OTHER NEWS Rathnapriya calls on Unions to be stronger, better organised Colombo beggars marched out India said “CEPA or interference?” India summons Lankan envoy    Advertisement Print Version | Email to friend SLMC wants Independent Commission before next polls 16-05-2008 By Kelum Bandara The SLMC yesterday decided to talk to other political parties including the JVP and the LSSP with a view to filing a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a ruling for the government’s full implementation of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution before another election is announced. The SLMC had obtained the consent of the UNP for this purpose and the party’s Deputy General Secretary Nizam Kariapper said the SLMC hoped to come to an agreement with the other parties by next week and the petition would be filed the following week. Mr. Kariapper said free and fair elections could never be held without the functioning of the Independent Police Commission, the Public Service Commission and the Election Commission as envisaged under the 17th Amendment . “We experienced this situation at the May 10 Eastern Provincial Council election where government thugs had a free run in unleashing violence against opposition members,” he said. Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) Co-convener Paikyasothi Saravanamutthu said the implementation of the 17th Amendment was absolutely necessary for a number of reasons. He said last week’s provincial council election only reinforces the need for such Independent Commissions. The People’s Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL) another election monitoring body, welcomed the SLMC’s decision to file a petition in the Supreme Court. PAFFREL Chairman Kingsley Rodrigo said there was no reason for the President to continue delaying the appointment of the Constitutional Council as all obstacles have been cleared. “The present Elections Commissioner wants to retire. But sadly he is unable to do so given the absence of the Independent Elections Commission,” Mr. Rodrigo said. Print Version | Email to friend

Rathnapriya calls on Unions to be stronger, better organised Sun, 20-07-2008 08:00:00 The trade union movement of Sri Lanka should unite to launch a successful general strike against the government and make it adhere to its promises regarding the salary increments, and reducing the bus and train fares. So said the Convenor of August 4 Trade Union Movement (A4TUM), Saman Rathnapriya. Speaking at the meeting yesterday, he said that all the trade union should be very well organised and efficient if they want to make an impact on the government. “We can’t say whet... |FULL STORY|

Colombo beggars marched out Sun, 20-07-2008 08:00:00 LAKBIMANEWS Based on intelligence reports, police are to remove all “unwanted persons” from the city with a view to assuring security in Colombo for the forthcoming SAARC summit. They said only people who have “solid reasons to be there” will be authorized to enter high security zones while the SAARC summit was underway. “All unnecessary persons from the high security zones will be removed due to security reasons,” clarified SSP Ranjith Gunasekera, police spokesman. “This will incl... |FULL STORY|

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India said “CEPA or interference?” Sun, 20-07-2008 08:00:00 Mystery and talk of intrigue surrounds the CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership) agreement that was to be signed during the forthcoming SAARC summit. The government has now decided to postpone the signing or to call it off. What’s definite is that there will be no signing of CEPA during SAARC. Reports are that the government’s coalition partners were angered that “India was trying to use CEPA as a bargaining chip to ensure Indian non-interference in the government’s forward march in the... |FULL STORY|

India summons Lankan envoy Sun, 20-07-2008 08:00:00 In the backdrop of rising incidents of alleged firing by Sri Lankan Navy on Indian fishermen, India today summoned the island nation's envoy C R Jayasinghe and lodged a protest against them. New Delhi asked Colombo to share the result of the inquiry it has set up into the July 12 incident in which two Indian fishermen were killed. ... |FULL STORY|

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