Parents of Sri Lankan housemaid who is in death row are to visit her today

Chairman of the Bureau of Foreign Employment Kingsley Ranawaka and Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Tissanga Wijeratne have left for Saudi Arabia now with the parents of Sri Lankan housemaid Rizana Nafeek who is in death row in Saudi Arabia.

The parents are to visit Nafeek in prison today.

Meanwhile Western Province Governor Alevi Mawlana, a Muslim leader of Sri Lanka, is also to leave for Saudi Arabia on November 16th.

The Sri Lankan housemaid who was given death sentence for killing a baby she was looking after there by a Saudi court.

She was an underage by the time the crime she is accused of had committed. However, all attempts so far have failed to seek a pardon for her.

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Sri Lanka government wants websites to be registered

Issuing a media release, the Ministry of Media and Information has asked the administrators of the websites to register the ministry.

The administrators can contact Ms. K.W.T.N. Amarathunga, the Additional Secretary (Development and Planning) of the Ministry via the telephone +94112513943 or the email secretary@media.gov.lk to obtain application forms and information, the Ministry says.

Information regarding registration is also available in www.media.gov.lk website, the Ministry says.

The Ministry has however not outlined what action will follow in case of websites not registering in the Ministry.

Ministry has warned the websites that disseminate news that target to tarnish images of certain persons and the government.

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Sevanagala Sugar Factory of Sri Lanka under forcible peoplization

A group of persons allegedly the supporters of  Sri Lanka government MP Jagath Pushpakumara have reportedly taken over the Sevanagala Sugar Factory.

Daya Group of Companies that own this factory say that the managers of the factory have been removed from the premises and some employees have been assaulted.

Sevanagala Sugar Factory is an asset slated to be taken over under Revival of Underperforming Enterprises and Underutilised Assets Act which the government plans to table in the parliament next week.

The company says that the group that has taken over the factory have blocked access roads to the factory disrupting the functioning of the factory.

Daya Gamage, a legislator of the opposition United National Party (UNP) is the owner of Sevanagala Sugar Factory. It was purchased by him in 2002 for Rs. 550 million. The company says that it is profiting now.

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Now armed forces of Sri Lanka to maintain cricket grounds

Local media of Sri lanka reported that three key sports grounds of the country that were under the Ministry of sports had been taken over by the Ministry of Defense.

The grounds that have been taken over are Sooriyawewa Mahinda Rajapaksa Esplanade, R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo and Pallekale Stadium in Kandy.

Media reported that the Ministry of Sports stated the sports grounds were handed over to the Ministry of Defense to minimize the massive expenditure that had to be incurred for the maintenance of the esplanades.

Money earning Sri Lanka Cricket is now near bankrupt. Ministry of Defense is Sri Lanka's biggest spender of public money. Yet it has workforce to do things. Soldiers have no work now thanks to peace. Therefore they will sweep and pick the leaves fell on these grounds. In addition, they will have perhaps a chance to play a game of soft ball cricket as well in a corner of one of these grounds that remain unused most of the time in the year.

Plans are underway to deploy the personnel of the three armed forces to maintain the grounds, sources say.

From this month the Air Force will be managing the RPS and the Navy has taken over the Pallekele Stadium while the Army will be maintaining the Hambantota Stadium.

It is good maintaining sports grounds. Most of the sports grounds of the common man are completely never maintained by the local government authorities that own them. Sometimes they become even burial grounds for local politicians and priests. In some other occasions, they are th venue for musical shows. Not bad yet, they can be accessed by public.

Some school playgrounds are now out of bound to the villagers. The principals have locked the gates. Notices are displayed stating children playing in village ground is trespassing.

What a sporty country this is!

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Crony capitalist Rajapaksa regime, the biggest under performer aims to take over under performing businesses

Sri Lanka government has planned to go ahead with the Revival of Underperforming Enterprises and Underutilised Assets Act despite opposition from the United National Party (UNP), Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and a wide section of private sector businessmen.

Accordingly, the bill is to be tabled in Parliament on 9 November by the Government, but the Opposition had given an early warning that it would be opposed.

Takeover Bill on underperforming State enterprises and underutilised assets came under fire by the Opposition at the Party Leaders meeting held in Parliament.

UNP and TNA questioned why it was being introduced as an urgent bill and stating that the Government should have had practiced basic democracy and common courtesy by having discussed it at the Parliament Consultative Committees.

The objective of Revival of Underperforming Enterprises and Underutilised Assets Act is to takeover enterprises with state exposure and a host of assets such as land and building. Defunct BOI approved private ventures also include into the category. Compensation is to be paid. They can be revived with government mediation either via restructuring or entering into new management contracts.

Though the Bill comes with a schedule of specified entities, the UNP warned that the Government could add more enterprises or assets by bringing in amendments to Act in the future.

