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Opposition Leader R Sampanthan says that the wording and timing of the no-confidence motion, which seeks to implicate the Prime Minister with the bond scam, are indicative of the pursuit of a political agenda through the motion rather than fixing responsibility in regard to the bond scam.

“The question must be raised as to why the wording is so vague and lacking in any specific charge against the Prime Minister in regard to the fraud pertaining to the bond scam per say,” he said, delivering a statement in Parliament today (4) during the debate on the motion.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader stated that the wording is too loose and general in nature and that it could be that the PM is facing this situation because of the confidence he placed on someone who has betrayed him.

“But where is the evidence or charge against the Prime Minister of involvement in the bond scam?

Is the wording of the motion so loose and so general because of the lack of specific material against the Prime Minister in regard to the bond scam?” he questioned.

“And if that is true in my submission the motion lacks credibility,” he charged.

With regard to the timing of the motion, he stated that the bond scam occurred 3 years ago and that it has been the subject of total public focus for a long period of time. “Why has this motion of no-confidence been brought against the Prime Minister only now?” he asked the House.

Sampanthan also inquired as to whether this motion against the PM is the first step in a plan to bring down “totally and completely” the present government.

He stated that it is their view that the inadequate performance by the government in the first half of their term was the cause of the result at the recent local government polls in which the SLFP and UNP suffered defeat.

He said if they perform better in the next two and a half years, public disenchantment can change.

Unfortunately the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) does not want that to happen, he said. They want to first defeat the PM and the next target will be the President, he claimed. “They want the government brought down.”

The TNA leader further stated that they want the government to implement the mandate given to it by the country.

“In these circumstances how can we possibly support this no-confidence motion?”

He alleged that the true intentions of the Podujana Peramuna are shrouded in an environment of prejudice based upon the bond scam. We cannot fall victim to such and allow ourselves to be used to achieve their political objective, Sampanthan said.

Source : Ada Derana

At the cabinet meeting held today, UNP Ministers of the cabinet had requested their SLFP counterparts to present their stance on the upcoming no confidence vote against Prime Minister and Leader of the UNP, Ranil Wickramasinghe.

 “Not sure if our official stance will fall in line with that of others, so ask SB or Susil” - Minister Vijith Wijayamuni Zoysa

While the UNP group had first questioned Duminda Dissanayake of the SLFP, however Vijith Wijayamuni Zoysa had asked them to direct the question to S.B Dissanayake or Susil Premajayantha instead as it is they had been making statements to the media in this regard recently. He had gone on to say that if not they were capable of claiming that his or Duminda’s opinion on the matter is not the official stance of the party.

 “I am not the SLFP spokesman, ask Minister Susil or Nimal” - Minister S.B Dissanayake

The UNP Ministers had then gone on to ask S.B Dissanayake of the official party decision regarding the no confidence vote. While the PM had then arrived at the meeting, the UNP Ministers had asked S.B to reveal their stance in front of the PM it self.

However S.B claiming he is not the SLFP spokesperson had instead directed the question to Susil Premajayantha who had avoided answering in the end leaving Minister Nimal Siripala Silva to face the barrage of questions.

 “There is a common call for you to resign Prime Minister but in no way is it a personal opinion only” - Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva

Answering the queries Nimal Siripala had claimed the official stance of the SLFP is that the PM should resign prior to the no confidence vote. The Minister had gone on stress this is not a personal opinion of one individual but the collective understanding of the party.

If that is your stance then listen to ours as well! There will be no resignation! We will ensure the win of the government and the PM! - Minister Mangala Samaraweera

Minister Mangala is said to have wanted to present the UNP party stance after the reply but then had gone on to request the PM to present it instead. However the PM had asked Mangala to go ahead.

“The no confidence vote is not only against the PM but against the whole government” he had said adding that therefore their aim is to defeat it. “We will protect the government and PM unconditionally” he had said.

The Minister had also claimed that therefore there will be no resignation as requested by the SLFP and left the meeting.

Sources say that following this incident Minister Zoysa was heard saying that some talk shop but are afraid to state their decisions when confronted.

However despite claims by Minister De Silva, sources say the SLFP is still not in a collective stance about the vote with some Ministers are said to be of the opinion that the vote must be defeated.

 The SLFP group is set to meet the President once more today sources claim.

