Month: November 2019

After swearing-in as the new president of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya has passed orders to increase armed forces in Tamil areas of the island nation. DMK president M K Stalin has opposed deployment of additional armed forces in the Tamil areas of Sri Lanka and requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up the issue with the island nation’s newly elected… Continue reading "Stalin opposes ‘militarisation’ of Lankan Tamil areas, urges PM Modi to raise issue"

The election manifesto of United Kingdom’s Labour Party has featured Sri Lanka and promised the protection of human rights of Tamil and Muslim populations in the island nation. The Labour Party’s manifesto, aimed at securing the victory of UK’s general election in December, was launched two days ago. Many foreign media had tagged the manifesto as ‘radical’ and ‘ambitious’. The… Continue reading "UK Labour Party manifesto pledges to protect human rights of SL minorities"

Tamil street name boards have been found vandalised at multiple locations in the country. The Tamil name boards have been damaged or removed by unidentified persons following the Presidential election. One such name board had been vandalised in Panadura while another had been found removed at another location. Images of the damage caused to these name boards have been circulated… Continue reading "Tamil street name boards vandalised at multiple locations"

By Lakmal Harischandra – Lakmal Harischandra When President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) delivered his inaugural speech in Anuradhapura, he acknowledged that it was the Sinhala Buddhist people who brought him to power while making a reference to the Tamils and Muslims who did not respond before the elections, to his appeal to join in his victory march. However, he stressed that he will be President… Continue reading "Mr President! Veer Away From The Previous ‘Rajapaksa Racist-Corrupt’ Legacy!"

Indian Foreign Minister Jaishanker Conveys New Delhi’s Expectation that “SL govt will take forward the process of national reconciliation to arrive at a solution that meets aspirations of Tamil population for equality, justice, peace & dignity” India has expressed the hope that Sri Lanka’s newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will pursue national reconciliation in a meaningful manner. “Indian external affairs… Continue reading "Solution that meets aspirations of Tamil population for equality, justice, peace & dignity?"

New Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa Takes Charge of Several Portfolios Including Finance, Buddhist Affairs, Urban and Housing Development in Interim Cabinet; Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardene, Chamal Rajapaksa Agriculture and Mahaweli Minister; Nimal Siripala de Silva – Justice and Human Rights Minister;Arumugan Thondaman – Estate Infrastructure Minister; Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda. Posted by Administrator on 21 November 2019, 11:35 pm Fifteen ministers were sworn… Continue reading "Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in as the Minister of Buddha Sasana……"

Six Days in November After The Swearing in of Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the Seventh Executive President of Sri Lanka Posted by Administrator on 24 November 2019, 12:40 am By Sanjana Hattotuwa The day after the 7th President was sworn into office, racism celebrated a new birth on Facebook. Across many pages that played a key role in President’s electoral bid, the message was… Continue reading "Shani Abeysekara, till that day the Director of the CID, was demoted as a personal assistant to a DIG, one of the lowest ranks in the Police force. Abeysekara was in charge of cases involving the Rajapaksas, including the murders of Lasantha Wickrematunge, Thajudeen and the disappearance of Eknaligoda."

Milinda Moragoda, Founder of the Pathfinder Foundation and former Cabinet Minister, in a statement called on the new Government to refrain from holding Provincial Council elections prior to the parliamentary elections. He suggested that the Government should, as part of the expected Constitutional overhaul, seek to mobilize the necessary two-thirds majority to repeal the 13th Amendment and thereby abolish the… Continue reading "Milinda reiterates call to abolish Provincial Councils"

MDMK General Secretary Vaiko on Saturday said he will lead a demonstration in New Delhi on November 28, against newly elected Sri Lakan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s visit to the country, the Hindu reported. Mr. Vaiko alleged that Mr. Rajapaksa was, in his capacity as Defence Minister in then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Cabinet, during the Sri Lankan civil war.

The entire UNP leadership is at fault for the defeat in the presidential elections as the party did not have a strategy and plan to attract more Buddhist votes at the election, a former minister said yesterday. Former Minister and Leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) Mano Ganesan told Daily Mirror that he will not point his finger at… Continue reading "Entire UNP leadership at fault for recent defeat : Mano"

New Innings With Team Rajapaksa? Speculation over Cricketer Muralitharan’s New Role as Governor Upsets Tamils Murali’s stand on alleged war crimes against Tamils committed during the tenure of Gotabaya as Defence secretary under the presidency of his elder brother Mahinda Rajapaksa between 2005 and 2015 has angered the Tamils. Murali has always maintained that there were no war crimes. “There… Continue reading "Murali’s “doosra” has gone off the mark, for the first time."

