Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

damn how many times i have said i am going and i am still here..addicted AH..lolz

Jack
The bottom line is are we really worried about the flag or where we live? i don't think so..so enjoy the time in LNP

The management of Mihin Lanka is fighting against time to stay on schedule for the budget airline s inaugural flight to Dubai on December 21, as officers of the Indian Aviation Authority (IAA) are dragging their feet to grant a route facility permit.

A well placed source in Mihin Lanka told The Island that about US$ 600,000 had already been paid to the IAA via the International Air Transport Association, but officials of IAA were causing a delay by not signing the necessary documents.

'The Chairman (Raja A. Edirisuriya), has flown to India to try to resolve the matter. It is not clear what the delay is all about,' he said.

Our source says all outstanding payments owed to India (and Dubai) had been paid along with the charge for the new permit, thus having no need to experience anymore delays.

'Mihin Lanka is ready to fly, but it is doubtful the inaugural flight would take place on December 21, unless the Chairman sorts it out.'

The airline s first plane, a Boeing 737-800 will arrive on December 19. Four technicians are already in the Island to train the ground crew they flew in yesterday (17).

The Boeing is on a 3 month wet lease from French aviation specialists Trans Avia France FAS.

It will cost the budget airline between US$ 900 thousand and US$ 1 million a month, inclusive of the pilot, maintenance and insurance.

The wet-lease will amount to US$ 2,800 per flying hour.

An advance of US$ 100,000 was already paid to Trans Avia France FAS.

Mihin Lanka may covert the contract into a dry lease or may consider other options, once the wet lease expires.

Mihin Lanka last month said its first flight to Dubai would be on December 15. However, because of delays to get the plane here on time the inaugural flight was rescheduled.

Flights to Indian destinations, Trivandrum and Trichy are to commence soon after December 21.

Flights to Buddagaya are expected to commence from 15th February.

Mihin Lanka also hopes to commence domestic flights to Ampara, Palali and Trincomalee.

A Response to TamilNet by US Ambassador Blake

Blake is gonna get some telegrams!

OH...Blake is gonna get some telegrams!

Home News Cabinet heats up over CJ rulings
Cabinet heats up over CJ rulings
Thursday, 18 December 2008 13:45
The President and several ministers, at a meeting of the cabinet last night (Dec. 17th), had strongly criticised the ruling by the chief justice at the Supreme Court for bringing down the price of petrol to Rs. 100 per litre.

The President has reportedly told his ministers that they should even be prepared to go to prison for violating the SC order, the implementation of which, he said, would give a bad precedence.

'A conspiracy has begun with foreign assistance to overthrow the government. The conspirators want to deny the government its income and to stop the war.'

'I lost two of my best officers due to SC rulings. P.B. Jayasundara and Asantha de Mel, both are at home now. This situation cannot be allowed to continue. I want a united decision of the cabinet. Or else, I will stop the war tomorrow,' he has said at the beginning of the meeting.

President Rajapaksa has said that he would in the future expose to the public the behind-the-scene conspirators responsible for this anti-government plot.

Voicing strong support to the President, senior minister Maithripala Sirisena has said the judiciary should not be allowed to dictate terms to the government.

Apart from executive presidency, parliament is the country's most supreme institution, he has noted, adding that conspirators, both local and foreign, were attempting to destroy the image of the country's leader.

His colleague Nimal Siripala de Silva has spoken about how the CJ could be removed from his position.

Minister Rajitha Senaratne has told the cabinet that his attempts to petition for the removal of the topmost official of the judiciary during the UNP regime were sabotaged by Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Rohitha Bogollagama has advised his colleagues to act and decide intelligently and to negotiate solutions to problems without letting the country to go to anarchy, warning that, or else the impact at international level would be very bad.

Agreeing with him, Minister John Seneviratne has said that there should be no conflict with the judiciary unnecessarily, although there may be political conspirators and those who oppose the war.

Also speaking here, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has said a public opinion was building up that the present regime was corrupt and that the SC rulings only go to establish that claim.

He has called for the rebuilding of the image of the government after appointing the independent bribery and corruption as per 17th amendment to the constitution.

Taking offense with the remark, President has retorted that he was well aware of who the corrupt were, and that the biggest of them all were in the ministry of Dinesh Gunawardena, appointed by the minister himself.

He has also said that after the war ended, he would decide about them, adding that he has already made up him mind about the actions to be taken against the CJ's decisions.

Minister A.H.M. Fowzie tried to appease his leader and expressing sentiments similar to those by Messrs. Bogollagama and Seneviratne, has noted a majority of the people, irrespective of party differences, had welcomed the SC rulings recently.

The government may gain many battlefront victories, but still the people will be with the judiciary when they are given rulings in their favour, said Mr. Fowzie.

Completely rejecting the claim that the SC was more popular than the government, President Rajapaksa has asked the minister as to whether he had conducted a referendum for the opinion of the public.

However, Minister Fowzie continued, 'If the SC says fuel price should be reduced by Rs. 22, we can reduce it by Rs. 25. By doing that, we will lose nothing. The SC has ruled for a reduction in the tax, not the price. Therefore, we can enforce the SC ruling and increase the prices later.'

'Then, there will be no conflict or anarchy of the country. Otherwise, there will be long queues for fuel by tomorrow.
There will be demonstrations across the country. People will set fire to filling stations,' he has said.

Intervening, Minister Senaratne has called for strong measures under emergency laws if such protests took place.

If the opposition takes the people to the streets, the government should do likewise, he said.

As ministers disagreed on the SC ruling of the petrol price reduction, the President has deferred to take a decision until after obtaining a written statement of the court decision, and the cabinet will meet again today to discuss the matter further.

He has also tasked Minister Dallas Alahapperuma to launch an extensive campaign to raise public awareness to counter SC rulings unfavourable to the government.

'I lost two of my best officers due to SC rulings. P.B. Jayasundara and Asantha de Mel, both are at home now. This situation cannot be allowed to continue. I want a united decision of the cabinet. Or else, I will stop the war tomorrow,' he has said at the beginning of the meeting.

Asantha de Mel, when asked by Harsha de Silva about his role in the Hedging deal, asked for mitigated sentence, saying, 'They told me to agree or I d be in trouble'. Minister Fowzie said that it was a collective Cabinet decision.

Both of them exposed their limited knowledge. Neither has more than the basic qualifications to keep afloat a blundering career and as the Chief Justice has said, his peons are more qualified. It may be a good idea for them to look for employment in keeping with whatever knowledge and experience they possess

LOL. Gaja's already on it, me thinks.