UNP MP and spokesman on economic affairs Dr. Harsha de Silva said that the government was the biggest underperformer

Another crucial fact pointed out by the UNP was that the bill would scare the foreign investors who want guarantee of safety for their investment.

UNP further says the act violates economic freedom, definitely not of the poor man but of the capitalist class.

Sri Lanka government under President Mahinda Rajapaksa attempts to act as a top level company manipulating its state powers. It is similar to the economic policy of the former socialist block of Eastern Europe in many aspects.

The move is clearly against the neo-liberal capitalist principles promoted by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization etc in the past period. They wanted the privater sector become the engine of the economy. What they meant by economic freedom was private sector been granted equality with the public enterprises. They prefer 'more equality' too.

Mahinda Rajapaksa government dreams to be a big privileged corporation with state powers. They are given tax money of people as investment and also tax exemptions etc. to compete with the private sector. Performances are irrespective. Losses are born by state and passed on to people. A new class of cronies of the government hold the management positions of these companies and at the same time or separately engage in contracts with these companies.

Some still call these moves peoplising attempts but this is sheer crony capitalism.

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Sri Lanka Minister of Transport says state bus service incurs additional losses due to price hike of diesel

Sri Lanka Minister of Transport Kumar Welgama speculated a bus fare hike in state owned Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB).

He said that the loss making SLTB incurs an additional loss of Rs.2.2 million per day.

Speaking at a media conference held at the Ministry of Transport Minister Welgama said the increase of price of diesel by Rs. 8 per liter is adversely felt and trying to conceal the hardship is futile.

However, according to the the price formula that has been agreed by the bus companies and owners, to raise bus fares the price of diesel should go up by 4%. Government raised diesel price by 3.2% only.

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. Lanka Indian Oil Corporation introduces Euro III grade petrol to Sri Lanka

Euro III grade petrol, which is used globally to run premium vehicles will be introduced by Lanka Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (LIOC) to Sri Lanka market from mid November, the company announced.

EURO III will replace the company’s premium petrol brand “90 Octane”. It will be sold in in 120 LIOC outlets island wide.

However Octane 90 petrol will continue to be sold in LIOC fuel outlets, the company says.
Lanka IOC also sells Octane 95 Petrol.

LIOC has 159 outlets in Sri Lanka. It is the second player in fuel market that is competing with the Sri Lanka Petroleum Corporation.

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Capitalism without rule of law is Krandeniya; violence in a town of Sri Lanka

Karandeniya is an insignificant tiny town in Southern Province of Sri Lanka. However, Karandeniya hit headlines yesterday due to violence in a post-murder scenario.

A doctor businessman who owned a channeling center was  brutally assassinated on September 29 and the mystery came to light almost a month after.

Read the incident here: Bloody competition for doctor channeling come to light in doctor murder in Sri Lanka

Here is the immediate aftermath of the arrest:

Police imposed curfew in Karandeniya police area in Galle district due to a tense situation there. The curfew is to prevail until further notice, police say.

Angry mobs set fire to a medical laboratory run by a suspect arrested for a murder. Several other buildings in the vicinity were also damaged. The suspect's house was also set fire reports from Karandenuya say.

The suspect allegedly killed a doctor in Karandeniya on September 29 with connivance of an Army captain and two soldiers. The last two persons who were brothers were the gunmen in the assassination plot.

The house of the Army captain and a business place of his father's was also set fire.

Another shop burnt belonged to a nurse that worked in the medical center of the suspect.

Police Special Task Force was also summoned to control the situation, but after the carnage was complete.

The killing of the doctor was due to rivalry created by competition in doctor channeling in this small town.The slain doctor is reported as a gentleman with a good heart. Not only that, he had been a very successful businessman. He was trying to monopolize in medical center business there through a fair competition. There is nothing wrong until he pays income tax according to books.

In advanced capitalist economies there is rule of law and the losers are prevented of taking personal revenge from the rivals like this.

What Sri Lanka lacks foremost today is rule of law.

A bigwig in the town, Minister of Resettlement Gunarathna Weerakoon was in the town celebrating the police success of arresting the culprits of the brutal murder of the doctor. The violence followed his visit, speech and lightening of firecrackers by his supporters.

There are reasonable suspicions that Minister ignited violence against the families of the suspects.

There may be more channel center owners who threw petrol to fire to see the opening of a new market for them through blood and fire.

capitalism is brutal since the primary force that drives it is craving for profit. Such capitalism without rule of law is Krandeniya.

Read in Sinhala 

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Bloody competition for doctor channeling come to light in doctor murder in Sri Lanka

Criminal Investigation Department of Sri Lanka arrested an owner of a medical center for killing a doctor in a bloody competition in specialist channeling business.

The suspect confessed that he gave a contract to a friend of his, a captain of Sri Lanka Army to kill Doctor Priyanka Prasad Ranasinghe of Karandeniya in Galle district.

Ranasinghe who was the owner of a private medical center was assassinated by two gunmen before his business place named as Digasee, meaning long life..

