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The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmed Shaheed is to visit Sri Lanka tomorrow (15) on a 12 day official tour that will end on Monday (26).

“I will look at how Sri Lanka promotes and protects the rights to freedom of religion or belief. The visit will be an opportunity for me to have an open exchange with the Government to try to gain a better understanding of how it upholds these rights,” Shaheed said.

“I also look forward to learning about the efforts of the Government in developing and maintaining peaceful coexistence among different religious communities.”

Shaheed is to examine the progress made by Sri Lanka in the implementation of recommendations made by former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Asma Jahangir, who visited Sri Lanka in 2005.

Shaheed will also aim to identify any existing or emerging obstacles to the enjoyment of the freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka by all and will present recommendations aimed at overcoming such obstacles.

During his Sri Lankan mission, Shaheed is to meet government officials, representatives of religious or belief communities, civil society organisations and the UN and is to also visit areas out of Colombo.

After more than a century of merchandising and deal-making, traders in Sri Lanka’s retail and wholesale ‘Pettah Market’ hub are vying for a bigger domain as they prepare to ink many Chamber to Chamber MoUs-and also venture into global trade.

“Once we link with the Chamber by affiliation, next we will go to international affiliations” revealed the President of Colombo Business Association (CBA) Dr. D. Venkateshwara on 10 August in Pettah

CBA President Dr. Venkateshwara was speaking after the launch of Pettah Fiesta 2019 in Colombo on 10 August, joined by the Minister of Industry, Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development & Vocational Training Rishad Bathiudeen and his Ministry Secretary KDN Ranjith Ashoka, CBA Chief Secretary Chaminda Vidanagamage, and State Minister of Industry, Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development & Vocational Training Buddhika Pathirana.

Minister Rishad Bathiudeen (second from right) receives a CBA souvenir from CBA Chief Secretary Chaminda Vidanagamage (far left) as the President of CBA, Dr. D. Venkateshwara (second from left) and State Minister Buddhika Pathirana (far right) look on at the launch of Pettah Fiesta on 10 August.

Many think that Pettah trade to be just pavement hawkers and peddlers, which is far from its real strength. We, the Colombo Business Association (CBA) are a 55,000 member strong trade focal point centred around Pettah and Colombo Fort markets. We are the largest Chamber of retail businesses in Sri Lanka and we also have wholesale trade members. The membership of CBA constitutes 23 business and trade associations around the country and packs 55000 retail and wholesale businesses of all scales-from large to micro, most of them operating in Pettah and Colombo while many are also from other parts of the country such as Kurunegala, Kandy and Northern Province. Some of our members, despite known for dealing in retail, are also into import and export trade” said the President CBA Dr. D. Venkateshwara.

He added: “As we expand and grow, our members call for a bigger role, recognition. The Pettah Fiesta 2019 we launch today is the first such special trade exhibition and carnival in the heart of Sri Lanka’s premier business hub in recent times and the first such trade fiesta in the 30 year history of CBA. This is to promote the contribution of our members to the consumers and to revive their trade. Also as we have now grown to become a national level Chamber, and very soon CBA will be linking with the Chamber of Commerce though an MoU-negotiations have already begun in this regard. As a result, CBA will be an affiliated Chamber to it in a few weeks’ time. Once we link with the Chamber by affiliation, next we will go to international affiliation. We will be inking a pact with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) also for which talks are continuing at present. We expect to sign MoUs with them before this Christmas. Once we link with ICC, we will send our delegation to overseas and international retail delegations can also visit us in turn. These exchanges could transform our Pettah retail hub to an international business hub and elevate our membership’s profile. These exchanges will not be restricted to FMCG segments but will expand to medical tourism, wellness/Ayurvedic tourism, agro sector, and infrastructure development. We are not limiting ourselves to these Chambers only but are also directly and in parallel negotiating with foreign chambers even at this moment. The overseas chambers we are talking to are the Turkish Chamber, and Chambers of Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. As soon as we conclude talks with them we will sign the MoUs at any moment. We are not able to do so right now simply due to this festival’s activities and the coming Christmas festival’s activities. But these MoUs are coming.”

