Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Text of Justice Bhagwati s letter:
'I am grateful to Your Excellency for giving three Members of IIGEP Sir Nigel Rodley, Prof. Yokota and myself an opportunity of meeting with you. During this meeting we had an opportunity of discussing and clarifying some of the issues arising out of the Public Statement of IIGEP.

One of the main issues raised in the discussion at the meeting was in regard to the expression 'absence of political will' on the part of Government of Sri Lanka mentioned in the Public Statement.

I would like to point out that if you would kindly look at the Public Statement at the relevant part, you will find that IIGEP has not accused the Government of Sri Lanka of any lack of political will insofar as the functioning of COI is concerned. What has been recited in the Public Statement is about 'IIGEP's apprehension regarding absence of political will'.

The IIGEP has never alleged that there was absence of political will on the part of the Government of Sri Lanka. It was merely an apprehension which was voiced by IIGEP in view of the facts before them.

IIGEP of course could not voice anything more than a mere apprehension because it was not within their jurisdiction to find whether there was absence of political will on the part of Government of Sri Lanka or not.

That was not within their terms of reference which were confined merely to observing whether the proceedings before the Commission of Inquiry were transparent and in accordance with the international principles and norms. I may add that so far as the Commission of Inquiry is concerned, it has been doing very good work and the Members of IIGEP have had the best of cooperation from the Chairman and Members of COI.

I have no doubt that COI will continue to carry on its work with the same zeal and dedication as it has been doing so far. All my best wishes to COI and to the Government of Sri Lanka.'

Sri Lanka was plunged in darkness shortly after nightfall Monday as the power grid operated by state-run Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) failed for the third time this year.

CEB General Manager Ranjith Pulleperuma said power had failed to most parts of Sri Lanka except Badulla, Randenigala and Rantembe areas.
He said the priority was to restore power to Colombo and the Katunayake airport areas with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad due to land in the country on a state visit.

Power to the island last failed on April 13.

On January 21 an exploding current transformer in the outskirts of Colombo tripped the system leaving only Badulla energized.

President Ahmadinejad is due to inaugurate an Iranian funded hydro-power project for cash strapped utility tomorrow as part of his visit.

Pulleperuma said the cause for the failure would be investigated later.

Oil prices hit an all-time high near $120 a barrel Monday after a weekend refinery strike closed a pipeline system that delivers a third of Britain's North Sea oil to refineries in the U.K.
The shutdown comes amid other supply outages in Nigeria that have helped to support oil against a strengthening dollar.