British High Commissioner, John Rankin hosted a reception at Westminister House, his official residence, on Thursday night to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Nominated to represent the Government officially, as is the practice now, was
Industries and Commerce Minister Rishard Bathiuddin.
It was his honour to propose the toast. He did so to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. And then, continuing to read from a prepared text; Sri Lanka's guest of honour of sorts extended best wishes for the "National Day of Great Britain." Great Britain does not observe a National Day. Instead, it is marked by the Queen's birthday.
High Commissioner Rankin, a solicitor with consummate accomplishments and his staffers kept a straight face. The chuckles came from a few opposition parliamentarians.
One of them asked another whether the text of the speech was written by someone in the External Affairs Ministry, whose task it is usually, or one of Bathiuddin's staffers.
Either way, it is an embarrassment for all of us and the country, said one opposition parliamentarian from the Colombo District. "Is this the professionalism the EAM is talking about," he asked.
LIOC price hike fuels questions
Petroleum Resources Ministry Secretary R.H.S. Samaratunga was invited by the Central Bank to address a seminar on the 'current challenges of the petroleum sector' last Thursday at their auditorium.
During his talk, Dr. Samaratunga explained in detail how the global consumption of petroleum had increased and how Sri Lanka's export bill on fuel was also increasing.
He explained that though the Lanka Indian Oil Company (LIOC) was also a player in the fuel market in Sri Lanka. The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) was able to dictate terms as the CPC was dominating both the market and the LIOC. He said the CPC had a market share of 80 per cent in petrol and 95 per cent in diesel.
When the meeting was drawing to an end and the floor was open for a question-and-answer session, one of the members in the audience stood up with his mobile telephone in hand and said: "We have just got a news alert that the LIOC has increased the price of diesel by two rupees a litre with effect from midnight."
He asked Dr. Samaratunga what the CPC, the main player, proposed to do. "No, no. We are the dominant partner. They have to consult us."
Did the LIOC not consult the Ministry of Petroleum Industries? In the alternative, is the Secretary to this Ministry unaware they obtained Ministry consent? No answers were given.
Sirisena feels sorry for the UNP
Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena had a friendly chat with some of the guests over tea at the end of an event to appreciate the service of those who helped eradicate malaria.
The event was held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute. The minister recalled an experience he had with late minister Lalith Athulathmudali.
"I stopped one day to buy some vegetables on my way to Polonnaruwa. A speeding car suddenly stopped and Lalith Athulathmudali alighted. At that time nobody knew about me. I was a new comer to parliament."
"He introduced me to others and said, 'This is Maithripala Sirisena, a good person. And he has a bright future too.'"
Minister Sirisena also commended the service rendered by late Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake. "E wage minissu hitapu pakshayakata ada mokada wela thiyenne?" (What has happened to the party which had such great persons like them?) he asked.
Forgetting Chavez, Wimal hits out at Treasury
The lecture by Construction Minister and National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa was on Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. It was held this week at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI).
However, Weerawansa took the opportunity to hit out at a top Treasury official for the economic woes of the country.
The management of the country's economy should not be left only in the hands of these so-called experts. They only stay in their air-conditioned rooms and come up with theories. That is one of the reasons why prices are skyrocketing and the economy is facing a grave danger.
Weerawansa defended the Central Bank and said it tried its best to keep the rupee's value to the dollar stable. However, he lamented that pundits at the Treasury became a major stumbling block. As one participant noted somewhat humorously, if Chavez was listening to the speech, he would have asked "Wimal, I thought this lecture is about me."
Shows how angry some ministers are at the unbearable cost of living. That, they fear, will affect their votes and invite public wrath.
MR, CBK at wedding but they did not meet
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| The President greeting the couple |
It was Minister Arumugam Thondaman's daughter Nachiyar's wedding reception at the Water's Edge on Friday afternoon. With an Indian setting, the event was held in grand style.
Not many had noticed that former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and one of her former ministers and good friend, Mangala Samaraweera had timed their arrival.
They reached the Water's Edge only after President Mahinda Rajapaksa had left the place. Thus, there were no meetings between the former and the serving President.
Rajapaksa, who was on a four-day visit to Thailand, arrived in Colombo on Friday morning for the wedding. He left for Bangkok again on Friday evening.
Jayasuriya to bat for Bollywood in reality show
Cricketer turned politician Sanath Jayasuriya is to take part in an Indian reality TV show, "Jalak dik La Ja" with Bollywood stars Madhuri Dixit, Rekha and Karan Johar.
Indian media reports say that Jayasuriya has been handsomely rewarded in cash for his appearance.
Jayasuriya has said that he would like to follow Rajinikanth style on the dancing floor.
That will be a change from playing different strokes when he bats.
Mathew Lee faces expulsion from UNCA
The United Nations is set to make history as the UN Correspondents' Association (UNCA) is contemplating a move to impeach and expel a reporter -- perhaps for the first time in living memory.
But what is interesting is that there is a Sri Lankan angle to the story which is reverberating throughout the Organisation. The journalist on trial is Matthew Russell Lee, a blogger, who has been ruthlessly and consistently attacking Sri Lanka on alleged war crimes charges.
Ironically, Lee is on trial not for his attacks on Sri Lanka but for accusing the UNCA president Giampaolo Pioli of "accepting rent money" -- a legitimate transaction -- when he was the landlord of a New York city apartment rented out to Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative Ambassador Palitha Kohona about eight years ago when he was Chief of the UN Treaty Section.
