| Condolences
and congrats
Party leaders decided to take up condolences in Parliament on Wednesday
in view of the wedding taking place that day of UNP Colombo district
MP Jayantha Ketagoda. As many of the Government MPs were attending
the ceremony, the ruling party was not taking any chances debating
a new bill fearing the Opposition would call for a quick vote and
defeat it in the absence of many MPs. So it was deepest sympathies
in one House while it was congratulations in another house.
Going
to town
Sri Lanka was elected to the executive board of UNESCO earlier this
month. However, over enthusiastic supporters of Education and Cultural
Affairs Minister Karunasena Kodituwakku (who represented the country
at the meeting) have gone to town putting up banners and posters
all over the city congratulating him for his great achievement.
What his supporters need to be told is that the election to this
Board was in recognition of the country's achievements and not because
of any individual who happened to represent the country there.
Silencing
the critics
JVP Wimal Weerawansa queried in Parliament last week why the Government
was planning to celebrate 500th anniversary of the colonization
of Sri Lanka by the Portuguese by inviting a representative of that
country here. Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando said what was going
to be celebrated was 500 years of relations between the two countries
and not the colonization of Sri Lanka and went onto remind the members
of the House the unforgettable legacies of the Portuguese like the
"baila" that remain till today.
"Most of
us even have Portuguese names such as Fernando and Silva and my
ancestor, Puran Appu whom many of our colleagues in the JVP happen
to admire was also a Fernando, the Minister revealed.
At least for now the critics have been silenced. |
