By Gagani Weerakoon Courtesy Ceylon Today

A week after the UN Secretary General visiting Jaffna, President Maithripala Sirisena who was invited to the 200th anniversary celebration of Jaffna Central College on Friday (9) said the decisions that should be taken regarding the development of the country cannot be postponed under any circumstances. If that happened the people of the country will suffer from poverty, the President pointed out while adding that the swift measures will be taken to ensure the carrying out of the development work of the North without any delay.

President Sirisena also said, he will tour the province in the future to take necessary steps to prevent any delays of the development work and to find out causes for those issues.
The students warmly received the President when he arrived at the venue and he was seen engaged in a very cordial and friendly discussion with them.

A book released to mark the Jaffna Central College Scout Centenary Celebrations was presented to the President by the Principal of the College. A commemorative stamp was also issued in this regard.
The Principal, presented a special memento to the President.Expressing his views further, the President said, he will fulfil every responsibility to make the dreams of the children in the North as well as the South, a reality.
The present government allocated the maximum amount of funds in history for the development of education in the North, he added.

Meanwhile, the President opened a newly built state-of-the-art Police Station in Jaffna. Later he also made an inspection tour of the Police Station.

The Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran, Ministers and MPs, including, Minister Sagala Ratnayake, State Minister Vijayakala Maheswaran, Douglas Devananda, Angajan Ramanathan, MP, Inspector General of Police, Pujith Jayasundara, Jaffna Security Force Commander Major General Mahesh Senanayake and many others participated in this event.

Maithri applauded

President Sirisena went to Jaffna in a jubilant mood after concluding the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)’s 65th Anniversary Convention, with gloomy clouds of being a flop looming over up until last Sunday.
Even though, Rajapaksa loyalists backed out, the rally was a complete success with many describing it as having the true identity of the SLFP with many cultural events taking place.

Despite the lack of support by these SLFP members, the 65th SLFP Convention attracted a massive crowd, which according to many party stalwarts was the biggest an SLFP convention has ever attracted.
As it was made clear that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was not attending the Convention as he had already undertaken a tour in Malaysia, a seat was not allocated for him.

Unlike on many previous occasions where Rajapaksa received a remarkable cheer from crowds than Party Leader President Sirisena ever received in the recent past, a warm reception and a loud applaud thundered whenever President Sirisena’s name was referred to.

Addressing the packed Maligapitiya ground, he stressed that the SLFP will contest upcoming Local Government elections under the party’s traditional ‘Hand’ symbol.

He invited other political parties supporting the SLFP and those that are willing to do so in the future to contest as a common front at future polls under the ‘Hand’ symbol. President Sirisena also invited SLFP parliamentarians in the Joint Opposition group to work within the party to form an SLFP led government in the future.
“I took over the leadership to form an SLFP led government,” the President added.
While observing that some were attacking him both openly and in secret, the President questioned whether they were conspiring against him as he is a man from a humble background.

He pointed out that he is the President who is most close to the general public as he came from a humble background when compared to the other six Executive Presidents in the country. “We need the support of all for this endeavour,” he added.
Meanwhile, all 38 SLFP parliamentarians in the Joint Opposition, the group of MPs loyal to former President Rajapaksa, stayed away from the 65th SLFP Convention as predicted.
Earlier, MP Dullas Alahapperuma said that the 38 SLFP members supporting the Joint Opposition will boycott the convention.
What is noteworthy was not giving former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, a chance to speak at the party convention.

Maithri goes green

Meanwhile, upon returning from Jaffna, President Sirisena yesterday attended the 70th Convention of the United National Party (UNP) held at Campbell Park in Colombo under the patronage of UNP Leader and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
President Sirisena was undecided whether he would make a speech at the UNP Convention till the last minute as he came under heavy criticism by SLFPers for not only becoming the first SLFP leader to attend a UNP Convention, but going ahead with a speech too.

However, despite these concerns expressed President Sirisena continued the trend he set by making a strong speech at the UNP Convention.

Former President Chandrika Kumaratunga was also seen at the UNP Convention.
The Convention which began by singing the National Anthem in Sinhala concluded with it being sung in Tamil.

CBK at crucial UNP meeting

In the run-up to the 70th Anniversary Celebrations a special dinner was arranged at the Water’s Edge to discuss the preparations for the Convention.

