TNA fires salvo for self-determination

Reconciliation process faces serious challenges partly due to contradictory statements by government Main Tamil party outlines document, seeking sweeping powers for provincial council

By Our Political Editor     SUNDAY, 03 JUNE 2012

President Mahinda Rajapaksa interrupted a four-day visit to Thailand to return to Colombo on Friday morning. He left for Bangkok the same evening after taking part in two main engagements. One was the wedding of Minister Arumugam Thondaman's daughter Nachiyar at the Water's Edge in Battaramulla. Some 900 guests, including cabinet ministers and leading opposition personalities, were among those present. The weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening was put off for Friday and fixed at 2 p.m. However, officials hurriedly telephoned ministers to say the meeting had been advanced to 12.30 p.m. Rajapaksa chaired the session which was routine and did not see him make any remarks. Discussions and decisions on some 34 cabinet papers, including the tabling of annual reports of some state concerns, were completed in less than an hour. Rajapaksa flew back the same evening to Bangkok. President Mahinda Rajapaksa meeting TNA leader R. Sampanthan at the wedding of the daughter of Minister Arumugam Thondaman. The President told the TNA leader, "Instead of issuing media statements, why don't you come and see me" On Tuesday, he was entertained to dinner by Princess Maha Chakri Siridhorn and other members of the Royal family. Five members of Rajapaksa's entourage were also included for the event. Rajapaksa also addressed a gathering at the UN centre on the significance of Vesak before returning to Colombo yesterday. He is due to leave for Britain today. He will take part in a luncheon hosted by Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma to honour Queen Elizabeth II on the 60th year of her accession to the British throne. That will be his only engagement with the British monarch. Whilst the Queen is the head of the Commonwealth, Sri Lanka has taken over the leadership of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) after the last meeting was held in October last year in Perth, Australia. READ MORE...