srilanka1998
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- 26. Juli 2005
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'Constitutional Council' - A Contrary View
[ TamilCanadian ] [ 02:47 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
The demand from some civic groups to reconstitute the ‘Constitutional Council’ (CC) would give the impression that it would make a substantial contribution to good governance which this country so desperately needs. There is no doubt that the objectives of the 17th Amendment which creates the CC are most relevant particularly in regard to depoliticizing appointments to key institutions of government. Under the 17th Amendment, all appointments to critical state institutions statutorily require the concurrence of the CC. These include the elections, bribery & corruption, public service, police, human rights and judicial service commissions as well as the chief justice and the judges of the Supreme Court, the president and judges of the Court of Appeal, attorney-general, auditor-general and the IGP.
Norway to name new Sri Lanka peace envoy
[ Aften Posten ] [ 12:07 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
Minister of International Development Erik Solheim said on Thursday he will not be standing aside as peace mediator between Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels, but will be appointing a new Norwegian associate. "I will continue to lead the Norwegian work with Sri Lanka," Solheim told NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting). "But in addition we need a person who can follow developments in Sri Lanka from second to second. This person will be appointed shortly," Solheim said. After a misunderstanding with foreign correspondents in Oslo Thursday it was widely reported that Solheim was stepping down as peace broker in Sri Lanka due to his new workload as Minister of Development.
Tsunami Victims Worry About War, Not Housing
[ IPS ] [ 12:09 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
The famed sand mines of Manalkadhu vanished in a swirl of houses and people when gigantic waves crashed into the village on Dec. 26, 2004. Fifteen months on, most of the families in this hamlet that depend on fishing and selling construction sand, are still living in makeshift centers set up by the United Nations. At least 210 families live in tented accommodation and, unlike elsewhere on the island, there are no complaints about the long wait for permanent housing. The only fear is renewed hostilities between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels. The two sides have been observing a Norwegian brokered truce since February 2002, the longest in Sri Lanka's history.
LTTE reviews post-Geneva with facilitators
[ LTTE Peace Secretariat ] [ 12:12 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
“Inaction in implementation of what was agreed upon in Geneva and hyperbolic rhetoric is all what one sees in the ground when it comes to fulfilment of the pledges made by the government delegation” said Mr.S.P.Tamilselvan, Head of the LTTE Political Wing in a meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador Mr.Hans Bratskar and the SLMM delegation headed by Mr.Hagrup Haukland, Head of SLMM today Thursday 16 March 2006 at the Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi.
Next round of Sri Lankan peace talks hangs in the balance
[ WSWS ] [ 12:13 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
Uncertainty hangs over the second round of the Sri Lanka’s peace talks between the Colombo government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), scheduled for April 19-21 in Geneva. Communalist agitation by the government’s Sinhala extremist allies and a series of armed attacks on the LTTE raise the prospect that the negotiations will collapse. The first round of talks in Geneva on February 22-23—the first since negotiations were suspended in April 2003—almost broke down after the LTTE delegation threatened to walk out if Colombo insisted on changing the current fragile ceasefire signed in February 2002. Under intense international pressure, the two sides finally agreed to hold another round of talks in April.
Tamil community cries foul
[ Globe and Mail ] [ 12:15 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
A Human Rights Watch report alleging widespread extortion and intimidation in Toronto on behalf of Sri Lanka's separatist Tamil Tigers was assailed by the Canadian Tamil Congress yesterday as disparaging, methodologically flawed, short on specifics and flat-out wrong. "If you have evidence, approach the police," speaker Dushy Gnanapragasam told a press conference at a Toronto hotel, echoing other panellists' contention that there is no track record of such complaints. "The Human Rights report has become a threat to our human rights," Neethan Shan said, to a loud round of applause from the 80-plus congress supporters who attended.
Solheim to give up Sri Lanka job
[ BBC ] [ 17:05 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
Norway's peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim, has announced that he will soon give up the job. However, Mr Solheim told journalists in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, that he would still lead efforts to resolve Sri Lanka's civil war. Mr Solheim has played a central role in moves to end the conflict. Last month he brokered the first face-to-face talks between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels in three years.Mr Solheim said he was giving up the job of envoy to concentrate more on his job as Norway's overseas development minister.Mr Solheim denied that his decision to step down as mediator was as a result of criticism of his role from Sri Lanka. The BBC's Lars Bevanger in Oslo says that Mr Solheim made it clear that he was still committed to being involved in peace efforts.
Norway to name new Sri Lanka peace envoy
[ AftenPosten ] [ 17:57 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
Minister of International Development Erik Solheim said on Thursday he will not be standing aside as peace mediator between Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels, but will be appointing a new Norwegian associate. "I will continue to lead the Norwegian work with Sri Lanka," Solheim told NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting). "But in addition we need a person who can follow developments in Sri Lanka from second to second. This person will be appointed shortly," Solheim said. After a misunderstanding with foreign correspondents in Oslo Thursday it was widely reported that Solheim was stepping down as peace broker in Sri Lanka due to his new workload as Minister of Development.
