
in the implications it carries at a time when the nation is at a
crossroads and political reforms aimed at ending ethnic strife in the
country is high on the agenda.
SEE INSIDE...and now,
the end is near
 The three year long humanitarian operations launched
by the Sri Lankan security forces are finally
reaching its conclusion, with the fate of LTTE
Leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran and his erstwhile
lieutenants Pottu Amman and Nadesan to be decided in
a matter of a few hours, according to senior
military officials.
While its battle against the terrorists are nearing
an end, the government has had to wage war on a
different front, after the LTTE propaganda outfits
have pitted several states in the international
community against Sri Lanka and her humanitarian
liberation mission.
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NEWS FEATURES |
Reflections at dawn of ‘post-LTTE
moment’"
 This is a momentous occasion for Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans,
regardless of ideological persuasion and preferred Utopia.
Whether or not, as some have (in my opinion injudiciously)
predicted, the LTTE will revert to its guerrilla avatar, it is
clear that a point of no return has been crossed. We are now
officially in the post-LTTE era, in that the LTTE of Velupillai
Prabhakaran, the LTTE capable of UDI posturing, the LTTE
strutting around with a ‘Sole-Rep’ tag, the LTTE claiming
authority over a de-facto state, the LTTE with something...
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 GL cautions EU for better understanding
I am privileged on this occasion, when the European Union
celebrates its National Day, to pay tribute on behalf of the
Government of Sri Lanka to the quality of the relationship which
our country enjoys with this region. The antiquity, intensity
and depth of this relationship are without parallel to Sri
Lanka’s relations with regions of the world outside South Asia.
I am deeply conscious of the strength of the ties which bind us
together. Sri Lanka is appreciative of the support and
friendship which the countries of the European Union have always
extended to us. At this crucial time in the history of our
country, when we turn a new page, overcoming the most formidable
among the challenges...
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Apprehensions about foreign exchange
reserves
With foreign exchange reserves reaching a low level, and the
expected IMF bailout taking time, there is some anxiety about
the country’s external financial situation. The reserves are
estimated at around US$ 1.2 million which is approximately
adequate for about six months of imports in the conventional way
of calculating foreign exchange reserve adequacy. Although there
is serious concern about the low level of reserves, there are
several factors that make the situation less serious than
suggested by these figures. The decreasing trade deficit owing
to the lower expenditure on imports, the reduction of imports
and the effects of the rupee depreciation, and the adequate
inflows of private remittances, are among these favourable
factors.
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Army guns down Havies 34/0
Sri Lanka Army SC playing robust rugby started their campaign in
a winning note when they trounced a depleted Havelocks outfit by
34 points to nil in a Caltex ‘A’ division rugby match played at
Havelock Park yesterday. The soldiers collected their winning
points from one goal, one penalty goal, one try and five
penalties. At ‘lemons’Army led 9-0. In a game where both teams played scrappy rugby in the first
half, Army had a clear edge where their forwards excelled and
were terrific in loose play and were fast on to the break down
points. Their backs too played an enormous game running the ball
at every given opportunity. On the other hand much was expected
from the Havies outfit to put up a good fight but they failed
miserably. Havies never had a game plan. Their total outfit was
in disarray. SEE INSIDESenaka’s fight for recognition
 The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to go
ahead with the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) once again
opens up the debate to the origins of it.
The UDRS was first trialled by the ICC during the Sri Lanka v
India Test series in August last year and was subsequently
trialled in three other Test series within a period of seven
months – New Zealand v West Indies, West Indies v England and
South Africa v Australia.
The system afforded players the opportunity to request a
review by the television umpire of a decision made by the
on-field umpire they believed to be incorrect. The third
official was able to view the available television pictures and
relay information back to the umpire on the field who then had
to decide whether or not to reverse his original decision.
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INSIDE |
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INTERVIEWS |
We welcome constructive criticism
 While
the security forces were engaged in their last battle to
eliminate Tiger rebels in the North, back in Colombo, Disaster
Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe was
fighting another equal battle – verbally, trying to put many
things correct. His task was to counter the various allegations
levelled against the government by a number of foreign
governments and groups regarding the government’s human rights
track record. Admitting that the human rights situation could be
better if the LTTE is totally defeated, the Minister however
justified the government’s position by saying that many things
were magnified out of proportion due to heavy lobbying outside
Sri Lanka.
SEE INSIDE“APRC proposal would be favourably
looked at”
 Being
one of the oldest political parties in the country, and the
largest single party representing Parliament today, the United
National Party (UNP) has a pivotal role to play in the post-war
era that the country is fast approaching. It has borne the
repercussions of the brutal terrorist force of the LTTE, than
any other political party, as a large number of its members
became victims of Tiger suicide cadres, including President
Ranasinghe Premadasa. During recent times, the party strongly
advocated a political settlement for the ethnic problem. The
time has come for them to stand by that stance, to bring about
political solution.
SEE INSIDE
Convince Tamil diaspora they have future
in Lanka
–Wimal Weerawansa
 Q: The last remaining areas under LTTE control will be
captured by the armed forces in the next few hours/ days. But
there is still a lot of pressure from the International
Community?
A: This is the most important moment in our history after we
gained independence in 1948. We did not win the independence via
a true freedom struggle; the British just handed us independence
to us, when Indians gained their independence. It took another
24 years for us to truly cut loose from the empire and become a
republic.
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