UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake is recovering after surgery. Doctors had advised him to take bed rest for at least two weeks.
Last Monday he received a call from Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne who was being treated at a hospital in Singapore. "Mama me obathumata call ekak ganna hitiye upandinayata suba pathanna. Eeta kalin oba thumama gaththa". (I was about to call you to wish you a happy birthday. But you have called me before that), Attanayaka said wishing Jayaratne not only a happy birthday but also speedy recovery.
When Attanayake was discharged from the hospital, Dr.Jayalath Jayawardena, yet another MP who had needed medical attention abroad, was also there.
After finalising work related to his discharge, a nurse had checked his blood sugar."Ane miss mageth blood sugar balannako.." (Could you please also check my blood sugar?) asked Dr.Jayawardena. The nurse attended to his request too.
Bouquet for MR's 42 years in politics
It was Thursday (June 7) morning when Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga walked into the suite of a Rome Hotel with a large bouquet in hand.
He greeted the President and wished him well for many more years to come. That was the day Rajapaksa was completing 42 years in politics. The duo then went on talking about the President's career as a politician.
Rushing in to greet Rajapaksa then was his international affairs spokesperson Bandula Jayasekera.
Turbo-charged minister fumes at smoking law
"Do you know who I am?" thundered the Cabinet Minister who was in good spirits when told that he was puffing at a cigarette in an area where it was not allowed.
It happened in a city hotel known for its long term residency of clients. Perhaps the minister, well known for such antics, was 'turbo charged' after a string of wedding events.
The hotel staff apologised and withdrew. One of them complained to his superior only to be reminded that they could do very little. "He even sat on the chair of an officer-in-charge of a police station in the city. Just ignore it," remarked the superior.
Grim battle for Parliament gym
A ding-dong battle is taking place among members of the Parliament Sports Club and a senior police officer attached to the legislature over the use of the gymnasium that was opened at the Parliament complex a few months ago.
The opening of the gym was initiated by Sports Club members and is a small facility meant for the staff of Parliament but a senior police official had requested that members of the police too should be allowed to use the facility.
However this request has been turned down by the Secretary General of Parliament. Insiders say that the police official, however, is adamant to have his way and is attempting to overturn the SG's decision, much to the ire of the Parliament Sports Club members.
No maternity leave for lady spies
The boss of a State-run spy agency had some strong advice for young female staffers who were losing their status as maidens. "It is okay getting married.
However, don't have children. Our work is getting interrupted regularly due to this," he told a meeting. The advice came because too many female employees were going on maternity leave ignoring their job doing spy work.
There was silence after the remarks were made. When the meeting was over, at least one cheeky lassie remarked, "Only the Family Planning Association will welcome those remarks.
Both the AR (Administrative Regulations) and the FR (Financial Regulations), the two rule books governing the State sector, she pointed out, have not yet debarred sex or having children.
CBK denies political comeback with Fonseka
Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga met Democratic People's Front Leader Mano Ganeshan at Westminster House, the British High Commissioner's residence in Colombo. It was at a reception to mark Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.
Ganeshan asked whether it was true that Kumaratunga was returning to politics with former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. He said there was much talk about it.
"No...No...That is not true. I don't have any intention of coming back to politics again." CBK responded. "Why don't you come and meet me? Let's have chat when we meet" she told Ganeshan.
PM says foreign hospital worse than jail
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe visited Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratane twice last week at John Hopkinson Hospital in Singapore.
Jayaratne was recovering after surgery. Wickremesinghe, who stayed two days in Singapore en-route to Colombo from New Zealand was accompanied by his international affairs advisor Sagala Ratnayake, a former MP.
The visit turned out to be on Jayaratne's birthday. So there was breakfast for the two visitors. The duo visited the Premier again before returning to Colombo.
Jayaratne was to tell Wickremesinghe that whilst engaged in politics he had gone to jail. He said it was worse than staying in a jail to be in a hospital. More so, when such a hospital is in a foreign land, he declared.
Young Rajapaksa joins Tamil students in dance
Some 200 students from Kilinochchi and Mullaitvu were brought to Colombo by the National Youth Service Council on a programme sponsored by a leading computer software firm.
They spent the night at the Council premises in Maharagama. Just after dinner there, a musical evening began. The youth sang Tamil songs and there was a dance session.
Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa who turned up was also called upon to join in the dance. He obliged.
Blair in Maldives during Queen's jubilee
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair overflew Sri Lanka this week to travel to the Maldives.
