Author: TELO Admin

SJB to boycott meeting convened by President with IMF delegates

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The majority of the Members of Parliament representing the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) have reportedly decided not to participate the meeting with the representatives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) convened by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

This was revealed by the National Organizer of the SJB Tissa Attanayake today (March 09).

Joining a press briefing held today, MP Attanayake stated that however the party’s stance on the matter would be officially communicated later.

Attanayake further said that the IMF delegation, similar to the last time they were in Sri Lanka, would meet with and hold discussions with the opposition leader this time as well. He also pointed out that the SJB does not expect to take part in any discussions convened by the President to seek support for the government’s program.

President Wickremesinghe had extended an invitation to the party leaders representing the opposition in Parliament for a discussion with the IMF delegation on Monday (March 11) to offer a chance to discuss the global lender’s proposals.

The President’s Media Division (PMD) earlier said Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, National People’s Power (NPP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader S. Sridharan were invited to participate in these deliberations.

Additionally, an open invitation was extended to interested individuals to join alongside the invited leaders.

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Shavendra and Kamal villains in GR’s new book

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Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has acknowledged his shortcomings in appointing key defence personnel, including General Shavendra Silva and General (Retd.) Kamal Gunaratne in his tell-all memoir “The Conspiracy to Oust Me” launched yesterday (March 7).

Rajapaksa recounts the dramatic circumstances which led to his ousting in 2022, describing it as a first-hand experience of an internationally-sponsored regime change operation.

Rajapaksa who recalls several of his failures, most notably the organic farming initiative, also interestingly points out failures in the national security apparatus under his own administration.

“I appointed officers with long years of experience whom I had worked with for many years to the most important positions in the law and order and security apparatus.

Some structural shortcomings in the placements I made which did not show up when the armed forces were preoccupied with disaster relief operations during the pandemic, later obviously caused problems in the command and control structure of the defence establishment. However, by that time it was too late to address these issues.” he wrote.

The former President, referring to Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne and the Army Commander at the time Shavendra Silva noted the lack of ‘a seniority gap’ between the two heads which he asserted was detrimental to national security.

“Both of them were divisional commanders during the war and had got used to seeing themselves more or less as equals. Whether the two got on well was doubtful,” Rajapaksa said. He also alleged that the Army Commander and the Defence Secretary were working against each other at times, with the Army Commander disregarding the instructions of the Defence Secretary, Kamal Gunaratne. He added that Gunaratne may not have had the same control over the armed services that Rajapaksa once had as Defence Secretary.

In stark contrast to Rajapaksa’s presidential election campaign which was built around the themes of national security, and his status as a war hero, the memoir notes of the various failures of the defence apparatus in containing mass protests which led to him fleeing the country. One reason, Rajapaksa attributes is the fact that both the Defence Secretary and the Army Commander were facing human rights abuse allegations, which he says prevented the duo from taking necessary action.

Rajapaksa notes that the inability of Silva’s daughter to travel to the United States due to these circumstances ,‘ obviously’ had a psychological impact on the General.

The former President asserts that visits by foreign ambassadors to military installations must stop, and strict protocols must be introduced to monitor interactions of the armed services. While Rajapaksa maintains that his ouster was the result of a major international conspiracy, the failure of intelligence was also a key factor in preventing his ousting.

“Intelligence services performed well in pandemic-related duties, they completely missed the build-up of politically motivated mobs on social media,” he wrote.

The former President also shared some of his frustrations in being a novice politician, detailing the dilemmas he was forced to deal with in appointing members of the Rajapaksa family to powerful portfolios.“the fact that I was not leading the party meant that I did not have much political power,” Rajapaksa
wrote.

In a historic ruling in November 2023, the Supreme Court determined that the Rajapaksa brothers, — Gotabaya, Mahinda, and Basil — as well as senior officials in their administration, played a significant role in the economic crisis of 2022, breaching the public’s trust.

Nonetheless, Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s book reiterates his refusal to acknowledge any accountability for the nation’s financial downfall, and continues to attribute his ousting to “conspiratorial forces.”

Foreign Ministry mum on Russian proposal to build cost effective advance nuclear reactor

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Sri Lanka has capable engineers to operate a nuclear power plant and these power plants are very safe, Prof. S.R.D. Rosa, Chairman, Sri Lanka Atomic Energy Board (SLAEB), said during a recent seminar organised by the Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) on ‘Potential of nuclear energy and its challenges in Sri Lanka.’

Prof. Rosa said that many erroneously believed that Sri Lanka did not have the human resources to operate and maintain a nuclear power plant.

“Of course, if we start a nuclear power plant we will have to get help from others initially. We need to work on public perception because many people assume nuclear power plants explode all the time. Nothing can be further from the truth.”

