Remove Sampanthan, arrest Wigneswaran: Sinhala Ravaya

A Sinhala radical Buddhist monk outfit Tuesday urged the government to remove main Opposition leader R. Sampanthan and arrest Northern Provincial Council (NPC) Chief Minister C.V Wigneswaran, accusing them of trying to achieve what the Tamil Tiger rebels could not achieve at gunpoint.

Magalkande Sudantha Thera of Sinhala demanded the immediate appointment of Sinhala Opposition leader, charging the TNA leader of only representing the interest of the Tamils in the county.

“They need to appoint an Opposition leader who can represent the interest of the majority Sinhala community. The incumbent Opposition leader should be removed with immediate effect,” Magalkande Sudantha Thera said at a media conference held at Bodhu Bala Sena office in Colombo.

Claiming that the situation is deteriorating, he said it was due to the absence of a Sinhala Opposition leader.

“The incumbent Opposition leader is only talking about the interest of the Tamil people. He is trying to win the demands of only the Tamil people. Both the Opposition leader and the Northern Chief Minister are trying to achieve what the LTTE could not achieve at gunpoint, in the name of reconciliation,” he said.

Commenting on proposals of the NPC to the Consultative Committee of the Constitutional Reforms, the hardline monk questioned President, Prime Minister the Cabinet of Ministers “whether they are scared of Northern Chief Minister Wigneswaran”.

“He is making statements aiming to push the country back into the clutches of terrorism and create bloodbath. He should be made withdraw his statements. He should be arrested and questioned for making statements in gross violation of the constitution,” Magalkande Sudantha Thera of Sinhala demanded.

Appointing Pujith Jayasundara as next IGP illegal

The proposal to appoint Pujith Jayasundara as the next Inspector General of Police (IGP) is illegal, Pivithuru Hela Urumaya Leader Udaya Gammanpila stresses. 

The observation was made during a press conference held in Colombo this morning (19). 

Gammanpila went on to say the decision cannot be accepted since Minister Patali Ranawaka, who was in the spotlight following an accident in Rajagiriya, is also being part of the Constitutional Council.

 “Ranawaka showed his gratitude to the nominee. Now time for Pujith to show his gratitude,” Gammanpila added. 

He also pointed out the police would intend to procrastinate the investigation against the Minister due to the move. “S.M. Wickramasinghe is more senior. Yet the Constitutional Council had nominated Pujith Jayasundara,” Gammanpila said. Senior DIG Jayasundara was nominated as the next IGP by a majority of the Constitutional Council members last afternoon (18).

Rajapaksa’s ex-astrologer Sumanadasa on Auspicious times

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s ex-astrologer Sumanadasa Abeygunawardena yesterday said that there was nothing wrong with the auspicious times given for oil anointing for the New Year, but the westerly direction was inauspicious.

The former President has claimed the auspicious times were wrong.

"Usually, the West is not considered auspicious and the auspicious direction was north on the particular day," the astrologer said.

Abeywardena in his astrological predictions in late 2014 said that President Rajapaksa would cruise to an overwhelming win at the January 8 Presidential election.

SDIG Pujitha Jayasundara nominated as IGP

The Constitutional Council has nominated Senior DIG Pujitha Jayasundara as the next Inspector General of Police, sources revealed.

Earlier, three nominees for the post of the new Inspector General of Police (IGP) were summoned before the Constitutional Council.

The Constitutional Council met at the Parliamentary complex at 3.00 p.m. today to decide on the appointment of the country's 34th IGP.

President Maithripala Sirisena sent the nominations of the three most senior serving members of the Police Department for the post of IGP to the Constitutional Council on April 8.

The three names proposed by the President are Acting IGP S. M. Wickramasinghe, Senior Deputy Inspectors General of Police Pujith Jayasundara and Chandana Wickramaratne.

Senior DIG Pujith Jayasundara was reported to be the forerunner among the contenders for the post of IGP.

Parliament Deputy Secretary-General Neil Iddawala told yesterday, letters were sent to the nominees asking them to appear before the Council meeting. The three nominees will be interviewed by the Council members before the final decision.

The post of IGP fell vacant with the retirement of N.K. Illangakoon on April 11.

