The United National Party (UNP) yesterday asked the government to table the names of parliamentarians who had obtained drugs worth millions of rupees from the parliament dispensary.UNP front-liner Dayasiri Jayasekara said Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena had revealed this at a recent meeting and it was reported in the media. (Read More)

More than 600 police personnel in the North including 110 from the Valachchenai police station are to be transferred immediately, police spokesman Prashantha Jayakody said yesterday.

“It is nothing unusual to transfer more than 600 police personnel and neither is it unusual to have 110 police personnel from one particular station to be in the list of transfers,” SP Jayakody said.

He said the policemen were being sent back to their original stations as they have ended their operational duties in the North and East. He denied allegations that these transfers were politically motivated. (Read More)

The UNP parliamentary group yesterday decided to object to the government’s proposal that Parliament should meet only in the evening.

Earlier, the ruling UPFA had proposed that the House should conduct business of the day from 2.00 pm till 7.00 pm. 

At present, the House meets at 9.30 a.m. and conducts proceedings till 4.30 p.m.

Chief Opposition Whip John Amaratunga told the Daily Mirror yesterday his party did not agree to this move by the government.

The committee appointed to look into United National Party (UNP) reforms is expected to handover its report to the party leadership today.

Galle district UNP parliamentarian and spokesman Gayantha Kaunnatillke told a news conference yesterday the committee had been able to gather useful suggestions on how reforms should be introduced.(Read More)

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) - the two opposition minority parties have decided to engage their counterparts in the ruling coalition for a common understanding on matters such as the proposed constitutional amendments that affect the minority communities.

SLMC Deputy General Secretary Nizam Kariappar told the Daily Mirror that his party had exchanged ideas with the TNA leadership last week in this respect. “There are electoral reforms and constitutional amendments on the cards. We have decided to stand together,” he said.  Mr. Kariappar said his party along with the TNA, would hold talks with other minority parties such as the All Ceylon Muslim Congress (ACMC) of Minister Rishard Bathiudeen and the Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) of Minister A. Thondaman. “All these parties should reach a common ground on the issues confronting the minorities,” he said.

The TNA National List MP, M.A. Sumanthiran also expressed similar views saying that his party had decided to consult each other on many fronts.

However, Mr. Sumanthiran, a leading lawyer, said the TNA had not discussed in detail, the subjects involved. 

The TNA team which met the SLMC last week comprised Leader R. Sampanthan, MP Suresh Premachandran and Mr. Sumanthiranm.

The SLMC delegation consisted of Leader Rauff Hakeem, Mr. Kariappar and General Secretary Hassan Ali.

UNP MP Sajith Premadasa has stressed the need for the party to adopt a ‘modern political path’ by criticising the government constructively.

Addressing a ‘Jathika Jeewaya’ rally in Sunilagama, Yatinuwara, Mr. Premadasa said he never said Thoppigala was a forest.

“I never said that our troops were heading towards Medawachchiya instead of Kilinochchi, or towards Pamankada instead of Alimankada. We have to appreciate what is correct and criticise what is wrong only,” he said. Mr. Premadasa emphasised the need to empower the grassroots level membership of the UNP instead of relying on those clad in ties and coats.He said the grievances of grassroots level members should be addressed in the most meticulous manner in a unique and distinguished political culture, which he vowed to introduce to the country very soon.“In this new political culture, we have to praise our political opponents when they do something good. Otherwise, we have to criticise them constructively.  Unfortunately, the UNP does not have a proper decision making system.  That is why, we could not support the war effort,” he said.  (Read More)

UNP Puttalam district Member of Parliament Palitha Range Bandara yesterday slammed his party general secretary  Tissa Attanayaka over his failure to take disciplinary action against another UNP member.

Speaking to Daily Mirror online, Bandara warned that he would be compelled to re-consider his position in the UNP if Attanayaka failed to take appropriate action against the member within the next two weeks. Bandara wants disciplinary action against UNP member Shantha Abeysekera who was arrested and later released on bail over a brutal assault on Bandara during the run up to the recent General Elections. The UNP MP was hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) following the assault and only recently was seen in public in Parliament in a wheelchair with bandages and sutures on his head, arms and legs. Bandara said that he had to fight several lawsuits on behalf of the party and yet the party had failed to stand by him by taking appropriate action against Abeysekera.  Bandara said he would brief the media on his next step within the next two weeks if Attanayaka failed to act. Reponding to the concerns raised by Bandara, UNP general secretary Tissa Attanayaka told Daily Mirror Online that a charge sheet had already been filed against Shantha Abeysekera and action could be taken only after he responded to the charges against him.  It is worth noting that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had contacted the family of the UNP MP when he was in hospital and offered him full medical assistance.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Co-operatives and Internal Trade told The Island that government was compelled to reintroduce taxes on several consumer items owing to increases in prices in the international market.

A spokesman for the Traders’ Association in the Pettah wholesale market told The Island that the new prices would come into effect shortly when they import food items next but retailers have already jacked up prices.

With the reimposition of taxes, the price of a kilo of following food items has gone up as follows: dried sprats by Rs. 30, dried chillies by Rs. 20-25, red and big Onions by Rs. 10, potatoes by Rs. 10, garlic by Rs. 30, dhal by Rs. 2, peas, Chic Peas and green peas Rs. 15 and the price of a canned fish has increased by Rs. 85

One year after the end of the war between the security forces and the LTTE, 73,000 displaced persons still remain in IDP camps in the North.

Following the end of the war, the resettlement of the war-displaced became a post war crisis faced by the country, which also raised widespread international concern. The announcement and celebrations of liberation were soon overcome by calls to rehabilitate and resettle thousands of persons displaced in the North and East due to the three decade-long war.

Deputy Resettlement Minister, Vinayagamurthy Muralitharan observed that the government’s resettlement process was on track and attributed the delay in completing the process to the de-mining programme carried out in many areas in the North. He said that following the end of the war in May last year, there were 280,000 displaced persons in the Vanni area alone.

He told The Sunday Leader that 80% of the areas in the North have been de-mined, enabling the resettlement process to continue without any hindrance. (Read More)