Rosa said nuclear power plants were regulated strictly. The SLAEB had started to amend the Lanka Atomic Energy Act as the current Act does not permit nuclear power plants in the country, he said.

“If we are going for nuclear power the Act has to change and the government has started the amendment process. This is chaired by Justice Sobitha Rajakaruna and I am also a member. We hope to finish the amendments by July,” he said.

Rosa added they have received a number of proposals to construct nuclear plants in Sri Lanka. Russia’s Rosatom, China’s China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), France’s Électricité de France (EDF), and Denmark’s Seaborg have submitted proposals. USA’s Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) and Canada’s Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) have expressed willingness.

“The proposal from Russia is a very comprehensive and a complete proposal. Russia is building two nuclear power plants in Bangladesh and one in Kudankulam, India, which is only about 207 kilometres from Kalpitiya. I think the Russians also want us to join their regional efforts. We had many discussions with Rosatom officials, including many Zoom sessions, and finalized the proposals. To finalize this, we need to sign intergovernmental agreements (IGA). We sent the proposal to the Foreign Ministry six or seven months back, but we still have not got an answer. It’s probably because of the Russia-Ukraine war and IMF, etc.”

Sri Lanka has also received a complete proposal from China and representatives from CNNC visited Sri Lanka about two months ago. The CNNC officials met SLAEB and even brought a prototype, Rosa said.

“EDF, too, has sent a proposal. We then have a unique proposal from Denmark. Seaborg Technologies is a private Danish startup. They are building barges or floating nuclear power plants. Seaborg Technologies is working on building power plants in Vietnam, and Indonesia and wants to build a third one for Sri Lanka.”

Rosa said USNC and AECL have sent proposals of willingness, but they are not complete or comprehensive proposals. Sri Lanka now has received six proposals. Seaborg has offered a power barge, Russia has offered Sri Lanka both onshore and offshore power plants, while the others have proposed conventional nuclear power plants, he mentioned.

“We have to also think about the prices. There is no point in building a nuclear power plant if the unit cost is about 60 rupees. The problem is that no one gives the exact price unless you sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) or a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Russians have offered us several options, depending on our requirements. If we go with the offshore plant, Russians will build and bring if here and we will have to sign a 10- or 20-year MoU. We have asked the price but they have not given us an exact price. However, we looked at the nuclear power plants Russians have built in Bangladesh, the unit price is between 27 to 30 Sri Lankan rupees.”

He added that China and Russia are the only countries that have successfully built operational Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity up to 300 MWs per unit.

Rosa said that they have prepared a Cabinet paper and that they have asked the government to take a “strategic and visionary” decision on generating electricity from nuclear power as a policy. They have also asked the government to invite expressions of interest from government institutions of suitable countries producing nuclear power plants compatible with the technical, economic, social, environmental and legal conditions of Sri Lanka and that can provide an integrated solution, including fuel cycle options and radioactive waste management options.

“We want a clear-cut policy approval from the government. We asked the government and they have approved. Since we have so many proposals, what the government said was to ask for Expressions of Interests (EOIs). Because if we only go with Russians there would be complications. Some may not like it. The Cabinet has also approved the decision to call EoIs. We had already prepared the EoI and since we have got the Cabinet approval, we can go for it.”

Rosa added Sri Lanka needs nuclear power to have a stable source of energy and that nuclear power plants would complement renewable energy.

“My personal opinion is that we should go for an offshore nuclear power plant first and then move to an onshore power plant. This is not the stance of the SLAEB. This is because selecting a land may be an issue because of public perceptions. Another thing to consider is that Thorium-based nuclear power plants are becoming very popular. India has a lot of thorium. Even Sri Lanka has a lot of thorium,” he said.

Foreign Powers, Political Intrigue, and Sacrifice: Inside Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Book

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Former Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has disclosed in his book that influential foreign entities, in conjunction with certain local groups, orchestrated extensive protests and acts of sabotage aimed at ousting him from the presidency.

He claimed that these efforts were further bolstered by substantial financial backing.

The book by Rajapaksa, “The conspiracy to oust me from the Presidency”, is now available in Sri Lanka.

In the book, Gotabaya Rajapaksa acknowledges that he was well aware of the unwavering determination of dominant foreign forces and certain local factions to persist in their actions as long as he was in power.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa candidly reveals that he chose to step down from his position to put an end to the web of political conspiracies and acts of sabotage that were systematically undermining the well-being of the people.

Furthermore, Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa discloses that a significant foreign power strongly urged him not to resign.

Rajapaksa in his book said that this foreign entity had demonstrated through concrete actions its commitment to ensuring the supply of essential materials to Sri Lanka.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa noted that despite these events he decided to step down in order to provide relief to the people.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa revealed that certain influential nations present themselves as champions of democracy and the rule of law on the global stage. Meanwhile, in many developing countries, a network of paid activists purports to advocate for these principles. However, their true agenda often aligns more with advancing their own interests rather than safeguarding genuine democratic values.

