MR jumps the gun?
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa last week made a groundbreaking statement when he stated in Parliament that the Government will permit the burial of the Covid-19 dead. [caption id="attachment_105071" align="alignleft" width="277"]
Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa[/caption]
Rajapaksa’s statement in Parliament gathered commendations from the international community while Muslim political party leaders representing both the Government and the Opposition made their way to the Premier’s office in Parliament to thank him for pushing the issue with the Government.
The Prime Minister has continuously pushed for the burial of the Covid-19 dead and even called on the health authorities to identify suitable lands in the country for the purpose.
However, soon after the Prime Minister’s statement went viral, the Government had to resort to damage control due to the technical difficulties in implementing the move.
As soon as the Prime Minister had made the statement, it was the health authorities that had first raised objections to the statement. A group of members of the experts committee that was appointed to study the issue of burying the Covid-19 dead, who have continuously opposed the move, has informed the health authorities that the final decision on permitting the burials was vested with the experts committee.
The health authorities then had to deliberate whether the Prime Minister’s statement could be taken as final, given that the experts committee appointed for the purpose has not yet made any such recommendation.
The Prime Minister’s Office was soon informed of the objections raised by some sections of the health authorities.
Unable to backtrack, Prime Minister Rajapaksa, after questioning why the experts committee was delaying its recommendations, given that there were no longer any objections to the matter, had decided to keep silent on it.
It is reliably learnt that Prime Minister Rajapaksa’s statement in Parliament was mostly propelled by the assurance received by the Buddhist clergy that they had no objections to the burial of the Covid-19 dead.
Members of the Government have continuously held a dialogue with leading Buddhist monks to get their approval for the burial of the Covid-19 dead and almost all monks had agreed to it.
After hearing that the monks had expressed no objections to the burial of the Covid-19 dead since there was no scientific impediment, a jubilant Prime Minister had been confident that the Government could now proceed with burying the dead.
It is this mood that had resulted in Prime Minister Rajapaksa making the positive statement in Parliament.
However, with the experts committee still vacillating to make its recommendations, the issue over burying the Covid-19 dead continues without any timeline for a solution in sight.
Cardinal to meet SJB MPs
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith is to convene a meeting with the Catholic MPs representing the main Opposition party, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB). The meeting is scheduled to take place on 2 March. The co-ordination of the meeting has been assigned to SJB MP Kavinda Jayawardena. The discussion is expected to focus on the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Easter Sunday attacks, and following up on the findings and proposed action. However, it is learnt that the Cardinal has made a specific request not to include MP Harin Fernando in the discussion.Wimal aligns with UPFA?
- Urgent meetings requested with President
- Party leaders to meet again on 25 February
Rajapaksa family meets
Members of the Rajapaksa family had last week met at President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's residence to discuss the recent squabbles within the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and Cabinet Minister Namal Rajapaksa have also attended the discussion. The meeting had taken place on Tuesday (9) night, after National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Minister Wimal Weerawansa claimed earlier in the day that if some in the SLPP wanted him to apologise for a statement made to the media, he would also apologise for his support of the “Mahinda Sulanga” and bringing victory to the SLPP. The senior Rajapaksa brothers had discussed at length about Weerawansa's move to form a group with 10 political parties in the SLPP alliance. Namal Rajapaksa had also actively participated in the discussion, and spoken in Weerawansa's defence. He had further explained the need to address the matter without letting it get out of hand.
