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Sri Lanka’s Shoora Council had decided to felicitate all Muslim parliamentarians who were elected at the August 5 parliamentary election.

Shoora is the Arabic word for consult and its role is like a counsel. Of course, in Sri Lanka, the council’s key members also play an active role in many other Muslim bodies.

At the Sri Lanka Shoora Council reception – Rishad Bathiudeen (ACMK) and Rauff Hakeem (SLMC)

The council sent out colourfully printed invitations to all new Muslim parliamentarians. The event, it said, would be held at the Rosewood Ceylon at Hospital Road in Dehiwala at 7 pm on August 20, the day the Parliament convened for the first time. The reception facility was earlier named Shahran Hall. The name change came after Muslim extremist Zahran was identified as the leader in the Easter Sunday attacks and gained notoriety.

When it came to the felicitation hour of 7 pm, council top rungers were unaware something else was going on. A formidable group of Muslims were angry that the event, which they claimed would ‘polarise’ the community, was under way.

They told SLPP alliance MPs not to attend the event and alleged that most council members were staunch UNP-ers. Telephone calls went all round and the result — SLPP MPs kept away from the event.

The most embarrassing moment was when an announcer kept giving updates on the public address system before the invitees sat down to dinner. He said Justice Minister Ali Sabry, was now on the way. When dinner time came, he had not arrived. Then the announcer summed it up by saying Mr Sabry was held up at a meeting with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

As a result of the absence of ruling SLPP MPs, the event turned out to be a felicitation of parliamentarians from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress led by Rauff Hakeem and the All Ceylon Makkal Katchi headed by Rishad Bathiudeen.

It turned out that the dinner for 100, each plate costing thousand rupees, had 35 invitees keeping away. Others had to make do with the chicken string hopper biryani, fried chicken, cashew curry, malay pickle and Maldive fish sambol. It was Wattalappam for dessert. Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) parliamentarian Mohamed Haleem was present. Absentees were Imtiaz Bakeer Markar, Mujibur Rahman and Ishak Rahman.

Angajan demands three rooms at Jaffna District Secretariat

The Jaffna District Secretariat staff were busy this week clearing three rooms by relocating files and documents to another space following a letter issued by the District Development Committee’s Co-Chair Angajan Ramanathan to the District Secretary.

He demanded three rooms for his usage as a Co-Chair even though it is one room usually allocated for such purposes in the recent past. One official was heard asking his colleague rather sarcastically whether the Kachcheri (the Secretariat) is going to be converted to another party office of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), from which Mr Ramanathan was elected.

Namal quickly tackles mistake in Ministry

Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa, on his first visit to the Ministry, was quick to correct a shortcoming which was brought to his attention.

Mr Rajapaksa was informed that the spelling on the Ministry’s nameboard was incorrect. He directed his officials that the mistake which had been there for several months should be corrected immediately.

On return Mr Rajapaksa re-visited the place. The mistake had been already corrected.

Rejected ITAK leader’s next move not clear

The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) President Mavai Senathiraja, who was defeated at the parliamentary election, made a futile attempt to enter Parliament through the National list.

Mr Senathiraja is reported to be making his next political move by preparing to contest the upcoming provincial council election, if they are held at all. The polls are due to be held early next year.

Meanwhile, Mr Senathiraja’s son, Kalai Amuthan – who is an ITAK member of a northern Pradeshiya Sabha – has already met newly elected MP C V Wigneswaran. His next move was not clear.

New MPs and guests seek photo opp. with President

The heavily packed symmetrical building complex saw newly elected Parliamentarians with their guests forming a queue to have some short eats and ice coffee, while in the designated middle area where senior Parliamentarians were seated, crowds gathered to take a picture with the President.

One of the Presidential Security Division guards was instructing guests not to take selfies but only a simple photo with the President. The first lady was just around the corner, chatting with guests while waiting for her husband who was visibly tired.

Among those lining up to get a picture was actress turned politician Diana Gamage who is the Deputy General-Secretary of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

In another corner was the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, attracting less crowds compared to President Rajapaksa, while chatting with his fellow Parliamentarians.

A group of Parliamentary staff and some journalists approached him to take photos which he welcomed and readily agreed to.

Then there was Education Minister G L Peiris who was standing in another corner, holding some files as others were busy running around to take photos. Prof Peiris made the move and approached the girls who chanted Jayamangala gatha for a group photo, to which the girls agreed.

Rush to get introductions to VIPs at tea party

At the tea party in Parliament, there were some who were busy running around making introductions with those in influential positions of the Government. One such couple approached the Defence Secretary, Retired Major General Kamal Gunaratne inquiring on the procedure to obtain a licence to use a weapon for their personal safety.

The Secretary gave a brief introduction on the commonly used, handy weapons for personal usage. At one point, he stressed that “I would not recommend a revolver since it is a bit tricky.” The lady and her male companion thanked him for the advice.

Parliament row dashes hopes of dignified debates

In the new legislature, hopes of parliamentary debates being civil and dignified were dashed on the first proper day of business on Friday, when an ugly spat erupted between Galle District Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Manusha Nanayakkara and State Minister Nimal Lanza.

The exchange occurred after the SJB MP told Parliament that 29 percent of all Government institutions have come under members of the Rajapaksa family. He questioned whether this meant the “Sahodara Samagama” was back in force.

Clearly irritated by Mr Nanayakkara’s speech, Mr Lanza, who spoke immediately afterwards, referred to Mr Nanayakkara’s family history and accused him of neglecting his wife and children. Mr Nanayakkara in turn, accused Mr Lanza of running a prostitution ring.

The SJB vehemently protested Mr Lanza’s remarks and asked that they be struck from the Parliament Hansard, the official record of the House proceedings.

There were many new MPs in the House at the time of the exchange and one wonders what they would have felt seeing these two MPs hurl such ugly personal insults at each other instead of debating the matters at hand.

Mr Nanayakkara also took aim at a comment by the former Supreme Court Judge and Northern Province former Chief Minister C V Wigneswaran, who referred to the Tamil language being the oldest living language in the world. Mr Nanayakkara wanted that reference expunged from the Hansard saying it was a violation of the sixth Amendment to the Constitution that debarred espousing a separate state.

The new Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene had to deal with the hot potato on his lap on his first day on the hot seat, saying he will look into the matter.