Former President Rajapaksa unveiled several critical details in his book concerning the events that unfolded during his removal from office.

Among these incidents, the protest held on March 31, 2021, right outside his residence in Mirihana, stands out as a significant case.

According to the book, a significant number of individuals participated in a procession that reached Pangiriwatte Road around 8:00 PM.

Gotabaya said that notably, during this time, then-Army Commander Shavendra Silva, Defense Secretary Kamal Gunaratne, and all the Armed Forces Commanders were attending a wedding ceremony at the Shangri-La Hotel in Colombo.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that he promptly informed both Shavendra and Kamal about the unfolding situation.

Therafter, Director of the State Intelligence Service, Suresh Salley, who was also present at the wedding ceremony, visited the Mirihana area.

Upon his arrival, approximately one hundred protesters were present, detailed Rajapaksa noting that despite the presence of the police special task force and army officers, no explicit instructions were issued regarding how to handle the crowd.

He said that Suresh Salley resorted to a video call with Shavendra Silva and Kamal Gunaratne, showing them the gathering. Regrettably, no directives to disperse the crowd were relayed from the senior ranks.

According to the former President, at approximately 10:30 AM on the following day, the Army Commander, Chief of Defense Staff, and Defense Secretary visited his residence.

He said that on 8 July 2022, he instructed Defence Secretary Kamal Gunaratne to shift the Operations Room from the Defence Force Headquarters to President’s House.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he took the precaution of getting all the defence chiefs to the President’s House because of the bad experience had at Temple Trees on the night of 9 May 2022 where there was an inordinate and unforgivable delay in the induction of troops to evacuate the Prime Minister.

He revealed that On the morning of 9 July 2022, the Defence Secretary, Commanders of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, the IGP and the Director of SIS were all present in the Operations Room that had been established at the President’s House.

The plan was to prevent the protesters from arriving in Colombo by blocking all the approach roads. But no such roadblocks had been established, and the crowds converged on the President’s House virtually unopposed.

The former President also pointed out that, ironically, while the protest was supposed to be over shortages of essential items, shipments of many of these items were due to reach Colombo either on 9 July 2022 itself or in the days following.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa noted that while some assert that he abandoned a sinking ship alone, it is essential to clarify that Sri Lanka was not in a state of decline when he resigned.

Regrettably, he says that he encountered a meticulously orchestrated foreign and domestic conspiracy aimed at removing him from power in March/April 2022—a critical juncture when the nation was gradually recovering from the pandemic.

In light of this situation, Rajapaksa had deemed it futile to sacrifice even a single life merely to prolong his tenure by two additional years.

President, MR, Basil Rajapaksa to Meet Today to Discuss Potential Alliance for Upcoming Elections

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Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) leader Basil Rajapaksa, alongside former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is set to hold talks with President Ranil Wickremesinghe this evening to explore potential political collaborations ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections.

Basil Rajapaksa, returning from the United States, will engage in discussions at a pivotal time when electoral alliances are being forged across parties in anticipation of the impending national elections. Amidst these deliberations, the sequence of elections is also under scrutiny.

A faction within the SLPP, led by MP Nimal Lanza, has already pledged support to the President, organizing rallies nationwide to rally public backing. Chief Government Whip Prasanna Ranatunga has echoed the sentiment for SLPP to endorse the President.

Despite these inclinations, the SLPP as an entity has yet to make a formal decision. Previous disagreements surfaced when Mr. Rajapaksa conveyed his dissatisfaction to the President regarding direct engagement with a splinter group within the party.

Insiders reveal that tonight’s meeting aims to address lingering issues, including the sequence of elections, within the backdrop of potential collaboration between the parties involved.

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Another election date claim by Udayanga!

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A date will be announced for a general election after the Sinhala-Tamil New Year, said Rajapaksa family confidante Udayanga Weeratunga.

The ex-ambassador to Russia says SLPP national organizer Basil Rajapaksa declared readiness to dissolve parliament if agreed to by SLPP MPs.

Weeratunga said the SLPP was certain to win a majority of seats.

Grassroots opinion was different to the support extended to president Ranil Wickremesinghe by certain ministers due to the privileges they enjoy, he said.

However, MP Prof. Charitha Herath said the SLPP had ruined its mandate and had no future.

In the meantime, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said all parties would support Wickremesinghe at future elections.

SJB’s Harshana Rajakaruna alleged a deal between the UNP and the JVP.

(adaderana.lk)

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Maldives and Sri Lanka discuss impact of war on Indian Ocean

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Maldives and Sri Lanka discussed the current situation in the Indian Ocean region due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Palestine.