This medical center was blooming in business and the suspect doctor was losing his business to it.

The gunmen were two soldiers that were under the suspected captain. They are siblings and they were to be paid for the killing.

The killing took place on September 29. Two suspects have been arrested. Two assassins are absconding and police is looking for them for taking them to custody.

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Sri Lanka Marxist JVP announces student leader removed from post

The student wing of the People's Liberation Front (JVP) Socialist Students' Union (SSU) yesterday announced that the former national organizer of the Chamera Koswatta had been removed from the post.

JVP central committee member Nalinda Jayathissa who was appointed the new national organizer said to media that Koswatta was assigned to another duty by party and he was not to reveal it. He further said that Chameera Koswatta is no more in the SSU.

Meanwhile, Koswatta, a leading member of the JVP rebel faction laughed off his alleged removal. He said he was elected to the post by a general assembly of the SSU in 2008 for five years and he cannot be removed even by the national committee of the SSU.

He further said that the majority of the SSU cadres were with him.

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Convicted Kandy Mayor released under special Presidential pardon

Former Mayor of Kandy city of Sri Lanka Kesara Senanayaka who was convicted for robbing public money was acquitted yesterday under a special presidential pardon.

Senanayaka was convicted for defrauding funds allocated for a training in Thaiwan and touring in Singapore with his wife with that money.

He was found guilty by Colombo Chief Magistrate for two counts. He was fined and given suspended jail terms as well.

The punishments were endorsed by the Court of Appeal as well following an appeal from the convict.

The convict was pardoned and released yesterday by Colombo Chief Magistrate Rashmi Singappuli on an official request from the President Mahinda Rajapaksa under section 34 (1)(A) of the constitution.

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Sri Lanka's former Chief Justice says parliament has no powers to investigate a retired judge

Sri Lanka's former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva said to media today that the parliament had no powers to investigate a retired judge.

He made these comments speaking on the the request by 75 MPs submitted to the speaker to appoint a parliamentary select committee to probe his tenure.

Highlighting President Mahinda Rajapaksa himself had given him a letter highly praising his services, the former Chief Justice said that MPs’ request was conflicting with the president’s letter,

Reportedly, 70 government MPs have signed the petition to appoint a PSC to look into the happenings in the judiciary system during the period of Sarath N. Silva. The committee is expected to compensate those who were affected by the unfortunate decisions during his tenure.
Former Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva who was a close associate of the former President Chandrika Kumaratunga became an ardent supporter of the opposition following his retirement.

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Sri Lanka major opposition party appoints a diciplinaty committee to probe charges against two members

Sri Lanka's major opposition United National Party (UNP) says that a disciplinary committee has been appointed to probe the charges against UNP Mathara district MP Buddhika Pathirana and Western Provincial Councillor Shiral Lakthilaka.

The diciplianry committee was appointed at the UNP working committee meeting held yesterday.

The disciplinary committee is headed by Thilak Marapana, a former UNP MP and a former Attorney General.

The disciplinary committee is to meet next week, party sources say.

The decisions to be taken in the disciplinary committee is to be reported to the party leader and the Working Committee.

Pathirana and Lakthilaka are accused of violating the articles 7 and 9 of the UNP constitution.

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Sri Lanka to increase price of fuel

Sri Lanka government sources say that focus is on increasing the price of fuel.

Sri Lanka Petroleum Corporation says that the loss from petrol is Rs. 2, the loss from diesel is Rs. 27 and the loss from kerosene is Rs. 39.

The loss to the Corporation is reportedly increasing and the government is under pressure for increasing the price, sources say.

Sources further say that the supply of fuel at highly subsidized rates to Sri Lanka Electricity Board is another reason for the losses of the Sri Lanka Petroleum Corporation.

A liter of petrol is Rs. 125, a liter of diesel is Rs. 76 and a liter of diesel is Rs. 61 at Sri Lanka Petroleum Corporation outlets.

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Sri Lanka's Norochcholai coal power plant out of operation

Trade union sources of Sri Lanka Electricity Board say that the newly built Lak Wijaya coal plant at Norachcholai remains out of operation owing to technical problems.

However, these technical problems also remain unspecified, according to trade unions.
A move by the CEB Board of Directors to hand over the management of the Lak Wijaya Power Plant at Norachcholai to a Chinese Company for six months, at a staggering fee of USD three million, was turned down last month by the Power and Energy Ministry.

The CEB which is incurring heavy losses due to purchasing of electricity at higher rates from private sector to cope with the demand has already asked for a tariff hike.

The coal power plant now defunct was built by China Machinery Engineering Corporation. It is operated by Sri Lanka Electricity Board since July. The plant was officially handed over to the Sri Lanka Electricity Board since September.

280 employees of Sri Lanka Electricity Board have been trained to manage the coal power plant. Of them, around 100 including 80 engineers were trained in China.

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