The Sri Lankan Media Network in USA















Friday, July 30, 2010

POLITICAL BULLETIN: July 29, 2010

Sri Lanka government have settled 267,393 IDPs upto last week. Latest government statistics have revealed that at least 35,333 were still in camps set up in early 2009 for those who crossed over to the government side as the civil war came to an end in May, 2009.

The UNP will hand over a no-confidence motion to against External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris. The UNP had decided to bring this motion against Prof. Peiris soon after the appointment of a panel by UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon to advise him on the accountability issues in Sri Lanka during the last phase of war.
In this case, the UNP said, the government failed in diplomacy.

According to parliamentary traditions, a No Confidence motion is the most potent device for the Opposition to challenge the legitimacy of a government. It is an essential feature of the Parliamentary System that the government should enjoy the confidence of Parliament. The challenge of a no-confidence motion is normally accepted by the government and given precedence over other businesses of the House. Under Article 49 (2) of the Constitution, the Cabinet of Ministers stand dissolved upon defeat at a no-confidence motion.

The history of politics in Sri Lanka rewritten with suicide of UNP supporter this week. Though it is common in India to commit suicide in favor of political ideologies it never happened in Sri Lanka. The 60-year-old full time activist of UNP who set himself ablaze opposite UNP headquarters, Sirikotha died next day at the hospital due to severity of his burn injuries. It is learnt that he is disappointed over the affairs of UNP, mainly about the leadership tussle.