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Sri Lanka is among the 13 countries that suggests names when it comes to naming tropical cyclones. This week’s cyclonic storm ‘Burevi’ was suggested by the Maldives.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recently published a list of 169 names of tropical cyclones that would emerge in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea in April. Cyclones that form in basins across the world are named by the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC). In the South Asian region it is the IMD.

The World Meteorological Organisation which comprises India, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand started giving names for cyclones in 2000. Later five more countries Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Yemen were also included.

Each of the 13 countries suggested 13 names constituting 169 names which are being named in a specific order. The 13 names suggested by Sri Lanka are as follows: Asani (sixth in line), Shakthi, Gigum, Gagana, Verambha, Garjana, Neeba, Ninnada, Viduli, Ogha, Salitha, Rivi and Rudu.

Official postings for kith and kin now include Amma’s too

It is not a secret if not a ‘custom’ for ministers and politicians to appoint their relatives in their personal cadres when they are holding offices. Most of the parliamentarians appoint their cousins and in-laws as their ‘Private Secretary’ or ‘Coordinating Secretary’ to serve the people while being by taxpayers’ money.

Recently, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abesywardena came under severe criticism for appointing his close relatives to his office cadre positions.

The latest to add into the list is the State Minister State for Regional Co-operation Tharaka Balasuriya who appointed his mother as private secretary soon after he was appointed in August. His Ministry handles regional affairs.

His mother Mrs. Kumari Balasuriya, former Governor of Southern Province is among the six cadres of the State Minister’s Bureau.

No immunity from virus, diplomats told

With the COVID-19 pandemic taking a heavy toll on New Yorkers, the infections are also spreading in the diplomatic community in the city. At last count, several diplomats in the UN missions belonging to Niger, the Philippines, Guinea, Australia, Singapore and Malta have been infected with the spreading virus. There has been only one death so far.

The diplomats in the Sri Lanka Mission are relatively safe — having taken the basic precautions. The UN remains locked down since March and most of the meetings are held remotely and very few in-person briefings while an overwhelming majority of UN staffers, numbering over 3,000, continue to work from home.

Meanwhile, the UN missions in New York, have been warned– perhaps jokingly — that their privileged diplomatic immunity does not include immunity from the virus.

Lankan-American Rohini Kosoglu

Lankan-born New Zealand MP recalls kindred spirits

Two Sri Lankan origin individuals made international headlines this week. One of them is Sri Lankan-American Rohini Kosoglu, a longtime adviser to United States (US) Vice President-elect Kamala Harris being named as domestic policy adviser to the first female- South Asian origin Vice President of US on Thursday.

“Serving as my domestic policy adviser will be Rohini Kosoglu, who is not only an expert on some of the most important issues facing the American people, but also one of my closest and most trusted aides from the Senate and presidential campaign,” Ms Harris said in a statement.

Kosoglu has been working as a senior adviser to Ms. Harris during the transition and in the Biden-Harris campaign. She previously served as Ms. Harris’s chief of staff in her Senate office.

Ms Kosoglu played a crucial role in VP-elect’s national political career, serving as a senior adviser to Ms Harris since 2017. Her parents hailed from Jaffna.

The other personality is Vanushi Walters who became the first Lankan-born MP in New Zealand Parliament. She is among 40 new MPs who are a diverse bunch, including the first African and Latin American MPs.

Delivering her maiden speech on Wednesday, Ms Walters, who is a reputed Human Rights lawyer did not fail to mention the past human rights violations in her home country in the past, especially one in particular.

Ms Walters recalled how her mother told the story of his father’s second cousin journalist Richard de Zoysa was abducted and later found dead for his courageous criticism of the government in 1990.

She stressed that this particular incident inspired her to dedicate 20 years of her career in human rights advocacy. She ended her speech by saying the Tamil and Sinhala versions of “Human Rights for all’.

Vanushi Walters: Human rights her forte

COPE meeting told Ravi influenced National Lottery Board tender process

Ravi Karunanayake, the then Foreign Affairs Minister in the Maithripala Sirisena administration, wielded influence over the Cabinet to cobble the tender process for instant (scratch off) lotteries in 2017, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) chaired by Parliamentarian Charitha Herath, was told.

The National Lotteries Board was then under the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The then Cabinet cancelled the tender which was to be awarded to Aqua Flex Lanka Pvt Ltd. The COPE observed that the Cabinet decision was also influenced by competitor Print Care Secure (pvt) Ltd and went against the opinion of the then Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera. The cancellation caused a huge financial loss to the National Lotteries Board (NLB). Furthermore, the NLB has still not called for fresh tenders to print instant lotteries.

The COPE also observed that the NLB failed to submit its annual reports for 2017, 2018 and 2019. The Committee directed it to look into the matter and report to Parliament at its earliest the reasons for the delay.

The NLB had a large number of cadre requirements that had not been filled for many years. They instructed officials to systematically fill these vacancies.

It was also observed that the NLB had removed from the tender process the minimum condition for three years experience in printing lottery tickets. This was replaced in 2016 with the words “some experience is required”. In 2018 and 2020, the NLB added back the condition that a company bidding for printing rights should not provide the same service to competitors, first removed in 2016, the COPE heard.

The COPE instructed the NLB to carry out its tender process more systematically and under proper regulation, particularly as it had spent Rs 609mn in 2016, Rs 453mn in 2017, Rs 506mn in 2018 and Rs 530mn in 2019.

The COPE discussed that the NLB had not received a US$ 26,000 due from the Colombo Airport Supper Draw lottery. The Dollar Fortune Draw also lacked transparency.

The Committee directed the NLB to follow proper guidelines.

Official postings for kith and kin now include Amma’s tooIt is not a secret if not a ‘custom’ for ministers and politicians to appoint their relatives in their personal cadres when they are holding offices. Most of the parliamentarians appoint their cousins and in-laws as their ‘Private Secretary’ or ‘Coordinating Secretary’ to serve the people while being by taxpayers’ money.   Recently, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abesywardena came under severe criticism for appointing his close relatives to his office cadre positions.   The latest to add into the list is the State Minister State for Regional Co-operation Tharaka Balasuriya who appointed his mother as private secretary soon after he was appointed in August. His Ministry handles regional affairs.   His mother Mrs. Kumari Balasuriya, former Governor of Southern Province is among the six cadres of the State Minister’s Bureau.