1. Cabinet at ex-Tiger’s home: the Daily Mirror, July 14
By Indika Sri Aravinda
Cabinet is scheduled to meet tomorrow at the former residence of slain LTTE political head S.P Thamilchelvam which was also used as the LTTE Head Office at one time, Government Minister C.B. Ratnayake told Daily Mirror online.
The cabinet meeting will be begin at 10 am. This is the first time in over 30 years that a government delegation will head for Kilinochchi to hold a Cabinet briefings outside Colombo as more attention could be paid to the development of the province where the meeting is held.
However, the weekly Cabinet press briefing which was scheduled to be held in Kilinochchi in the afternoon has been cancelled, according to Information Director General Prof. Ariyarathne Athugala.
The Presidential Secretariat announced that a series of ceremonies connected with developmental activities in Kilinochchi have also been scheduled for today — and that they will be attended by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. http://www.dailymirror.lk/index.php/news/5059-cabinet-at-ex-tigers-home.html
2. Govt, UNP agree to introduce new system
By Kelum Bandara in The Daily Mirror, July 14
The government and the main opposition UNP yesterday agreed to introduce a new electoral system for local government elections before the end of this year. The system will be a mixture of the First-Past-the-Post System and the Proportional Representation System.
Govt, UNP Bipartisan talks on this were held yesterday at the residence of Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardane.
Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa outlined the proposals of the draft Bill at the meeting. According to the proposed system, the number of members elected to the local government administration will be doubled.
The UNP representatives had reportedly accepted most of the proposals. Political sources said that the government had agreed to appoint Delimitation Committees, including representatives from the Opposition and minority parties, to demarcate wards.
Sources noted that multi-member constituencies would also be created at local government level.
Asked about the Delimitation Committees appointed earlier for the purpose, sources said that it was not an official one.
In all constituencies, 70 percent of the members will be elected on the First-Past-the-Post system and the remaining 30 percent on the Proportional Representation System. The two parties also agreed to continue their dialogue further and think up more electoral reforms.
The UNP delegation comprised MPs Joseph Michael Perera, Lakshman Kiriella, John Amaratunga, Tissa Attanayake and Gamini Jayawickrama Perera. SLMC MP Hasan Ali also participated in the meeting.
On the previous day, President Mahinda Rajapaksa and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had talks and agreed in principle to replace the executive presidency with an executive premiership answerable to Parliament
http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/front-page-news/15619.html
3. Ranil to talk with all parties: By Yohan Perera in The Daily Mirror, July 14
The main opposition UNP yesterday said its leader Ranil Wickremesinghe would soon begin discussions with all parties representing Parliament on changing the Constitution and replacing the Executive Presidency with a Prime Minister responsible to the legislature.UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told a news conference that the objective of these talks would be to build up a common stand on Constitutional Amendments.
However Mr. Attanayake said President Mahinda Rajapaksa would also have talks with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) separately.
He said the current focus on the talks with the government is on the proposed amendment of the local government electoral system. UNP General Secretary said several ideas have propped up regarding this, while a mixed system was more likely. However no final decision had been made on the issue. Mr. Attanayake said the stand of the minority parties which claim their right to represent the people would diminish if the current proportional representation system is replaced with the ward system and with likely moves to introduce a mixed system.
He indicated that a new local government electoral system would be worked out by January next year when the next local government elections were likely to be held.
Other than the electoral system he said the UNP intended to build up a common stand on the implementation of the 17th Amendment under which a constitutional council would be set up. "We will focus on these matters during discussions with the government as well," he said.
Mr. Attanayake said the party was prepared to go ahead with the agitations against the government despite continuing discussions. He said UNP would continue its campaign to abolish the Executive presidency. and would also campaign against the high cost of living. Therefore he highlighted the crisis in the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation saying political appointments have been the reason for it. www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/front-page-news/15617-ranil-to-talk-with-all-parties-.html
4. Place reforms before public: JVP
By Kelum Bandara in The Daily Mirror, July 14
The JVP yesterday urged the government to place the Constitutional reforms before the country for a public debate if it was genuine in its efforts to bring about changes at this juncture.
Addressing a news conference, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said “We are not bothered about the amendment of party constitutions of either the UNP or the SLFP.