State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena has categorically denied the statement made by State Minister A.H.M. Fowzie which stated that the SLFP would boycott the debate and the vote of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Speaking further, Minister Lakshman Yapa stated that the official position of the SLFP is to vote in favour of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. He reiterated that this decision has not been changed.

Dilan and Lakshman to join JO’s Gota faction

Meanwhile, internal sources of the SLFP said that State Ministers Dilan Perera and Lakshman Yapa along with a few MPs are planning to join the Joint Opposition today (04).

SLFP sources added that this group has been in discussions with the Joint Opposition for some time now and that they are prepared to join the JO’s Gota faction.

A TNA delegation headed by opposition leader R. Sampanthan were at the Presidential secretariat for a meeting with President today.

It is believed the discussion was regarding the up coming no confidence vote. The TNA was predicted to support Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe at tomorrow's vote.

However Opposition leader R. Sampanthan said he informed President that TNA will decide tonight on its position on no-confidence motion on PM.

 Meanwhile the SLFP has said it would vote against the PM unless he resigns today.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) intends to vote in favour of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM) against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, JVP MP Bimal Rathnayaka said a short while ago. The party has six MPs in Parliament.

Speaking during the debate on the NCM in Parliament, MP Rathnayake, who was the first JVP MP to speak during the debate, alleged that there was a deal between the PM and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to defeat the NCM.

He accused the PM of having "betrayed the mandate given by the people in 2015." The MP also countered claims that the PM was not directly linked to the bond scam. Mr Rathnayake questioned why people such as Arjun Aloysius tried to build a media empire using funds stolen through the bond scam. He also accused the PM of knowingly protecting those involved in the scam and of obstructing the work of those tasked with investigating it.

The JVP MP also had harsh words for President Maithripala Sirisena, claiming that it was actually the President who was behind the NCM and he was planning to join forces with Gotabaya Rajapaksa to defeat the PM and ensure his own survival.

Claiming that the Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maithripala Sirisena and Mahinda Rajapaksa were all part of the nexus of protecting the corrupt, he appealed to the people to move away from the 'ape hora apita honda' attitude and act against those who are corrupt.

Source : Sunday Times

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party's parliamentary group has unanimously decided to request Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to resign from his post, Minister Chandima Weerakkody confirmed today.

Accordingly, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has conveyed the SLFP's decision to Premier Wickremesinghe a short while ago.

Refuting claims by State Minister A.H.M Fowzie today that the SLFP has decided to abstain from voting against the PM at today's NCM, State Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene was quoted as saying that the party will in fact vote against the PM.

State Minister A.H.M Fowzie had claimed that the party had decided to abstain from voting in the NCM. However, questions are now being raised as to if there is a rift in the SLFP regarding the NCM due to the contradictory statements being made by its members.

No room should be given to the “ghosts of the previous regime” to defeat the mandate of the coalition government using a strategy in the guise of a no-confidence motion, Finance and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera said at a special interview yesterday said.

Minister Samaraweera pointed out that the No-Confidence Motion is not a move against Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, but a ploy against the Yahapalana government that succeeded the previous regime which thrived on tyranny, corruption and family bandism.

Minister Samaraweera expressed his confidence that a majority in Parliament will stand with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to defeat the no confidence motion (NCM) against him. Referring to the no-confidence motion as yet another “storm in the tea cup”, Minister Samaraweera said that the country should not be dragged back to the darkness it was in, from its journey towards a brighter future.

The UNP has taken a decision to unanimously rally around PM Wickremesinghe to defeat the NCM. Minister Samaraweera said: “I am not aware of the JVP’s opinion on this. However I believe they are not ready to return to the corrupt regime we had earlier. I am sure that the Tamil National Alliance despises the ethno racist approach taken up by the previous regime. Thus, I believe all these parties will want to defeat the NCM,” he said.

Minister Samaraweera made these observations at a special interview held at his official residence yesterday morning.

Minister Samaraweera observed that individuals, who toil for the Rajapaksa backed NCM, are the persons who are frightened by the government’s slow but sure approach in rounding up the culprits responsible for many crimes and corruption prior to 2015. He further observed that their prime target has become Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who is dedicated to the present coalition government.

Speaking further Minister Samaraweera pointed out that the NCM is a part of the larger movement against Yahapalana government, launched by the very people who were involved in crime and corruption with the blessings of the Rajapaksa rule. “On January 8, 2015 the Yahapalanaya government began a new journey championing democracy, development and reconciliation. But the persons, who were prospering under the previous corrupt regime, started scheming against the new government. They come up with all sorts of strategies to bring this government down,” The Minister added.

