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'Govt. cuts agricultural budget by 35 %'

Friday, 12 March 2010

Public Investment in agriculture was reduced by 35 per cent last year, despite the Mahinda Rajapaksa government’s much touted Api Wawamu Rata Hadamu (Lets Grow to Develop the Country) policy, the UNP said yesterday.

Economist and UNP National List nominee at the forthcoming parliamentary election, Harsha de Silva told "The Island that the government had actually cut investment in agriculture from Rs. 23 billion in 2008, to Rs. 17 billion in 2009.

The "Mahinda Chintana" pledged to revive the agricultural sector, with its now hackneyed phrase"Api Wawamu Rata Hadamu – Lets Grow to Develop the Country", but the opposite had actually happened, he said.

Friday, 12 March 2010
The national list candidate of DNA Anura Dissanayake challenges the government to produce, if they can, the constitution they say they have compiled by now. Mr. Dissanayake made this challenge at a press conference held in Colombo yesterday (11th). Speaking further Mr. Dissanayake said the government has no programme to present to the people for the general election ; all they do is to sling mud at the General and ask for 2/3rd majority he pointed out. He said, "We challenge the government to present to the people the constitution they say they would bring and has already compiled. It should be presented to the people before the election. The government is preparing to bring an oppressive, undemocratic constitution." Continuing Mr. Dissanayake said, "The military spokesman says Gen. Sarath Fosneka would be brought before the military tribunal on five charges. This has been published in several national newspapers in Sri Lanka as the lead. However, none of these newspapers had mentioned what those charges were. We challenge the government to present the charges against Gen. Fonseka. We know that investigations are being done only on two main topics. One is the arms deal while he was the Army Commander. The other is whether he had any connections with Parliamentarians of the opposition. Other than these there has not been any questioning or investigations on any other matter.
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US blames govt. for HR violations

Friday, 12 March 2010
The US has blamed the government for being involved in human rights violations last year and has stated that Sri Lanka is yet to make progress into the killings of several high profile people who were murdered as the war came to its bloody end. However the report also stated that the country did make some progress after the war between the military and the LTTE came to an end after 35 years. “The government's respect for human rights declined as armed conflict reached its conclusion,” the US said in its annual Human Rights report released by the State Department.
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Sri Lanka's former army chief 'to face three charges'

Thursday, 11 March 2010
Former Sri Lankan army chief and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka will face three charges in a military court, including "conduct unbecoming an officer," a source said Thursday.
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UNP manifesto focuses on vital sectors Education, healthcare, joblessness most neglected by this Gov

Thursday, 11 March 2010
Addressing the UNP party Colombo District convention yesterday (10), UNP and Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said ,the UNP manifesto for the April 8th General elections will focus specially on the education sector , healthcare and joblessness which are the most vital , yet most neglected by the Govt. Being people oriented, it will primarily address all issues of the people rather than those elected to Parliament on people’s votes. It is a shame that Ministers of education and Health who totally ruined those sectors are staking their claims to become the Prime Minister, without realizing they deserve a demotion and not a promotion , he pointed out.
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World's 20 richest people: Forbes

Thursday, 11 March 2010
NEW YORK, March 10, 2010 (AFP) - The top 10 richest people in the world have a combined worth of 342 billion dollars in 2010, up from 254 billion a year ago. Here are the 20 wealthiest, as announced Wednesday by Forbes magazine in its annual list of the world's billionaires:
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Sri Lanka: End witch hunt against the media and NGOs

Thursday, 11 March 2010
(New York) - The Sri Lankan government should end its harassment of journalists and activists and take steps against those making threats, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said in a joint statement today. Since the January 2010 presidential election, the government has engaged in a campaign to silence and discredit journalists and nongovernmental organizations. A recently leaked document, which appears to be a government surveillance list of more than 30 journalists and activists, significantly raises concerns about the safety of the people on the list, the organizations said.
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MPs Johnston, Indika sacked from house

Wednesday, 10 March 2010
In a strange twist of events, Ministers Johnston Fernando and Indika Bandaranaike, who joined the ruling UPFA from the UNP, ceased to hold their MP posts from yesterday in the reconvened Parliament since they had withdrawn a Supreme Court case challenging their expulsion from the UNP. Parliament was reconvened yesterday on a presidential proclamation to pass the emergency regulations for a further period of one month.They switched their allegiance to the government and accepted ministerial portfolios during the presidential election period. Subsequently, the UNP expelled them from the party. However, the two dissidents went to court against their expulsions.
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TMVP demands 13th amendment

Wednesday, 10 March 2010
The Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) has demanded the implementation of the 13th amendment soon after the General Elections and has also rejected the Oslo Declaration, party officials said today. TMVP Spokesperson Azath Maulana told Daily Mirror online that the party’s main election policy mentioned in its manifesto was the implementation of the 13th Amendment and the TMVP’s rejection of the Oslo Declaration.
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Lankan team to head for EU

Wednesday, 10 March 2010
A Sri Lankan delegation will head to Brussels next week for talks with the European Union (EU) on the GSP plus trade concession and other issues, Minister G.L Pieris told reporters today. Those included in the delegation are Treasury Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundera, Foreign Secretary Romesh Jayasinghe, Justice Secretary Suhada Gamlath and Attorney General (AG) Mohan Peiris (PC). The EU last month decided to withdraw GSP for Sri Lanka but has given Sri Lanka time to negotiate and attempt to retain the facility.
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US blames govt. for HR violations The US has blamed the government for being involved in human rights violations last year and has stated that Sri Lanka is yet to make progress into the killings of several high profile people who were...

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