[ TamilCanadian ] [ 02:47 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
The demand from some civic groups to reconstitute the ‘Constitutional Council’ (CC) would give the impression that it would make a substantial contribution to good governance which this country so desperately needs. There is no doubt that the objectives of the 17th Amendment which creates the CC are most relevant particularly in regard to depoliticizing appointments to key institutions of government. Under the 17th Amendment, all appointments to critical state institutions statutorily require the concurrence of the CC. These include the elections, bribery & corruption, public service, police, human rights and judicial service commissions as well as the chief justice and the judges of the Supreme Court, the president and judges of the Court of Appeal, attorney-general, auditor-general and the IGP.
Norway to name new Sri Lanka peace envoy
[ Aften Posten ] [ 12:07 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
Minister of International Development Erik Solheim said on Thursday he will not be standing aside as peace mediator between Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels, but will be appointing a new Norwegian associate. "I will continue to lead the Norwegian work with Sri Lanka," Solheim told NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting). "But in addition we need a person who can follow developments in Sri Lanka from second to second. This person will be appointed shortly," Solheim said. After a misunderstanding with foreign correspondents in Oslo Thursday it was widely reported that Solheim was stepping down as peace broker in Sri Lanka due to his new workload as Minister of Development.
Tsunami Victims Worry About War, Not Housing
[ IPS ] [ 12:09 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
The famed sand mines of Manalkadhu vanished in a swirl of houses and people when gigantic waves crashed into the village on Dec. 26, 2004. Fifteen months on, most of the families in this hamlet that depend on fishing and selling construction sand, are still living in makeshift centers set up by the United Nations. At least 210 families live in tented accommodation and, unlike elsewhere on the island, there are no complaints about the long wait for permanent housing. The only fear is renewed hostilities between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels. The two sides have been observing a Norwegian brokered truce since February 2002, the longest in Sri Lanka's history.
LTTE reviews post-Geneva with facilitators
[ LTTE Peace Secretariat ] [ 12:12 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
“Inaction in implementation of what was agreed upon in Geneva and hyperbolic rhetoric is all what one sees in the ground when it comes to fulfilment of the pledges made by the government delegation” said Mr.S.P.Tamilselvan, Head of the LTTE Political Wing in a meeting with the Norwegian Ambassador Mr.Hans Bratskar and the SLMM delegation headed by Mr.Hagrup Haukland, Head of SLMM today Thursday 16 March 2006 at the Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi.
Next round of Sri Lankan peace talks hangs in the balance
[ WSWS ] [ 12:13 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
Uncertainty hangs over the second round of the Sri Lanka’s peace talks between the Colombo government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), scheduled for April 19-21 in Geneva. Communalist agitation by the government’s Sinhala extremist allies and a series of armed attacks on the LTTE raise the prospect that the negotiations will collapse. The first round of talks in Geneva on February 22-23—the first since negotiations were suspended in April 2003—almost broke down after the LTTE delegation threatened to walk out if Colombo insisted on changing the current fragile ceasefire signed in February 2002. Under intense international pressure, the two sides finally agreed to hold another round of talks in April.
Tamil community cries foul
[ Globe and Mail ] [ 12:15 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
A Human Rights Watch report alleging widespread extortion and intimidation in Toronto on behalf of Sri Lanka's separatist Tamil Tigers was assailed by the Canadian Tamil Congress yesterday as disparaging, methodologically flawed, short on specifics and flat-out wrong. "If you have evidence, approach the police," speaker Dushy Gnanapragasam told a press conference at a Toronto hotel, echoing other panellists' contention that there is no track record of such complaints. "The Human Rights report has become a threat to our human rights," Neethan Shan said, to a loud round of applause from the 80-plus congress supporters who attended.
Solheim to give up Sri Lanka job
[ BBC ] [ 17:05 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
Norway's peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim, has announced that he will soon give up the job. However, Mr Solheim told journalists in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, that he would still lead efforts to resolve Sri Lanka's civil war. Mr Solheim has played a central role in moves to end the conflict. Last month he brokered the first face-to-face talks between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels in three years.Mr Solheim said he was giving up the job of envoy to concentrate more on his job as Norway's overseas development minister.Mr Solheim denied that his decision to step down as mediator was as a result of criticism of his role from Sri Lanka. The BBC's Lars Bevanger in Oslo says that Mr Solheim made it clear that he was still committed to being involved in peace efforts.
Norway to name new Sri Lanka peace envoy
[ AftenPosten ] [ 17:57 GMT, Mar. 16, 2006 ]
Minister of International Development Erik Solheim said on Thursday he will not be standing aside as peace mediator between Sri Lanka's government and Tamil Tiger rebels, but will be appointing a new Norwegian associate. "I will continue to lead the Norwegian work with Sri Lanka," Solheim told NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting). "But in addition we need a person who can follow developments in Sri Lanka from second to second. This person will be appointed shortly," Solheim said. After a misunderstanding with foreign correspondents in Oslo Thursday it was widely reported that Solheim was stepping down as peace broker in Sri Lanka due to his new workload as Minister of Development.