Greener
photo op
UNP MPs Mahinda Samarasinghe and Keheliya Rambukwella took oaths
as Ministers in the UPFA government last Tuesday. When Mr.Samarasinghe
was coming out of the Presidential Secretariat, he bumped into JVP
Parliamentarian Lal Kantha. The newly sworn in Minister quickly
called a photographer who was close by and wanted him to photograph
them together. Some will definitely turn green with envy when they
see this photograph.
SLMC rebels jump the gun
When the Norwegian Special envoy Erik Solheim was in Colombo, he
was to meet with SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem. However before this meeting
was to take place, a senior Government Minister had arranged a meeting
with the SLMC rebel MPs. With all of them not well versed in the
English language, a former SLMC senior member was called in to act
as interpreter to keep the conversation going between the two sides.
SLMC sources say this was a ploy by the Government to sideline them.
Media bashing or self bashing?
Constitutional Affairs Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera took the liberty
to blame the media yesterday for the war in the country, accusing
them of war mongering and for disrupting efforts to end it. He seems
to be having a very short memory because when he served as Rupavahini
Corporation Chairman not very long ago, there was little he did
in the way to either promote ethnic harmony or a peaceful settlement
to the problem. Ironically, it is the same institution that gave
wide publicity to his “media bashing” speech.
Archaic law no more
The Cabinet has given its approval to repeal the Indian Immigrant
Labour Ordinance which dates back to 1923 as this law has become
obsolete with workers of Indian origin being granted Sri Lanka citizenship.
The proposal was presented to the Cabinet by Labour Minister Athauda
Seneviratne.
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