Irate Mano Calls UNP Leader

Vol. 29 No. 135 Friday 23rd April, 2010, 36 pages Rs. 20 Registered in Sri Lanka as a Newspaper - City Edition Israel to US: No Space: Vajira’s New Parliament sworn in: building halt in America trousers east Jerusalem Concedes Chamal elected the Lead 5 10 11 Speaker unanimously DNA Leader Gen. (retd) Sarath Fonseka, flanked Irate Mano calls UNP by DNA members, arrived in the Chamber. The first thing he did inside the House was to wave at the leader ‘treacherous British and US envoys in opportunist’ the VIP gallery French to ban UNP leader Wickremesinghe did Muslim not accommodate any of the In his father’s footsteps women from defeated candidates in Parliament wearing veil via the UNP NL World View BY SHAMINDRA FERDINANDO Ranil recognised efeated UNF candidate Mano Ganeshan yesterday accused UNP as Opposition Dleader Ranil Wickremesinghe of Rukman having deprived him of a National List Leader seat in violation of a pre-poll understand- vows to ing between them. BY SAMAN INDRAJITH oust Ranil In a brief interview with The Island,an The Seventh Parliament was irate Ganeshan called Wickremesinghe a sworn in yesterday. As the day’s busi- BY SHAMINDRA treacherous opportunist, ness commenced, after the Secretary FERDINANDO who had turned his back on General announced that it was time A dejected former the Democratic People’s for the election of a new Speaker of Kegalle district MP Front, which was at the fore- the House, Prime Minister D. M. Rukman front of an anti-government Jayaratne proposed the name of sen- Senanayake campaign. ior UPFA MP and former Minister says he first The former Colombo Chamal Rajapaksa. It was seconded got to know District MP said that the by front row UNP MP Karu about his UNP had wanted him to con- Jayasuriya. omission test from the Kandy District Yesterday’s session commenced from the NL Ganeshan to boost the morale of Tamil around 8.45 a.m., some 45 minutes Rukman through an voters there. earlier than usual. Not all the MPs SMS. He The UNP secured nine National List seats. were present for the first day of the says he was flabbergast- Party sources told The Island that none of the seventh Parliament. Some were seen ed. losers had been accommodated through the arriving late. Even the Opposition UNP Assistant National List, though many felt that Vajira Leader arrived only seconds before Leader Rukman Abeywardena and Sagala Ratnayake should the swearing in. Senanayake yesterday be considered for National List slots because New Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa being accompanied to the rostrum by Prime Minister DNA Leader Gen. (retd) Sarath vowed to push for an they had failed at the April 8 election. D. M. Jayaratne and UNP Deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya at Parliament yesterday. Fonseka, flanked by DNA members, immediate change in (Photo-Kamal Bogoda) arrived in the Chamber. The first Continued on page 2 the party leadership in thing he did inside the House was to an effort to revive the wave at the British and US envoys in demoralised party the VIP gallery. Despite what was machinery in the wake The dumping of Musamil reported in the media following his of its latest electoral arrest, he seemed to be in good and Susil rejects Wimal’s sound health and was seen cheerful- Continued on page 2 Angry Wimal accuses ly chatting with Opposition mem- bers. Many Opposition MPs shook hands with him. Budget in June UPFA leaders of deceit allegations The other jubilant member was BY SHAMINDRA FERDINANDO the new Prime Minister Jayaratne, The budget for 2010 BY DON ASOKA WIJEWARDENA Musamil out of parliament. who was seen surrounded by well will be presented in UPFA General Secretary Susil Weerawansa called a press confer- wishers. He said the consensual Parliament in June, Premjayantha says there is absolute- ence at his head office, where he approach the government and the according to sources. ‘The UPFA government, especially its ly no basis for allegations launched a scathing attack Instead of a budget General Secretary Premajayantha to treat that he acted arbitrarily in on Premjayantha for working Continued on page 2 a vote on account was all the constituent parties equally ...’ finalising the UPFA National contrary to an understand- presented last List. He insists that con- ing November to enable the stituent partners of the rul- Premjayantha told The new government to National Freedom List, but on April 20 ing SLFP-led coalition were Island that each party had First, get Saataka right present the Budget for Front Leader Wimal after a secret meet- told very clearly that each been given one National List 2010. Weerawansa yesterday ing with with Basil party could be given only one seat in keeping with a deci- voiced his displeasure Rajapaks, Ministers National List seat. sion taken by the coalition. over the denial of a Dallas An irate Premjayantha He said that all constituent NUW to back National List slot to his Alahaperuma and was responding to National Susil parties of the coalition had strongman M. Maithripala Sirisen, Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal been aware of the decision and it Mussamil. UPFA General Weerawansa’s claim that he along would not be reasonable to criticise govt. The UPFA had Secretary Susil with several other SLFP heavy- the allocation of 17 National List Wimal BY SAMAN INDRAJITH agreed to appoint two Premajayantha weights had conspired to keep his seats obtained by the party. Leader of the NFF MPs from the National Continued on page 2 National List nominee, Mohammed Continued on page 2 National Union of Workers MP P. Digambaram yesterday expressed his displeas- ure over the UNP depriv- DNA will support good initiatives of Govt. - Fonseka ing the NUW of a due BY SAMAN INDRAJITH Speaker to ensure that the MPs’ National List MP post privileges were safeguarded. It is and pledged the NUW’s Leader of the DNA and the responsibility of the support for the Colombo District MP Gen. Parliament to create a situation Government. General Sarath Fonseka yesterday for its citizens to live peacefully, President Mahinda Rajapaksa helps Making use of the told Parliament that his party and guarantee that the law applies his eldest son Namal Rajapaksa MP wear his saataka before leaving for time allotted for party would support the good initiatives to everyone equally, he said. the inaugural session of Parliament. leaders to congratulate of the government. Gen. Fonseka said he himself the newly elected Making use of the time allocat- was a victim of arbitrary arrest Speaker Chamal ed for party leaders to congratu- and detention. The democratisa- Rajapaksa on the first late the newly elected Speaker of tion of the country,he said, should day of the seventh the House, Chamal Rajapaksa, begin from Parliament and called Parliament yesterday, Gen. Fonseka said that as a person for the Speaker’s intervention for Digambaram said that arrested on false charges, it was that purpose. considering the role his grief that he made his inaugural Leader of the Democratic National Alliance, General (Retd) Sarath He pledged his party’s support party had played at address. Fonseka, who attended Parliament yesterday, is seen with his party to the Speaker to carry out his Continued on page 2 Gen. Fonseka requested the MPs at the Parliamentary Complex yesterday. (Pic. Kamal Bogoda) duties.