The Minister also observed that the origin behind the NCM is the same source behind the recent disturbances in Kandy.

“Investigations into crime and corruption cases under the previous regime have recorded much progress by now. These crimes and corruption could not have been unearthed for years, but now we are successfully presenting evidence against the culprits involved in these cases. So, these people have become anxious about this progress. They want to come back to power and reestablish the corrupt regime they maintained prior to 2015. The latest strategy to topple the Yahapalana government is this no confidence motion against PM Wickremesinghe. The supporters of the Joint Opposition and the JO minions in the government itself are trying to use this NCM as a backdoor to come to power,” Minister Samaraweera pointed out.

Asked on an alleged clash between President Sirisena and the government, Minister Samaraweera completely denied the allegation. “There is no clash whatsoever between the President and the government. Representatives of both parties respect President Sirisena very much. He is a pleasant person who lends an ear to everybody. However, President Sirisena is challenged to maintain the balance between several groups in his party. Some people who made indecent remarks on President Sirisena when he was the common candidate later joined this government seeking ministerial portfolios. President Sirisena has to strike a balance as the leader of the SLFP among all these groups who hold different opinions,” Minister Samaraweera explained.

Speaking further, Minister Samaraweera said that PM Wickremesinghe should be given the well deserved recognition as the key figure that revived the bankrupt economy taken over by the coalition government. “We had trillions of rupees to service debts in the coming years. We paid more than a trillion to service our debts last year. Next year, we have to pay around 4 trillion. We have passed important milestones in our economy thanks to the economic plan launched by PM Wickremesinghe under the guidance of President Maithripala Sirisena,” he pointed out. People will reap the benefits of these development initiatives in the coming years, he added.

Minster Samaraweera also observed that PM Wickremesinghe was selfless when extending his fullest support to the common candidate at the 2015 Presidential Election. Samaraweera pointed out that, giant political figures such as former PM Sirimavo Bandaranaike was not willing to give up her privilege to compete in an election by giving an opportunity to a common candidate, as proposed at the 1988 Presidential election.

Referring to the allegations on the Treasury Bond issue, Minister Samaraweera pointed out that the government has taken all necessary steps to recover the loss incurred by the questionable bond sale. “We have frozen the accounts of all perpetrators of the bond issue, so that we can recover every penny. It was Prime Minister Wickremesinghe who first called for an investigation on this issue. If we followed the steps of corrupt Rajapaksa regime, we would have appointed a henchman of our government as the Chairman of the COPE committee. Premier Wickremesinghe also bowed down to the Presidential Commission appointed to look into the Treasury bond issue. He even volunteered to give evidence before the Commission. There have been trillions lost in bond scams under the purview of the previous regime. Now they are bringing in a NCM against the PM who introduced a system to apprehend these scammers and curb corruption in the relevant institutions,” Minister Samaraweera also said.

Asked on criticisms against the present government, Minister Samaraweera agreed that there have been several criticisms leveled against the government. He said, that the government will take all measures to deal with these criticisms.

“In all honesty, the main criticism against the present government is that we isolated the forces that brought us into power. We are criticized for sliding away from the policies we were supposed to implement. Even though Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna recorded a victory at the recent Local Government Election, they cannot obtain a majority at a General Election,” Minister Samaraweera said.

“The majority of this country is opposed to the previous regime just as much as they were in 2015. However, we are losing their confidence. So the first step following the no confidence motion is to go back to our vote base and provide facilities to our poor innocent citizens. Parallel to such a welfare approach, we need to create an economy that can compete in the global market. We also need to defeat ethno religious tensions created by the same sources that has brought in this NCM. I must agree that the police responded slowly to the tense situation at Kandy recently. We will have to take strict action against incidents such as these in the future to ensure reconciliation among all the ethnicities. We will not allow anybody to drag us back to the corrupt era we were in,” Minister Samaraweera further said.

Denying the allegation that the PM is protecting Rajapaksa family, Minister Samaraweera pointed out that the NCM presented to Parliament contains several signatures of Rajapaksa family members who are parliamentarians. “If the PM is protecting the Rajapaksas, would they have signed the no confidence motion?” Minister Samaraweera questioned.

Minister Samaraweera also said that the progress achieved by the government will not be hindered or reversed by the no confidence motion. He pointed out that the government is confident that the NCM will be defeated on Wednesday, hence there will be no such hindrance to the operations of the government.

