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File pic: Under Secretary of State Victorial Nuland meeting then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Colombo

In the power circles of Washington DC, the resignation of Victoria Nuland, the third-ranking US diplomat, as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs this week came amidst a US funding ‘pause’ for Ukraine to continue with war efforts against the Russian invasion.

Ms. Nuland, a career foreign service officer who has Ukrainian roots, came under severe criticism over the crucial role she played in Ukraine, stirring civil society for a regime change’ through the ouster of a pro-Russian president and demanding EU membership. This ultimately led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Ms. Nuland’s departure and praised her as “truly exceptional.”

Ms. Nuland has been considered a divisive and controversial figure in US foreign policy-making circles throughout her three-decade-long career in various capacities.

In March 2022, Ms. Nuland visited Sri Lanka with top-ranking officials as the country was going through the worst economic crisis that later resulted in long queues and shortages of cooking gas and fuel, with the situation spiralling into the Aragalaya demanding a ‘regime change’. During her visit, she met the then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as well.

Interestingly enough, the latest book released by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa this week, titled “The Conspiracy to Oust me from Presidency- How internationally sponsored regime change made mockery of Democracy in Sri Lanka” also recalled the meeting with Ms. Nuland on a positive note.

“On 22 March 2022, Victoria Nuland, the Under Secretary for Political Affairs of the US Department of State visited Sri Lanka. When she met me, she came across as being conciliatory and wanting to work with my government to overcome the economic crisis that Sri Lanka was facing. Usually, when high-ranking members of Western governments visit Sri Lanka, we hear a lot about what we were not doing right. However, the tone set by this visit was different and I did not hear the lecture that Sri Lankan leaders would normally expect,” the former President recalled in his book.

Sirima and Ranil: Contrasting view of cartoons

A collection of political cartoons published in Sri Lankan newspapers from 2021 to 2023 was released by UNP parliamentarian Wajira Abeywardena at a ceremony at the Nelum Pokuana on Thursday.

The intention behind presenting the cartoons was said to be to showcase the remarkable talent of the cartoonists and shed light on the significant political events and issues they addressed.

Some 617 cartoons have been published in the 539-page book, which also contains some of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s pictures with world leaders.

President Wickremesinghe himself distributed some of the complementary copies to the cartoonist whose work had been selected.

But it was not easy for them to carry the book away with each weighing 3.3 kg.

The event was in stark contrast to what former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike did in the 1960s when she presented some of the cartoons against her by the famous cartoonist Collette when the government moved its much-criticised Press Council Bill.

Monkey see, monkey do: Though a menace to farmers, monkeys make some tourists happy

MP wants monkeys brought to Colombo and released

An adjournment motion submitted by Kegalle district parliamentarian Rajika Wickremesinghe was taken up for debate on Thursday on the subject of crop damage caused by animals, including wild elephants and monkeys.

Most members from the agricultural areas expressed serious concern about the damage caused. They said the animals were not only posing a threat to crops but were also a menace to villagers, as monkeys were entering homes and even opening fridges, carrying away laptops and phones.

A majority of the MPs, seemingly under pressure from their constituents to demand urgent action from the government, said it
was time the government decided whether priority should be given to the people or the animals.

Kegalle district MP Udayakantha Gunatillake said crocodiles too were posing a threat to those bathing in
rivers. He added that these reptiles now get about freely, while the people were forced to bathe in an area secluded by wire mesh in the rivers and waterways in the district.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya Anuradhapura district MP Rohana Bandara said it was up to the government to maintain the balance between
wild animals and the people and that it was time to
reconsider the government proposal to export monkeys to Chinese zoological gardens
as proposed by the Agriculture Minister.

The MPs drew attention to the opposition of wildlife activists to the proposals to export monkeys. But it was Badulla District parliamentarian, Retd. Major Sudharshana Denipitiya, who came up with a proposal to cope with the pressure from wildlife activists. “I have proposed that we catch the monkeys from the wild, bring them to Colombo, and release them,” he said.

The matter will be referred to the Agriculture and Wildlife Ministers to resolve the issue.

Questions over COPE head

Some opposition members have raised questions about the appointment of parliamentarian Rohitha Abeygunawardena as the chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).

The question was posed to Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa for his reaction.

Mr. Rajapaksa said, “If the COPE only finds out information according to guidelines and if the recordings are released to the media for publication, it does not matter who holds the chairman’s position.”

However, the COPE’s former chairpersons may differ on that view, as in the past the committee had been able to unearth many corrupt activities in state institutions.

Russian embassy wants answer from Gota

Snippets, screenshots and summaries of former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s book are being shared on social media platforms. While there is a demand for print copies to know the first-hand experience of the former Head of State on how he handled state affairs during his short tenure, Colombo-based foreign diplomatic missions are also interested in the contents of the book and the opinions of the former President.

Taking to the platform X, formally known as Twitter, to respond to the book’s content, the Russian embassy in Colombo said, “Took notice of publications in SL press about the freshly launched book by G.Rajapaksa, where it’s suggested that foreign ambassadors’ visits to SL military objects should be restricted. Then it needs clarification, the diplomatic representatives of which countries are meant?”

In his book, the former President suggested that strict protocols must be enforced to regulate, monitor, and limit interactions between senior officers of the armed services, police, and intelligence services with the staff of foreign embassies. “Visits by foreign ambassadors to military installations should also be stopped,” it said.

Why Namal can’t buy Ranil’s cartoon book

Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s book ‘Conspiracy: To Oust Me from the Presidency’, is much in demand after its launch on Thursday.

On Thursday morning, parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa was also seen in a bookshop in Nugegoda. He told the people who spoke to him that he too had come to buy his uncle’s book.

One of them inquired why he didn’t get a free copy from his uncle, and he responded by saying; “I thought I better buy it from the bookshop”.  While he was leaving the shop, another inquired, “Aren’t you going to the launch of a cartoon collection of the President?” He responded by saying; “I will buy that too from a bookshop.”

However, like his uncle’s book, it would not be available in bookshops as the publisher, parliamentarian Wajira Abeywardena, has decided not to sell the book.

Surprise appointment in the north

A new senior-level appointment to the Northern Provincial Administration came as a surprise to many this week.

L. Ilangovan, who currently serves as Additional Secretary to the President, is tipped to be appointed as the new Chief Secretary of the province.

Mr. Ilangovan is no new face to the Northern Province, as he served in the province for a long time and was one of the senior high-ranking public servants in the region until his current assignment at the Presidential Secretariat. In the past, he also served as the secretary to the Northern Provincial Education Ministry.

Mr. Ilangovan is replacing the current Chief Secretary, S.M. Saman Bandulasena, who has been instructed to report to the Presidential Secretariat.