State Minister of Defence Premitha Bandara Tennakoon met the Maldives Defence Minister Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon at the Ministry of Defence, in the Maldives.

During the meeting, Minister Ghassan thanked State Minister Tennakoon and the delegation for undertaking the official visit to the Maldives. He also thanked the government and the armed forces of Sri Lanka for the continued training assistance extended to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

Minister Ghassan further reiterated the importance of defence cooperation and relationship between Maldives and Sri Lanka and highlighted the critical role played through collaborative efforts to ensure regional peace and stability.

Minister Tennakoon thanked the Maldivian Defence Minister for extending an invitation to visit Maldives. He also assured continued support and assistance to the MNDF in terms of training and military education.

He further stated that President Ranil Wickremasinghe has given specific directives to increase training engagements with Maldives and identify the requirements of MNDF.

State Minister Tennakoon also stressed upon the importance of working together to counter common challenges such as climate change and environmental security, violent extremism, illicit trafficking, disasters and humanitarian crises. He also mentioned the current situation in the Indian Ocean region due to the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia also Israel and Palestine.

Both Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to enhance defence cooperation, bilateral relations, strengthen existing engagements and identify new avenues for collaboration and work together towards greater peace, stability and security in the region.

The State Minister was joined by the Director General Training Sri Lanka Army Major General Sumith Nandana, Director at the Foreign Secretary’s Bureau in Maldives Maxwell Keegel, Principal Director of the Department of International Defence Cooperation and Policy in Maldives Colonel Hussain Ibrahim, Military Secretary at the Ministry of Defence in Maldives Colonel Hassan Bushree, Defence Advisor of Maldives in Sri Lanka Colonel Hassan Amir and Wing Commander Chaminda Ranasinghe from the State Ministry of Defence in Sri Lanka.

Gota to release book on conspiracy behind his ouster

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Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced the release of a book titled “The conspiracy to oust me from the Presidency”.

He said the book reveals the political campaign to oust him from the presidency.

“I wish to announce the publication of my book titled “The conspiracy to oust me from the Presidency”. Foreign intervention has weighed heavily on Sri Lanka since we won the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009. From the time I was elected President in November 2019, certain foreign and local parties were intent on removing me from power,” he said in a statement.

Rajapaksa said that the entirety of his two and a half year tenure in power was spent combating the Covid-19 pandemic that swept through Sri Lanka and the whole world soon after he took office.

“Conspiratorial forces commenced the political campaign to oust me from the presidency at the end of March 2022 after the pandemic had been brought under control and the vaccination campaign had been concluded and just when the economy was beginning to recover,” he said.

Rajapaksa said that foreign intervention and the manipulation of internal politics has become a fact of life in Sri Lanka today in a manner never experienced in the first sixty years of independence of this country.

“The political campaign to oust me brought in a new element into the politics of Sri Lanka which has since independence experienced only peaceful transfers of power following elections,” he said.

Rajapaksa said the events of 2022 are fraught with serious implications for the future of this country.

“What this book explains is the first hand experience of an internationally sponsored regime change operation. As such I believe this book will be of interest not only to Sri Lankans but also to foreigners,” he said.

Rajaoaksa said that his book will be available in both English and Sinhala at leading book stores from Thursday the 7th of March 2024.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa was removed from power in 2022 following major street protests.

Ambassadors of six countries meet Anura Kumara

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Ambassadors of six countries met leader of the National People’s Power Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the head office of the JVP this afternoon (6), party sources said.

Ambassador of the State of Palestine Dr. Zuhair M.H. Dar Zaid, Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey Ms. R. Demet Sekercioglu, High Commissioner of the Republic of Bangladesh Tareq M.D. Ariful Islam, Ms. Dewi Gustina Tobing, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, Heru Prayitno, Head of Chancery of the Embassy, Badli Hisham Bin Adam Malaysian High Commissioner and Ms. Fathimath Ghina, Acting Ambassador of the Republic of Maldives attended the meeting.

National Executive Members of the NPP Bimal Ratnayaka, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Dr. Rizvie Salih and Muditha Nanayakkara represented the NPP.

The NPP representatives briefed the foreign diplomats about the principles and functioning of the National People’s Power and discussed the political and economic situation in the country at length. Also, at the meeting, they expressed to the foreign diplomats the readiness of the National People’s Power to deal with all countries based on mutual respect and cooperation.

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Basil Is Back! SLPP Founder Returns from US

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Former Sri Lankan Minister and Founder of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Basil Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka on Tuesday (5) morning.

The Former Minister returned to the country after flying to the United States of America, following the fall of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government.

Speaking to reporters upon his arrival, Basil Rajapaksa said no official decision has been reached with regard to candidates for the upcoming elections.

He said, irrespective of the nature of the election, he will spearhead the SLPP preparations for elections.