Prior to this, the UNP Working Committee also met under the leadership of Premier Wickremesinghe and unlike on an ordinary day, UNP MPs who are not in the Working Committee were also invited to it.
Leader Wickremesinghe, in a lengthy speech, described the sacrifices he made from 1994 to 2015 when the UNP was in the Opposition, to make sure that party was not split.
Hinting at the party’s leadership he said that he has no intention to be the UNP leader when Party celebrates its 80th Anniversary. This remark prompted whispers amongst many who saw it positively while there were those who attempted to read between the lines.

For them, it was the way Wickremesinghe indirectly implied his wish to serve two more terms as the UNP leader.
After the Working Committee meeting PM Wickremesinghe arrived with his wife Prof. Maithree Wickremesinghe to the dinner party at the Water’s Edge.

Everyone was amazed to see another VIP arriving at this UNP special dinner and it was none other than former President Kumaratunga.

Protest against MR

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was in Malaysia to address the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) organized by the Malaysian Government at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).

According to Malaysian media reports, some 50 people of Indian ethnicity had gathered outside the Putra World Trade Centre to protest against Rajapaksa, whom they dubbed a “war criminal”.

The group claimed Indian Malaysians have been insulted by Rajapaksa’s presence in the country and criticized the government for according ‘VIP treatment’ at the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) to the Sri Lankan whom they accused of having killed thousands of Tamils in his country.
Demonstrators held up banners and posters featuring his likeness horned and fanged with messages that read “Rajapaksa is a killer”, “Sri Lankan Idi Amin” and “Get out Rajapaksa”.

MR pays no heed

However, Rajapksa paid no heed to the protests and in fact was roaming around the country meeting people and visiting places as previously planned.

After his address he briefly met the Malaysian Prime Minister upon the latter’s invitation and was engaged in a cordial discussion.
However, Rajapaksa did not visit the temple where a Buddhist monk got assaulted as Sri Lankans in Malaysia as well as Malaysian security advised him against his intention to visit the temple and meet the victimized monk.
The Chief Incumbent of the Sri Lankan Buddhist temple in Sentul was assaulted by a small group of demonstrators who were against Rajapaksa visiting the temple, Free Malaysia Today reported.

Members of the Malaysian Indian Progressive Association, Malaysian Tamilan, and the Malaysian Indian Education Transformation Association began their protest by burning an effigy of Rajapaksa. When the Chief Incumbent, Sri Saranankara Maha Nayaka Thera (a Sinhalese), came out of the temple, some persons went to question him about Rajapaksa’s visit, and abused him using vulgarities and obscenities.

One person touched the monk’s face, prompting another to punch him in the face. Two members of the crowd also kicked the monk, forcing Sri Saranankara to run back into the temple.

Sentul Police arrived in time to prevent the crowd from pursuing the monk into the temple.
Subsequently, the President of the Malaysian Indian Educational Transformation Association (MIETA), A. Elangovan, went into the temple with the police and apologized to the monk.

He said his group had gathered at the temple “because we want to give a stern warning to all Buddhist temples not to allow the mass murderer here.”

HC attacked

However, Rajapaksa protests went out of proportion when a group assaulted Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia Ibrahim Sahib Ansar last Sunday, in a restricted area of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
The CCTV footage of the incident, shows the group of men cornering Ansar and questioning him before beating him down to the floor.

According to sources, the attackers had actually come in search of Mahinda Rajapaksa, and asked Ansar about the whereabouts of ‘war criminal Rajapaksa’.

“When he replied that they should go and find out from security officers, they beat him and left him bleeding,” sources said.
On Monday, the Sri Lankan Government condemned the incident and lodged a strong protest with the Malaysian High Commissioner in Colombo for failing to provide him adequate security.

BIA blackout

When Rajapaksa arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Katunayake, ending his tour full of drama in Malaysia his supporters had gathered at the normal arrival entrance to welcome him.

A commotion erupted when the security personnel attempted to prevent Rajapaksa from using the ordinary exit.
MP Prasanna Ranatunga was adamant against security concerns and demanded that Rajapaksa would leave the airport from the normal arrivals gate and would speak to his supporters who have gathered there.

However, when Rajapaksa arrived at the normal arrivals gate to exit, the power supply was interrupted only in that section prompting MPs Mahindananda Aluthgamage , Lohan Ratwatte, Dullas Alahapperuma, Piyal Nishantha, Prasanna Ranaweera, Indika Anurudda, Johnston Fernando and Roshan Ranasinghe to flock around Rajapaksa and escort him out under their security.