Tagged: Sri Lanka

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Conservatives woo Tamil diaspora vote Election manifesto highlights David Cameron’s Jaffna visit

British Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Jaffna during his presence in the Island for the 2013 CHOGM has been highlighted in the Conservative Party’s election manifesto with the party’s commitment towards finding a political settlement to the Lankan Tamil issue.

Addressing in a manner attracting the Tamil diaspora in Britain the Conservative Party’s election manifesto was released on 14 April along with other priorities of the Conservatives. According to the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Theresa Villiers, the Conservative Party manifesto has expressed its commitment to the UN investigation into Sri Lankan atrocities and pledged to work towards a political settlement for Tamils in Sri Lanka.

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19th amendment only half way measure to abolish executive presidency in Sri Lanka

A key amendment adopted by Sri Lankan parliament last week is only a halfway measure towards abolishing executive presidency as only 60 to 65 per cent of powers of the top post have been reduced, according to an architect of the legislation. 

“The government itself has gone public saying that it could not go the full distance,” Jayampathi Wickramaratna, a constitutional lawyer who was involved in drafting the 19A, said. 

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Post 19A Political Scenario: Parliamentary elections and after

There was a struggle against the model of 19A first presented by Ranil Wickremesinghe, but there was no struggle against 19A as such—by which I mean the idea that the executive presidency required downward readjustment. The UNP-CBK-TNA-JVP Quartet had envisaged decapitation of the Executive presidency while the masses, the SLFP-UPFA and JHU envisaged trimming; downward revision.Thus, there was no struggle against 19A; there was a struggle over 19A; its scale and scope.

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President vows to extend hand of friendship to all

President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday that unity of all communities was the only way for a better future. He also stressed the need to strengthen the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).

 

Addressing the SLFP May Day rally at Hyde Park, the President said he used his powers only for the good of the people and promised to do anything for the future of the country.

 

He said that he would ensure the fundamental rights and human rights in the country at a level that no foreign agency could lay any blame.

 

“I will show a better human rights situation within a year and will not allow the international community to accuse Sri Lanka of violating human rights,” President Sirisena said.