The Minister of Industry, Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons, Cooperative Development, Skills Development & Vocational Training Rishad Bathiudeen said that the government is keen to empower small businesses in Colombo to overcome effects of recent bomb blasts. “I commend CBA for organizing this two-day trade fair to support the wholesale and retail trade of the area, which was badly affected by the Easter Sunday bomb attacks. Businesses belonging to all ethnicities were affected and our government is keen to see that they are revived- this effort showcases businesses and stalls of all traders -belonging to Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims and others-and we are promoting a united Sri Lankan business revival effort here.”

Ahimsa Wickrematunge, the daughter of the slain Sunday Leader editor, Lasantha Wickrematunge in a letter to United National Party (UNP) Leader, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has charged that the latter has used Lasantha Wickrematunge’s name only to win votes and has actively worked to protect his murderers.

She notes that there would not be any justice for Lasantha as long as the country remains at the mercy of the likes of Wickremesinghe and former Defence Secretary and presidential hopeful, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

“Will you apologise for spending the last four and a half years protecting and cavorting with the man you today call a mass murderer (Gotabaya)?” Ahimsa questions in a hard hitting letter to Wickremesinge.

She further notes, “You brought President Sirisena to power and won control of Parliament for the UNP, all by promising justice for my father’s murder.”

Ahimsa alleges that Wickremesinghe’s priorities changed once in office, “As soon as you came to power, your priorities changed. When I met you at Temple Trees in February 2015 to appeal for your support in making sure my father’s killers saw justice, you told me that there were “other priorities” and that justice was “not just about Lasantha.”

Ahimsa has also taken a swipe at Wickremesinghe’s Chief of Staff, Minister Sagala Ratnayake. “Because it is election season, you are publicly attacking him (Gotabaya) as a killer. But even as you do so, your Chief of Staff Sagala Ratnayake and other ministers are visiting him and spending hours at his residence.”

She adds, “your government is allegedly issuing him irregular identity cards and passports and your senior aide and niece is openly promoting Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s campaign propaganda on social media.

The letter sent by Ahimsa Wickrematunge to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is found below.

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has questioned the legitimacy in holding a presidential election since participating in it would be a violation of the people’s verdict.

TNA Leader MP R Sampanthan says the people have continuously given a mandate for the abolition of the executive presidency and the introduction of a new constitution.

Sampanthan has made this observation during a meeting with a European Union (EU) delegation comprising of Riccardo Chelleri, (Policy Officer Democracy and Electoral Observation) and Anne Vaugier Chatterjee (Deputy Head, Political, Trade, and Communications Section) and others.

The TNA Leader pointed out that the Sri Lankan people since 1994 have repeatedly voted for the abolition of the Executive Presidency, which has been the verdict of the people over 25 years at elections.

In this context holding another Presidential election is a deceitful act and is against the verdict of the people of this country, said Sampanthan.

“Therefore, the matter what has to be decided at this juncture is that, whether to participate in this process which is against the verdict of the people and the other question remains whether it is a legitimate process,” Sampanthan notes.

He further observes that at the last Presidential election over 90% of the people supported a New Constitution. Based on that a resolution was unanimously adopted in Parliament and much work had been done to frame a new Constitution but now all those efforts had been put aside.

“After the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1988 over the past thirty years, much work had been done concerning framing a new Constitution. There were several proposals made available in this regard but none of those were fulfilled. At this moment the Country needs a New Constitution and not a Presidential Elections,” Sampanthan informed the EU delegation.

The Tamils feel betrayed by the international community, says Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran.

Sumanthiran’s comments come after former Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa was named as the presidential candidate of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on Sunday (11) by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Controversy meanwhile surrounds the renunciation of Gotabaya’s US citizenship.

However, concerns have been raised as to how the US had permitted his renunciation of citizenship when he was facing litigation in the US and also faced allegations of human rights violations among others before the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

Sumanthiran has further noted that the Tamil community in the country is more united than during the war and would stand together at decisive moments.

He has further stated that the TNA played a crucial role to ensure the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government was defeated in 2015 and once again in defeating the 52 day political coup last year.

According to the MP, if the political coup last October was not defeated then, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa would have come to power.

The Metro Colombo Development Project launched by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) under the guidance of former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, now the Pohottuwa presidential candidate has flouted existing legal and policy safeguards and standards, official sources claimed.

