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Rajapaksas extend hands of birthday friendship to Samaraweera
View(s):It was his 57th birthday last Sunday. After a late night he was still asleep that morning when the first call arrived. Staffers at ‘Temple Trees’ asked for Mangala Samaraweera and said President Mahinda Rajapaksa wanted to speak with him. A member of the household who answered the mobile phone said that Samaraweera was still asleep and the room remained locked.
The staffers did not give up. Two hours later the call arrived again and this time President Rajapaksa came on line. Hardly could he complete his birthday greetings, the line dropped. That was a regular feature at Samaraweera’s residence overlooking the picturesque Bolgoda Lake at Sarikamulla near Panadura. The mobile phone signals were so low.
In the meanwhile, Malik Samarawickrema, a former chairman of the United National Party (UNP) got through to wish Samaraweera and to tell him that the “President is trying to get through.”
Samaraweera, a former Minister in Rajapaksa’s Cabinet was now in a dilemma. Would the call drop be misconstrued by Rajapaksa as cutting the line off. So he decided he would ring ‘Temple Trees’ and speak to Rajapaksa. He began the conversation by saying “I hope you did not think I rang off.” Replied Rajapaksa; “that is exactly what I thought.” Samaraweera explained that call drops were all too common in his area.
After conveying his birthday wishes, Rajapaksa asked Samaraweera “are you having a party tonight?” Said Samaraweera; “I suppose a few old friends who are left over might come to see me.” Not to be outdone, Rajapaksa asked whether he was not an “old friend?” Then, Rajapaksa went on to say “after politics, it is only friends that are left,” a remark through which he suggested that Samaraweera was still a friend no matter that politics had stood between the two of them at the moment.
On Sunday evening, there was another surprise for Samaraweera. The caller this time was Hambantota District Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa. “Are you in Matara or Colombo,” he asked after wishing Samaraweera happy birthday. Even if he did not get that call from young Rajapaksa when he was 56 years old, a year later, it seems a good omen for Samaraweera. Or is it?
AI coming out with report critical of Govt.
Amnesty International will launch on Tuesday a new report documenting how “the Sri Lankan government has stepped up its crackdown on dissenting views over the past years through threats, harassment, imprisonment and violent attacks.”
The document, “Assault on Dissent”, reveals how the Government “is increasingly equating criticism with treason in a bid to tighten its grip on power.”
Journalists, the judiciary, human rights activists and opposition politicians are among those who have been targeted in a disturbing pattern of Government-sanctioned abuse, often involving the security forces or their proxies, AI said.
The report, according to AI, documents dozens of cases where Government critics have been subjected to verbal and physical harassment, attacks and even killings.
Lanka hosts C’wealth party in New York
While a predominantly Western-inspired move to boycott the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo is threatening to gain traction, particularly in Canada and Australia, an unfazed Sri Lanka Mission to the United Nations hosted a gala event last week promoting the Commonwealth Business Forum which will take place November 12-14 on the sidelines of CHOGM.
The 200 plus guests at the reception included representatives of financial institutions, trading companies, international airlines and New York’s fashion houses. In a hard sell, Palitha Kohona, Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN, extolled the virtues of the country and appealed to US businessmen to invest in Sri Lanka.
In light-hearted vein provoking smiles and laughter, he told the audience that over 30 per cent of intimate apparel worn by women in the US were made in Sri Lanka. And that was no secret, he said (as in Victoria’s Secret).
The highlight of the evening was a sumptuous dinner, including yellow rice, chicken, brinjals and cashew curry. Deputy Permanent Representative Major General Shavendra Silva was overheard paying a compliment to his Army cook, currently domiciled at his residence, for the splendid food served.
The food was so delicious, one expatriate jokingly told the Major General that his cook should be upgraded to the status of a diplomat.
Karu’s media secretary groping in the dark
A ‘person’ (no name mentioned) calling himself or herself as the “Media Secretary to Hon. Karu Jayasuriya” has written to the Sunday Times. This is what the letter says:
Café Spectator,
We write with reference to the report published in the Sunday Times of 21st April under the above caption.
Please be informed that no such incident as reported in your newspaper took place.
Note by Jamis Banda:
The “Media Secretary to Hon. Karu Jayasuriya” does not say which report nor explain what he or she means by the use of the word “we.” Even more, he/she does not say which incident did not take place.
If it is a reference to the story last week titled ‘PREMADASA TO RESUME CAMPAIGN FOR PARTY REFORM, BUT KARU WARY’ I maintain that it was factual and accurate. One time Deputy Leader, Sajith Premadasa did call on another erstwhile deputy, Karu Jayasuriya with a sheaf of betel during the Avurudu. He spoke about reviving the campaign for party reforms. He was reminded by Jayasuriya that he was let down (by Premadasa) twice.
Politics, they say, is the art of the possible. In this case, evidently the embarrassment is so much that Jayasuriya, now fighting tooth and nail to become Deputy Leader, if not the leader, is trying to hide using not a fig but a tamarind leaf.
Lanka’s Pinto heads panel to sort out China-Philippines dispute
Will a long simmering maritime dispute between China and the Philippines over islands in the South China Sea be resolved by an arbitration panel headed by a Sri Lankan? The International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea, based in Hamburg, named a five member arbitration panel last week comprising Chris Pinto (president), Jean-Pierre Cot (France), Stanislaw Pawlak (Poland), Alfred Soons (the Netherlands) and Rudiger Wolfrum (Germany).
China, which had earlier rejected multilateral negotiations and insisted on direct talks, has taken a major diplomatic step forward by giving its blessings to the panel. Still, China’s claims in the South China Sea are also being challenged by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, which are currently not within Pinto’s arbitration panel.
Pinto, better known as Moragodage Christopher Walter Pinto, is a former Sri Lankan diplomat, the first Legal Adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a one time member of the International Law Commission.