Mahinda Rajapaksa, 74, is the patriarch of the family. First as prime minister in 2004 and then president from 2005 until January 2015. Known as a charismatic leader, he is adored by the Sinhala-Buddhist majority for crushing separatist Tamil rebels in May 2009 following a highly controversial military offensive. During his rule Sri Lanka also moved closer to China, borrowing… Continue reading "A family affair: Sri Lanka’s Rajapaksa dynasty"

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has decided to step down from his position as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka a short while ago. Reportedly, Premier Wickremesinghe will inform the President in writing regarding the decision. The decision has, reportedly, been taken in order to facilitate newly elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to form his own government. Earlier today (20), Leader of House… Continue reading "Prime Minister steps down"

Leader of the Tamil Progressive Alliance Mano Ganesan says that he will not support the dissolution of Parliament before the deadline. Speaking to Ada Derana, the Minister of National Integration, Official Languages, Social Progress and Hindu Religious Affairs said that the governing power should be handed over to the elected President’s party, respecting people’s mandate. Several decisions have arrived at… Continue reading "Ministers set bad example by resigning – Mano"

Most Tamils in Sri Lanka and also here in Tamil Nadu are apprehensive about Gotabaya’s future actions. TN parties termed as ‘unfortunate’ the election of Gotabaya as President-some of them even said it would be dangerous for the Tamils in the northern province as he would resume his state-sponsored violence against the minorities, particularly because they had voted against him… Continue reading "Gotabaya Rajapaksa tells pro-LTTE parties to talk sense or shut up"

Major General (Retired) Kamal Gunaratne today (20) assumed duties as the new Secretary to the Defence Ministry. He ceremoniously took office at the Ministry at 09.15 am this morning in the presence of Chief of Defence Staff, Tri-Service Commanders, acting Inspector General of Police, Director General Civil Defence Force and a representative gathering of all Defence Ministry establishments. President Gotabaya… Continue reading "Major General (Retired) Kamal Gunaratne is the new Defence Secretary"

If there was one consistent factor in the Sirisena Presidency, it was its inconsistency. Unfortunately for Sirisena himself — and Sri Lanka — he will go down in history as the President who promised so much and delivered so little and, like Mahinda Rajapaksa before him, squandered a golden opportunity to steer the country in a different direction because he… Continue reading "President who promised so much and delivered so little"

The presidential election’s most notable feature was the huge difference between the support base for the two main candidates. In the Northern and Eastern Provinces, more than 80 per cent of the people voted for the New Democratic Front candidate Sajith Premadasa and support for him was even more than what former President Maithripala Sirisena got when he contested as… Continue reading "Tolerance is not indulgence but a commitment to unity in diversity"

The presence of gun-toting-soldiers, stationed at selected points, brings back wartime memories to the otherwise bustling township of Kattankudy in the south of Batticaloa. But, life moves on as usual in this densely populated town located on a strip of land between the lagoon on one side and the sea on the other. Kattankudy is the birthplace of Easter Sunday… Continue reading "Kattankudy Muslim leaders: hold varied views on Muslim marriage law reforms Challenges are Daunting"

By Ameer Ali – Dr. Ameer Ali Is there a more precious gift a family patriarch, who himself a former ruler, could expect to receive on his 74th birthday, than to see his own brother becoming the supreme head of the country he ruled? The victory of Gotabaya Rajapaksa (GR) as the seventh president of Sri Lanka was an unforgettable birthday gift to his elder… Continue reading "Sibling Wins, Patriarch Celebrates & Minorities Stunned"

By Mohamed Faizal – Mohamed Faizal Presidential election 2019 is over. Gotabaya Rajapaksa has won, and this has made some people happy, and others unhappy. Happy people believe that everything will be hunky dory from now on, and the Unhappy people believe that hell will break loose. Both parties are wrong: violence or peace, progress or decline, and development or poverty do not depend… Continue reading "Racism Wins Elections"

Mr Rajapaksa has promised unity. It’s a response to the fears of many in the minority communities here that decisive leadership and tough action on security might be at the expense of their civil liberties. Even if the political intention is genuine, the election results have shown how polarised this country is. Unity will be hard to achieve. But the… Continue reading "Sri Lanka election: Unity hard to achieve in divided country"