He, his wife Cherie and family are enjoying a holiday in a resort island. Entertaining them to lunch in Male were President Mohamed Waheed Hassan and Vice President Mohamed Waheed Deen. The Blair family was not in London during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
See the police breaking the law
This picture was captured by our correspondent Shane Seneviratne in Kandy yesterday morning. The scene was a few hundred metres from the Kandy Police station where this police vehicle is overtaking at a spot where it should not be doing so.
Heads to roll in high-flying body
Serious financial problems may see the replacement of the boss and his team in a State enterprise known for its high flying life styles.
Insiders say that changes, despite the strong affiliations of those concerned, have become inevitable to avert a collapse of the enterprise.
President calls Karu after accident
UNP Parliamentarian Karu Jayasuriya received a string of telephone calls last week.
It was after he and his wife met with an accident near Hambantota. Among them was President Mahinda Rajapaksa. "Mokada Karu wune? Oyata amaruwak nehe neyda?" (What happened to you Karu? You don't have any difficulty, do you?) Rajapaksa asked.
Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe who was in New Zealand also called Jayasuriya and asked about the incident.
Jayasuriya and his family were on a pilgrimage to Kataragama when the accident took place. They had also planned to visit the Kebeliththey Devale located in block two of the Yala National Park.
Namal wades across river, short cut to new road
Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa had two engagements in the Harispattuwa electorate this week. Both were to declare open two newly built roads at the invitation of Erik Weerawardena, MP.
He opened one near the Pinga Oya. Rajapaksa had got into his vehicle thereafter. He asked Weerawardena how far was the next road. "Sir, if you go by road, it is 15 kilometres. If you cross the river, it is only a 100 metres from here," he replied.
Rajapaksa alighted from his vehicle and asked "is the water very deep." When told it was not, he waded across the river to open the road and later returned to his vehicle.
Tiger propagandist leaves with 'Gota's War'
At the recent Oslo exhibition highlighting LTTE atrocities and the efforts of the Sri Lankan government for reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation, there had been a number of known LTTE sympathisers in attendance.
One of the more vociferous of such activists was seen mingling in the large crowd expressing a scathing assessment of the Government's alleged role against the Tamil population.
A senior diplomat of the Sri Lanka Embassy confronted a suspected LTTE propagandist and tersely urged him to get a firsthand account of the Sri Lanka situation by reading the book "Gota's War" that was being sold at the exhibition. Minutes later the person was seen leaving the event, after having eaten the traditional Sri Lanka titbits that were on offer, with a copy of "Gota's War" under his armpit!
Mathew Lee thrown out of UNCA
Inner City Press correspondent Mathew Lee who was removed from the UN Correspondent Association has blasted UNCA President Giampaolo Pioli and accused him of being biased because of his connection with Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative Palitha Kohona. In a report in his blog, Less says:
"Amid gleeful coverage in Sri Lankan State media and apparent happiness at the highest levels of the UN, the UN Correspondents Association Executive Committee on Friday voted to reject a proposed two-sided clarification drafted by Inner City Press, and voted, including with the votes of members not even present to hear the proposal, to suspend Inner City Press.
"Now they say begins a ten-day "Board of Examination" process to "investigate" Inner City Press, based on a file held by UNCA President Giampaolo Pioli but never shown to Inner City Press. Pioli has proposed as chairman of the Board of Examination a staff member work for a state media member of the Executive Committee who's already voted against Inner City Press without being present.
"The issue centers around Pioli having by his own belated admission accepted rent money from Palitha Kohona, the Permanent Representative to the UN of Sri Lanka.
"The Sri Lankan Mission to the UN, run by Pioli's former tenant Kohona and his deputy Shavendra Silva, continues to act as though it has a special relationship with Pioli, sending complaint letters about Inner City Press to Pioli's UNCA unlike any other member state at the UN.
“Therefore, it would seem clear that Pioli had a duty to recuse himself from decisions about Sri Lanka's media access.
"But Pioli did not recuse himself, and without notifying other Executive Committee members like Inner City Press, granted Kohona's request to screen a Government denial of war crimes called "Lies Agreed To."
"It purports to be a rebuttal of UK Channel 4 documentary called "Killing Fields of Sri Lanka," which itself was NOT shown in the UN due to a celebration for Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
"Once Inner City Press reported on this, Piolo as president of UNCA demand that it be taken off the Internet. He shouted at Inner City Press, I'll have you thrown out of the UN. And now he is trying to do it."
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