Iddawala said all 10 Council members have been informed of today’s meeting. The 10 members include three ex-officio members, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan, Ministers Patali Champika Ranawaka, Dr. Wijayadasa Rajapakshe and John Seneviratne, JVP MP Vijitha Herath representing the minor parties and Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy and Justice Shibly Aziz representing civil society.

Once a final agreement on the appointment is reached, the Constitutional Council will inform its decision to the President in writing.

Sri Lankan Housemaid Killed in Oman

Ac­cord­ing to the re­ports re­ceived so far, the woman had been al­legedly killed by a Pak­istani man

A Sri Lankan mi­grant house­maid in Oman was found to be killed in a city, out of Mus­cat, the Cap­i­tal of Oman, Sri Lanka For­eign Em­ploy­ment Bureau of­fi­cials said.

They said that the house­maid was not reg­is­tered with the Sri Lanka For­eign Em­ploy­ment Bureau (SLFEB).

They said that the house­maid was not reg­is­tered with the Sri Lanka For­eign Em­ploy­ment Bureau (SLFEB).

For­eign Em­ploy­ment Min­is­ter Tha­latha Atuko­rale told that the Min­istry was co­or­di­nat­ing with the Omani Po­lice and the Sri Lankan Mis­sion in Oman to get more in­for­ma­tion into the death of the house­maid.

Ac­cord­ing to re­ports, the house­maid had been killed by slit­ting her throat few days ago. Min­is­ter Athuko­rale said the Sri Lanka For­eign Em­ploy­ment Bureau could not take up the re­spon­si­bil­ity of bring­ing back the body since she had not been reg­is­tered with the SLFEB.

Ac­cord­ing to re­ports, the house­maid had been killed by slit­ting her throat few days ago. Min­is­ter Athuko­rale said the Sri Lanka For­eign Em­ploy­ment Bureau could not take up the re­spon­si­bil­ity of bring­ing back the body since she had not been reg­is­tered with the SLFEB.

“De­spite our un­wa­ver­ing effort to ed­u­cate the Sri Lankan women the haz­ards of mi­grat­ing overseas via un­reg­is­tered agents, it seems to be con­tin­u­ing. Some of them are still go­ing overseas with­out fol­low­ing the proper chan­nels at the Bureau. It makes us very dif­fi­cult to con­tact them in times of emer­gency,” the Min­is­ter said. How­ever, she said ac­cord­ing to the re­ports re­ceived so far, the woman had been al­legedly killed by a Pak­istani man, af­ter a dis­pute be­tween them about a clan­des­tine af­fair of the woman with an­other man. How­ever, Ms.atuko­rale said the de­tails were yet to be con­firmed by the Sri Lankan Am­bas­sador Mr. Pad­manathan in Oman.the SLFEB im­ple­mented a reg­u­la­tion, with ef­fect from Jan­uary 1 that the Bureau would no longer make any effort to bring back Sri Lankan house­maids from abroad, if they had not reg­is­tered with the Bureau prior to their de­par­ture.

“De­spite our un­wa­ver­ing effort to ed­u­cate the Sri Lankan women the haz­ards of mi­grat­ing overseas via un­reg­is­tered agents, it seems to be con­tin­u­ing. Some of them are still go­ing overseas with­out fol­low­ing the proper chan­nels at the Bureau. It makes us very dif­fi­cult to con­tact them in times of emer­gency,” the Min­is­ter said. How­ever, she said ac­cord­ing to the re­ports re­ceived so far, the woman had been al­legedly killed by a Pak­istani man, af­ter a dis­pute be­tween them about a clan­des­tine af­fair of the woman with an­other man. How­ever, Ms.atuko­rale said the de­tails were yet to be con­firmed by the Sri Lankan Am­bas­sador Mr. Pad­manathan in Oman.the SLFEB im­ple­mented a reg­u­la­tion, with ef­fect from Jan­uary 1 that the Bureau would no longer make any effort to bring back Sri Lankan house­maids from abroad, if they had not reg­is­tered with the Bureau prior to their de­par­ture.