Rajapaksa has given orders to demolish walls of public and private property and forcibly evicted shanty dwellers in Colombo using the military and his brother former President Rajapaksa’s power to beautify Colombo.

Slave Island residents after the demolition of their homes, February 2014/Megara Tegal.

The completion of the project has been delayed incurring additional expenditure to state coffers due to improper planning of the previous regime, UDA officials alleged.

Of particular concern are the involvement of the military controlled UDA in forced evictions, the modalities of which are similar to those employed in the North and East of Sri Lanka,

The report of experts argues that viewing the forced evictions in Colombo as part of a development project only serves to hide the enormous social, public and human costs.

The total estimated cost of the Project had been US$ 321 million equivalent to LKR 42,031.44 million.

Out of that, a sum of US$ 213 million or 66.35 per cent of the total cost is financed by the International Bank for the Reconstruction and Development and the remaining amount is financed by the Government of Sri Lanka.

Even though this project was scheduled to commence on 10 July 2012 and be completed by 30 June 2017, the duration of the Project had been extended in 02 instances.

Accordingly, the project is due to be completed by 30 June 2020. However, a sum of US$ 87.7 million equivalent to Rs.12, 198 million from the funds received under World Bank loans had been utilized by the end of the year 2017.

In addition to that, a sum of LKR 3, 691 million or US$ 25.7 million had been spent by the Government of Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, an amount of approximately 41 per cent of the loan had been utilized after 5 1/5 years of the implementation of the project.

General Secretary of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA), MP Mahinda Amaraweera says the party’s Central Committee (CC) would decide on the SLFP candidate at the next presidential election.

Amaraweera said the party’s Central Committee is due to meet in the coming week to discuss the matter.

He added that the Committee would also decide on whether the SLFP and the Rajapaksa led Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) would work towards forming a political alliance.

Amaraweera made this observation in response to a question posed by journalists at the SLFP headquarters.

The National Election Commission (NEC) remains undecided on who should fill the parliamentary seat that has fallen vacant with the demise of MP Salinda Dissanayake.

The NEC met yesterday (12) to discuss and decide on the filling of the vacant parliamentary seat.

However, it was decided to instruct the Returning Officer (Elections officer) of the Kurunegala District to officially name a suitable candidate to fill the vacant parliamentary seat of the late MP.

The filling of the vacant parliamentary seat has become a controversy with United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) National List MP Shantha Bandara resigning from his seat to fill the vacant seat in Parliament.

The NEC has also decided to inform the UPFA General Secretary, MP Mahinda Amaraweera to name a suitable candidate to fill the vacated National List slot after the resigning of former UPFA National List MP Bandara.

Bandara is next in line in the Kurunegala District list to fill the vacant parliamentary seat. However, he was appointed to parliament as a national list MP and was in parliament at the time of Dissanayake’s demise.

Former North Western Provincial Councillor D.B. Herath had obtained the highest number of preferential votes after Bandara in the last general election from the Kurunegala District.

The issue now is whether the vacant parliamentary seat should be filled by Bandara or Herath.

The forthcoming presidential election during the end of this year and the possibility of holding several elections during the early part of 2020 has resulted in the Cabinet of Ministers deciding yesterday (13) to present a supplementary estimate to parliament to make allocations for funds required for the first few months of 2020 without the presentation of a budget proposal for next year.

The Cabinet has yesterday granted approval to the Cabinet paper submitted by Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera on the matter.

Therefore, there will not be a presentation of budget proposals for 2020 during the end of this year.

Instead, the supplementary estimate will be presented to parliament around mid November.

 Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) is now looking at initiating disciplinary action against party members who had attended the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) convention on Sunday (11), but has remained silent on the action that would be taken against senior SLFPer, former President and incumbent Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa who has now officially assumed the post of SLPP Leader.

SLFP General Secretary Dayasiri Jayasekera says disciplinary action will be initiated against the party members who participated in the SLPP convention.

However, he says the initiation of disciplinary action against the SLFP members would be decided by the party’s central committee (CC) and that the CC is expected to meet soon.

The SLFP parliamentary group under the patronage of party leader, President Maithripala Sirisena last week made a unanimous decision not to attend the SLPP convention.