Source : Daily News

Just yesterday, Minister Chanidma Weerakkody said that the Sri Lanka Freedom Party's parliamentary group had decided to request the Prime Minister to vacate his post before the no-confidence motion.

However, making an abrupt u-turn, State Minister A.H.M Fowzie said today that the SLFP has decided to abstain from voting in NCM.

Necessary steps will be taken by the Government to revamp the Sri Lanka Air Force and strengthen it with the latest technology in line with other forces of the developed world. This will include the infusion of knowledge and technological skills. The necessary guidance and advise would be sought from developed countries for this purpose, President Maithripala Sirisena said.

The President was addressing the gathering at the President Colours Awards Ceremony held at the Diyatalawa Air Force Combat Training School last morning.

President Sirisena said he was pleased to attend the colour awards ceremony held at this school to honour and convey the nation’s gratitude to the Air Force combat school which had rendered a sterling service to the nation for a very long period.

The President said the Tri Forces of this country had performed a yeoman service to the Motherland during the past few decades. Foremost among them was the dedication made to defeat LTTE terrorism which had been a bane to the country for nearly 28 years.

“The Sri Lanka Air Force had performed its duty and responsibility in the protection of the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and joined their counterpart Armed Forces to save the country during national disaster situations,” President Sirisena said.

Air Force Commander Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathy said the Presidential Colours Awards Ceremony marked an important cross road in the 67-year-old history of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

“President Sirisena’s decision to hold a Presidential Colours Awards Ceremony to convey the highest honour to the service rendered by the Air Force was most praiseworthy. The Sri Lanka Air Force had been a partner in the country’s development process too. Several welfare measures had already been initiated by the Air Force such as the donation of houses to War Heroes, scholarship awards to children of Air Force personnel and remedying of salary anomalies,” the Air Force Commander said.

Source : Daily News

A new Board of Directors under the Chairmanship of Mr. Ranjit Fernando has been appointed at SriLankan Airlines in order to accelerate the restructuring process and create the enabling environment to proceed with entering into a Public-Private-Partnership with a strategic investor, the Ministry of Finance said today.

Other members appointed to the board include Mr. Mano Tittewella (Ministry of Finance), Dr. Roshan Perera (Central Bank), Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathi (Air Force Commander) and Mr. Susantha Katugampala (Lawyer/Barrister).

The restructuring and PPP process will continue to be guided by the Officials Committee chaired by the Secretary to the Treasury with the participation of the Secretary, Ministry of Public Enterprise Development and Chairman of the National Agency for Public Private Partnership (NAPPP), Mr. Thilan Wijesinghe. Mr. Wijesinghe serves as the Convener of the Officials Committee.

The Officials Committee, set up in September 2017, will continue to refer required areas for direction by the Ministerial Committee chaired by the Hon. Prime Minister and for implementation by the Board of SriLankan Airlines. Aviation Consultants, Nyras of UK, hired after a competitive process in November 2017 by the Officials Committee, will continue to report to the Officials Committee. This working arrangement is to ensure shareholder (Treasury) interests are adequately addressed in the restructuring process.

 The NAPPP, with the assistance of Nyras, will coordinate the PPP process that will be implemented in parallel with the restructuring process and advise the Ministry of Finance and Officials Committee. The NAPPP will also advise the Officials Committee on the debt restructuring process designed to mitigate any impact on the General Treasury and State Banks, who are the largest lenders to SriLankan Airlines.

The Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) Chairperson former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga said while promoting communal unity and harmony, her office would launch a programme to uplift the living standard of war-affected women in the North, including war widows.

She disclosed this at a discussion held at the Jaffna Kachcheri, during a recent visit to the North. Northern Province Chief Minister C. Vigneswaran, Parliamentarian Mavai Seandhiraja, representatives of women’s organisations and a large number of war-affected women in the North attended the discussion.

On inquiry by the former President, the women’s organisations’ representatives said nearly 33,000 women had fallen destitute due to the war in the North and East. They said sexual abuse of women had increased after the war.

Following the discussion, the former President visited Keerimalai and opened a new restaurant selling Jaffna’s traditional food preparations set up under the auspices of the Agriculture Department.

The restaurant has been targeted to attract tourists visiting the Keerimalai hot springs.

She was accompanied by several TNA Parliamentarians.

Source : Daily News