State Minister of Highways Minister Dilan Perera yesterday accused President Sirisena of not using his powers over Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe enough. He said this was to be seen by the fact that the Joint Opposition had got the Galle Face to conduct their May Day rally.

“I have an accusation against the President. You stand holding a yellow card but you are not showing the red card enough. In the Central Bank bond issue, in the Hambantota Port, in these issues I thought this is the opportunity for the President to show the red card. What I mean by red card is this – show the red card to the Prime Minister, not anyone else.”

“People in this country are now saying, it’s okay if you steal, if you work. If you steal while not working, that is not good. It has come to the point where people are even accepting stealing as normal. Some stakeholders in this national government have decided to protected robbers. All we have to say to the President is – use your powers. The Prime Minister is giving orders over the President – that can’t happen.”

“I always say there is a deal between Basil Rajapaksa and the Prime Minister. That deal is apparent with Galle Face. After Premadasa’s time, Galle Face was not given for rallies like this. Galle Face was not even used by our government, but the Prime Minister has given it to the Joint Opposition. This deal must be investigated,” he said.

The Ministry of Higher Education and Highways today addressed the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) issue offering a solution to those concerned.

In a press statement the ministry said the Health Ministry would take over the Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital that comes under SAITM.

It also said that SAITM students who had completed their MBBS degree would have to under further training at the Homagama and Avissawella Hospitals.

Their clinical training would be in the fields of Surgery, Medicine, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Psychiatry and Pediatrics.

Furthermore, the candidates will undergo a mandatory examination conducted for granting provisional registration under the joint supervision of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) for

The Ministry of Health will also gazette the minimum standards for medical education in Sri Lanka submitted by the SLMC, with the approval of the AG.

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) will hold its May Day Rally at Gatambe Mahanama College Grounds, Disaster Management Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa said yesterday at a press conference.

The Disaster Management Minister also said that the SLFP rally would set a new precedent by using no polythene at all.

Meanwhile, Highways and Higher Education Minister Dilan Perera responding to a comment made by Bandula Gunawardena that two million supporters of the Joint Opposition would attend the Joint Opposition Rally at Galle Face Green said that there was nothing to worry about because the Galle Face Green could only hold up to 100, 000 people.

ENETECH, the institution charged with preparing a DNA report on the twenty-six body parts found stored at the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) has confirmed that the body parts do not belong to Wasim Thajudeen.

On October 6, the Colombo Additional Magistrate ordered body parts found at SAITM to be sent to ENTECH for DNA testing to ascertain if the body parts belonged to rugger player Wasim Thajudeen who died in what was assumed to be a car crash on May 17, 2012. 

Wasim Thajudeen's death is now being investigated as a murder. Former Western Province Senior DIG Anura Senanayake was arrested for allegedly covering up the Thajudeen murder on May 23, 2018. He was further remanded by the Colombo Magistrate till April 18. 

TNA parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran in a statement yesterday said that the five resolutions adopted by the Judicial Services Association was tantamount to Contempt of Court.

 In a statement to the media the parliamentarian said, ‘When a person is a high court judge constitution makes provision for his removal only on the recommendation of the judicial service commission.’

‘…such recommendation can be made only for disciplinary reason, after the inquiry into an alleged misconduct of a high court judge.’

‘When that is the constitutional position, it is a matter of regret that the Judicial Services Association, which is a trade union, has gone on to exert undue influence over the functions of the Judicial service commission, which is an independent commission under the constitution.’

‘Neither the bar association nor the Judicial service association have any role to play with regard to the appointment of a high court judge or indeed in respect of his removal.’

‘The Judicial service association resolutions, apart from that amounting to unlawful interference in the affairs of Judicial services commission.

‘This would amount to the contempt of court. The Judges association should refrain from making pronouncement that brings the judiciary into ridicule and suspicion in this manner. ‘

President Maithripala Sirisena, at the Sri Lanka Freedom Party National Youth Convention at the Sugathadasa Stadium yesterday, said he would take action, without consideration of political status, against any politician engaged in amassing money through illegal action or misuse of state resources.

 “The country is in need of a clean and honest political force,” he told the youth at the Convention. "I will not hesitate to take action against any politician filling their pockets in an illegal manner," he said. 

"The country and the youth of this country were thirsty for clean politics. I accepted the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) Chairmanship  to usher in a new and prosperous future for the country." 

The President noted that he had not appointed his son to a position in the national youth convention, unlike the previous regime. "My son is not even here today," he said. 