Nevertheless, several members including parliamentarians had violated the decision and attended the SLPP convention. Among the MPs are Sarath Amunugama, Dilan Perera and S.B. Dissanayake.

Meanwhile, in the event disciplinary action is initiated against, the SLFP would also have to take steps against SLFP Patron, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa. According to the SLFP Constitution, a party member automatically loses his party membership in the event he/she takes membership of another political party.

The Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Sunday (11) addressing the SLPP convention in a bid to win over the nationalistic forces in the party said he would not allow any country to threaten Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.

However, he has remained silent on his stance on the US Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) and Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) causing a problem for the nationalistic forces in the SLPP.

Several political parties supportive of the Rajapaksas have already expressed their objections to the two US agreements – SOFA and ACSA. Some ‘joint opposition’ leaders have continuously maintained that the greatest challenge before the patriotic people of the country is to defeat the SOFA and ACSA agreements that permit US forces to enter Sri Lanka and not be ruled by Sri Lankan laws.

“We must maintain healthy relationships with all friendly countries. However, we will never betray our independence at the behest of any foreign power. Through resuming proper diplomatic relationships with other countries, we will ensure that we will interact with other nations on equal terms, and maintain our national sovereignty and our dignity as a nation,” Gotabhaya said at the SLPP convention, but remained silent on the two pending agreements with the US

US officials meet MR

A few hours before the SLPP convention on Sunday, US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice G. Wells along with the US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz held a discussion with former President and incumbent Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa at his official residence at Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo 7.

The sudden meeting between the US officials and Rajapaksa was quite suspicious and it has been made worse with the US Embassy in Sri Lanka as well as Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family remaining tight lipped about the details discussed at this meeting.

Meanwhile, social media discussions have focused on whether Gotabhaya has remained silent on the signing of the SOFA and ACSA agreements since he did not want to anger the US due to unresolved issues related to his US citizenship.

Some social media posts have questioned whether his US citizenship issues would compel him to sign the controversial SOFA and ACSA agreements if elected to power.

JVP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa has previously informed parliament that it was the Rajapaksa regime in 2007 that first signed the ACSA agreement with the US permitting the Americans to freely use our air and sea limits. It was Gotabhaya, in his capacity as the then Defence Secretary, who signed the ACSA agreement with the US in July 2007.

Dr. Jayatissa said that US naval ships still call in Sri Lankan ports as a result of this agreement and that the parliamentarians, who are now objecting to the agreement, were silent at the time the agreement was first signed.

Meanwhile, MP Vasudeva Nayakkara also speaking in parliament said that he had questioned then President Rajapaksa about the signing of the agreement.

According to Nanayakkara, Rajapaksa has asked him not to be too worried since the agreement was not a valid one as it is signed by the Defence Secretary with an ambassador and not by the head of state.

Sri Lanka’s welfare facilities for disabled war heroes and their families have not been carried out at a satisfactory level although the previous Rajapaksa regime is still boasting about the assistance extended to them, official documents revealed. ‘

The political propaganda machinery of the Rajapaksas' have misled the masses by highlighting a few facilities provided to disabled soldiers and their families thereby fooling the public.

There were three main institutions called Sri Lanka Ranawiru Authority, National Defence Fund and Api Wenuawen Api Fund under the Ministry of Defence overseen by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as its secretary.

These institutions were established with the main aim of providing welfare facilities to the deceased and disabled war heroes and their family members.

Details of how the money was spent for this purpose from theses funds have now come to light with documentary proof.

The cash balances amounting to Rs 997 million and Rs 1,116 million had remained in the National Defence Fund and Api Wenuawen Api Fund as at 31 December 2017.

However, the National Defence Fund had engaged only on providing benefits for the children of the officers of armed forces who passed the Grade 05 Scholarships examination during the period from 2013 to 2017.

The activities of the Api Wenuwen Api had been confined only to award housing loans for the Ranawiru families.

Furthermore, the Ranawiru Seva Authority is required to prepare a list of deceased officers in action and their family members and maintain continuously in updated manner in terms of the Section 06 of the Ranawiru Seva Authority Act, No 54 of 1999.

However, such a completed record had not been prepared and maintained even as at 31 December 2017.

For that purpose, 269 Ranawiru Societies had been established and a sum of Rs 12.98 million had been spent as at 31 December 2017.