Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as PM

UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka at the Presidential Secretariat a short while ago.

He was elected for the fourth time as the Prime Minster in the 2015 Parliamentary Elections. He topped the UNP Colombo district list with 500,566 votes; the most number of preferential votes at a parliamentary election obtained by a candidate. He served as Prime Minister for eight months when President Maithripala Sirisena appointed him following the victory of 2015 Presidential Election. Mr. Wickremesinghe had also served as Prime Minister from May 7, 1993 to August 19, 1994 and December 9, 2001 to April 9, 2004.

Former President and Kurunegala District UPFA MP Mahinda Rajapaksa attended UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s swearing-in ceremony as Prime Minister at the Presidential Secretariat.

MR concedes election defeat

Former president Mahinda Rajapakse told AFP today that he had conceded defeat in parliamentary elections, but he will work as an opposition member of the legislature.

"My dream of becoming prime minister has faded away. I am conceding. We have lost a good fight,” Rajapakse told AFP. Rajapakse accepted that his United People's Freedom Alliance had lost even before Elections Chief Mahinda Deshapriya could announce the final results.

"We have won eight districts and the UNP (ruling United National Party) has 11 (out of a total of 22), it means we have lost. It was a difficult fight, ” Rajapakse said. Official figures showed the same breakdown of results. Remaining three districts were dominated by a minority Tamil party, officials said, adding that no party was set to secure an absolute majority of 113 seats in the 225-member parliament following Monday's election.

Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya said he expected the release of the final party positions by midday Tuesday, while individual votes garnered by candidates would be announced later. Rajapakse cast his ballot on Monday, he expressed confidence that he could return to power as Sri Lanka's prime minister just months after he was toppled as president.election commissioner Deshapriya said the vote, called a year ahead of schedule by President Maithripala Sirisena who ousted the veteran leader in January, had been one of the most peaceful in Sri Lanka's history.

His surprise victory over his former mentor, Sirisena has struggled to impose his authority over his United people's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) party and was powerless to prevent Rajapakse from standing as one of its candidates.

I never knew Mr. Thajudeen : Yasara

A name that has come up with the death of Rugby player Wasim Thajudeen was of Yasara Abeynayake. In her comments Yasara said, “I never knew Mr. Thajudeen nor have I ever even spoken to him. These rumours started back in 2012 by a website named ‘Lanka Leaks’ and it has spread like fire ever since then. I don’t know why they attach me to this story but they unfortunately picked me and spread it far enough for people to believe their false story.

When asked whether the diplomatic position she was awarded to serve in Australia had any link with the incident she said Mr. Thajudeen passed away in 2012 and I got my posting in mid 2014 so my posting had nothing to do with the incident. Also this incident had nothing to do with my break-up as I never knew Wasim.

Yoshitha and I were engaged and it came to an end because our horoscopes did not match and his family was very superstitious about astrology related matters.This break-up with Yositha was just like any regular break-up but the sad part is that most people in the country decided to make it their business.” Meanwhile, in an interview with the Sunday Lankadeepa Yasara has mentioned that she had wanted to speak to the media when the incident happened. “Most people discouraged me from resorting to it saying that it was gossip stories which were unfounded and to take no notice of them. It was not my intention to follow these gossip web sites.

After some time those stories stopped circulating. But again after the elections it had come to the scene once again. Whenever I meet people they say things, which had greatly caused me and my family much distraught. This is unjustifiable. See the plight of people who are subjected to this harassment. It is my honourable request not to welcome all what is been published via the internet, and do not be in a haste to take decisions. Once the reports are released people would know the truth.

Ayesha Madushani who distribute files in MR's stage

Last few days people been talking about the girl who carries files in Mahinda Rajapaksha's stage. Her name is Ayesha Madushani. 

Rajapaksa Says He Is yet To See Sirisena's Letter

 
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa said that he is yet to see the letter that is said to have been sent to him by President Maithripala Sirisena.

Speaking at the Homagama UPFA rally taking place at this moment, Rajapaksa said that someone informed him of a letter but he was yet to see it. He said that he cannot say anything before seeing it.
Meanwhile, his media coordinator Rohan Welivita had told media that he was yet to receive a letter. If the President wanted to send a letter to Rajapaksa, the best way would have been to send it directly rather than releasing it to media, he had also said.

A letter sent by Sirisena to Rajapaksa was released to media this afternoon. In it, Sirisena revealed many details of the interactions between him and Rajapaksa during the last few months and added that he would not support Rajapaksa to be the next Prime Minister even if the UPFA wins the election.

Related  :: Maithri sends a letter to MR

Maithri sends a letter to MR

In a hard-hitting letter to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, President Maithripala Sirisena as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) today asked Mr. Rajapaksa not to raise communalism and said that he will not be appointed Prime Minister even if the party gets more than 113 parliamentary seats as there are more senior SLFP members who could be appointed as the Premier.

The President also said if the party did not reach the 113 mark, he could intervene to bridge the gap.

In the five-page detailed letter, the President said there were seniors such as Nimal Siripala de Silva, John Seneviratne, A.H.M. Fowzie, Chamal Rajapaksa, Susil Premajayantha, Athauda Seneviratne and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa to be picked as the Prime Minister if the UPFA secured an overall majority at the elections.

Therefore, he requested the former President to be generous and flexible, and to give his blessing for one of them to be appointed to the post. The President said it was hilarious to note Mr. Rajapaksa visiting temples with media coverage right from the day of his defeat at the January 8 election.

Related :: Rajapaksa Says He Is yet To See Sirisena's Letter