The vote revealed that the minority-dominated North and East voted heavily against Rajapaksa and the majority South for him  “aware that I am now the President for all Sri Lankans and I will ensure that all Sri Lankans, not only those who voted for me but those who voted against me as well, and I will work for all.” says… Continue reading "Vote reveals stark racial divide between North and South"

COLOMBO (Reuters) – For Sri Lanka’s majority Sinhalese Buddhists, president-elect Gotabaya Rajapaksa is best-placed to take on the hard challenge of defeating enemies of the state such as those who carried out deadly Easter Sunday attacks early this year. For others, he is a leader who should be tried for war crimes over allegations of killings, torture and disappearances of… Continue reading "Sri Lanka’s Sinhale Buddhists, president-elect Gotabaya Rajapaksa"

SLPP Presidential candidate Gotabhaya Rajapaksa will take oaths tomorrow (Nov 18) in the event of securing a victory at the upcoming election, Party sources said. Sources at the Election Commission said that the first round of counting votes has ended. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) has claimed victory for its candidate Mr. Rajapaksa, and requested all party supporters… Continue reading "Gota to be sworn in tomorrow"

NDF Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa Concedes Victory to SLPP’s Gotabaya Rajapaksa Even Before Final Results are Announced and Congratulates Gota on Being Elected Seventh President of Sri Lanka Posted by Administrator on 17 November 2019, 1:04 am Sri Lanka’s ruling party candidate Sajith Premadasa Sunday conceded the presidential poll on Sunday and congratulated his main rival, former wartime defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Continue… Continue reading "Sajith Congratulates Gotha on Being Elected Seventh President of Sri Lanka"

http://election.adaderana.lk/ http://election.adaderana.lk/ http://www.sundaytimes.lk/ http://www.hirunews.lk/ Presidential Candidate Sajith Premadasa has said he would be stepping down as the United National Party (UNP)’s Deputy Leader with immediate effect today (Nov 17). In a special media statement, Premadasa, the New Democratic Front (NDF) candidate congratulated SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa on “his election as the seventh President of Sri Lanka”

Gota’s conspiracy comes to and end… All certificates what Gota show are false, renunciation of citizenship process not over. .! US justice department officially informs……. http://www.lankaenews.com/news/3070/en Gotabhaya Rajapaksa how empowerment of women (Lanka-e-News -15.Nov.2019, 12.45PM) Gotabhaya Rajapaksas’s wife, Ioma Rajapaksa (nee Pieris) is the only daughter of… Read more >> Ali Sabry is a liar . .!! Election commission does not… Continue reading "Gotha is still a US Citizen?"

Survey reports that just a few moment before declaring the deadline for the 2019 presidential campaign, declared that no one will get 50% of the vote. Sources said that the local and foreign intelligence agencies have reported that Mr. Premadasa is already leading with a minority vote. Accordingly, Mr. Sajith Premadasa’s victory may be absolute in secondary preferential vote, sources… Continue reading "Sajith ahead of Presidential Battle!"

Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapakse’s camp is reportedly planning to create communal divisions between the North and the South in the coming hours, sources said. Accordingly, a false propaganda is on its way to promote the idea that there is a secret pact between the Presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and that they are planning to… Continue reading "Rajapakse’s camp is planning to create communal divisions"

President Sirisena Orders Armed Forces Confined to Barracks For Election Voting But Army in Jaffna Peninsula Sets Up Unlawful Road Blocks in Jaffna Peninsula Impeding Safe Movement of Voters and Refuses to Dismantle Them Violating Election Laws: Senior DIG Ravi Wijegunaratne Deploys Special Team Urgently to North to Resolve Crisis Posted by Administrator on 16 November 2019, 3:45 am By Nirmala Kannangara Police… Continue reading "Army in Jaffna Peninsula Sets Up Unlawful Road Blocks in Jaffna"

TNA MP, M.A. Sumanthiran told the Daily Mirror that these roadblocks existed earlier as well and the people in the north were familiar with roadblocks and that it won’t hinder them casting their vote today. “SDIG Seneviratne who arrived in the North last morning has instructed the army to remove all the roadblocks to enable the people to reach their… Continue reading "Army refused to remove all the roadblocks in North."