Media given the slip
Media personnel flocked outside the entrance to Minister Wimal Weerawansa’s official residence in Colombo to get firsthand the outcome of the meeting of 12 governing party leaders. After hearing that a meeting of 12 party leaders had been called by Weerawansa at his residence at 3 p.m. last Thursday (11), media personnel arrived at the residence to get information about the details discussed and decisions reached at the meeting. However, after spending three hours outside Weerawansa’s residence, media personnel were unable to get any solid information on the outcome of the discussion, as most party leaders who had attended the meeting had left the premises without making any comment to the media. Ministers Vasudeva Nanayakkara and Udaya Gammanpila have told the media that the party leaders had discussed the current political situation in the country and the governing party. They both gave the impression that it was a routine meeting. After the two ministers had left, the media had asked security personnel at the residence whether Weerawansa was in the premises and if he was planning on leaving at any time. The media was then informed that Weerawansa together with several other politicians had left the premises through another gateway.PCoI brings Opposition together
The report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) on incidents of political victimisation and the ensuing action initiated by the Government has resulted in Opposition political parties as well as a group of activists coming together to form an alliance to fight against what is seen as an anti-democratic move by the Government. A meeting was convened last Tuesday (9) at the Opposition Leader’s Office at No. 30, Sir Marcus Fernando Mawatha, Colombo 7. Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa, together with SJB General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara and MPs Sarath Fonseka, Eran Wickremaratne, Patali Champika Ranawaka, and Rajitha Senaratne, had attended the meeting. MPs M.A. Sumanthiran, Rauff Hakeem, and Vijitha Herath have also participated at the meeting. Several senior lawyers and civil society members had also attended the meeting. After a lengthy discussion, it was decided to file a writ before the Court of Appeal, fundamental rights (FR) petitions before the Supreme Court, and hand over letters by Opposition members to the Chief Justice requesting action against two members of the PCoI.Rajitha-Ranil meet
Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dr. Rajitha Senaratne last Monday (8) had met with United National Party (UNP) Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to discuss the formation of a broad Opposition alliance against the Government’s move to implement the recommendations of the PCoI on incidents of political victimisation. Wickremesinghe, it is learnt, had agreed to be a part of the alliance initially to fight against the PCoI report. However, it is learnt that Wickremesinghe and Dr. Senaratne have also discussed the possibility of expanding this alliance into an electoral alliance afterwards.
JVP backtracks on India
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) last week took the spotlight in the Easter Sunday attacks probe when former JVP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa had made a public comment to the effect that there were suspicions about neighbouring India playing a role in the 2019 terror attacks. Dr. Jayatissa’s comments published in a foreign news agency story went viral. The Indian High Commission in Colombo, it is learnt, had also communicated its displeasure to the JVP over the party member’s comment made without any evidence. However, JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake at a press conference on Thursday (11) retracted the statement made by Dr. Jayatissa. Dissanayake said the party did not have any evidence to point a finger at any country or organisation for the Easter Sunday attacks. He explained that there have been three probes on the attacks – the Parliamentary Select Committee, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry – and that there does not seem to be any fingers pointed at external forces for the attack.New forum blooms
The first-time entrants to Parliament from the governing Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) last week met and decided to form a forum that would engage with the Government when dealing with issues of national interest. Around 30 backbench legislators of the SLPP had met on Wednesday (10) and formed a new group, and have signed a letter addressed to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. The letter had requested the Prime Minister to hold a discussion with backbench SLPP MPs when the Government is in the process of reaching crucial decisions related to national interests. The backbench MPs had reached this decision following the controversy over the Government’s decisions when addressing the issue of the East Container Terminal (ECT) at the Colombo Port with the Indian and Japanese Governments.Sister to the fore
The rumour mill in Colombo is in full gear over Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa’s sister Dulanjali’s move to
engage in a public role in the Colombo city area.
Dulanjali has reportedly engaged in several social welfare programmes organised under the Sucharitha Movement, which was initiated by her late father R. Premadasa.
Dulanjali’s mother, Hema Premadasa, has also been seen supporting her daughter in public engagements.
Given that the movement is based in the Colombo city limits, rumours are rife that Dulanjali is likely to contest as the Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s (SJB) mayoral candidate for the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) at the next local government election.
Taking the wheel
[caption id="attachment_119519" align="alignright" width="300"]
MP Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan[/caption]
Parliamentarian Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias “Pillayan”, was last week seen driving a bus of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) in Batticaloa.
According to Tamil newspapers, Pillayan, who was on his way to a village in Batticaloa, had seen a SLTB bus with people parked on the side of the road, as the driver was concerned over driving on the road due to the poor condition of the road.
However, the MP had then told the driver that he was prepared to drive the bus and had driven the bus to the destination himself.