Monday, 30 November 2009
“ President Mahinda Rajapaksa is a true democrat and not a dictator as mistaken by Gen Fonseka", Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abewardana told a news conference held at the Department of information today. (30)
Minister Abewardena said President Mahinda Rajapaksa after winning the election in January will embark upon a massive economic drive to make Sri Lanka an economically sound Nation.
He said the saw no competition for the President with a candidate like Sarath Fonseka who lacked political experience and was ignorant of the economy.
He said the Rajapaksa family during the past for years rendered a great service to the nation and recalled how General Fonseka commended Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa for the guidance given to win the war.
Minister Abewardena said no one can make any allegation against the President who was genuinely committed towards the welfare of the people and the nation.
He said President Rajapaksa never behave like a dictator as mistakenly or purposely said by General Fonseka on yesterday(29)when he made his political debut to announce his candidature Instead, President Mahinda Rajajpaksa conducted himselff in public as a true democratic man the village giving prominence to the national costume.
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Gen.Fonseka is blind to constitutional needs - Champika Ranawaka
Monday, 30 November 2009
The Opposition candidate Gen. Sarath Fonseka has no alternative constitutional proposal when he says that he is going to abolish the executive presidency, said the Minister of Environment Patali Champilka at a press conference held at the Mahaweli Center today (30).
"The Opposition can not even present their six month plan manifesto to the people. But President Mahinda Pajapaksa will present an extended version of the six year manifesto of 'Mahinda Chinthana' that will envisage extensive development plans to build the country.", said the minister.
He further noted that a document issued recently by the UNP titled, 'Future Challengers' was a carbon copy of a chapter in the original Mahinda Chinthana presented in 2005."If you read that clearly, you will surely see that the UNP had copied that chapter", he said.
He pointed out that a Six Year Horizon Development Framework is being widely implemented across the country.
A democratic environment for a political solution in which the power of all people will be amply strengthened is now emerging, he added.
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President will present extended version of Mahinda Chinthana manifesto - Dulles
Monday, 30 November 2009
President Mahinda Rajapaksa upon handing over nominations, will present to the people an extended version of the manifesto of Mahinda Chinthana that will envisage extensive development plans to build the country, said the Minister of transport Dullas Alahapperuma at a press conference held at Mahaweli Center today (30).
said for the first time in the political history after independence, an extended version of an election manifesto was being presented by a political party leader. "In all election in the past, all leaders presented new manifestos as a fashion", the Minister recalled.
Interjecting at this point, the Minister of Environment, Patali Champilka Ranawaka said that a document issued recently by the UNP titled, 'Future Challengers' was a carbon copy of a chapter in the original Mahinda Chintana presented in 2005."If you read that clearly, you will surely see that the UNP had copied that chapter", Ranawaka noted
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President brought economic renaissance to the country - Patali Champika
Monday, 30 November 2009
"Within four years President Mahinda Rajapaksa was able to wipe out terrorism through his bold and upright leadership and leadership to achieve economic renaissance in the country", the Minister of Environment Patali Champilka Ranawaka said.
The minister said that Gen.(Rtd) Sarath Fonseka on Sunday confessed that he had no knowledge on the economy of the country and that amply proved he was going to practice the UNP economic policy which was a total failure."The JVP stood opposed to the UNP economic policy and the General would be trapped between the devil and deep blue sea soon", said the minister.
While addressing the media at the Mahaweli Center, the Minister pointed out that the Government did not delay the implementation of development projects getting cover from the conflict. Results of such projects would not come overnight. When the results come the economy of the country would be sound.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the Government embarked upon to counter Eelam war four after a careful evaluation of the situation and the Government had a balanced development plan, the Minister said.
The Minster call upon the people to work towards economic and national development to make the newly gained freedom a reality
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Sarath Fonseka wanted to withdraw Army from North in 2000 - Transport Minister
Monday, 30 November 2009
It was Gen. Sarath Fonseka (now retired) who signed papers to withdraw fifty thousand troops from the Jaffna peninsula in 2000 as Jaffna Commander, and bring them to Colombo during the administration of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, recalled Transport Minister, Dulles Alahapperuma at a media briefing held at the Mahaweli Centre today.
The ministrer said that there was no strong political leadership at that to fight the war and pointed out that the war against the LTTE was won because of the strong political leadership of President Mahinda Rajapaksa which was an incentive to the battling troops.
Minister Alahapperuma claimed that Fonseka had no right to talk about shortcomings or weaknessess of the troops as a man who signed papers to withdraw the Army from the North to give the LTTE a cake walk to take control of the entire peninsula.
He pointed that that the military suffered some setbacks in the North during the stewarship of Fonseka in the North and the retired General cannot boast of being victorious all throughout his military career.
The minister said the nation was liberated from terrorism due to the strong political leadership of President Rajapaksa which was a blessing to the nation.
