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The President is set to challenge the Joint Opposition by asking them to show a majority in parliament, Presidentś Office sources claim.

President Maithripala Sirisena has decided to take the step due to circulating media reports pushing for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to be appointed as the prime minister following the results of the local government election.

However even if offered Mahinda Rajapaksa is said to have decided to decline the Premiership and instead hopes to call for the parliament to be dissolved and a general election to be held in the near future sources said.

The former President had made these intentions known during a media interview held on Saturday (10).

Meanwhile Sinhala daily ‘Ada’ has reported that Sirisena has agreed to the formation of a lone UNP government.

Sources say the agreement was arrived at during a meeting held between Sirisena and PM Ranil Wickramasinghe last night (11).

Meanwhile, UNP ministers are said to have informed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe that a United National Party government consisting of the UNP policies should be created immediately.

They had claimed it is impossible to be part of a national government going forward and therefore a lone UNP government should be established. Ministers have told the Prime Minister that this should be a government consisting of the UNP’s political vision and economic policies.

The two parties have the opportunity to create a separate government at any given time since the agreement between the United National Party (UNP) and the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) for a national government ended on December 31.

Election laws will be upheld strictly in the post-election period Police Media Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said. According to Gunasekara all rallies, processions and political gatherings continue to be banned today. “We have directed all police stations to record and report any such activities,” he said adding that suspects in connection to these incidents will be identified and reported to courts.

Police arrested 39 people including 8 candidates for election law violations during the polling period of the local government elections held yesterday.

According to the Police many of those nabbed were arrested for taking photographs of the ballot paper at the polling station. These incidents were reported from the Moragalla, Pujapitiya, Aralaganwila, Swarnajayanthipura, Aswedduma and Kuliyapitiya. Two out of the seven reported incidents were from the Aswedduma area in Kurunegala the Police said.

Returning officers of the polling centres where these incidents occurred had handed over the suspect and the mobile phones of the election law violators to the Police officers on duty at the centres after which they were arrested.

Meanwhile, other suspects were arrested for various offences ranging from distribution of propaganda material, transporting voters to polling stations, putting up posters and strewing party logos on roads leading to polling stations.

“All arrested suspects will be produced before the respective magistrate's courts,” Police Spokesperson SP Ruwan Gunasekara said adding that orders were dispatched to all officers on duty to arrest all election violators irrespective of who they are.

President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe held a special discussion at about 6.30 pm yesterday (11) and it is reported that several important decisions were arrived at during the meeting.

UNP - SLFP government continues

Accordingly, even though a majority of the local councils were won by the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, an agreement was reached between Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe to continue in the form of a consensus government.

Those who want can leave the government

According to reports while the duo agreed to continue to consensual good governance government, the President is said to have stated that any SLFP MP or Minister who believes that the vote is against good governance can leave the government at any given time.

He is said to have informed that no matter who leaves the government will continue as it is going forward.

100 UNP - SLFP mini-governments

Despite the SLPP winning majority of the local governments taking the total percentage the voter base for good governance remains sources said adding that it has also been determined that voter base for Rajapaksa has reduced since 2015. Accordingly, the UNP and SLFP are now attempting to clinch the power of around 100 local governments on agreement sources said.

It is reported that the internal problems of the government will be discussed through discussion and through a cabinet reshuffle with a consensus expected to be reached within the next few days.

Several SLFP Senior Ministers are said to have suggested that President Maithripala Sirisena give up his party leadership and presidency in respect of the people’s mandate sources said.

Accordingly, the group is said to have requested a meeting with the President today. Facing this defeat an advisor to the President said it is inevitable that SLFP Ministers will now join the Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Sources also claim that Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka and several other SFLP Ministers are supposed to meet the President and submit their resignations from their respective Ministerial portfolios

It is said that Minister Ranawaka has suggested that the government should go to the opposition and hand over power to Rajapaksa following the people’s mandate. The Minister is said to be taking a strong stand regarding this matter.

According to the results issued by the local government elections, more than 250 LG bodies have been won by the Sri Lanka Common People's Front.

Petronet LNG Ltd, India's biggest importer of gas, and its Japanese partners will invest USD 300 million to set up Sri Lanka's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal near Colombo, its CEO Prabhat Singh said.

The Indo-Japanese partnership will set up a 2.6-2.7 million tonnes a year floating LNG receipt facility off the island's western coast, bigger than the previously envisaged 1.5-2 million tonnes a year facility.

Petronet will hold 47.5 per cent stake in the project while Japan's Mitsubishi and Sojitz Corp will take 37.5 per cent stake. The remaining 15 per cent will be held by a Sri Lankan entity, he said.