He said it was unfortunate that even after being appointed Chairman of the SLFP with the mandate of taking the country forward to a new era of prosperity, he was being prevented from some sections within the party of moving in that direction. 

Th National Youth Convention was attended by thousands of youth from across the country. 

The convention is being held for the first time after a lapse of 13 years. 

The Government today issued a clarification on the forestlands recently designated as part as of the Wilpattu Sanctuary.

 On March 24, while in Russia, the President signed a special gazette notification declaring the Mavillu, Weppal, Karadikkuli, Marichchikadi and Vilaththikulam forests as the Mavillu Forest Reserve, under 3A of the Forest Conservation Ordinance.

‘...But, some interested parties with personal or political agendas are carrying out disinformation campaign and falsely state that the Muslim religious places, villages and houses would be acceded to the Government and the Wildlife Department under the said Gazette Notification, the Government Information Department said.

These forests were declared as Reserves under the Gazette in order to protect the forest areas adjacent to the areas released for the people as settlements.

Accordingly, it is informed that none of the Muslim religious places, villages or houses in which the people live and have legal rights would be acceded to the Government,’ it said.

National Coexistence, Dialogue and Official Languages Minister Mano Ganesan has officially requested President Maithripala Sirisena to appoint a task force to look into the ‘action plan’ suggested at the 34th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The Minister, in a twitter post this evening, said he made the request to the President, ‘in line with the UNHRC recommendations.’

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein suggested the country adopt a plan to implement reconciliation measures and transitional justice in the two-year extension.

The Sri Lankan government’s delegation to Geneva has responded to the UN Human Rights Commissioner’s recommendation positively.

When contacted by Asian Mirror, a senior government spokesman said the President would soon make a decision on appointing a task force to formulate a two-year plan for reconciliation.

He also added that the government had also fast-tracked the setting up of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Office of Missing Persons.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva indicated that foreign judges would participate in Sri Lanka's accountability process, but not hear cases. 

"I think it's best I try and clear the confusion. What the 2015 resolution 30/1 says in terms of foreign and commonwealth involvement is that there should be 'participation' of inter alia foreign and commonwealth judges and within a Sri Lankan judicial mechanism," de Silva said, in a statement, a short while ago. 

"Participation has multiple definitions. What certain sections are trying to say is that 'participation' means a 'hybrid court' that consists of foreign judges sitting on the bench hearing cases. By misleading the public in to equating 'participation' to 'hybrid' some Sinhala groups claim Government sold out and some Tamil groups claim the Government gave in," he added. 

The Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, who is currently in Geneva, also said, "What the President and the Prime Minister and also the Foreign Minister have said is that is NOT the case. There won't any hybrid court for several reasons but, from a legal and technical perspective, because Sri Lanka constitution does not allow foreign judges to sit in judgment; in other words 'participation' cannot mean 'hybrid'. Surely it is not something that difficult to understand."

"It is in this context the word 'participation' takes shape. It can mean 'expertise' or 'observation' or any such other but NOT hearing cases."

"During MR time as well there were instances including where Indian Chief Justice Bhagwati also was involved in both 'expertise' and 'observation'. There are several other examples including Durusman former Attorney General of Indonesia."

"So it is only to mislead the people that certain elements will use the word 'participation' to mean 'sitting in judgement' in a 'hybrid court' to suit their narrow political agendas. I urge the public not to be mislead."

"Plus there are many other more important things than this. A compassionate council on a truth mechanism might be something that can deal with all these issues instead of courts. The missing persons office has already been legislated. Handing back private land is continuing. All these are what we should focus on."

President Maithripala Sirisena was received with a Guard of Honour at the Kremlin’s Alexander Garden when he visited the Red Square to place a wreath at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier. It was a touching moment for the President - a son of a soldier who served in the 2nd World War- when he placed the wreath at the war memorial dedicated to the soldiers killed during the WWII.
The Military Commandant of Moscow received the President at the magnificent War Memorial and the President inspected the Guard of Honour before placing the wreath. The Russian Military Band played the national anthems of the two countries,while the President and the delegation stood at attention.
This afternoon, President Sirisena is scheduled to meet President Putin, Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev and other leaders in Kremlin. He will also attend the ceremony to mark 60th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Madam Jayanthi Sirisena and Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, Science and Technology Research Minister, Susil Premajayantha, Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs Minister, John Amaratunga, Skills Development and Vocational Training Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs Minister S B Navinna, Minister of Sports, Dayasiri Jayasekara and Deputy Minister of Tourism Arundika Fernando were also present.