According to Lee, Pioli expressed anger at the reporting because Lee accused the UNCA president of "arranging for Kohona to screen the government's genocide-rebuttal film 'Lies Agreed Upon" at the UN under UNCA auspices "without asking other UNCA executive board members about it and without the underlying Channel 4 film "Killing Fields" being screened at the UN."
Pioli admitted accepting rent from Kohona but denied the accusation he was biased in favour of Sri Lanka. And while Pioli demanded the article be removed from Lee's blog, Lee refused calling it censorship."
Lee is also accused of "unprofessional and unethical behaviour" -- a charge made by a Western news agency Bureau Chief with whom he is involved in a journalistic battle over non-attribution of a scoop which originated in Lee's blog. The UNCA executive committee voted 13 to 1 to set up a board of examination to probe the charges. The only dissenting vote came from Lee who is also in the ExCo.
Globe-Lapping Peiris
External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris is set to soon break the record set by his predecessors for trotting the globe.
For his penchant for travel, one time Foreign Minister, A.C.S. Hameed, was lampooned by a cartoonist in a local newspaper. One showed him headed to Akurana for a change of clothes before his next trip, while another showed him asking a man at Katunayake the way to Akurana. He was also known as All Countries Seen Hameed.
Just two weeks ago, Peiris arrived in Qatar from Washington D.C. From there he flew to Moscow for talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
He then left for Bangkok to join President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his entourage waiting only because he had to receive his Singaporean counterpart who was on a short visit to Sri Lanka. From Bangkok, Peiris flew down to Singapore for the Shangri La summit.
From there, he will join the Presidential entourage for a tour of Britain, the Vatican, Cuba and Brazil.
Then, Peiris is scheduled to make a trip to Budapest. Among the highlights of his programme is a dinner cruise on the Danube River.
Minister's monkey tricks abroad
When he travelled abroad recently, a politico dealing with our maids and madams overseas has innovated new ways.
Recently he was on a trip funded by a UN agency. He not only got the world body to pay his Business Class airfare. He also made sure the travel cost for his very helpful "secretary" was also paid. Even if there was hardly any secretarial work, the lassie was enjoyable company.
One of his other secret activities has now come to light. He had written to those diplomats servicing his ministry abroad to collect Rs 200,000 or some $ 2,000 dollars. The man had wanted the money for his Aluth Avurudhu party.
The heads of the diplomatic missions concerned were unaware. His "diplomats" squeezed the money out of the job agents. Little wonder, poor lasses and lassies wanting to get overseas jobs would now have to pay the agencies more money.
As one job agent complained, "Rilau Bajau party daanath apey salli oney" or to organise "these monkeys need our money to party."
Monkey or no monkey, the politician was adamant that the money should come.
SLFP whitewashes Mervyn
When the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Central Committee met last week, one of the subjects discussed was the call for Minister Mervyn Silva's letter of explanation for his alleged remarks threatening the media.
Silva was reported as saying that he would break the legs of journalists who talk against the country during visits abroad.
Minister Silva had denied he had made such remarks. Some of the SLFP members said that it was unfair to make decisions based merely on media reports.
However, senior party members noted that he should be careful when making comments. Some even pointed out some of his remarks drew international concerns also. However, the matter stopped there and no further action is likely against minister Silva. So he is free again.
Rajitha gets surprise call from Thailand for dental birthday
"Aaa...Rajitha mallie oyatath den wayasa 62 neda?Oyath den ape wayasaka group eke." (Brother Rajitha, are you 62 now? Aren't you? You are also a member of our old group now).
That was a comment made by what Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne thought was a well-wisher in a call on his birthday.
He soon realised he was wrong. It was President Mahinda Rajapkasa , who was on an official visit to Thailand. Despite his busy schedule Rajapksa did not forget to telephone to wish his cabinet minister.
In the afternoon Minister Senaratne, who is also a dentist by profession, spent his birthday donating dental surgery equipment to several hospitals in Beruwala.
They were worth millions of rupees. At one hospital, he even took time to attend to a dental problem of a provincial council member cleaning the latter's teeth. Onlookers said he did a good job of it.
Organic fertilizer cheaper than cigarette
President Mahinda Rajapaksa attended a progress review meeting of Polonnaruwa District at Temple Trees before he left for Thailand.
It was attended by both politicians and government officials. "Api janathwata thawamath pohora sahanadharaya denawa. Langadeema api kabanika pohora bavithayath handunwa denwa. Den sigaret packet ekak rupiyal harsiya ganak. Api phora mitiya denne rupiyal 350ta.
Eka me janathawa mathaka thiyaganna oney." (We are still giving fertilizer subsidiary for the people. We will introduce organic fertilizer soon. Now a packet of cigarettes is some four hundreds rupees. But we are giving a pack of fertilizer for Rs.350. People should remember that), the President said.
Karu blesses Attanayake with ring
UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayke was hospitalised last week for surgery. He was placed in the Intensive Care Unit when he was recovering after the surgery.
UNP Deputy Leader Sajith Premadasa called on him to wish him speedy recovery. UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya visited him at the hospital.
Jayasuriya also used his ring, pointing it towards Attanayake, in what seemed a ritual, to wish him for speedy recovery. Attanayake took it with a gracious smile.
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