"We are in the process of signing MoU with the Sri Lankan government for setting up of the LNG terminal," Singh said. "Once the MoU is signed this month, some project related studies will be done before beginning work on the terminal."

Explaining the reasons for setting up a bigger capacity LNG terminal, he said Sri Lanka requires 2.5-3 million tonnes of liquid gas to fire power plants. Besides, there is demand for CNG and smaller industries.

"Commercial details like exact size of the plant and investment will be worked out in the detailed feasibility report to be commissioned after signing of the MoU. Broadly, it would be about USD 300 million investment," he said.

Sri Lankan government had in September last year issued a Letter of Intent to the company to build a floating LNG import facility to supply gas to power plants and the transport sector in the island nation.

The import terminal is to be set up at Kerawalapitiya on the west coast.

Sri Lanka has plans to build a 300-mw gas-fired power plant in Kerawalapitiya adjoining an existing power plant. The existing plant, which uses oil to generate power, will also be converted to LNG once the terminal is set up and gas imports start.

LNG has become significantly cheaper in the last year and many countries have started switching their power plants to LNG.

The LNG terminal, which will import super--cooled natural gas in ships, will take 2-3 years to build, the top executive said.

The terminal in Sri Lanka is part of Petronet's vision to own 30 mt per annum of LNG import and re--gasification capacity by 2020.

The India-Japan collaboration comes after a string of Chinese successes in Sri Lanka. China has managed to revive its flagship USD 1.4-billion Colombo Port City project and is also engaged in expansion of major infrastructure projects it built in the past.

(Economic Times)

Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana is due to leave for Dubai today as the Prime Minister’s special envoy to discuss the deportation of former Sri Lanka Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunga.

Weeratunga, who is currently stuck in Dubai, is wanted in connection with the 2006 ‘MiG deal’ in which the SL Air Force was cheated into paying US$ 14.7 million to a shell company controlled by his business associates. Weeratunga who was evading arrest by Sri Lankan law enforcement was finally apprehended in the UAE last week while on transit to the United States. His passport remains impounded.

Weeratunga faces charges of having committed financial misappropriation while purchasing four Ukraine built MIG-27 aircraft for the Sri Lanka Air Force in 2006.

The former Ambassador was placed in immigration detention in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, February 4.

Although he was released later since there was no Interpol red notice issued in his name, Weeratunga is barred from leaving that country until investigations are over, a joint release from the Foreign Ministry and the Law and Order Ministry said.

However, it is feared that he might be released today after being produced before the Magistrate, because of the law of that country and the fact only an Interpol ‘Blue Notice’ is issued.

A delegation of Sri Lankan officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,

Attorney General’s Department and the FCID are presently in the UAE having discussions with the UAE authorities to get Weeratunga deported to Sri Lanka to answer the allegations levelled against him.

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Abu Dhabi has also retained lawyers in the UAE specialising in immigration matters to advice the Government on this matter, official sources said.

The Fort Magistrate in October 2017 issued an international warrant for his arrest on the request of the FCID.

Weeratunga in a fundamental rights petition filed through a power of attorney holder - his mother in law - last November sought to recall the warrant. He stated that at the time he was residing in Mekhanizatoriv Street, Kyiv, Ukraine.

At the time of his arrest, Sri Lankan authorities were tracing his whereabouts through mutual assistance of a number of countries.

His arrest was made on the blue notice issued by the Interpol. The purpose of the blue notice was to trace and locate Weeratunga ‘as a person of interest in a criminal investigation’.

Due to the law in the UAE and according to the rules governing blue notices, his continued detention was not possible, a joint media release from the Foreign Affairs and the Law and Order Ministries on Friday stated.

The FCID claims that Weeratunga was complicit in the forgery of the contract for the MiG deal, and that he conspired with people in Singapore and Ukraine to mislead the Air Force into paying US $14.7 million for goods and services, where the Ukrainian government supplier says he received only US$7 million.

The joint press release by the Foreign and the Law and Order Ministries stated the arrest warrant was issued in relation to investigations on an alleged embezzlement of public funds to the tune of US $7.8 million.

The whereabouts of this remaining US$7.8 million are unknown. An asset tracing and recovery investigation is underway by both the CID and FCID.

Source : Sunday Observer

Sri Lanka and Iran signed documents on Saturday (10), to expand cooperation in various fields, including trade and economy, the Sri Lankan government reported.

The documents were signed during a two-day visit of an Iranian delegation to Colombo.

The delegation, headed by the Iranian Energy Ministry official Hamid Reza Tashaoei and Iran’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Mohammad Zarei Irani, discussed ways of expanding cooperation with the host officials and reviewed impediments on the way of implementing earlier agreements.

It was reported that the two countries agreed on the need to find executive solutions to accelerate operationalization of the agreements.

