Columns

The Constitutional Council will decide on a new Chief Justice from three names submitted by President Maithripala Sirisena.
The names to be recommended in that order are Justice Buveneka Aluvihare, Justice Sisira de Abrew and Jayantha Jayasuriya, the present Attorney General.
The present Chief Justice, Nalin Perera, will retire on April 29. A ceremonial farewell was accorded to him on Friday. The Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Courts, District Courts, Magistrate’s Courts judges, Attorney General Jayasuriya, representatives of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka and lawyers were present at the ceremony.
The CC is not expected to meet until after the National New Year. The CC Chairman, Karu Jayasuriya, is now on a visit to West Asai. He left on Friday night after his customary dinner to all MPs when Parliament concluded the third reading of the budget debate.
Justice Aluvihare is the senior-most judge in the Supreme Court followed by Justice Sisira de Abrew. Both Justice Aluvihare and Jayantha Jayasuriya joined the Attorney General’s Department together.

Political swipes as Sirisena sits on Salley’s chair
Last Monday, President Maithripala Sirisena opened a shopping complex in Rajagiriya and later walked into the Western Province Governor’s office located in the same building.
Sitting on Governor Azath Salley’s chair, he remarked it was comfortable and even good for him. He looked around and asked whether there was a log book. He wanted to make some comments and sign it, no doubt an honour for Mr. Salley. After all, these are days when politicians are being honoured.
One of those present said that Mr. Salley was fully supportive of the President. Among those present were Western Province Chief Minister Isuru Devapriya and Colombo district Parliamentarian Thilanga Sumathipala.
Mr. Sumpathipala chipped into say he (the Govenor) was like those of the ‘Pohottuwa’ – a reference to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna. Another voice was heard to say all are supportive of the Phohottuwa. “Nothing of that sort here,” exhorted Mr. Salley. But President Sirisena thought otherwise. He said ‘yes, yes, there is some line like that going on’.
One of Mr. Salley’s aides, meanwhile, brought in some sheets of blank paper in the absence of a log book. The President said it was the first time he was going to make an entry on a sheet of paper.
Mr. Salley handed over a pen and the president made an entry on it. When he reached the end of his writing, he realised that the ink was green. The President again remarked, “You have kept a green pen purposely and this, too, may be having some motive.” At the end of it, Mr. Salley handed over the green pen to the President to be taken away. But, on second thoughts he inquired whether he could send him a blue pen.
“Send me a mixed coloured pen – mix green, blue and red’, a remark with a political connotation with elections pending.

Northern Governor wants to know who drafted 2015 UNHRC resolution
Northern Province Governor Suren Raghavan, who was part of the government delegation to Geneva, has invoked the Right to Information Act to find out as to who was responsible for the UN Resolution 30/1 which was passed in 2015 soon after the new government took office and was co-sponsored by Sri Lanka with other western countries led by the United States.
This was after he failed to get a proper response from the Foreign Ministry as to who was responsible for drafting the original text of the resolution.
Governor Raghavan told the media in Jaffna last week that he was still awaiting a response to the RTI application filed to the Ministry though he wanted to have the information before he left.
The contents of this year’s resolution were based on the original text of UN Resolution 30/1 and the government secured two more years for implementation of the steps agreed upon.

Rupavahini apologises to PM for poor coverage
The National television Rupavahini has apologized to the Prime Minister’s Office over the inadequate coverage of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at an event held at Independence Square.
The event titled ‘April Pledge’ was part of a major campaign against narcotics. The event, in which President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and other cabinet ministers took part, was shown live on Rupavahini.
But, the Prime Minister’s Office was not happy on how the cameras focused on Mr Wickremesinghe. Some of the officials brought this to the attention of the Prime Minister himself.
In turn, the issue was taken up by the Prime Minister’s office with a Rupavahini official who reportedly apologised about the poor coverage of the PM at the event.

President prepares for New Year pilgrimage

President Maithripala Sirisena is planning a trip abroad during the National New Year holiday season.
Sources close to him said it was a private visit, a pilgrimage, but declined to reveal the destination.

Sampanthan back in CC despite Rajapaksa objection

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader Rajavarothayam Sampanthan has returned as a member of the Constitutional Council.
At Friday’s CC meeting chaired by Speaker Karu Jayasuruya, his name was proposed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
However, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa proposed the name of Douglas Devananda, leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP).
Mr. Rajapaksa pointed out that the TNA was part of the government and hence Mr. Sampanthan could not be a member. However, later Premier Wickremesinghe had persuaded Mr. Devananda to withdraw his candidature.

War crimes probe: NYT exposes US double standard

It was the United States that spearheaded a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva to probe alleged human rights violations during the end of the separatist war and set up an international tribunal to probe alleged war crimes.
What about the alleged violations of human rights and crimes committed by the US troops in Afghanistan?
This is what a New York Times report had to say:
“The United States has revoked the visa of the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor because of her attempts to investigate allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan, including any that may have been committed by American forces.
“The visa revocation — confirmed on Friday by the office of the chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, and the State Department in Washington — was assailed by rights advocates as unprecedented interference by the United States into the workings of the court, established nearly two decades ago to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
“Ms. Bensouda, a Gambian lawyer for the court, which is based in The Hague, formally requested an investigation more than a year ago into war crimes in Afghanistan. The inquiry would mostly focus on large-scale crimes against civilians attributed to the Taliban and Afghan government forces.
“But it would also examine alleged C.I.A. and American military abuse in detention centers in Afghanistan in 2003 and 2004, and at sites in Poland, Lithuania and Romania, putting the court directly at odds with the United States.”
What is bad for the goose, it seems, is not bad for the gander. Talk of double standards and here is a solid case.