The JVP says it is not apprehensive about being part of the same Cabinet as its bête noire, the Tamil National Alliance, dubbed in Parliament as the mouthpiece of the LTTE, in the event of a caretaker government being formed with UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister.

In reply to a question whether the JVP had no difficulty in sitting with the TNA in the same Cabinet after being critical of the latter’s pro-LTTE stance, JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said he saw no reason why his party could not do so because the caretaker government to be formed would consist of all political parties represented in Parliament.

He said his party saw no alternative to winning the next presidential election with the help of a common candidate and forming a caretaker government to restore democracy. (Read More)

Minister Alahaperuma told The Island that he regretted that UNP Deputy leader had used the name of Ananda College, Colombo in connection with a political issue. "It was unbecoming of a person of his calibre. He should not have dragged Ananda College into this matter and if he had done so mistakenly, he should withdraw it forthwith," the Minister said.

The Mahinda Rajapaksa Government did not treat any war hero shabbily. It would not descend to the level of ill treat ing any person irrespective of his or her political affiliations, he said.

General Sarath Fonseka and Wasantha Karannagoda fought tooth and nail to defeat the enemies of the country, while UNP stalwarts were saying that the security personnel were heading towards Medawachchiya instead of Kilinochchiya and Pamankada instead of Alimankada, he said. (Read More)

UNP parliamentarian Vajira Abeywardene is no stranger to controversy. In this interview, he speaks to C. A. Chandraprema about the UNP’s plan to field a common candidate at the presidential elections, the newly formed UNP-led political alliance and allied matters.

SLFP (M) leader Mangala Samaraweera said yesterday opposition political parties were making headway in selecting a symbol to be used by the common candidate at a possible presidential election.

Mr. Samaraweera told a weekly news conference that a proper strategy should be agreed upon for a presidential campaign.

Though he was careful not  mention the name of former Army Commander and Chief of Defence Staff Sarath Fonseka as the common candidate handpicked by the opposition, he however said General Fonseka was among the few personalities identified by the opposition as a possible candidate.

“We have agreed to support a common candidate. We have held discussions in this respect. Further discussions are also expected to take place. Once President Mahinda Rajapaksa announces the election, we will reveal who our common candidate will be. If he does it today, we will have a grand news conference tomorrow or the day after reveal our choice to the public,” Mr. Samaraweera said.

Speaking to the media, the leader of the People's Faction of Sri Lanka Freedom Party parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera said the currency note bearing President Mahinda Rajapaksa's picture would be election propaganda ahead of the upcoming crucial polls.

"As the opposition we strongly oppose this currency note," he said.

According to the former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, pictures of living leaders have never been used on currency notes in the country before. (Read More)

Not long ago Gen Fonseka reportedly said that he did not want to lose in politics the national honour that he had won through war victory. Today, after laying down office as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) under controversial circumstances, he has said that he would take a few days before deciding on his entering politics.  (Read More)

The Elections Secretariat yesterday rejected an application submitted by the JVP to register a new political party with the intention of nominating a common candidate for a possible presidential election next year.

The Secretariat said the party could not be registered as several amendments to the Parliament Elections Act had been passed in parliament recently but these are still to be gazetted. 

JVP parliamentarian Lakshman Nipunaarachchi was named as the Chairman of the new political party while Dimuthu Abeykoon was named as the Secretary.

When contacted, Mr. Nipunaarachchi refused to comment on the move by the JVP to register a new political party. 

Colombo District Court yesterday extended the stay order against the removal of three UNP dissidents from the UNP party membership  who had taken up Ministerial posts in the UPFA government.

The separate applications filed by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister Rajitha Senaratne and Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Neomal Perera were taken up before District Judge Laffar Thahir and they were put off  for March 9, 2010.

The three Parliamentarians who had already taken the posts of UPFA organisers had  filed civil suit in the District Court seeking permanent orders preventing them from removing United National Party membership.  (Read More)

Local Government Minister Janaka Bandara Tennekoon said yesterday local government elections scheduled for March next year would be postponed by a year.

He said this decision was taken because two major elections were expected to take place before April next year.

The term of office of members elected to local government bodies expires in March next year. However, the Local Government Elections Act allows the Minister to postpone elections by one year.

UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told a news conference yesterday that the newly formed United National Front (UNF) had started negotiations with all political parties in the opposition on the common candidate.

Mr. Attanayake said these talks were going at unofficial levels, and as a result, declined to name the parties.

“The government has approached some of the parties in our alliance to win over them to its fold through various offers. The government has established an espionage system to monitor our movements and interactions with those concerned.

So, it is safe not to divulge anything at this moment,” he said.

Asked for comments on the demands forwarded by the JVP for the common candidate, he said, “in principle, we can accept them. Nevertheless, there are certain issues to be thrashed out. We can do it through negotiations.” (Read More)