Despite no UNP leader supporting the party’s campaign in the Colombo North electoral seat and its organizer Ravi Karunanayake, supporters of the party say Karunanayake has been able to bring the greatest victory for the UNP after fighting a lone battle along with his supporters.

Speaking to isis.lk UNP supporters of the Colombo North electoral division said Karunanayake had made great sacrifices to protect the party and its leadership, but however no responsible figure in the party stood by him when false allegations were being levelled against him by opposition parties.

They also pointed out that Karunanayake was ignored by the party by not allowing him to speak at any major rally of the party’s. While he was isolated by the party supporters say they, however, did not isolate their leader.

Accordingly, all 9 electoral divisions in Colombo North have been won by the UNP, the only electoral area from Colombo 1 - 15 to achieve such a victory. The supporters say as a result the party should, therefore, protect its capable leaders from false allegations of the opposition in the future.

Former General Secretary of the UNP, Tissa Attanayake says he is ready to join to party once again to set it on a path of victory in the face of the recent defeat faced by the party at the LG polls.

Attanayake made this comments to isis.lk when asked regarding the reports that he is ready to join the party if he is appointed as its General Secretary once more.

Receiving invitations continuously

Speaking further Attanayake said already several senior members of the party has approached him while the pressure from within the party on him to join the party has increased after the recent set back of the UNP.

Party became limited to Colombo

According to Attanayake, a great distance has been created between the party and the people with the party becoming limited to Colombo in recent times.

He said, therefore, the party needs to move away from its ‘Colombo Only’ mentality and restructure the party completely to avoid a further fiasco.

Those subjected to revenge being ignored an issue!

There are many activists who have been subjected to political vengeance for having been UNPers for decades, but the party has not acted to give any justice to the party after three years Attanayake said.

According to him witnessing how the party treats it supporters new members have been reluctant to join the party.

Party leaders distanced from grass root members

He also said that the party leaders should be close to the grassroots level members but instead many had distanced themselves from the grassroots supporters in the recent past which have led to its downfall.

Tissa - Karu phone conversation

Meanwhile, unofficial sources say a long phone conversation has taken place just a while ago between Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and Attanayake.

According to the sources, the defeat of the United National Party and the future steps of the party were discussed during this conversation.

Sources claim the UNP will see drastic changes in the coming days.

A leader of the Joint Opposition MP Dinesh Gunawardena has stated that Ranil Wickremesinghe should resign from his position as the Prime Minister after respecting the people’s mandate shown by the results of the local government election held today.

He says that when the election results are officially announced, a press conference will be called to publicly request the PM to step down.

‘Prime Minister can change according to the People’s mandate’ - Minister Susil

 Meanwhile, Minister Susil Premajayantha says that if a change in public opinion is shown at yesterday's local government elections, there is a possibility that the government and the position of the PM could see some changes.

 "At the Presidential election the people’s mandate changed, and Ranil Wickremesinghe became the PM thereafter. Accordingly, on February 10, the mandate may change and if so the PM could once again change," said minister Susil Premajayantha at a recent media briefing.

 "Governments can exist, they can be newly formed and elections can be held but the economy should be more responsibly handled for the sake of the country "he added.

Stalwarts of the United National Party are calling for a complete overhaul of the party with Karu Jayasuriya at its helm following the defeat at the recently concluded LG polls sources say.

Reports claim that senior as well as youth leaders of the party are now pushing for a new leadership council among many other suggestions to ensure the party’s future victory.

Sources say a large number of youth leaders have named Ministers such as Malik Samarawickrama and Sagala Ratnayake while asking for their removal claiming that such action is necessary to uplift the party.

General Secretary Kabir Hashim resigns

Following the recent defeat along with the resistance of other party members towards the party leadership and the leadership council, General Secretary of the Party, Kabir Hashim is said to have submitted his resignation from the post to the party leadership.

However, he is said to have included a condition that the resignation can only be valid if other party leaders also resign from their respective positions.

Also, Minister Kabir Hashim is said to have agreed to appoint Karu Jayasuriya as the party's temporary leader sources said.

It is reported that all the pre-election result predictions given to the President and the government regarding the Local Government election are false.

While the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is said to be now receiving results quite unexpected by them, inside sources say individuals who conducted pre-poll surveys for the party have even switched off their phones.

They say those who compiled surveys for Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa stating excessively favourable results have done the same this time around by presenting similar surveys to President Sirisena. Sources say despite warning the President that he should beware of those who were close to President Mahinda Rajapaksa prior to January 8, 2015, he paid no heed to this information.

However, according to internal sources of the party, the SLFP-led UPFA is now at the risk of coming in at the third or fourth position due to these fake reports.