With this reg­u­la­tion, any house­maid, who had gone abroad for em­ploy­ment with­out reg­is­ter­ing with the Bureau, would not be brought back at state ex­pense even in case of ill health, mis­treat­ment by em­ploy­ers or their bod­ies, in case of death

With this reg­u­la­tion, any house­maid, who had gone abroad for em­ploy­ment with­out reg­is­ter­ing with the Bureau, would not be brought back at state ex­pense even in case of ill health, mis­treat­ment by em­ploy­ers or their bod­ies, in case of death

Rangana Herath retires from T20 and ODIs

Sri Lanka’s dependable veteran spinner Rangana Herath has announced his retirement from T20 and ODI cricket.

In a letter addressed to Sri Lanka Cricket, Herath says he would like to concentrate on Test cricket – which has always been his personal passion. He went on to say “Every cricketer has to stop at the right time, I feel it’s time to make room for fresh talent to be groomed with the 2019 World Cup in view”

With a career best (Tests) of 9/127 against Pakistan in 2014, 4/20 (ODI) against India in 2013 and 5/3 (T20I) against New Zealand at the WT20 in 2014, Herath has been an integral part of the Sri Lanka bowling arsenal where his brilliant accuracy and subtle variation in pace and flight made him a force to reckon with both at home and away.

In a recent interview with Wisden – India during the WT20, Herath described his uncomplicated style by saying “Wherever I go, I try not to change anything. I give the ball air and try to get the batsmen out.

I figure out the conditions… I have faith in me that I can adjust with the conditions” – a philosophy he is likely to share with the younger generation.

 Sri Lanka Cricket wishes Mr. Herath nothing but the best as he continues to play cricket in his chosen discipline, and in all future endeavours.

Jayalalitha : Karuna gifted island to Sri Lanka

AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa on Friday accused DMK leader M. Karunanidhi of being instrumental in the handing over of the Katchatheevu islet to Sri Lanka. Addressing a huge gathering at Aruppukkottai in Virudhunagar district, Ms Jayalalithaa ridiculed the DMK promise of retrieving Katchatheevu, which is featured in the party’s election manifesto.

Dealing with the subject in elaborate fashion, she listed out the efforts she has been taking since 1991 to get back the islet, traditionally used by fishermen of the southern districts.

Mr Karunanidhi, who she claimed colluded with the then Congress government at the Centre in making Katchatheevu over to Sri Lanka, was branding the TN fishermen as “greedy persons” for crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line for fishing, she said. Katchatheevu was handed over to Lanka when the DMK was in power in 1974, but Mr Karunanidhi declined to approach the Supreme Court to retrieve the island, Ms Jayalalithaa said.

Referring to the SC judgment in the 1960s on the Berubari dispute, she said even when the Indian government decided to give Berubari in West Bengal to East Pakistan, the SC ruled that any part of the nation can be giving to another country only if both Houses of the Parliament ratify it, besides making an amendment in the Constitution. Mr Karunanidhi neither used this order to retain the island in 1974 nor supported the AIADMK when she filed a petition in the court in 2008 to retrieve it, she pointed out.

When the top court issued notice to the state and Centre on her petition (2008), Mr Karunanidhi, instead of filing a petition in her support, evaded the issue altogether stating he would file the counter only after knowing the Centre’s view, she said.

However, the then UPA government in which DMK was a constituent, filed a counter saying passing of resolution on the subject was not necessary. “It only shows Karunanidhi was hand-in-glove with the Centre,” she said.

But when AIADMK Government assumed power in 2011, she got a resolution passed in the Assembly to retrieve the island and also impleaded the TN government as a party in the court, she said. “I will continue to fight to get back the Katchatheevu island and safeguard the traditional rights of Tamil Nadu fishermen,” she said.

On prohibition, Jayalalithaa said that DMK doesn’t have the locus standi to take up the issue because it was Karunanidhi who lifted prohibition in the state when he was CM in 1971. She assured the public that she would implement prohibition in a phased manner.

Jayalalithaa also elaborated on the various welfare schemes that the AIADMK government implemented during the last five years in Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram and Sivaganga districts. She also introduced the AIADMK candidates of 14 assembly constituencies in the four districts. (asianage)

Laggala Police's stolen weapons found

The weapons that were stolen from the Laggala Police had been found on the morning of Saturday, April 16.

A communique issued by the Police Headquarters states that the weapons were found stashed in a water tank at the Wellewala Sandhagala Viharastanaya in the limits of the Laggala Police Division.

Police added that the T56 rifel and 5 revolvers that had been stolen were found at the location. Further investigations into the incident are underway .