Suspend Lanka from Commonwealth: CJs

By P K Balachandran - COLOMBO

22nd April 2013 

Whether or not Sri Lanka will play host to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November this year will be known after the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meets in London on Friday.

Although the question of the venue is not on the formal agenda of the CMAG, it could be raised under the provision for “any other business.” The most recent plea against holding the summit in Lanka came from the Commonwealth Law Conference held in Cape Town, South Africa, between April 14-18. The meeting, attended by 27 Chief Justices, unanimously passed a resolution asking CMAG “to place Sri Lanka on the agenda of the next meeting on April 26, and suspend it from the Councils of the Commonwealth for serious and persistent violations of the Commonwealth’s fundamental values.” The resolution also called upon Commonwealth countries to “reconsider” holding CHOGM in Lanka, and blamed the SL government for its role in impeaching Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake “in defiance of the judgments of the highest courts in Sri Lanka.”

Elections to NPC

Meanwhile, Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa reiterated his promise to hold elections to the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) in September this year, but said that the date would be fixed after consulting his astrologer.

The Election Commissioner has told the media that elections to the NPC cannot be held without the government establishing the Council by a gazette notification. If the elections are to be held in September, the gazette notification should come by April end.

Astrologer will set northern polls date: President

Sunday, April 21, 2013

President Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday that elections to the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) would be held in September this year but the date of the poll would be decided based on the advice of his astrologer.

“My astrologer gives me a winning time and I will decide on the basis on what he says,” the President said at a ceremony yesterday in Welioya to hand over deeds of Mahaweli lands to people in the area.

President Rajapaksa also said that not many people complained when prices of cigarettes and alcohol went up but they complained when electricity prices were raised.

“There is much whining when electricity rates are increased but when cigarette and alcohol prices go up, no one complains. In fact the use of alcohol and cigarettes is on the rise despite the price hike,” he said.

The President said the people should not indulge in drinking or smoking but even if he advised them not to, his words would be ignored.