But he is best known as the Secretary-General of the Hague-based Iran-US Claims Tribunal which was set up to resolve a wide range of political, economic and financial issues following the takeover of the US embassy by Iranian activists after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
As his first name indicates, Pinto is the father of Milinda Moragoda, who at various times, has been ambassador, Cabinet minister and Presidential advisor wearing different political stripes of assorted colours, including green and blue. But Moragoda sidestepped the Pinto surname.
Another EAM blunder: Minister pays for it at Miami airport
A sporty Cabinet minister was on vacation in sunny Florida when the message arrived that he should rush to Caracas, Venezuela.
He was going to be Sri Lanka’s representative at the ceremonial inauguration of Nicolas Maduro. He was elected only a week earlier following the death of strongman Hugo Chavez.
With suit and tie he rushed to the Miami International Airport to board a flight. He had no visa and was only armed with a letter from Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative’s Office in New York. That said the Minister in question would receive his visa upon arrival.
US officials at the airport, however, told the Minister that he could not board the flight since he did not possess a valid visa. The US has not recognised the new Presidency on the grounds that the results of the election have not been validated. This is because it has been challenged by Maduro’s rival Henrique Capriles.
The Minister argued with the US officials with the little diplomacy he knew. His demeanour was to draw attention from a large number of onlookers at the airport. So, the embarrassed Minister made a hasty retreat to resume his holiday in Miami.
An External Affairs Ministry source said the basics were not known by those trying to help the Minister to travel to Caracas. “They should have got the Presidential inauguration staff in Caracas or their Consulate in Miami to tell the airline about the VIP passenger,” the source said pointing out that nothing works at EAM.
Rome for Bennet Cooray, Kolonnawa for Duminda
Nawalage Bennet Cooray is Rome bound to take over from Asitha Perera as our ambassador to Italy. Perera will finally be leaving the country where he served, nearly a month after his recall. Some were wondering if he might be another Sri Lankan over-staying in that beautiful but crisis ridden country.
The Palace in Colombo was told that the incumbent Ambassador was not moving out despite his recall and the only way to get him back was to appoint his replacement; thus the search was for a career diplomat, but none suitable was to be found.
Then one evening, as the President was watching television with some aides he caught a glimpse of local talent Deepika Priyadarshani performing in Manila having been the recipient of the ‘Gusi Peace Prize’. Who else was visible at the event which had a decent SL flavour? Nawalage Bennet Cooray! The President was impressed.
In the next few days, the news was coming in that Duminda Silva was getting ready to return to Sri Lanka from his hospital bed in Singapore and hence ‘Temple Trees’ loyals were told to make sure the all-important Kolonnawa electorate be cleared of all political patronages to ensure a safer landing for Duminda Silva. Cooray’s name surfaced in the chats as he too had been an organiser for that area (and a defeated candidate at that!).
Although the President expressed some doubts about Cooray’s ability to deal with the tough situ in Italia, an aide whispered that ‘Sir, apey Rani-th than ehaata yanawaney…e hinda kisi prashnayak nehe. Bennet ta beriwenakota api Rani ta kiyala weda karagamu.” (Rani Bulathwela, an SLFP activist resident in London for a long time is to arrive shortly in Rome to take over as the Deputy).
Bennet Cooray is currently ambassador in the Philippines.
President sees foreign policy lessons in Sarathchandra’s book
A book titled “Pin athi sarasavi waramak denne” by Professor Ediriweera Sarathchandra drew President Rajapaksa’s attention.
He read through what Prof. Sarathchandra had written about his tenure as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in France.
Later, the President directed that copies of the book be sent to External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, his Ministry Secretary Karunatilleke Amunugama and to Sri Lankan envoys serving abroad. He felt it should be compulsory reading for them.
Party symbols: From the creative to the ridiculous
A crab, a brinjal, a screw nail and, aptly, a see-saw are among the latest electoral symbols available for use by new political parties and independent groups. With 65 political parties already registered, Elections Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya told the Sunday Times his office has had to be creative.
This might explain why, among the 15 new symbols published in the Government Gazette earlier this month are also a mouse, a pumpkin and a fork. Deshapriya confessed that it wasn’t easy floating new symbols, a task he accomplishes with help from Additional and Assistant Commissioners of Elections. He said there were restrictions on what images could be used. For instance, nothing of religious significance is permitted.
“In addition to the 65 registered political parties, you get 40 to 50 independent groups contesting at elections so we need a lot of symbols,” he said. “That’s why you get all those funny things. Next time we hope to have even a caterpillar.” An earlier list of 150 symbols was published in July 2012. Among these, the emblems already in use by recognised political parties tend to be more conservative. These include the elephant, the betel leaf and the clay lamp.
Schedule B (which comprises of symbols that are still up for grabs) is rather more imaginative. Among the inanimate objects chosen to represent political parties and groups are a coconut scraper, a computer, a balloon, a tent and a bed. Animals are popular — camel, crocodile (no crocodile tears, though), rhinoceros, bull and giraffe are on the list. And given the propensity of political parties to switch sides, the frog might also be considered in the future.
But the most interesting symbol of all is found in the English language Gazette of July 2012. It is a nice, miniature illustration of a bugle – or a horn. Under it is written the word: “Horny”.
Work hard, you will be rewarded: MR
Though he was expected in the morning, President Rajapaksa arrived at the residence of Deputy Minister Rohana Dissanayake only in the evening. This was during a visit to the area last week. As the President was busy talking to Dissanayake, one of his supporters made an unsolicited entry. He told the President that a Cabinet appointment should be given to Dissanayake.
The President was to point out that no Cabinet appointment was required to do a job of work. He was, however, quick to point out that those who work hard are always rewarded
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