This is the country’s Constitution. We want to know whether the executive presidency would be abolished or if the government is planning to continue with the same system under a different jargon,” he said. This is the country’s Constitution. We want to know whether the executive presidency would be abolished or if the government is planning to continue with the same system under a different jargon,” he said.
Mr. Silva said the government had initiated this dialogue with the main opposition UNP only as a measure to overcome public outcry against the proposals for arbitrary constitutional changes.
“The government had vowed earlier to introduce these constitutional reforms shortly after the budget debate. There was widespread public agitation against the move. Also, the government realized practical difficulties in the process. Therefore, the government is now negotiating with the UNP so that it can divert the public attention. We regret that the UNP leadership has been deceived in this case,” the General Secretary said.
In the past, Mr. Silva said, the government had held talks with the opposition parties on several occasions, but no bi-partisan approach was made to address the problems confronting the country.
“Each time, the government used the opposition for political expediency and discarded it later. The UNP also had talks with the government. Eventually, it ended up with a mass exodus of UNP MPs into the government,” he said.
He said, “The government is working for its political survival in a daily piecemeal manner. Whenever there is a public outcry, the government resorts to such tactics. Knowingly or unknowingly, the UNP has played into the hands of the government.”http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/front-page-news/15617-ranil-to-talk-with-all-parties-.html
5. Anura’s testamentary case begins today: The Daily Mirror, July 14
By Susitha R. Fernando
Inquiry into the testamentary proceedings filed by the late Anura Bandaranaike’s elder sister Sunethra Bandaranaike to claim Mr. Bandaranaike’s property on the basis of intestacy will begin in the Colombo District Court today.
In this case Ms. Bandaranaike had informed court that her brother Anura died on March 16, 2008 at Visumpaya, Staples Street, Colombo-2 and according to media reports he had left a last will. However in view of the last will no proceedings had been commened and she said she waited for a reasonable time for any person who claimed to be an executor to commence testamentary proceedings.
In the absence of a last will, Ms. Bandaranaike has decided to commence proceedings on the basis of intestacy. She said she and her sister Chandrika Bandaranaike being the intestate heirs to Mr. Bandaranaike’s property were entitled to receive half share each in the estate of the deceased.
However later four intervening respondents filed objections to Ms. Bandaranaike’s application claiming right over late Anura Banaranaike property through a last will. In their objection four friends and close aides of late Anura Bandaranaike had said through a last will, property valued at more than Rs. 1.1 billion were awarded to them and to the Anura Bandaranaike Foundation.
The four intervening respondents are S. D. Reni Dirwin Saparamadu of Beverly Hills, California, a political supporter and close friend of Mr. Bandaranaike for nearly 22 years, W. K. Don Senarath Chandrasinghe of Kirillawela a close aide, S. A. Wasantha Samarasekara of Nawagamuwa Pelawatta, Nittambuwa, the driver and the security officer of late Bandaranaike and K. G. Ravindra Lal Perera, a member of the personal staff.
The respondents also said Mr. Bandaranaike had given a part of his property as gifts to them and his Last Will had been duly attested by Kandiah Neelakanthan Notary Public. They also sought a Court direction requesting Kandiah Neelakanthan Notary Public to produce the said Last Will of Anura Bandaranaike in court and requested to quash Sunethra Bandaranaike’s application.
They further produced a list of over 100 witnesses including Senior Presidential Advisor and MP, Basil Rajapaksa and a group of politicians including the Speaker Chamal Rajapaksae a former Deputy Inspector General of Police, editors of several newspapers to prove their claim. Among the politicians names as witnesses were Dullas Alahapperuma, Maithreepala Sirisena, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa and Mervin Silva.They also named attorney Scott W. Wellman in USA in the list of the witnesses to whom they alleged that Anura Bandaranaike handed over his last will in 1996.
Counsel Avindra Rodrigo with Sudesh Peter is to appear for Sunethra Bandaranaike. Counsel A. L. M. Hidayathulla, E. M. D. Upali, Hemantha Botheju and Sumedha Mahawanniarachchi with A. Nepatarachchi are to appear for the intervening respondents. http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/front-page-news/15621.html
