President Mahinda Rajapaksa is to direct a movie with Ministers Wimal Weerawansa and Champika Ranawaka playing the lead roles, says JVP Politburo Member K. D. Lalkantha. “It will be the next attraction to be featured in film halls soon,” he said.
Speaking at the annual convention of the JVP-affiliated union of the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), Lalkantha observed that Weerawansa and Ranawaka would be made to act out the film script prepared by the President, which would be against the devolution of power and the 13th Amendment.
He explained that following Indian External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna’s comment that the President has agreed to a solution that goes beyond the 13th Amendment, the President would now get the likes of Weerawansa and Ranawaka to stage protests against such a move.
“Weerawansa will commence a hunger strike while getting saline and Ranawaka will shave his head and try to speak of Buddhism,” Lalkantha said.
The President, he added, would then tell the world that he has to face objections from the Government and could not implement the 13th Amendment as a result.
“The President and members of the Government are silent these days, but in a few days these two ministers will start to act out their part because the President would ask them to start protesting against power devolution,” Lalkantha said.
Cutting Down The Wrong Tree
Environment Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa organized a Peduru Party at his official residence to celebrate his 53rd birthday last Wednesday (18).
A group of VIPs including President Mahinda Rajapaksa attended the party.
Minister Susil Premajayantha had entertained the audience with the popular Sinhala song, “Chandrame Re Paya.”
During the party, the President had a chat with the birthday boy about the usual government affairs.
Seeing the head of several state institutions including the Timber Corporation, the President had told Yapa that he had directed that trees on some roads be cut down in order to develop a road in Mattala.
“It had not been done and I called the Chairman of the Timber Corporation. The man had got so scared that not only had he cut down the trees that were marked but also a sacred tree that was being worshiped by the people in the area,” Rajapaksa told Yapa.
Yapa also received some praise from the President when he had said the Central Environment Authority, which is under Yapa’s purview, had kept proper accounts of its finances.
“Most state institutions think of their accounts only when summoned by COPE, but the CEA has maintained its accounts well,” Rajapaksa has told a happy birthday boy.
It’s All In The Stars
UNP Chairman Gamini Jayawickrema Perera is to get the handling of astrological affairs added to his duties in relation to the party.
The Party’s Working Committee met last Monday (16) for the first time this year and Jayawickrema Perera was one of the first officials to enter Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s office in Siri Kotha.
The Working Committee meeting was scheduled to commence at 10.30 a.m. However, Jayawickrema Perera has asked Wickremesinghe not to commence the Working Committee meeting at 10.30 a.m. He has said the auspicious time for the day was at 10.40 a.m. and that the meeting should therefore commence at that time.
Wickremesinghe had turned towards the UNP Secretary Tissa Attanayake and said in lighter vein to include astrological affairs in the list of duties that would be assigned to Jayawickrema Perera this year.
“Tissa, when listing out duties to officials, remember to include astrological affairs under Gamini,” the UNP leader had said.
Ravi’s Driver Fined On The Expressway
UNP Parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake’s driver was fined for speeding on the Southern Expressway last week while driving the MP for a wedding in Galle.
The driver had been speeding on the expressway in order to get the parliamentarian to the wedding on time.
However, when Karunanayake’s vehicle reached the exit point in Galle, the officials at the point had handed the driver a document which was a speeding ticket imposing a fine of Rs. 1,000 for exceeding the speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour on the Southern Expressway.
Silence Please
Two governing UPFA members had to be ordered by the Colombo Fort Magistrate not to speak and create a noise in the court premises.
Colombo Fort Magistrate Kanishka Wijeratne has ordered UPFA CMC member Azad Sally and UPFA Western Provincial Councillor Ajmal Mowjood not to discuss and exchange words in the court premises.
The Magistrate had to make the statement when a case filed by Sally against Mowjood was taken up for hearing.
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