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Britain proposes Sri Lanka to host CHOGM 2013
Monday, 30 November 2009
Sri Lanka as the host for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2013 was endorsed on a proposal made by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the CHOGM held in Trinidad & Tobago from 27 – 29 November 2009. Since Australia and Mauritius had also offered to be host, Prime Minister Brown had pointed out that all three countries are equally qualified and it was decided by the Commonwealth Heads of Government that they host the 2011 and 2015 CHOGMs respectively. The endorsement of Sri Lanka by the entire membership of the Commonwealth singularly demonstrates the recognition of Sri Lanka’s adherence to the Commonwealth values and principles with the country being one of the most vibrant democracies.
Sri Lanka has been associated with the Commonwealth from its very inception by being a signatory to the London Declaration of 1949. Sri Lanka has been actively involved in the activities of the Commonwealth and therefore is no stranger to the hosting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Meetings and workshops. It would be recalled that in the recent past Sri Lanka has hosted the Commonwealth Ministerial Meetings on Finance and Youth.
Sri Lanka was closely engaged with the process of compiling the final Communiqué. In this context, its contribution in the areas of terrorism, climate change, reform of international institutions, illegal migration, disarmament etc were adequately reflected in the final Communiqué.
Sri Lanka has been a member of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) since 2003 unprecedentedly serving three terms. The primary objective of the CMAG is to ensure that member states uphold the Harare Commonwealth Principles. During Sri Lanka’s tenure in CMAG the situation in Pakistan and Fiji were examined.
Climate change received major focus of the CHOGM this year. With regard to climate change, Sri Lanka not being an emitter of green house gases advocated the need for additional incentives including financial flows for developing countries to make commitments to enhanced action on mitigation and adaptation based on common but differentiated responsibilities. Sri Lanka further emphasized the need for a proper financial mechanism to face the challenge as the fund under Kyoto Protocol is inadequate for the efforts of adaptation of developing countries.
Sri Lanka’s delegation to CHOGM 2009 was led by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake and the pre-CHOGM Foreign Ministerial delegation by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama. On the sidelines of the meetings the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister met a number of foreign heads of government which included Hon. Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia, Hon. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, Hon. Patrick Manning, Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, Hon. John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Hon. Murray McCully, New Zealand Foreign Minister, Hon. Stephen Smith, Foreign Minister of Australia, Hon. David Miliband, Foreign Secretary of the UK and also the Hon. Ban Ki Moon, United Nations Secretary General. They used the occasion to discuss issues of bilateral importance and on matters relating to the Commonwealth. This is in keeping with Sri Lanka’s policy of maintaining and enhancing bilateral relations through extensive engagement. The Commonwealth provides a platform for networking both within and outside the Grouping.
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Free movement for civilians in welfare camps
Monday, 30 November 2009
Civilians who have taken shelters in welfare villages will be free to leave from day after today onwards sans any conditions being imposed. The villages will be declared as open from this day. There will be no restrictions imposed on the duration of their absence from the villages, Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services, Risath Bathiyutheen said.
The Government has declared that any civilian will be free to leave the villages once they have given their personal details to the authorities concerned. A majority of the displaced in the Welfare villages have already been resettled.
More will be resettled this week. Minister Rishath Bathiuddin has said that as of December 1st, inmates will be able to freely leave and enter the villages once they have registered their details with the relevant authorities. Government has pledged to resettle all the displaced in the welfare villages by January 31st. All civilians of the Vavuniyia welfare village from Jaffna Peninsula and Eastern Province have already been resettled.
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School text books for 2010 reach schools
Monday, 30 November 2009
The distribution of school text books for next year had been completed and distributed to all schools, the Ministry of Education disclosed.
The Educational Publications Commissioner W.M.N.J. Pushpakuamara said the required school books for the Vavuniya, Kilinochchi and Jaffan districts have been dispatched to the Zonal and Divisional offices.
He said around two million text books have been dispatched to the North. The official ceremony marking the distribution of books in the North will be held at the Vembady College in Jaffan. It will be presided over by Minister Susil Premajayanth.
A large group involved in the educational sector is scheduled to participate. The first outlet of the programme to launch additional book outlets Island wide is due to be opened in Jaffna. Past examination papers can also be purchased from these outlets.
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Polls Chief pledges free and fair polls
Monday, 30 November 2009
The Elections Commissioner Dayananda Disanayake has pledged to hold a free and fair election. Local and international election monitors will be provided to facilitate this process.
The Elections Commissioner said that personnel from the EU, the Commonwealth, the Association of Asian Election Monitors and the UN would monitor the upcoming Presidential election.
Temporary ID cards would be issued to the 12% of voters who had no valid form of identification. The Presidential election will be held on the 26th of January.
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