They tried and tried again, won at last

At a Temple Trees meeting, President Mahinda Rajapaksa was speaking on the virtues of polls campaigns. Present were Ministers, MPs and candidates in the Kandy District. After telling them to work as a team, he said no purpose was served simply distributing leaflets.

He cited an example of how some campaigns failed. During the presidential election in 2005, where he contested, some of his supporters had gone to the house of his Secretary Lalith Weeratunga. Evidently they were unaware, who he was. They went in the morning, rang the doorbell and found there was no answer. So they left.

Immediately thereafter, those canvassing for the JVP candidate had arrived. They also found that there was no response. They came again at 4 p.m. That time too, no one responded to the doorbell.

Therefafter, they arrived at 7 p.m. in the night, spoke for about half an hour with Weeratunga and left.
He said that campaign was guided by determination of the JVP supporters. He said there is a lesson for the UPFA candidates.

Peiris' diplomatic play of words

External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris has developed the fine art of drafting his own media statements.
There are distinguishing marks. He is "received" by the Head of State or Head of Government of the host state in terms of those statements. He does not use the term "calls on" the HOS/HOG.

The universally accepted diplomatic courtesy is that a Foreign or External Affairs Minister does not try to equate him/herself to a Head of State. A Foreign or External Affairs Minister will always "meet" his counterpart and "call on" the Head of State.

The media statements thus give the impression that Dr. Peiris had the fuller discussion with the Head of State and merely saw the counterpart, the Foreign or External Affairs Minister in the corridor while on the way out. That's a new kind of diplomacy created by the learned professor's own media statements.

Of course, I will not comment on the other contents except to say that the heads of some states would not know they have not said some things to Sri Lanka's EAM. That is because they do not read his statements.

Punch lines on prison lunch of ministers

Youth Affairs Minister Dallas Alahapperuma and Prisons Reform Minister Chandrasiri Gajadeera, were on a visit to the Bogambara Prison in Kandy. They inspected many an area and chose to have lunch in the prison, the same food that the prisoners ate. Not for them were food served in four star hotels in the hill capitals. It still lacks five star hotels.

With the lunch over, Alahapperuma remarked that the lunch was even better than what he had in the Parliament canteen. "Little wonder, these guys eat such good food. It gives them the energy to get on prison rooftops to launch protest campaigns," replied Gajadeera.

The pithiest remarks came from an uncharitable prison guard after the duo left. "We can serve them this same lunch every day if only they are here everyday," he remarked only to be reminded by a colleague who said "don't talk like that."

As if not to offend his colleague, he quickly added, "I only hope they will not make an order that our cooks henceforth make the food in the Parliament canteen." Both had a hearty laugh.

MR vetoes gay rights

The Government's action plan for human rights had to be examined by the Cabinet a few times before approval was given to it last week. One of the first drafts had provision to legalize homosexuality. That would have been good news to gays but President Mahinda Rajapaksa was unhappy when he found out about the provision.

Officials did a thorough study before the draft, changed many times was approved. This was why the document is yet to be made public.

President puts brakes on MPs' drivers

At last Mond-ay's Government Parliamentary Group meeting, the issue of MPs frequently changing drivers came up.

It was after the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry reported to President Mahinda Rajapaksa that MPs were entitled to a monthly allowance of Rs 15,000 for a driver. However, it was difficult for them to keep track since most changed drivers frequently.

President Rajapaksa directed that drivers should be retained permanently by the MPs.

Vet jokes about parliamentarians

It was the opening ceremony of the three-storied Sanghavasa at Venerable Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera's Allan Methiniyarama Temple in Kirullapone. Both UPFA and UNP representatives were present at the occasion.

Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne, the chief guest, pointed to two young tusker elephants and told the UNP's Ampara District parliamentarian, Anoma Gamage, "your relations are there."

That prompted Minister Basil Rajapaksa to tell Ven. Dhammaloka that Ms Gamage was the only parliamentarian who is a veterinarian. Her husband, entrepreneur Daya Gamage was to remark, "yes, I encouraged her to go to Parliament. She could treat the sick there." Thus ended the subject.

1,2,3,4… tell the people what she wore…

A well known Sri Lankan beauty queen and socialite of the 1950s caused a sensation when she posed public in a two-piece swimsuit, which when compared with today's trends was not as long as a pair of shorts.

In contrast, Sri Lanka's candidate for the Miss Universe contest at Sao Paulo in Brazil tomorrow was photographed in a bikini that could have made people dance to the famous tune of Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny …

Yet even what she wore may have been a little modest by Brazilian standards. These pictures show Miss Universe Sri Lanka 2011 Stephanie Siriwardhana in a swimsuit during a presentation show at the Credicard Hall in Sao Paulo on Thursday and in other more modest costumes during the different segments of the beauty parade.

JVP's internal crisis grows: Dissident leader courts arrest

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) detectives are on the lookout for a leading Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) member who has returned to Sri Lanka after a short sojourn in Australia.

Detectives say the man travelled on a forged passport. The passport bore the name and the National Identity Card number of an employee of the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation, who had not travelled abroad.

Sources close to the man, however, said the man whose name was on the passport had always remained in Sri Lanka and did not travel to Australia. These sources claim the man was only courting arrest to benefit from the resultant publicity.

The idea is to become the leader of a radical group (Viplawa Waadee Kandayama) that wants to go on its own after breaking away from the JVP. It includes four other radical members who failed in their bid to re-constitute the party's politburo. Their request for a Central Committee meeting to do so was granted. However, at the secret ballot that followed for the formation of a new politburo, saw the four members being voted out.

This week, the JVP's Vijitha Herath was to issue a statement that the JVP's politburo had not changed. He claimed that the matter could be verified from records available with the Commissioner General of Elections. However, party insiders said the four had indeed been dropped from the politburo and added that even previously not all names of members of the politburo were available with the Commissioner General of Elections.

There was also pressure on JVP leader Somawansa Amerasinghe. What could he say except that there was no problem within the party. That is understandable though some very gullible ones believed him hook, line and sinker. It was indeed laughable.

JR’s saline for private medical colleges

It was loquacious Minister Rajitha Senaratne who remarked at last Wednesday's weekly cabinet meeting that private medical colleges were essential for the country.

Minister Wimal Weerawansa interjected hurriedly and said "meka puduma venasak ney." (This is a surprise change). He pointed out that when there were moves to open a private medical college in Ragama, it was Senaratne who was convenor of a protest group.

"That was then. This is now. There is now a need for a medical college," a sheepish Senaratne responded. He said "I am now in favour." Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake wanted to appoint a committee to draft legislation.

Energy Minister, Champika Ranawaka, was to suggest that draft legislation prepared when the late J.R. Jayewardene was President is now available. Dissanayake said he would make amendments to that draft to suit present day needs and table it in Parliament.

That certainly is not good news for the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA), and JRJ must surely be breaking into that inscrutable smile of his wherever he is.